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Old December 7, 2012, 10:36 AM   #26
dahermit
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should I really just go with the .44 or is the .41 a lot more manageable and cheaper to shoot?
They cost the same to shoot. If you are a hand loader, cost never enters the equation. The .41 is more fun to shoot because of the slightly less recoil. The .41 is much less common, like drinking imported beer rather than draft.

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Old December 7, 2012, 10:44 AM   #27
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Arguments in favor of the .44 mag in this thread based on "power/energy" would compel one to get a .454 or .460 or whatever. Get whichever one makes the most sense to you. They are both good choices.
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Old December 7, 2012, 11:16 AM   #28
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There is a big difference in recoil between a 44mag in my M629 and 454Casull in my Super Redhawk. Killing power on a deer is very similar.
The 44mag is not a subjective opinion of being the alpha handgun caliber for hunting. The history and the use of the 44 Magnum in handgun hunting is pretty much uncontested by professional handgun hunters, as being the standard in big game hunting.

You're unnecessarily fighting an uphill battle with using the 41 Magnum. There's nothing the 41 magnum does that the 44 Magnum doesn't do much better. If recoils an issue you can shooter 44 special for practice and switch to 44 Magnum for hunting. If you reload, then there's absolutely no contest between the 41 Magnum and the 44 Magnum. There are so many more options with the 44 Mag with bullet selections and loads it's almost silly to even contemplate between the two. Comparing the 41 Magnum to 357 magnum makes much more sense and a easier sell for the 41 Magnum.

You're not comparing beer against beer this is like comparing beer I against whiskey.
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Old December 7, 2012, 11:22 AM   #29
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Get the one that speaks to you.

Be aware that .41 Magnum ammo is very expensive and sometimes hard to find.
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Old December 7, 2012, 11:25 AM   #30
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Quote:
The .41 is much less common, like drinking imported beer rather than draft.
It comes down to this... do you prefer imported beer or Bud?

It is my belief that the slight difference in diameter of the bullet makes little difference in terms of killing power between the 41 and 44. But you can load or buy loads up to about 300 gr on the 44 mag, which you can't do with a 41 mag. If killing power for hunting big game is your measure, I would move above the 44 mag.

People say that the 41 mag is more ballistically efficient than the 44 mag. People also say that the 41 mag loads tend to be more accurate from load to load until you get into the 250gr size. The 41 is not a 44, but it just depends on what you intend to do with the gun. So, get the one that speaks to you as the previous poster said. The 41 mag speaks to me.
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Old December 7, 2012, 12:12 PM   #31
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.44 Magnum 250 grain Keith Type, side by side with a .41 Magnum 230 grain Keith Type. Which ones which?


Above: .41 Magnum 210 grain Gold Dot, 230 grain Keith Type handloads and the old Winchester 210 grain LSWC Police Load. It did about 900 fps from a 4" barrel and was considered an improvement over the 158 grain .38 Special LSWC and LRN, back in the early 1960s. Nowadays, my 210 grain Gold Dot load for example, is way more potent than any 10 MM load.
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File Type: jpg 41magnum.jpg (99.6 KB, 261 views)
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Old December 7, 2012, 02:48 PM   #32
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You're unnecessarily fighting an uphill battle with using the 41 Magnum. There's nothing the 41 magnum does that the 44 Magnum doesn't do much better.
Strawman, argument. He did not ask which was a "better" killer. Besides, dead is dead. Would a deer shot with a .44 magnum be any deader than a deer shot with a .41 magnum? Again, "The .41 does it with less punishing recoil." i.e., better.
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Old December 7, 2012, 11:01 PM   #33
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Though I treasure my 4" S&W M-57 and have spent many enjoyable hours shooting it and reloading for it-it was10 years before I fired a factory round in it-I recommend the 44 Magnum, fare greater selection of handguns AND longuns for it-try and find one of the Marlim M189s in 41 Magnum.And reloading components. I can't feel the difference in recoil between the two and I suspect most targets-paper, steel ot whatever, can't either.
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Old December 8, 2012, 02:05 AM   #34
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"The .41 does it with less punishing recoil." i.e., better.
I wonder your idea of 'Better'. A .41 magnum shooting a 210 grain GDHP at 1200 fps is it really less punishing than a .44 magnum shooting a 210 grain GDHP at 1200 fps ? I doubt it. The main thing I looked at was the .44 magnum can be downloaded to .41 magnum ballistics, but the .41 magnum cannot be uploaded to .44 magnum ballistics.
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Old December 8, 2012, 07:26 AM   #35
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There is one thing better about the .44, snake loads.
Other than that, the .44 special is not enough, the .44 magnum is too much, but the .41 magnum is just right.

