Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Is the 44 mag a novelty for a nonhunter?

Don't get me wrong here, I'm not trying to slam the 44mag as I currently have Ruger Redhawk in 44mag but wonder it's not to be used for hunting, is it a simply a loud novelty item?

My honest opinion is one needs to be a reloader/handloader if one intends to shoot this caliber with any regularity to become proficient with it.

Without the hunting intent of the 44mag, I'm currently thinking that one would be better off with a 357mag as an all round handgun. Commercial ammo is more readily available AND much cheaper. Shooting 38special is as gentle a starter cartridge for someone just beyond their 22lr handgun. The guns are less bulky & heavy in comparison to the 44mag. I see a lot of pro's for the 357 and few cons/negatives. It may not be the best black bear protection handgun as woods/trail gun but it can get the job done.

I like to hear from the experience 44mag users here, their opinions and feedback. For a nonhunter is the 44mag more a novelty item?

Thank you!

For the sake of discussion, I would have to agree. They tend to be bigger, heavier, and obnoxious. However my Colt Andaconda would be the last handgun I parted with. They are just to versatile. You can use snake shot, pre-fragged rounds, too ultra heavy hard cast.

You may be right. I carried my M29 a lot when out hiking, but with 240s loaded to 950 fps. Then I got a 44 special and load it with 240 to 950 fps. It gets carried a lot more now.

I feel you are right.. I have several .44's and several .357's.. But I reload for all.. With out reloading, I wouldn't shoot the .44 much.. As Just a Hunter said, I load my .44 with .44 spls. most of the time, or a light 44 mag. load.. I have only one .44 spl. it is a Bisley model so I don't carry it a bunch..
I DO prefer the .44 mag. even though I load it with spl.s most of the time, because I can put heavy magnum loads in them when in grizzly country..
That said, I probably carry my 357's stoked with hot 38 spl.s most of the time, when not in bear country.. They are fun to shoot, very accurate, and I can it better at longer distances with the lighter caliber pistol.. Most of my pistol shooting is at rocks, junk, plastic water filled bottles, and some varmint shooting..

I truly wish I were handgunner enough to shoot well with the .44 mag. but I am not and never will be.. but I still like to play with 'em.. But I think you are on the right track with the lighter caliber, but I would also look at reloading.. You won't save a dime, but shoot 10 times more...

when I hunt deer or elk with a carbine or rifle I occasionally carried a 357 mag revolver as a back-up in a shoulder holster,when I hunted with a revolver as the primary weapon I generally chose a long barrel 44 mag.
my brother in laws hunted with a 357 mag marlin carbine and 686 smith and wesson for decades and while we are both been successful, theres zero question in either of our minds that the 44 mag, properly loaded is the better tool for hunting,if you can handle the recoil in a revolver, (my brother in law never has been comfortable doing that so hes stayed with the 357 mag.) but thats not the same thing as saying the 357 mag won,t kill deer hogs or even elk effectively in a skilled hunters hands,or is not easier and cheaper to shoot.
my brother in law constantly kids me about needing a "DAMN CANNON" when I use my 44 mag revolver and points out how much lighter in weight a 357 marlin carbine is to carry after long walks in the field.... hes very fond of pointing out the fact that you carry a carbine 99.999 percent of the time and spend very little time actually shooting game and that hes never yet had anything hes shot not drop dead eventually....he also grudgingly admits it seldom puts game down instantly

I think the .44 Mag is a good starter pistol for the one who is just getting started on heavily recoiling revolvers. Let's face it, the .44 Mag really isn't that bad, even loaded to spec. That said, I don't think any of the bigger revolver rounds need to be loaded to maximum velocity to be effective on game, but bigger is better (I'm talking diameter now) when hunting and/or protecting oneself as long as the shooter and shoot it accurately. But again, I reiterate, it doesn't have to be loaded to obnoxious levels to work well.

