Is a .45 Colt better than a .44 mag?

[Wildthang]

Need some help guys. I have a friend in Alaska that offered to take me Moose hunting next year, and we want to hunt with pistols. I have a Ruger Blackhawk in .44 Mag caliber, but am hearing from other people that a .45 Colt caliber is better than a .44 mag on large critters!
I am inclined to agree with them but have never shot a modern .45 that much, and always thought that the .45 is an old lower powered round.
If anything the reason may be the heavy projectiles the .45 will shoot, up to 360 grain I think! That would have to hit like a freight train, but is it really that much better than a .44 Mag 310 grain at a little higher velocity?
I don't mind buying a new pistol at all if it will actually take out a moose better than a .44 Mag, heck, nothing wrong with a new Blackhawk at all!
What would you do, is the .45 really that much better?

[Hummer70]

From a terminal ballistic performance the 44 Mag (240 gr.) loads should be more effective on dangerous game. The factory loadings of 45 Long Colt are almost always loaded to a much lower pressure and velocity because most firearms previously chambered for them just will not sustain the same pressure levels as some of the 44 Mags now on the market.

Now with that being said Ruger firearms in those two calibers are engineered to higher standards than many others on the market especially those that were made many years ago.

For instance if you check the Sierra loading manuals you will find loads for two levels of 45 Long Colt, there is a section for "Colt SAAS revolvers & replicas"and another section for "Ruger, Dan Wesson and Contenders".

You will not likely find commercial ammo loaded for the 45 Long Colt because the ammo folks have no control what firearm it will be put into. Where 44 Mag is all loaded to higher pressures many refer to as "Hot Loads".

Thus if you are going to reload for a 45 Long Colt made by Ruger, check the loading manuals.

Caution: If you are going to be going to a wilderness scenario make sure your primers are waterproofed. Note: the ammo companies used to waterproof lots of ammo as evidenced by red/black/purple lacquer applied around the edge of the primers. You can "waterproof" your ammo with nail polish. Personally I use the clear nail polish but I have seen guys use RED and PINK.

If you need it you want to make sure it "goes bang" because "clicks" do nothing for you.

When applying the nail polish have newspapers laid out. Glop on the polish and then place the case head on the newspaper and drag it across to remove the nail polish on the case head. When this is done the nail polish should be in tact all the way around the edge of the primer and only a trace on the case head where you don't want it.

[hunter63]

Personally I have always bee a fan of the .44 mag....going back to the Dirty Harry days.
I had always considered it as the new and improved version of the .45lc.

Wisconsin really didn't think much of the .45 for a long time as well....and wasn't on the list of approved handguns.
Approved was .357 mag, .41 mag, a .44 mag.

Then I started seeing articles in magazines (the big thing before the interwebs) where guys were loading the .45 "up to .44 mag, sizes speeds and energy levels......So my line of thinking was why fool around with a "hot rod" when you can get the same performance with factory .44 mags loads.
Wis. now allows the .45lc

(Mini Rant)
Actually it still drives me nuts when some one asks this kind of question.... and gets answered by many people, by listing all their pet hot rod re-loads, custom bullets and generally trying to impress the world with their vast ballistics knowledge....When the poor guy asked this because he doesn't have the gear, knowledge or for that matter the desire to "fool with it".

That is like asking who has the best airline price to Alaska and getting directions on building you own 747....
Rant off.

Anyway over the years, I carried my Super Blackhawk .44 mag as my side arm on hunting trips where needed when the possibility of big animals or if I was hunting deer was the goal.

But for what ever reason the .45lc started to show up here in several applications, mostly being ..45/.410 combo applications or single shot rifles, and a Ruger Old Army conversion.....so I started loading for the .45 lc.
Did add a Ruger Blackhawk .45 lc combo w/ .45 ACP cylinder......just because.....

Now all that being said......I would still carry my .44 mag for hunting.......we are old friends....but if just carrying for "because" the .357.

Or if buying a new "bear gun" I would consider a .454 Casull revolver available in several models.......and be able to shoot the .45 lc as a "lite load"....LOL

[Wildthang]

Well most guys that have been trying to convince me of the colts superiority were definitely speaking of the Colt hot loads! But if that only gets just slightly better than a .44 Mag, I'm not going to buy a new pistol for just a minimum gain!
I would think that a .44 mag bullet with good penetration and expansion would just about kill anything, but I have never shot a moose either!

[Hummer70]

I noticed on something yesterday that Ruger has a Redhawk now with a round butt on one of those limited production run things. I already have a Redhawk 44 with the original frame grip and the nice wood that is very comfortable to shoot, guess I will stay with it.

[hunter63]

That's kinda my thinking.....
If I had to use what's around...the tried and true .44 mag get the nod.

Honestly been having a problem finding .45 lc. ammo lately....unless it a down loaded "cowboy" loads.

[Wildthang]

Thanks for the good info guys! I now feel better just going with my .44 mag! Didn't really want to get used to another pistol.
I just read that a guy named Larry Kelly took 11 elephants with a .44 Mag, so I would only think that it would kill a moose........!

Just read this, no more worry!!