Granted, the .44 mag is the better Alaskan gun, but the .454 is even more better.
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Old December 8, 2012, 09:24 AM   #36
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I have a .41 in a model 58 and a .454 SRH. I am not saying the .44magnum is not useful. I just don't need one. I do think the .44 Colt is a little under appreciated by the masses.
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Old December 8, 2012, 10:52 AM   #37
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Until the .41 Special is invented and becomes popular, the .44 Magnum will always be a more versitile caliber. The .41 is so close to being almost a .44 magnum. 210 and even 180 grain bullets are available for the .44 Magnum.
Remember that the .44Mag/Special is really a .429 caliber gun.

I have even shot .433 roundballs for muzzleloaders out of a .44Mag using light charges of fast burning powder.
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Old December 8, 2012, 02:06 PM   #38
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Quote:
but the .41 magnum is just right.
Well, I disagree . Image that! The .44Mag can be loaded up and down to meet your 'just right'. From light .44Spec loads to hot .44Mag loads. Bullets for the .44Mag/.44Spec range from .41 weights on up to the heavies.... So, you have the FULL range of bullet selection for what you want to shoot. No, there is no reason to own a .41 unless you really just like the round (which is perfectly OK BTW!!! ) . For this reason, I don't own any .41s or .32s as I just to see the need for one when I have .22, .357, .44 Special, .44 Mag, and .45 Colt revolvers. Some say the o' .45 Colt is in same category as a niche caliber, but just really I like it for reasons I won't say here.. just like the .41 people like their caliber .
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Old December 8, 2012, 10:28 PM   #39
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Well...since the ".41" is actually .410 and the ".44" is actually a .429...there is much less difference in bore diameter than is indicated by their name.

If Ford's latest hot-rod Mustang was labeled as a "Boss 429" in order to evoke and capitalize on the nostalgia of the 1969 model...but upon inspection was found to be actually 400 or so cubic inches...would all of the magazines crucify Ford?

Damn right.

The .44 Mag is an anachronism born of the Dirty Harry movies, and appeals to a certain portion of the shooting public.

Today, those same people buy S&W .460s and .500s. Most never carry and only occasionally shoot them.

Ask yourself...am I buying a gun that I want to own and shoot? Or do I want to own a gun that fires the biggest, baddest cartridge around? BT, DT, a long time ago.

The .41 Mag is the thinking man's Magnum. I didn't buy it to impress anyone but me.

All are handloaders' cartridges. Try as many as you like, and make up your own mind.

I have.

Edited to add: the 10mm and the .41 are perfect partners. Both are under-appreciated, but both are very fine cartridges.

No accounting for tastes.

Last edited by orionengnr; December 8, 2012 at 10:49 PM.
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Old December 9, 2012, 10:54 AM   #40
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If Ford's latest hot-rod Mustang was labeled as a "Boss 429" in order to evoke and capitalize on the nostalgia of the 1969 model...but upon inspection was found to be actually 400 or so cubic inches...would all of the magazines crucify Ford?

Damn right.

The .44 Mag is an anachronism born of the Dirty Harry movies, and appeals to a certain portion of the shooting public.
I dunno, my Kawasaki ZRX1200R motorcycle actually displaces 1164 cc and I don't recall any motorcycle magazines "crucifying" Kawasaki over that fact.

Contrary to popular belief, Dirty Harry did not invent the .44 Magnum, the .44Magunum predates the Dirty Harry movie by nearly two decades,1955-1971.

