Help me choose between 44 special vs 45 colt as a plinking fun to shoot caliber...

Why would the data for minimum loads be faster with the 44 using the same 200 g bullet?

I'm not sure if this answers your question, but the .44 special case has a lower volume, and the same amount of powder will generate more pressure/velocity.

I went through the same dilemma as you a couple of years ago. Since I reload, as do you, I ended up buying a .44 magnum with the idea of shooting .44 special loads for target practice. Since then I find myself mostly shooting .44 mag loads - 240 grn bullets with about 7.5 grn Green Dot is about as mild as you would want - and I've bought another .44 mag since then.

For plinking loads its the gun, not the cartridge, that will make the difference between the two.

If I had to have just one for plinking, I'd take a 44spl because I can get those in a lighter gun. If you are choosing one gun for both plinking and hunting, I'd take the 45 Colt as it can go beyond the 44spl in power. Though the necessity of going beyond a heavily loaded 44spl for any but the heaviest game is debatable.

Good answers, thanks.

Not trying to be argumentative, but the only .44 spcls I'm aware of lighter than .45 Colt's are the S&W 396 (and variant), 696, Charter Arms, and the Rossi. With the exception of the Charter Arms, they are not readily available.

If you are talking about a Freedom Arms M97, the .45 Colt is actually lighter (about 2oz in a 5 1/2" gun).

With the right loads, either would make a fine plinking round.

Paul

What kind of gun are you going to wrap around this cartridge?

Bob

Are they? I've never found the 45 that uncomfortable to shoot (as opposed to a .44 Magnum) but back in the day, using typical Winchester or Remington ammo, the 45 had what I'd term "moderate" recoil whereas the .44 Magnum's recoil was substantial. Back then, with factory loads, I always thought the .44 Special or .44-40 for that matter, was a pussycat. The recoil of these loads can only be characterized as very, very manageable.

Three different levels in factory guns. To me, when you get into the realm of handloads, you can do about anything you want with any of the calibers I mentioned. If your manual says some weird stuff, get another manual.

Got the data from here...
http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp
example was universal and trail boss powders...

I was wondering why the minimum for the 44 was higher.

Tikka

As was previously explained, for velocity, the smaller case is going to generate the higher velocity, given everything else remains constant. If you were to take a .44 Special case and a .44 Mag case and load everything else the same, you would see a slight increase in the .44 Special case as well. But it would be slight.

I have all three and really, they are both equally fun, equally accurate and similar in recoil characteristics.

For all around fun and enjoyment, it's simply hard to find a better gun than a S&W in either caliber, but that means the N Frame and the weight and cost that goes along with it. These are not cheap guns.

Ruger has several models that would meet your expectations, but for some reason, Ruger hasn't figured out the correct chamber throat dimensions for the .45 Colt round and accuracy can be either exceptional or mediocre! In .44, they seem to have it figured out.

I don't hunt "toothy" creatures, so my woods carry guns are normally .44 Special or Magnum loaded down to pleasant velocities. When I do carry the .45 Colt, it's a S&W Mountain Gun with a 255 Grain cast lead bullet at 1000 fps. My .44 Special loads are a hair slower at 900 fps for 240 Grain cast lead.

In both platforms, I enjoy loading them up from time to time with 777 black powder replacement. The recoil and muzzle blast characteristics are different with that powder and it gives me a little charge to do it at the range when others are close by.

By the way, my MOST accurate revolver is a .44 Special.

Dan

Both will be good cartridges for handloading fun. What may matter more is what gun is selected! Remember that Elmer Kieth found that the thin walled SAA cylinder could not take high pressures in .45 Colt and he worked up his famous loads in a .44 Special. That led to the .44 Magnum.

I have done the most shooting with an old Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt. The load is a Keith type bullet over Unique. That load with its flat meplat hits hard yet the recoil is acceptable.

I selected the .45 Colt in the Ruger long ago and since then have aquired a New Frontier in .44 Spl. If one were to start again today keep in mind that the .44 Magnum is universal and can be handloaded down as well. Also .44 Specials can be fired in a .44 Magnum.

Shortly after 'Dirty Harry' came out there was not a 44 to be found. This includes magnums, Specials, double action, single actions. There was a nice cottage industry converting 357s to 44 special, thanks to Skitter Skelton.
I wasn't able to afford the factory guns with the added price wanted by the owners, so I bought a Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt and never looked back.
I've still got that old Blackhawk, a double handful of S&W model 25s and a Colt Anaconda all in 45 Colt. Never saw any reason to change.
Like the old cowboy replied when asked why he carried 45 Colt. "They don't make a 46 Colt"
They are both wonderful cartridges choose the one that makes your heart go pitty pat.

