Why I love the .44 Magnum

Describing why I love a particular gun or cartridge isn't easy. Where do I begin?

First, the pistol and cartridge were built in a joint venture between Smith & Wesson and Remington, made available to the public in 1955. It was built to be a hunting handgun. Period! It will take deer, black bears, elk, and wild hogs, antelope, sheep and mountain goats, if I can get close enough. Distance is this cartridge's only limiting factor, but that is true of all hand guns regardless of caliber. Distance at which big game can be shot can be increased if a scope is put on it, but that is not my taste. If one chooses the .44 mag to hunt with, I congratulate him/her. It is probably the best hunting hand gun cartridge there is. Hunting with a hand gun is more exciting than hunting with a rifle simply because the distance must be closer. The closer the game, the more adrenaline and excitement there is.

The cartridge is fun to shoot, even with full powered loads. But one must have a gun heavy enough to help control the recoil and proper grips. Barrels longer than four inches are strongly encouraged, also to add weight to the gun and help manage recoil. The longer the barrel, within reasonable limits, also helps with accuracy and velocity.

The cartridge is an excellent "all purpose handgun cartridge". I am not saying it is "the best" (although it might be). I am saying it isn't a bad choice. Besides, no one I know makes their only handgun a .44 mag.

The last reason I like the .44 so much is because of the quality, craftsmanship and beauty Smith & Wesson puts into their revolvers. There are other companies that made .44s, but the only other .44 I own is the Ruger Super Blackhawk. It is a wonderful, high quality, very strong hand gun, but it does not have the fit and finish of the Smith. I also cannot shoot it as accurately as I do the Smiths. What a wonderful handgun the Smith model 29 is! It handles wonderfully, reliable as the sunrise, comes in multiple barrel lengths, sends bullets with crushing power where I want them to go. Is there anything else a handgun can offer? I don't know what it could be.

In all fairness, there are two distractions of the .44 I should mention. The guns are almost always big and heavy. There are some alloy framed ones available, but their light weight increases recoil. The recoil is more than some people can manage. Just as the more powerful hand guns are not for me, the 44 mag is not for everybody. That is something each individual decides for themselves.

Checkered grips are my favorite, but they can be rough on the hands when shooting heavy loads, but a thin glove solves this problem.

The cartridge is extremely versatile. All levels of power are available from the .44 special to the full powered loads with many styles and weights of bullets. It truly is a multi-purpose cartridge and in my opinion, the best handgun hunting cartridge there is.

Philip is a retired Air Force officer where he was an intelligence analyst. He is also a retired law enforcement officer. He has an undergrad degree in criminal justice as well as a master's that is heavily weighted in criminal justice. He has had, in his words, "a love affair" with firearms all his adult life. He also teaches concealed carry classes. Contact him at philipgintheswan@gmail.com