355-400 grain bullets in 44 mag

[mickbr]

Anyone run real heavy bullets in their 44mags? I know its not real practical but have an urge to try some. Was even considering rebarreling a rossi 44mag to tight twist as a subsonic thumper. 400 grains is probably a case of diminishing returns but there is something intriguing about a pistol bullet almost as heavy as a 12ga slug!

[Grizz]

Anyone run real heavy bullets in their 44mags? I know its not real practical but have an urge to try some. Was even considering rebarreling a rossi 44mag to tight twist as a subsonic thumper. 400 grains is probably a case of diminishing returns but there is something intriguing about a pistol bullet almost as heavy as a 12ga slug!

I hunted deer for subsistance (food) in Alaska for about thirty years. I got best results from 44 mag carbine and revolver. In the revolver I used 325gr cast truncated cone plain base bullets from a 10 inch SBH. In the carbine 240 Gr JSP, because of the slow twist rate. We never used hollow points because my Dad said not to hunt with them..

Because I was hunting in high population density brown bear environments carrying meat on my back, I dealt with the potential problem of not enough gun to stop the bear. So I switched to 45/70/525, and 44/405 hard cast bullets, at almost the exact time my children took over the meat provisioning. My older son shot a deer with the 45/70, bullet cruised thru, made round holes in bone and did not macerate the meat. Unlike 338, 7mm, 308, etc. The 405g load is used in a redhawk, and I have not taken deer with it. I have run lots of comparison tests to the ammo I did take deer with. It operates subsonic and has terminal ballistics comparable to early 45/70 loads...

regards, grizz

[AJMD429]

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Kind of tangential to the topic, but I thought about getting a fast twist barrel chambered in 444 Marlin for either Thompson Encore or Ruger No 1, for same reason.

[Grizz]

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Kind of tangential to the topic, but I thought about getting a fast twist barrel chambered in 444 Marlin for either Thompson Encore or Ruger No 1, for same reason.

That's a good idea.

I gave my son a 444 Marlin and can't recall the twist rate of that particular one. I should load up some 405Gr bullets for the 444 just to see how that goes. I suspect something in the 1800fps range is do-able. Which would give revolver velocities out there a ways up yonder.