.44 magnum

[frankgon4]

I would like to see some penetration tests with .44 magnum.
There is a lot of talk about it's penetrating power. I would like to see some actual test results (helmet, vest, car, boards, etc.)
I have not seen any .44 magnum in Box o Truth tests. Have I overlooked it??

[Old_Painless]

Hi Frankgon4,

Sorry I missed your post for so long. Just saw it.

The .44 Magnum, especially with hard-cast bullets, is a great penetrator. In fact, it actually "over penetrates" and that, along with the hard recoil, is the reason it is not usually recommended for defense.

It is a great hunting round, and is even used in Alaska as a bear defense cartridge.

I've shot a few tests with a .44 Mag, but not for penetration, as I usually do that only for cartridges where lack of penetration is in question.

Thanks and welcome to the forum.

[Reddbecca]

While the .44 Magnum can rightfully be considered as overpowered for a defensive handgun cartridge, would its ballistics be good if used in a carbine platform for defensive situations?

[umloth]

Originally Posted by Reddbecca

While the .44 Magnum can rightfully be considered as overpowered for a defensive handgun cartridge, would its ballistics be good if used in a carbine platform for defensive situations?

I don't really see how it could. The velocity gain with the right powder is noticable and rough testing that my friend and I have done suggests that inside 25 yards we're looking at power comparable to a .30-30. That's a lot of energy and velocity in a common self defense (inside 5 yards) scenario.

[Old_Painless]

Originally Posted by umloth

I don't really see how it could. The velocity gain with the right powder is noticable and rough testing that my friend and I have done suggests that inside 25 yards we're looking at power comparable to a .30-30. That's a lot of energy and velocity in a common self defense (inside 5 yards) scenario.

That is correct.

Could a .44 mag rifle be used for home defense? Sure.

Would it probably stop a bad guy? Sure.

But the same could be said of a .458 Winchester Magnum, like Dirty Harry used in his first movie. It "could" be used, but it has way too much penetration to be a good choice.

If I were going to use a rifle for home defense, I would much prefer an AR-15 in 5.56. This round would work great, but will not over-penetrate and cause problems for innocent people on the other side of the bad guy.

A .44 Magnum, in either a pistol or rifle, is a poor choice for home defense.

[tunder]

The best ammo to use in a .44 mag for self defense is .44 special ammo.
If you can find them, I recommend CCI Speer Gold Dot Personal Protection, that's a 200gr. Speer Gold Dot bullet loaded at 875fps.
Mild to shoot, easy on both the gun and the shooter, no overpenetration worries and the gold dots will expand at this velocity.

[Reddbecca]

So that means going with an AK-47 for a defensive situation isn't advisable?

[Penguin]

If you're shooting 7.62x39 from a handgun, I would say yes. :P

[Old_Painless]

Originally Posted by Reddbecca

So that means going with an AK-47 for a defensive situation isn't advisable?

Why would you draw that conclusion?

The 7.62 X 39 is not a bad over-penetrator. With the right ammunition, it can be a very good defensive round.

But the AK is not as good a system as the AR, IMHO.

[Reddbecca]

Originally Posted by Old_Painless

Why would you draw that conclusion?

Well the 7.62x39mm is ballistically similar to the .30-30 Winchester, which Umloth claims the .44 Magnum is similar to in performance out to 25 yards.

To me that would suggest that if one of these rounds, if they do share comparable ballistics and performance at a fixed range, then if one is going to be overpenetrating in nature, then they all would.

I don't know if that's how it goes. That's just how it sounds to me reading it.

[Old_Painless]

Originally Posted by Reddbecca

Well the 7.62x39mm is ballistically similar to the .30-30 Winchester, which Umloth claims the .44 Magnum is similar to in performance out to 25 yards.

To me that would suggest that if one of these rounds, if they do share comparable ballistics and performance at a fixed range, then if one is going to be overpenetrating in nature, then they all would.

I don't know if that's how it goes. That's just how it sounds to me reading it.

Okay, I see the disconnect.

I was talking about hard-cast .44 Magnum bullets, that do not expand or yaw. They penetrate very deeply.

A good bullet in a 7.62 X 39 would either expand or yaw, and that would lessen penetration.

[umloth]

Originally Posted by Old_Painless

I was talking about hard-cast .44 Magnum bullets, that do not expand or yaw. They penetrate very deeply.

For clarification Redd, this is also what I was discussing out of my 1894. I do have some JHP's that I keep for my Super Blackhawk, but that's really a SHTF round for me and not a standard go-to.