The .44 Magnum has done it all. It has been used to take every type of big game on the planet including Alaskan Brown Bear, Polar Bear, African Elephants, and Cape Buffalo. More often than not this has been done with one carefully placed shot. It can be loaded to 1300-1400 feet per second with a hard cast bullet and penetrate five feet from stem to stern in a Cape Buffalo. Loaded down to 850 to 950 feet per second with a 240 grain cast bullet it becomes a superb target cartridge. In between, a 240 to 265 grain bullet at 1300 feet per second makes an excellent silhouette load. With some of the new bullet designs we even finally have defensive loads for the .44 Magnum that will do the job without overzealous penetration.

[DSJohnson]

I am a big fan of the 44 S&W Mag myself. I grew up reading articles written by a guy named Elmer Keith who did a lot of hunting in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. He also did some cowboying and some guiding too. He did a lot of creative development on big bore hot loads. You might enjoy looking for some of his books in the library. SIxguns is a great read!

If you already have a 44 S&W Mag I would sure look at the "hot" loads for it. I routinely reload a Hornady 265 grain Semi Jacketed soft point for my pistol with about 20 grains of 2400. It is "pretty" hot and has taken Whitetails, Mule deer and one Elk cow at about 45 yards with no issues. I have loaded a cast 300 grain slug in the 44 but only to see if it would fit and how much it kicked in my 6.5" barrel M29-2 I would not ever shoot that kind of load "routinely" in my Smith. Redhawks are amazing handguns and can stand up to extremely heavy loads. I would have no problem creating and developing a heavy bullet, hot load for one.

I love hunting with handguns and I love shooting handguns, having said that I feel much stronger about clean kills. Just make sure you can make a good, clean kill with whatever you decide to carry. Practice, Practice Practice!! It sure sounds like a wonderful, once in a life time kind of deal. I am jealous and hope you have a great time.

[DSJohnson]

Larry Kelly is the gentleman who developed/created/invented the "Magna Port" system by the way. He has taken just about every trophy animal in the books with a handgun.

[Wildthang]

DS,

So I assume I need a hard cast bullet for moose, is that correct?

[hunter63]

WT....
One thing to remember there is always the "Honey(s),.... guys on the forum says I NEED a 454 Casull revolver to hunt with........"
LOL
Doesn't always work....but worth a try.

[Wildthang]

OMG where is taint when we really need him.........LOL

[Rick]

Just makes sure it has a luminous silencer. (is that better?)

[DSJohnson]

I think I would go with https://www.midwayusa.com/product/60...ose-box-of-100 or
maybe even https://www.midwayusa.com/product/28...oint-box-of-50

But anything in the 255 to 300 grain hard cast will work. Just be careful working up to the top end! I like 2400 for my 44 loads

[DSJohnson]

<SMH> And that is so why I keep coming back here.

[natertot]

You will not likely find commercial ammo loaded for the 45 Long Colt because the ammo folks have no control what firearm it will be put into. Where 44 Mag is all loaded to higher pressures many refer to as "Hot Loads".

Commercial ammo for the .45 LC is easy to find and is typically loaded to the slightly higher side of safe pressures for lower pressure guns. Recent popularity of guns such as the .410/.45LC combination revolvers, derringers, and long-arms over the last 8 years have actually encouraged more .45LC choices including self defense and hunting ammo. It is also readily available in my area at every gun store, farm store, and even the local wally-world carries it.

Good call on pointing out that the ammo used matches the gun used.

As per the OP, I have never used .44Mag for hunting or hunted moose but I don't see much of an issue especially if you have a longer barrel to make the most out of the powder burn. Shorter barrels lowers amount of powder burned resulting less bullet speed. That is why a standard .22lr goes faster out of a rifle than a .22mag out of a pistol.

[kyratshooter]

There is a mechanical advantage to using the .44mag over the .45 in the same model gun, and it is the reason that cartridge was developed first rather than a ".45 magnum".

In the same size cylinder the .429 diameter case gives more steel to the cylinder at that critical locking notch cut. Elmer Kieth and others were blowing out cylinders at the locking notch when hot loading the Colt Peacemakers back in the day. They could load a .44 special way hotter than a .45lc without blowing the cylinder.

There are still a lot of newly made single action revolvers out there that are not Blackhawks and the ammo companies have to keep that in mind.

You are losing nothing by sticking with your .44 magnum unless you go all the way up to the .454.

For moose the hard cast DSJ recommended would be right on the money, but you will be pressed to find any 2400 powder available these days. I had to switch to Accurate #9 because nothing else was available.

[hunter63]

........................... I like 2400 for my 44 loads

You mean 240 gr?.......
Ah, Powder.....
Never mind.

[DSJohnson]

Hey Kyrat,
I just bought a 4 lb plastic container of Alliant 2400 down at the Cabela's in Fort Worth back in October of last year, but looking at on the internet just now I see that you are CORRECT AND ACCURATE AS USUAL. It seems that there is none to be found. Dang I hate that. I don't use near as much of that powder as I used to, but I hate it not being available.


I sure miss the "old" wheel weights that you did not have to do anything to to use for good hard bullets too.

[Hummer70]

DSJohnson,
By not available do you mean out of stock or no longer made?