44 Magnum: Your experience?

[CDRGlock]

So I saw a Smith and Wesson 44 Magnum Stainless with 5" barrel. It had Hogue Grips and a trigger job that really made the trigger smooth. I have never fired a 44 Magnum or 44 Special. I would only use it for "Fun", not for defense. What is it like to shoot? Are they any much worse than shooting a Snubnose 357 Magnum? I have 2 Snubby 357s and the recoil is not pleasant but not bad.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Arko]

"boom"

[Back 40]

I have a Super Redhawk .44

When in the smaller frame guns the 44 can be a handful but with what your looking at you have enough weight to absorb most of the pumishment.
When you get to some of the really hot hunting loads they still jump quite a bit but it's manageable.

[msgt/ret]

44 spl recoil is mild, 44 mag depends on load but can be a handful. Compared to 44 mag 357 out of a snubby is not bad at all.

[1911PKR]

You'll be surprised.... it's NO worse than a .357 snubby. In fact, it's a "duller" felt recoil for lack of a better term.

[CEW58]

I own a .357 snubby and compared to my brother's .44 Mag, I'd say the .44 Mag is more pleasant to shoot being that it's a good deal heavier.

[Guantes]

If you're shooting full power 357 loads out of a snubby, a 5", 44 mag shouldn't be a problem.

[Jackle1886]

I completely agree with what everyone else has said. Much softer shooting in a Ruger Blackhawk than my lil 642.

[kpw]

Depends on the load but the Smith your looking at is substantial enough to tame even heavy loads.

[Kilowatt3]

I've got three .44 Mags - a 4" Taurus, a 5-1/2" Redhawk, and an 8" Dan Wesson. None of them kicks as much as my 2-1/2" .357 Security Six with full-house loads. The .44 Mag is not a practical CCW (whatever the Dirty Harry wannabees may say), but they're a blast to shoot, and I carry either the Redhawk or the Taurus as a BUG when I'm out hunting wild boar. The Dan Wesson will be my primary on a hog hunt sometime soon!

Loaded with .44 Specials, the .44 Mag is a pretty good HD gun.

Go for it!

Just my $.02.

Regards,
Jim

[TWO GUNS]

If you shoot a snubbie 357.Then the 5 inch 44 will be no big deal to you.

[carguy2244]

Blue. stainless, bright nickel...what was it?

[HK Dan]

Hey--if it feels that bad on the back end, can ya imagine what it feels like on the front end? LOL

I load .44 HOT. I'm running a bit over 1900 FPS on a 200 grain Hornady HP/XTP, and no deer has lived past it's shadow. Does it recoil? It does. It doesn't hurt, it's not like a grenade is going off in my fist, but yes, it has a considerable amount of flip. My USPSA buddies, who shoot mouse fart 9mm loads? They don't like it one bit. But I do. Deadly accurate, power to spare, and they die in their own hoof prints. WHat's not to like???

[retsupt99]

I completely agree with what everyone else has said. Much softer shooting in a Ruger Blackhawk than my lil 642.

I think that you need to get your lil 642 fixed.

I kept a Ruger Redhawk .44 mag in Alaska, and it's kick was NOTHING like a lil 642. It was a BIG boom.

[bsms]

I've got 2 snubbies - a S&W Model 60 (2.125") and a Ruger Alaskan (2.5"). I don't understand why folks complain about shooting 357 in a J frame, but I've never tried more than 30 rounds at a time/hand. And my J frame is steel, so 21 oz to help with the recoil. I use 38+P because I find it easier to get the gun back on target, but that might change with more practice. Oddly enough, the recoil of my 357 Dan Wesson bothers me more.

The Alaskan, with both stock grips and the old-style GP100 grips, kicks more - not the recoil as much as the muzzle flip. I just got some Badger grips and I THINK they will help, but there was too much rain today for me to go try it out. I'd also say the 44 is more push than snap.

I haven't tried a 5" S&W, but I'd assume it would tame the flip better. If I had to do it over again, I'd probably get the S&W in a 4 or 5 inch barrel...but I also have to admit there is just something about lighting off a hand cannon that is fun. For about 15 shots. Then I switch to the left hand, and about a dozen later I've had fun enough. And since I'm not reloading yet, 30 rounds of 44 at a sitting is as much recoil on my wallet as my hand!

Personally, if you enjoy 357 snubbies, then a 44 Mag is almost a 'must buy' gun...and if my finances recover from my recent spending, then a S&W 5 inch may join the stable.