Hardcast vs Extreme Penetrator .44 Magnum

Howard1955 · Jun 22, 2019

So - I was in the local gun shop recently, and they had a 5" S&W 629 Classic on display.

I like 5" revolvers with a full underlug - they feel perfectly balanced in my hand.

And, since I don't currently have anything in.44 magnum (and we occasionally have a black bear on our place), and because... Well, the thing just looked so good, and balanced so nicely... I put it on layaway. (Seems I always have something on layaway over there.)

So, I'm looking forward to having another nice revolver, and starting to think about ammo choices.

The fact that I have arthritis in my hands means I'll probably do most of my target practicing with .44 specials. But if I do get to carry this revolver in the woods, I'll want rounds that pack a serious punch.

I've seen videos of the LeHigh or Underwood 'Extreme Penetrators'. They look like they might have enough thump, and enough penetration, to be a competitor with Buffalo Bore hardcast rounds. But they might not have as much punishing recoil as the BB.

Do any of you have experience hunting (or plinking) with the Extreme Penetrators?

Do you notice any difference in felt recoil with them?

I'll get some of both types, and see how they feel to me. If it doesn't hurt too much, I'll probably stick with the hardcast rounds. But maybe some of you have already tried both.

Certaindeaf · Jun 23, 2019

If I had a .44 again I'd reload and cast for it again. I've had .44 Specials and Magnums and you can make either buck or not for a pittance and a standard cast SWC out of either penetrates way more than 30-06 bullets in game-like medium.

Twodogs · Jun 23, 2019

I have shot and reloaded for the .44 Mag for over 30 years and the Hornady 240 gr XTP or 240 gr hard cast would be my choice for pistol loads.
I have shot buffalo bore loads and about half of them blew the primers out of the cases, would never shoot them again.

44s rock · Jun 23, 2019

Howard1955 said:
So - I was in the local gun shop recently, and they had a 5" S&W 629 Classic on display.

I like 5" revolvers with a full underlug - they feel perfectly balanced in my hand.

And, since I don't currently have anything in.44 magnum (and we occasionally have a black bear on our place), and because... Well, the thing just looked so good, and balanced so nicely... I put it on layaway. (Seems I always have something on layaway over there.)

So, I'm looking forward to having another nice revolver, and starting to think about ammo choices.

The fact that I have arthritis in my hands means I'll probably do most of my target practicing with .44 specials. But if I do get to carry this revolver in the woods, I'll want rounds that pack a serious punch.

I've seen videos of the LeHigh or Underwood 'Extreme Penetrators'. They look like they might have enough thump, and enough penetration, to be a competitor with Buffalo Bore hardcast rounds. But they might not have as much punishing recoil as the BB.

Do any of you have experience hunting (or plinking) with the Extreme Penetrators?

Do you notice any difference in felt recoil with them?

I'll get some of both types, and see how they feel to me. If it doesn't hurt too much, I'll probably stick with the hardcast rounds. But maybe some of you have already tried both.

I had the 5" Classic, shot Garrett Hardcast, but only for hunting. Yes, definitely a felt difference, not something you want to shoot often!

Howard1955 · Jun 24, 2019

Thanks for the replies.

I've not learned how to reload yet - and might not have enough years left to learn that skill, since I have so many other irons in the fire. But it is something I'm interested in.

Have done a bit more "armchair research", and found some testimonials about these rounds being very effective while having less recoil. Also contacted Underwood to see if they recommend this as a bear round.

Here's the email from Underwood (talking about the .44 magnum):

Here are some testimonials about the effectiveness of the round, and the lighter recoil:

And here's a fellow talking about this round in .357 magnum:

I'll let you all know if the recoil is noticeably softer, both in .357 and .44 - meanwhile, I'm hoping to talk with anyone who's used them successfully for hunting.