Author Topic: Single Actions and Calibers (Read 2218 times)

RIFLE MAN · « **on:** July 04, 2010, 02:58:12 PM »

What is your favorite all-around shooting cartridge in
a single action revolver?

I am quite fond of the .44 WCF/44-40. The recoil
is relatively mild. It has sufficient power to stop
an assailant and it offers good hunting capability
within 50-75 yards with the right load.

Thanks
Rifle Man

kynardsj · « **Reply #1 on:** July 04, 2010, 03:20:15 PM »

While over the last 15 years or so I've put thousands of rounds thru my 4 5/8 stainless Single Six. More recently I bought a stainless 4 5/8 45 LC Blackhawk that is way fun to shoot with my reloads. It'll do the playing thing and would also be a great deterrent to a bad guy or critter.

saddlebum · « **Reply #2 on:** July 04, 2010, 08:33:19 PM »

.45LC,C,Long Colt, Colt or what ever your favorite gun writer calls it.

From mild to wild!!!

Mild= SAA

Wild= Ruger Bisley

Blackhawk44 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 04, 2010, 09:41:49 PM »

Since I have four single actions for it, I have to say .44 Special. .44 WCF would be second, but only have one Sheriff's model for that one.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #4 on:** July 05, 2010, 03:03:14 AM »

I shoot more 44 mags then all the rest of the calibers combined.

Scibaer · « **Reply #5 on:** July 05, 2010, 03:06:59 AM »

.45 Colt .. hands down

zoner · « **Reply #6 on:** July 05, 2010, 03:15:26 AM »

45 long colt if you reload....44 mag/44 spec if not

44 Man · « **Reply #7 on:** July 05, 2010, 10:18:14 AM »

I've shot 44 mag for years and years. Then my shooting shifted to more .44 spl's even to the point that I decided to get rid of all of my .45 colt guns and ONLY have .44's. Well guess what? Now I own and shoot more .45 colt's than any other. Go figure. I guess just like in the movie, never say never. 44 Man

Frank V · « **Reply #8 on:** July 05, 2010, 11:23:09 AM »

Oh boy here we go again. All time favorite(not neccessarily the one shot the most) .44Special! It'll do everything I need done with a six-gun!

The one shot the most? .44WCF, it's just FUN!!!

Frank

Daman · « **Reply #9 on:** July 06, 2010, 09:19:30 AM »

My favorite that I have is a Single Six 6.5" 22lr.

My dream is a Freedom Arms Model 97 in 41 Magnum or 45 Long Colt to deer and hog hunt with.

I would have to say the most shot is the 44 special.

Daman

WIL TERRY · « **Reply #10 on:** July 06, 2010, 02:07:38 PM »

My favorite...ALL OF 'EM TO THE LAST CARTRIDGE !!!!
NONE is a substitue for another, all of them can do what they can do and no more. From 32 to 45 and EVERY stop in between, and in every barrel length available, and I will and do handload for all of 'em. Why any one would even want to pick a "favorite" is waaaaaay beyond my understanding.

Lt Smoke · « **Reply #11 on:** July 06, 2010, 05:18:26 PM »

.44 special, .44 magnum.......

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #12 on:** July 06, 2010, 05:56:52 PM »

Since I have only owned 4 single action revolvers.
Colt 3rd Gen in 357 Mag
Colt Copy in 45 Colt
Ruger Bisley in 22LR
Uberti No 3 in 45 Colt
I think my favortie out of the four in the No.3 But I shoot 45 Schofield in it.
And 45 Colt, 44-40, 45 Schofield,38-40, and 44 Spl are so close to each other to be ballistic twins of each other.
All throw a over .40 slug weighing 200 grains or more 800 to 900 feet per second.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #13 on:** July 07, 2010, 06:09:39 AM »

Over the past 30+ yrs Ive had, in larger CF, 44spl & mag, 45Colt , friends with 38-40 and 44-40, and reloaded (or aided their reloading) for all. Their performance with typical cast lead bullet velocities, for practical use and fun shooting, does overlap more than a fair bit. I could be happy with any, but find the straight wall cases and carbide dies to be easier to live with for reloading. Looking through my notebook, my loads are surprisingly similar, regardless of caliber, with fine tuning of the load to get the desired POI to the sights if needed (by juggling bullet weight and/or powder charge).
My all round favorite, rifle or handgun, is 22LR. They always seem to be ready to go for a walk, etc. Yes, they have limitations, and if I knew I would be in a bad social situation that cal. would not be my choice, 12ga/OO autoloader or pump probably would be, along with Doc Holliday and the Earps.

huntswithdogs · « **Reply #14 on:** July 07, 2010, 06:17:18 AM »

45LC!

HWD

Default_Required · « **Reply #15 on:** July 07, 2010, 01:45:38 PM »

44 mag. simple enough , Next question

375supermag · « **Reply #16 on:** July 11, 2010, 06:00:38 AM »

I like them all.

Couple of pictures of a couple of .45Colt single-actions...

They mostly get a steady diet of 8gr of Unique under a commercial cast 255gr SWC. Considering a heavier load for the SBH...haven't decided what bullet weight to try yet.

375supermag · « **Reply #17 on:** July 11, 2010, 06:08:05 AM »

Here's some of the .44Mag single actions...

And a single-action .44Special

375supermag · « **Reply #18 on:** July 11, 2010, 06:23:22 AM »

And a couple of .357Mag single-actions...