True that. I started with a 44 mag, I don't count my first H&R 22 revolver. I couldn't hit the barn door with it. I almost gave up on handguns because of that experience.

I use my 329 as a camping, hiking, hunting backup gun either concealed (somewhat) or open carry so it has a stated purpose. Those non-hunters that camp with me see it as a "Dirty Harry" gun.

I think that even the 357 is a bad "starter" round for a non-hunter, non-reloader.

The only reason why it gets nods over a 44 is the 38 Special used in its cylinder....

So, the 44 Special and reloading does the same for the 44 Mag.

The press would have all of us believe that in order to have a "hunting" handgun, we have to cram said case with a max load of ball powder in order to make the hollow-pointed wonder bullet work like a rifle bullet.

I'd happily take a 44 loaded with a 250 cast bullet and a moderate charge of 231 or Unique over a 357 loaded to max with a 158 XTP and H110/296. Recoil is about the same, but anyone who has fired either in the woods knows which is more "comfortable"...

I'm not saying that a 44 Special is easier to learn on than a 38; I'm saying a 44 Mag could easily be a better option than a 357 in the field. Most people here seem to agree.

As was said, a .44 loaded "down" is still a deadly killer. I use sub sonic loads out of basically a 14", suppressed Contender barrel for hog hunting. Either a 300gr Barnes all copper "Buster" or a 335 gr Hard cast at 1050 fps gives excellent penetration, and a lot less recoil. It isn't a long range round, but no .44 mag loads are.

For years I reloaded my .44 mags with a Lee Loader - slow, but cost efficient. For those who don't reload, .44 Special factory ammo is very easy to shoot in a .44 mag revolver.

Guys, yes if you're a hand loader and/or hunter than a 44mag makes sense and is hands down winner over the 357mag.


But for someone who does NOT reload AND/OR hunt, then IMHO the 357mag wins. 44mag ammo is expensive and 44special even MORE expensive. Add in the fact, that one doesn't often see 44mag in your local sporting goods store.

I like my Redhawk 5.5" barrel 44mag, but if I don't get into reloading/hand loading more than like it will go down the road especially if I don't get into handgun hunting.

None of this is take away from the 44mag's merits and while I also like the 357mag, I realize that it's not the be-all-end-all cartridge either.

Having said that in earlier post, I find myself attracted to the 44mag!

Just debating which I should keep: Redhawk 5.5" 44mag or GP100 4" 357mag. The role would be a fun & cheap plinker, a home defense gun that even the significant other could shoot (not too heavy or her not afraid to shoot it), as well as trails/wood gun(so may have to be somewhat concealable as I'm not sure how comfortable I am with open carry one the trail)

I would keep both.. They have a place in every outdoorsmans' world.. If them are paid for, they aren't eating anything...

For the average shooter, especially if he is a non-handloader, the 44 mag is simply too much gun.

I've seen it often. Guy shows up with 44 mag. Brags about how much power he's packing. Can't hit broad side of barn due to intense flinch.

A 629 mountain gun makes a dandy CCW piece.

Im torn between a four inch smith 66 and a mountain gun right now

Are you serious? You must have both. Get the Mountain Gun first, since it's on your mind.

To me the 44 Mag is a bit much for a non hunter/reloader. I finally gave my 629 to my son. I do hunt and reload, but found the 629 got too heavy on the belt after a week of hunting. Finally found a 357PD 41 mag, and that is now my carry backup gun. I find I carry a lot more than I shoot. At the range The 38/357 gets shot a whole lot more than the 41 or 44. All that being said if you already own one it costs noting to keep it. From experience it always cost more to replace a firearm later..

The dealer has a very nice P&R 66 with a set of Herritt Ropers on it.

The Mountain gun is one of the "outfitter" series. I believe from Cabelas. But it isnt a stainless

Ive always liked the 4 inch K frames. And this is going to be a working/plinking/trail gun. Aeither one is rare as hell around here so I think my BH in 45 colt is going to be traded towards one. The BH's are pretty plentiful