Recoil .357 mag vs. .44 mag

[cgturner7]

I will be purchasing a Blackhawk in the next week or so.  I've narrowed down my pistol choice to a Blackhawk but I can't decide on caliber.  I will be using the pistol for plinking and deer hunting within bow range.  I currently shoot a RIA .45 auto.  All the research I've done on recoil just shows numbers that don't make any real-world sense other than a comparison to my 45 auto.  Having never shot a .357 or a .44 mag I am very concerned about recoil affecting accuracy.  Most people I ask recommend the .44 mag because it is so versatile.  But if I can't hit anything because of a nasty recoil then versatility means nothing.  Can someone give me some advice or a comparison on the recoil of the two?  Thank you.   

[buffermop]

Needless to say, a larger bullet is going to "kick" more. A .44 will indeed give you more recoil than a .357. As with a pistol, most of the recoil is blocked out by the re cocking mechanism.

[superdown]

Cgturner7, I don't think you could go wrong with either one but if i was mostly plinking and the occasional deer then probably the 357mag but if your going to hunt deer alot and possibly see hunting pigs or bear in your future go with the 44mag it's more versatile and for plinking you can shoot the 44special . Superdown

[Steve P]

Recoil is as variable as all of the different loads you can make for these two calibers.  You can make either one kick like a mule or you can have either one pop like a .22.  They are both that versatile in that you have a great extreme with recoil.  I have both and have all the different loads for both.  I have what I consider to be my plinking/target/varmint loads and my hot hunting/protection loads.  You can shoot different levels of 38s in the 357 and will have minimal recoil.  You can shoot 44 specials in the 44 mag and do the same thing.   You can shoot hot 180-200 grain bullet loads in the 357 and hot 300-325 grain loads in the 44 mag. 

To make the right choice, you have to decide what you want the gun for and how much you want to pay to do that.  38s and 357mag ammo will likely be cheaper than 44mag.  38s and 357s are more popular and thus more available. 

If you reload, the difference in cost is in the bullets and the amount of powder.  Dies, presses, etc would cost the same for either.

For small critters and game up to deer, the 357 is all that you need.
If you want to go for larger whitetails, bear, sasquatch, the 44 would be the better choice.

My newer 44 with round trigger guard and 4 5/8 barrel is a sweetheart to carry and shoot.  My 357 has about equal carry time.  Both suit me well.  You just need to determine if what you are shooting at needs to be dead or DEAD!!

Steve 

[Argonaut]

I have always considered the .357 to be borderline for deer in regards to power but most folks can learn to shoot a .357 mag well enough to make up for the limited power level.  A .44 Mag does take allot of delegent practice to get good enough to reliably kill an animal humanely. Hitting a heart lung area of a deer at 40 or 50 yards, in the field with a handgun, when your excited, breathing hard, etc. is not as easy a task as it would seem and the possibility of wounding a deer is very high, even at short ranges.  So no matter which one you pick, if you are going to hunt with it,  you need to practice all year long, one or two boxes of shells a month, (fired with a purpose) and thats all it really comes down to.

[Jim n Iowa]

I have a .357 Colt Trouper 4", and a SBH cut down to 4.75" in a .44. While the Colt is easy to carry it is a handfull for me with 158g jhp factory ammo. The 44 will shoot Win 210g white box jhp with out the sting of the 357. For me the 357 is a bedside  gun, the 44 is a hunting carry gun.
Jim

[poncaguy]

Why not a 45 Colt Blackhawk? With mild loads it's a pussycat and with Corbon or hot hand loads, it equals and exceeds the 44.

[bilmac]

Lots of good advice above, only a couple of additional things to think about. Generally single action revolvers are easier on your hands because the plowhandle grip lets the gun roll up without bashing you. The size of the gun makes a lot of difference. Longer barrels shoot a lot better for me, and it goes beyond just the site radius. Little guns are just harder to hold steady.

 I think handloading is very important to becoming a good shot,especially with a handgun where you need to shoot lots to be good. The chieper Lee presses don't cost much but do a fine job for pistol ammo. I haven't seen the numbers in a few years, but it won't be very many boxes of factory ammo before the difference in cost will pay for a reloader. You don't need a fancy progressive press, a simple single stage is almost as fast if you use good technique. Don't know if Lee still makes them or not but don't go for their old hammer system. Much too slow for a pistol shooter. On the other hand a Lyman tong tool while slow would let you load in your easy chair. When you handload you can customize your ammo and end up with exactly what you want instead of what you can find on the shelves. I don't spend much time in the loaded ammo shelves but I don't recall ever seeing 44 specials. Maybe at the expensive gun stores, but surely not at Wal-Mart. So they end up costing as much or more than Wal-Mart 44 mags. So what do you do? Shoot 44mags from Wal-mart that teach you to flinch?

When you handload you can make what is exactly right for you at the time. 44 specials may be too much when you first start. Either of the cartridges you are wisely considering as well as the 45 Colts are very versetile to reload. As you get experience you can shoot heavier and heavier stuff.   

[kevthebassman]

I bought a .44 SBH that someone had put some nice rubber grips on.  It's my first .44, and when I first got it I wasn't sure how the recoil was going to be.  Long story short, it's an absolute joy to shoot.  You can put a box of 50 down range and the last 6 shots will be as good as the first.  You'll wish you had more shells.

For me, it's a no-brainer.  The recoil of the .44 in a SBH isn't anything to worry about.

[Deacon Blues]

There really isn't much difference in recoil once you adjust to the fact that either one loaded up to hunting specs is going to have a fair amount of recoil. I've shot .357's that felt a heck of lot more healthy than a factory loaded .44 mag. As someone else mentioned, look at the .45 LC also. It can be a "puddy tat" with cowboy action loads, or a real bear with Double Tap 335 grain +P's. I love the .357, but for your purpose I'd look at one of the bigger bores.
Who knows you might be a perfect candidate for a .41 mag, which kind of fits in the niche between the .357 and .44. The .41 is a flat shooting power house and would be an excellent choice for deer and hogs. Recoil is not too bad at all, either.
Another round (not loaded in SA guns to my knowledge) is the 10mm. It is almost a .41 mag and a bit more than most .357's. Fast, flat shooting and recoils about like the .41. S&W chambers it in the model 610 double action.

[Racer X]

I would not even consider a 45 Colt unless you handload. With factory loads, hunting ammo is a special order only and very expensive. Get a 44 and learn to get used to the recoil.

[cgturner7]

Thanks for all the advice.  I ended up finding a good deal on a used Blackhawk in .44 mag, 7.5 inch barrel.  It was nearly new with a bright shiny bore and just a slight drag line on the cylinder.  So far I have about 80 rounds of .44 mag through it and about 20 .44 special.  I must say the .44 specials are pleasant to shoot.  I tried two different loads of .44 mag- some 210 gr Winchesters and some 180 gr Rem.  The Winchesters were not bad to shoot and fairly accurate for the first time I've fired this revolver.  The Remingtons, on the other hand, were NOT fun to shoot.  A LOT of muzzle blast and a nasty, snappy recoil.  Now to decide on which round I want to use for deer hunting and practice, practice, practice.

[centershot]

Now, If you don't already - get set up to reload. A 240gr semi-wadcutter and 8 gr of Unique makes for an awesome plinker. For a hunting load 24gr of W296 and a 240gr JHP will take care of business. Lead bullet reloads will run you about 15 cents per shot after you have the brass.