It's really a .429 because the .44 Special was really a .429. The .44 Special was really a .429 because the .44 Russian was really a .429. The .44 Russian was really a .429 because it used an inside lubricated bullet instead of the .44 S&W American's outside lubricated heeled bullet which had the same diameter as the outside of the case, like the modern .22 long rifle.
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Old December 9, 2012, 11:08 AM   #41
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I've owned four 44 magnum handguns....all of which had nothing to do with the Dirty Harry image but more to do with a cartridge that has plenty of power for medium game at reasonable range (for your ability to hit the vitals ) ! So far it has proven to be the case ! I never felt this caliber was or is that hard to manage the recoil or learn to shoot comfortably with practice ! There is no need to hotrod loads for the 44 magnum for most practical purposes !
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Old December 9, 2012, 11:15 AM   #42
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My ownership of a .44 Magnum slightly predates the release of the Dirty Harry movie.
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Old December 9, 2012, 11:20 AM   #43
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I've had them both and shot wild game, bowling pins, silhouette and other pursuits with both. A few years back, I got out of the .44s and stuck with the .41s. Yes, the .44 Mag and .41 Mag are close with a slight edge to the .44 Mag in terms of close range horsepower. The .44 Mag is also easier to find factory loaded. The difference between .410 and .429 is really inconsequential in terms of stopping power. As for why I prefer the .41 Magnum for myself, read on...

I don't shoot much of factory anything and reloading the .41 magnum is not a big deal at all. I have loads from 210s at 800 fps up to 210s at 1650. I also load my own snake shot and have killed many rattlers with that load. When testing accuracy, I found that the .41 Magnum was more accurate out at 100 yards and actually had more retained energy. My scores were higher when I was shooting IMHSA with the .41 versus the .44. Never lost any game to either cartridge. I also shoot the .414 SuperMag which is better than the .445SM in terms of accuracy, so the .41 Mag also works for me there.

So while I won't try to convince you to buy the .41 Magnum if it is not for you, if it is, you will know it. The discerning individual will be able to sort through the chaff of the .44 fans and realize the difference. .44 Magnum fans are commonplace while .41 Magnum owners are much more interesting, have prettier girlfriends/wives, drive faster cars and generally have more confidence.
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Old December 9, 2012, 12:22 PM   #44
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After reading these posts I have concluded that .41 magnum is bought because:

1) the .41 magnum shooters are wimpy about recoil
2) the .41 magnum shooters have false memories about history
3) the .41 magnum shooters believe that their personal illusion constitutes reality
and
4) the .41 magnum shooters enjoy their dreams about their own wisdom.

Just my personal opinion here. I figure any load a .41 magnum can do I can load a .44 magnum to do. I know the reverse is not true, so I smile everytime I read .41 magnum shooters try to tell the world that the .41 magnum is superior to the .44 magnum.
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Old December 9, 2012, 12:38 PM   #45
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After reading these posts I have concluded that .44 magnum is bought because:

1) the .44 magnum shooters think it makes them tougher
2) the .44 magnum shooters have false memories about history
3) the .44 magnum shooters believe that their personal illusion constitutes reality
4) the .44 magnum shooters enjoy their dreams about their own wisdom
5) .44 magnum owners are prone to puffery as intrinsic in a .429 caliber called instead a .44.

Just my personal opinion here. I figure any load a .44 magnum can do I can load a .41 magnum to do. .41 magnum owners are honest enough to realize that the reverse is also predominantly true, so I smile everytime I read .44 magnum shooters try to tell the world that the .44 magnum is superior to the .41 magnum.
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Old December 9, 2012, 12:51 PM   #46
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For Hook686

Once again, for you .44 fans,

Arguments in favor of the .44 mag in this thread based on "power/energy" would compel one to get a .454 or .460 or whatever. Get whichever one makes the most sense to you. They are both good choices.

As for the "logic" above, anything your .44 mag can do my .454, .460, .480, .475, .500 can do better.
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Old December 9, 2012, 12:58 PM   #47
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The .44 tastes great and the .41 is less filling.
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Old December 9, 2012, 01:16 PM   #48
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Maybe we should argue about something more important, like whether martinis should be shaken or stirred.
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Old December 9, 2012, 01:26 PM   #49
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The .41 Mag is the thinking man's Magnum. I didn't buy it to impress anyone but me.
Wow , really? The thinking mans's magnum? Sounds to me like the crock of manure is really over flowing.
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Old December 9, 2012, 01:34 PM   #50
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I prefer .32 Winchester Special over the 30-30, the .38 Super over the 9mm, the .32 S&W Long over the various .327's, the .44 Spl. over the .44 Magnum, and the .41 Magnum over the .44 Magnum. None of my choices are a handicap inasmuch as I am a hand loader and bullet caster.

In short, the more conservative, unusual, the considered thoughtful choice...a matter of taste, far (enough) from the madding crowd.
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