Jim

You need to supply more information before a decision can be made.

Personally I would not buy a 44 Special. I would buy a 44 magnum. If only because of the resale value of the revolver. 44 magnums are easy to sell. 44 Specials are tough to give away.

You can easily load a 44 magnum down to whatever you can load a 44 Special at. But you can not load a 44 Special up to a 44 magnum. Hence the poor resale value.

IMO the 45 Colt is the way to go. I really like the 45 Colt cartridge.

Have you priced your components?? Which are the cheapest??

It is really difficult to decide on the cartridge(not caliber) you want until you give much more information. Like which revolver you want?? Everything you will use it for?? And what type of bullets do you want to shoot?? Tom.


PS: 44 Special and 45 Colt are not calibers. They are cartridges. The caliber of a 44 Special is .429 and the caliber of a 45 Colt is .452.

Looking at a freedom arms model 97.

Thanks for all the good answers...

I'd choose the 44 special all day long, over the 45 Colt, in the Model 97. I've had both, and still have the 44. The 45 just bit my knuckle too much. A relatively heavy 44 load doesn't hit me as bad. Why, I don't know. I have a couple of other 45 colt revolvers, as I like the cartridge, but not in the 97.

Indeed, you are correct.

I believe (no, I do not know this for sure) that the use of the word "caliber" for the chambering of a cartridge rifle or handgun dates back to the beginning of cartridge firearms. In a muzzleloader, the caliber literally tells all there is to know of its "chambering." It was simple, though incorrect, to denote a chambering in a cartridge weapon as it's "caliber."

And though I know the difference, I can live with the alternate useage of the word. The meaning of a term is, after all, defined by its useage and is not a static definition. The English language is still very much alive.

I have a couple revolvers chambered for both cartridges and can't see any meaningful difference between them.

My 44 Specials are 3 Rossi 720s and 2 S&W 624s, a factory specs 4" and a 5" that was trimmed from a 6.5" to match my favorite S&W 27 configuration.

My 45 LCs are 2 S&Ws, a factory specs 625 Mountain Gun and a 25 that has been trimmed back to 5" from 6".

Jeff

Generally, I'd go with the .44 Special (or .44 Mag lite) for fun and plinking because, at least around here, the components are cheaper.

However, I would buy the FA in .45 Colt that happens to be chambered in .454 Casull.

Slow flying sledgehammers in either case.

300 Savage nailed it.
It really comes down to the type of handgun you like best more than the cartridge.

I speak this way because I have a FA 97 in .45 Colt with an ACP cylinder to go with it. Plus a Smith and Wesson .45 Colt model 25-5. Also have a couple of S&W 44 Magnums and a couple of S&W .44 Specials (model 24 and 696) so pick the gun you like best. If you handload and cast the bullets as I do it is a toss up.

If you are reloading I don't know. If you want to buy loads get the .45 colt. If all you wanna do is hear something go bang and punch a hole in something you can buy .45 colt cowboy loads in bulk now cheap cheap compared to most other stuff.

If somebody handed you a loaded revolver and you fired it without looking at the headstamps, you could never tell the difference between a 44 Special and a 45 Colt with comparable loadings. Neither could any target you can name.

Any "difference" between the two is personal preference or mental gymnastics.

I could just about toss the 41 Special into that mix as well. I own, shoot and love all three. Each of them has a certain specialness about it, a nostalgia, a je ne sais quoi that appeals to some, most, or all of us.

And may it always be so.

Flip a coin..........I love them both. I also reload and cast my own bullets and that helps a lot. I shoot more 45 colts because I like the history of this round. I would never buy a 44 mag w/ the intention of shooting 44 specials in it. If you want a 44 special get one...those new Ruger Flattop 44 specials are fine guns. With today's non position sensitive powders(tight group, ww231 etc.) I would load down the 44 mag to a comfortable plinking level. The less travel time in the cylinder the better. Plus... the 44 mag case would form a better gas seal in the cylinder chamber.










..

Hiwallman,

What do you know about the position sensitivity of Alliant Power Pistol?

