Poll: .44 Magnum viable self-defense cartridge, yea or nay?

[CountryGent]

Earlier in the year I read a short, and surprisingly good, book entitled Book of the Revolver, by Grant Cunnigham. Rather than focusing on historical revolvers, a given manufacturer, or shooting sport, it focused on the modern, centerfire, double-action, swing-out cylinder revolver as a self-defense tool. The author, according to the text and his website, is a native Oregonian.

Anyway, in the chapter about calibers, among other things, the text states:

""It [.44 Magnum] is generally considered overly powerful for self defense, but there are those who would argue otherwise. The .44 Magnum is not a round for a beginner. While not the heaviest recoiling handgun round, it's still a handful for those who are not experienced in recoil control. In a short barrel the muzzle blast is considerable."​

​

Assuming:

1. We're only talking about self-defense against members of the human species. That is, largely, the context of the aforementioned book.​
2. The individual so equipped can safely and effectively handle the mechanical functions and recoil.​

So, what say you? Appropriate and even a fine choice? Or gross overkill and/or least too many negatives?

Read More

 

[TTSX]

It's no more powerful than a rifle and people don't seem to poo poo those very much, do they?

 

[eustace_stelio]

If you're hitting your target with a 44 then I'm gonna guess, yes it's quite effective.

2 to the chest from a 44 would stop just about any human.

 

[Stomper]

If you're hitting your target with a 44 then I'm gonna guess, yes it's quite effective.

2 to the chest from a 44 would stop just about any human.

Too true, but to offer a contrarian aspect to the discussion, I think the same holds true for two full-house .357 SJHP rounds to the chest as well.

 

[TTSX]

Too true, but to offer a contrarian aspect to the discussion, I think the same holds true for two full-house .357 SJHP rounds to the chest would as well.

So would two .50bmg APIT

 

[Stomper]

So would two .50bmg APIT

FINE!! I'll see your piddly little .50BMG "ARMPIT" rounds and raise you a SINGLE 155mm HE howitzer round to the chest!!

 

[CountryGent]

So would two .50bmg APIT

 

[ma96782]

.44 Mag. OK, Ok, ok.....so, my mind went back to that time when......

>> July 17, 1992: Sgt. Glenn "Jake" Jicha was wounded in the abdomen in a shootout when he and a half-dozen officers from the Wahiawa Crime Reduction Unit were serving a search warrant in a drug investigation. Jicha and his unit raided a Sunset Beach home, and police said Manuel Alvarez Hyde, 28, shot Jicha with a .44-caliber revolver. Jicha and another officer returned fire and killed Hyde.

Aloha, Mark

 

[gmerkt]

I was thinking these days, there might be a legal angle to it when used in a defensive shooting situation. Meaning, a legal opponent might argue that by using a .44 Magnum, the shooter was out looking for trouble by carrying it.

 

[Knobgoblin]

I was thinking these days, there might be a legal angle to it when used in a defensive shooting situation. Meaning, a legal opponent might argue that by using a .44 Magnum, the shooter was out looking for trouble by carrying it.

Just tell em Harvey recommended it.

 

[oremike]

If all I had with me was my 44 Mag Redhawk and I had to defend my life or lose my life I'd have no qualms about using it. I refuse to be a victim and will fight with everything I've got.

 

[Nosferatu]

The S&W 29-2 6" I currently own I bought in the late 90's from a retired rural Sheriff in Humboldt County, CA. He had some stories to tell with it and it seemed to keep him alive on a few encounters with 2 and 4 legged critters.

I can personally put 6 rounds of 250gr Buffalo Bore "Keith" loads on an 8" plate @ 15 yards in 1.8-2.2 seconds very consistently. It took a LOT of bowling pin shooting to do that, but it's obviously an obtainable skill, and isn't even really that fast compared to some.

So yes, it's a viable self defense cartridge, if you do your part as usual.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I'd use mid-range handloads. Probably a 240 gr Keith style SWC since at that velocity, 1050-1150 or so, JHP's won't reliably expand and will pencil through. A SWC doesn't need to expand to be effective.
Common .44 special loads do about 650 fps out of a 3-4" barrel so don't. If you do though, use a SWC. Most hot .44 special factory loads specifically state what guns they should be shot from.

 

[nammac]

If one is inclined and competent with a .44 magnum handgun and .44 magnum round, I say go for it. Personally, .357 magnum with 158 gr sjhp's are indeed an effective alternative. Heck, half the time I'm carrying .38 special, so what do I know…

 

[CLT65]

If it was good enough for Callahan, it's good enough for me.

 

[JohnnyMac]

If it was good enough for Callahan, it's good enough for me.

View attachment 1489514

It's all about how lucky you feel.....

