.44 Magnum "Manstopper" Loads?

[CountryGent]

So, I find myself carrying, and shooting, the various .44 Magnums more and more these days. Whilst looking over an older text, I read a synopsis of various .455 Webley loads, including the famous "manstopper" wadcutter/hollowpoint. Which got me to thinking about similar loads for the .44 Special/Magnum; that being for social applications, that are on the heavier side, hollow-point, maybe wadcutter or semi-wadcutter, et al.

What are some loads along these lines you've employed? In what revolvers and barrel lengths? Thanks!

P.S. The .44 Magnum is a fine target and hunting cartridge, but this thread is on defense against problematic two-legged types.

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[41mag]

I read a similar discussion years ago by Skeeter Skelton.
He favored a 44 Special. Forget the name of his little essay. He described the advantages he was seeking, in a heavy solid lead projectile mounted base-to-muzzle to present the largest shape moving slowly he could devise.
I do not recall whether he induced a small cavity or not in that flat base. He was pretty direct in his application needs. Hope you can find the article....and the load.

 

[grpolarbear]

180 grain xtp with a max charge of H110 out of a model 94 trapper.2180 fps 16 inch tube. Really barks

 

[po18guy]

I read a similar discussion years ago by Skeeter Skelton.
He favored a 44 Special. Forget the name of his little essay. He described the advantages he was seeking, in a heavy solid lead projectile mounted base-to-muzzle to present the largest shape moving slowly he could devise.
I do not recall whether he induced a small cavity or not in that flat base. He was pretty direct in his application needs. Hope you can find the article....and the load.

Might be in his collection "Hipshots" ?

 

[bionic knees]

300-grain xtp out of a 7 1/2 inch barrel super Blackhawk. at the time the super Blackhawk and Redhawk were the only 2 revolvers with a cylinder long enough to hold the load. it wasn't a lot of fun to shoot, a good set of pachmayr grips helped. MANSTOPPER!!!

 

[CountryGent]

Funny you mention it, because the Hornady 300-grain XTP is one I found in my travels. Seems to be quite spicy. Will it work in a Smith & Wesson? (One is Model 29 with 6½" barrel, the other a 629 with 5" tube. Both in the "Classic" series.)

 

[bionic knees]

Funny you mention it, because the Hornady 300-grain XTP is one I found in my travels. Seems to be quite spicy. Will it work in a Smith & Wesson? (One is Model 29 with 6½" barrel, the other a 629 with 5" tube. Both in the "Classic" series.)

I don't know for sure, at the time they said that loaded to the first cannelure they would not fit in wheel guns other than the Rugers. I don't remember the load data but "spicy" is certainly one way to put it!

 

[DizzyJ]

"It'll blow yer head clean off!"

 

[DirectDrive]

I read a similar discussion years ago by Skeeter Skelton.
He favored a 44 Special. Forget the name of his little essay. He described the advantages he was seeking, in a heavy solid lead projectile mounted base-to-muzzle to present the largest shape moving slowly he could devise.
I do not recall whether he induced a small cavity or not in that flat base. He was pretty direct in his application needs. Hope you can find the article....and the load.

I remember reading about his reversed HBWC load.
Like Elmer Keith, Skeeter liked Unique powder so it was probably driven by a charge of Unique.
And 44SPL is all you need for that load.

Matt's Bullets has the hard to find .430 HBWC bullets.

 

[bionic knees]

I don't know for sure, at the time they said that loaded to the first cannelure they would not fit in wheel guns other than the Rugers. I don't remember the load data but "spicy" is certainly one way to put it!

one of my neighbors is running a similar load in a Ruger 77/44 suppressed. got a nice blacky at 40 yards last year, shot him in the neck. one and done!

 

[CountryGent]

one of my neighbors is running a similar load in a Ruger 77/44 suppressed. got a nice blacky at 40 yards last year, shot him in the neck. one and done!

We have a suppressed Ruger 77/44. I normally run .44 Specials in said, but interesting idea.

 

[po18guy]

If one loads by the Speer #8 manual, you can get 1200 fps out of a 240 gr. in .44 Spl.
Will leave your head hangin' by a thread.

 

[Twodogs]

I load a 240 gr SWC over W-231 to about 900 fps for a buddy's 4 1/2" SBH, I load a bunch of heavy sub sonic loads for my suppressed 44 mag encore. I would think a 320gr bulet at 900-1000 fps would work as a man stopper.

 

[Koda]

So there are 44 magnum loads that are not considered "manstoppers"... ?

 

[DizzyJ]

So there are 44 magnum loads that are not considered "manstoppers"... ?

Squibs

 

[CountryGent]

So there are 44 magnum loads that are not considered "manstoppers"... ?

Well, these are "ratstoppers".


(Parenthetically, the last varmint I dispatched here was a large rat with a .357 loaded with the same. And by "large rat" I mean I suspected it was actually a chihuahua who had donned a rat costume. )

 

[Knobgoblin]

Well, these are "ratstoppers".
View attachment 1168107

(Parenthetically, the last varmint I dispatched here was a large rat with a .357 loaded with the same. And by "large rat" I mean I suspected it was actually a chihuahua who had donned a rat costume. )

Is it weird that I can hear that picture?

Like tiny maracas.

 

[Cerberus Group]

The best loads I've seen came from Jim Cirillo. He'd take bullets, load them upside down and makes cuts as shown in the pic. Devastating results...

 

[41mag]

Might be in his collection "Hipshots" ?

yes, it was a separate article from his enjoyable "Turkey Trot" escapades....

 

[The Heretic]

180-200gr HP loaded to about 1000-1200 fps should work just fine