In my .44 spl, I tried two loads, planning on about 900 fps. The first, with power pistol, averaged about 905 across the chrono and variation was minimal (less than 30 fps). I had lots of 2400 around, so loaded some of it up. As I expected, it didn't like the low pressure situation as well. Six shots varied from 904 fps to 970 fps. I did not do anything to position the powder, so that could have been part of the problem, or just maybe I wasn't yet in 2400s pressure range. But I think I'll stick with the Power Pistol for those relatively mild loads.

For just plinking and fun flip a coin.Loads around 800fps you'll never know the difference.Nastalga is the reason alot of people choose what they do,skeeter the special,keith special and mag,john wayne the colt.Just pick and either way you'll have a blast.

tik..,

The .44spl just seems very easy to shoot well. Much like the 38spl. In a .44mag you get both plinking loads and hammer loads and you can buy both over the counter if you don't reload.

I own both a S&W 29 and a 696. Great guns.

O

300 savage,
Ive never tried Alliant Power Pistol. I've had the same luck as you w/ 2400 at low pressures. I really like 2400 at near max loads. It doesnt chronograph very well for me but it shoots as good as anything i've tried. All my plinking loads get ww231 or Titegroup (44 spl, 45 colt, 500 linebaugh) They chronograph and shoot exceptionally well at 800-950 fps loads w/ cast bullets. the spread is usually around 20 fps. Got to be careful of the double charge w/ these powders though.

For hunting loads I like a Keith bullet w/ 2400 powder in both the 44 and 45 colt

Thanks, Hewallman. I am going to try uping the 2400 loads till I get more uniform velocities, but am not going to go very much higher. If it won't work at 1050 or less, I'll find someone who needs some 2400!

So far I like the Power Pistol. I tried it after reading several Brian Pearce articles and it seems like it is his everyday working powder in the .44 spl unless he wants to get into 1200 fps or so. It is also possible to double charge with Power Pistol so I make sure I'm not distracted and I visually check each case with good light before bullet seating. But I think I'm going to stick with it. Seems uniform and quite clean. I haven't done any real testing for accuracy though...but summer is coming.

The truth of the matter is all this stuff is gobbly goop, either one will work, take your pick, they are so close you would have to be really nitpicking to tell the difference if at all...

I would pick a 45 L.C. for hunting. I would want a 45 LC in a Colt Single Action, but for no particular reason other than they seem to go together..

I would think the S&W Mountain gun in 44 special or one of the old M&P type Smiths would be neat to own..

But in the end, either one would do and I would never know the difference.

Yeah, what Ray said.

I don't really know how I'd make the decision. My personal preference is for .44 special because I don't like cavernous cases and low load density. On the other hand, a .45 Colt with a spare .45 ACP cylinder might be better yet.

It might just come down to what bullets I already had on hand and which diameter and how many variations my local bullet store carries the most of in stock.

Tom

Having had a plethora of .45 Colts in Rugers of various barrel lengths and at least one S&W DA revolver, a bunch of .44 magnums in SA and DA flavors and now a .44 Special Blackhawk...

I'd say a good .22 LR semi-auto is the most "plinking fun to shoot caliber".

If I was looking to a Freedom Arms handgun, of the 2 I'd get the 45 Colt. Don't forget you can shoot the 45 Schofield in the 45 Colt chamber. It's like a 38 spcl in a 357 mag. I have a 45 colt Ruger Blackhawk with the extra 45 acp cylinder.

You gotta stop making sense, otherwise people are going to start expecting it, then y' gotta live up to it. Baaaaad Jim.

I goofed. I decided to pick up a Ruger Mark II with a 10" barrel, then they came out with the Mark III. No problem, I'll just wait and they'll offer that in the newer action, right? Nope. But I didn't figure it out 'til the Mark IIs were off the shelf. Argh!

So far as .44 special vs .45 colt, right now in a blackhawk I'd go with the .45 colt since its got the aluminum grip frame and is roughly 10 ounces lighter since the .44 grip frames are steel. I'm holding out hoping Ruger will figure out that a lighter .44 special would appeal to people who carry their gun a lot. If not that, maybe a S&W 329 and feed it ammo that falls between high end .44 special and entry level .44 mag.

I have never owned a revolver, believe it or not-but I must admit the idea of a 6" bbl 45 Colt in a SA Ruger or somethin' sounds kind of interesting.

That is disturbing!!

Kinda weird for an Idaho boy, huh?