 

[Alexx1401]

Not a wheel gun guy but, for those who are? If they can handle the damn thing well enough to hit what they shoot at? Hell yes it would make a dandy gun for that. ALL hand gun rounds can be WOEFULLY weak on stopping some doper who wants to kill you. Until so many shoots started to become easily seen on video I did not believe all the stories about people soaking up multiple hits from a "service round" and not stopping. Then I started to see video after video of LEO shooting these guys and they just would not drop or even let go of what they were holding. Now few LEO's of course ever shoot anyone with a .44M but, I would be willing to bet lunch that there would be FAR fewer zombies take one of those to the chest and still keep walking.

 

[OldBroad44]

My current EDC is a .357 mag, a SW 686 snubby. I'm thinking I might prefer a .44mag SW 629 Mountain Gun loaded with .44sp as an EDC. It would weigh only 2 oz more than my 686, would give me a 4" vs just 2.5" barrel, and would fit in the same fanny bag I usually carry the 686 in. With a more powerful .44sp load I could have .357mag power level with a fatter subsonic bullet that has about the same noise level as .38sp or 9mm. The .357 mag can shatter an eardrum in confined spaces such as indoors or in a car. After I found that out I dropped down to loading my 686 EDC with .38sp instead of .357 mag. I think I'd rather carry .44sp in an EDC than .38sp. (I wouldn't load with .44mag, because that would get me back to noise levels that could do me permenent hearing damage if I used Dec in house it car.)

As for woods carry, back when I was last doing much woods carry I prefered my Anaconda 6" .44mag for that. Loaded it with mild .44 mag loads, something at or under 1000 ft lbs. Flat nose or Keith style hard cast bullets. That's the most I can handle easily with one hand and with either hand, criteria I consider essential for SD.

I reject the idea of considering SD against people only unless you live in a large city and never go anywhere with wild animals. I live near MacDonald Forest. We get bears and cougars in our neighborhood. Cougars are fairly lightly built and can be handled with the same SD calibers as work for people. But to stop a charging black bear instantly with a handgun round you have to shoot it in the brain or spine. And the brain is the bigger target and conceals the spine when the bear is charging. The bear skull is very thick and sloped. So you need a hard cast non expanding non-deflecting bullet such as a round nose flat tip or a Keith style semi wad cutter bullet. And you need to incapacitate bear instantly because he can easily kill you while dying. You can't count on any 9mm load to do the job reliably. You need a .357 or 10mm or better. And it needs to carry penetrating bullets, not jhps.

I've lived in my current home for 30 years and never had any bad guys present themselves . But I did have one bad bear turn up in my backyard and go after my ducks and refuse to leave when I spotlighted and yelled at him. (He did leave when I put a shot in the ground next to him. Quite quickly.)

I also, before my .44mag era, spent nearly 8 months camping in the coastal mountains. In that and other camping and hiking in Oregon, Idaho, and Minnesota, I never had a tense moment with any other human. But I had a very tense half moment when my dog and I surprised a bear at very close range. And I stood there looking at the bear, only about 22' away, across the sights of a 6" Security 6 loaded with 158gr jhp, perfect for SD against people. Against a charging bear...well...glad it decided to run. Never again.

Of course a .44mag is not the revolver for anyone to start with. A .22 or .38/.357 loaded with .38sp wadcutters is better for that. Partly because of recoil, partly ammo expense.

 

[OldBroad44]

Not a wheel gun guy but, for those who are? If they can handle the damn thing well enough to hit what they shoot at? Hell yes it would make a dandy gun for that. ALL hand gun rounds can be WOEFULLY weak on stopping some doper who wants to kill you. Until so many shoots started to become easily seen on video I did not believe all the stories about people soaking up multiple hits from a "service round" and not stopping. Then I started to see video after video of LEO shooting these guys and they just would not drop or even let go of what they were holding. Now few LEO's of course ever shoot anyone with a .44M but, I would be willing to bet lunch that there would be FAR fewer zombies take one of those to the chest and still keep walking.

I think the real problem is instant incapacitating requires a brain or spine shot. A deer with a heart smashed to mush from a high power rifle round may run 100 yards or more. Any other shot and the human dies from bleeding out, which can take several minutes. Adrenaline, shock, or drugs can mean bad guy may not even feel any pain. Whether he quits fighting or keeps running or fighting after hit pdepends on many things. Personality, whether hopped up on something, whether out on parole and determined to die rather than be locked up again. If you shoot a bad guy somewhere other than brain or spine, more powerful calibers that do more damage are more likely to end fight sooner by causing faster bleed out or damaging bones so bad guy can't run or shoot. But better still would be a good shot to the brain, even with a 9mm or a .22.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Sure , why not...?
I voted with the right load , and practice...I would add with the right handgun as well.
Practice with a cartridge loading that works / designed for the use you want...and with a handgun that fits you...
Simple....just gotta do the research and work to get there.
Andy