GrampaMike · « **Reply #19 on:** July 13, 2010, 01:22:40 PM »

I am afraid you all are wrong.

41 Mag and 41 Special.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #20 on:** July 14, 2010, 02:11:18 AM »

Once you get past the "cult" thing and shoot 10s of thouands of rounds in many many differnt guns youll probaly do as i did. I went through a stage when i first got into handguns seriously and bought mostly 45 colts because that was the thing to do. After years of stuggling working up loads i started to realize that 44 mags did everything the 45s did and were hands down more easy accross the board to find accurate loads for. Same goes for the 41. I had a phaze that i bought a bunch of them. even had a 41 specail made. the 41s are on par with the 44s for accuracy but bullet and mold selections just were not as great and i did notice that 44s and 45s seemed to put down game better. I still have a pile of 45s and do shoot them alot but am down to only one 41. I guess i relate it to the 270/o6 argument. Jack Oconner wrote some stuff years ago about the 270 and everyone that thought he wanted someone to think he was a rifleman went out and bought one. Why when the 06 does everything the 270 does and is alot more versitile. Ive never owned a 270 and never will. I do own 2506s 280s and 06s. Why because there more versitile. the 2506 is every bit as leathal on game and is better at varmits. the 280 is identical but will shoot the same weight bullet faster and heavier bullets are available. the 06 beats them all hands down in versitility. Same goes for the 44 mag. It will do anything either of the others will and do it accurately and componets and molds are everywhere for it. It may not have the cool factor the other two do but i dont buy guns to be cool or to impress anyone.

GrampaMike · « **Reply #21 on:** July 14, 2010, 05:57:21 AM »

Lloyd is right of course.

I too like most of you have all the calibers in multiple barrel lengths. I just threw in the 41 because it was not mentioned yet. Since I don't hunt anymore, just shoot paper animals, I only care about accuracy. The fun of handloading and shooting, searching for good loads is my 'thing' these days. I love all the calibers. That being said, my most accurate loads have been the 41 Mag and 44 Mag, both in the same gun, Ruger 7.5" bisley hunters. Don't know it that says more about the gun or just a coincidence.

Fun Topic.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #22 on:** July 14, 2010, 07:27:46 AM »

Lloyd,
Are you saying that Elmer Keith and S&W got it right?
I wish Remington would make the 200 grain Lead Semi Wad cutter hollow point again in 44 Special.
(The Dirty Harry Load) While the data was very optimistic it was a great load. Accurate and mild.

375supermag · « **Reply #23 on:** July 14, 2010, 02:21:00 PM »

Quote from: GrampaMike on July 13, 2010, 01:22:40 PM

I am afraid you all are wrong.

41 Mag and 41 Special.

I like the .41Mag, also.

Groo · « **Reply #24 on:** July 16, 2010, 12:05:55 PM »

Groo here
As much as I like the 45colt ,I keep pulling the rims off reloading [got a new case holder it helped]
I just went to 41mag with a pair of Andy Horvath Customs on NV frames..
I am now HOOKED...

Bearcat 74 · « **Reply #25 on:** July 16, 2010, 03:55:25 PM »

I shoot more .44 Mag rounds than any other round I own except for .22lr.

EdK · « **Reply #26 on:** July 21, 2010, 04:05:12 AM »

The only reason why a 45 Colt is "less accurate" than a 44 is that your gun is no good.

On the same case, all the way from a .257" bore through .308" are useful (including .284" in between) but a .277" is no good?

I think we have a case of selective objectivity here

Stuart C. · « **Reply #27 on:** July 22, 2010, 05:30:29 AM »

There was a guy and his wife on a Cowboy shooting show last night that made some fairly compelling arguments for the 45 Colt:
- Lighter overall weight
- Felt recoil is a more comfortable Push feeling, not a sharp snap back feeling
- He stuck with 200 grain bullets and simple low loads
- He didn't mention the weak rims but I've read it in my manuals

Anyway, after reading the responses on this thread, and then seeing this shooting champion last night on tv go on and on about the 45, i'm still left wondering.

Lloyd mentions better reloading of the 44 and 41. What else would you say that puts the 44 or 41 over the 45? And, can you shoot 44 Spec out of 44 Mag ala 38 out of 357? Thanks.

Blackhawk44 · « **Reply #28 on:** July 22, 2010, 01:15:39 PM »

Stuart, the gentleman on TV was using "cowboy" loads unrelated to standard power, let alone "hunting" level loads. The loads he was using more closely parallel light .38 target loads. When you take his 200gr loads at about 700-750fps and crank them up to 250-270gr bullets at 850-1000fps you will find that you have a handgun with entirely different handling characteristics.

A .45 Colt with hunting loads is more closely related to the .44 magnum than many folks realize, but the .44 probably wins due to the greater variety of makes, models and weights of handguns available and the variety of .44 special and mag loads available to the non-reloader.

Older .45 rims were only "weak" to reloaders trying the resize them. Manufacturers made major revisions to the style, structure and weight of Colt cases in the 1960's and '70's while die makers began to offer much more closely fitted shell holders. With these improvements, the "weak" rims are pretty much an issue of the past. To spot the difference, older cases have no groove just above the rim, whatsoever.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #29 on:** July 22, 2010, 02:36:21 PM »

Here is my schofield.