American Handgunner July/August 1979

~~~.....oScene56This reliable reloader is a new experiencein fast-loading. Sturdy,lightweight, easy to use ... it's thefastest way to reload your revolverwith round nose or wad cutterammunition.Check these new model features:• NO CARTRIDGE JIGGLE• PERFECT ALLIGNMENT OF ALLCARTRIDGES WITH REVOLVERCYLINDER - gives faster, morepositive loading.• POPULAR SPILL-RESISTANTTWIST KNOB - simply turnknob to load revolver or rechargeloader.H.K.S. 'FAILSAFE' PRODUCTS.132 FIFTH ST, DAYTON •. KY. 41074BY EVAN P. MARSHALLTHE .44 MAGNUM••• BUT WHAT'S SOBAD ABOUT A .41 MAGNUM?The .44 Magnum was introduced in1955 by Smith & Wesson for thosehandgunners in need of an extremelypowerful handgun. Except for a few limitedproduction calibers, it has been continuallytouted as "the world's mostpowerful handgun." Frankly, I've alwaystaken this claim with a rather large grainofsalt. I've been handloading the .41 Magnumfor years, and my experience hasproven that the alleged superiority of the.44 Magnumjust isn't so.Regardless, the .44 Magnum is the firstchoice for most handgun hunters becauseof its wide variety of factory loads. It is anextremely accurate cartridge, and some ofthe groups I shot during testing will remainunpublished because I get tired ofbeing called a liar.Bundled up against sub-zeroweather, author tests .44 Magnumloads for 50 yard accuracy.I used three different weapons in the c. SpeerJSP 1367fps 1416fps 1447fpstesting for this caliber; a S&W Model 29 d. FrontierJHP 1345fps 1389fps 1489fpswith 6~ inch barrel, a Ruger Super Black- e. S&W JHP 1388fps 1422fps 1466fpshawk with 7 1 12 inch barrel, and a Con- f. R-PSWC-MV IOllfps 1044fps 1I02fpstender with 10 inch bull barrel (provided g. R-PSWC 1322fps 1356fps 1435fpsby Tim Pancurak of Thompson/Center). h. FederalJHP 1338fps 1376fps 1477fpsVelocities were checked on my Oehler i. R-P JHP 1346fps l366fps 1418fpsChronograph with skyscreens, while ex- j. R-P JSP 1318fps 1334fps 1406fpspansion was checked by firing into ductsealblocks.k. Super VelJHP 1456fps 1507fps I595fpsThe testing was conducted in two de- Load "f' is Remington's medium velocgreebelow zero weather, and I'm certain ity load, and is an excellent practice loadaccuracy suffered as a result of this. The for those .44 owners who don't reload.results are listed below:Which load is best? That again, depends180 grain loads6W' 7W' 10" on your intended purpose. For law enforcementor personal defense, I considera. FederalJHP 1586fps 1702fps 1812fps the Remington medium velocity excellent.b. Super VelJHP 1522fps 1678fps l774fps Also good for this purpose would be theThe Super Vel offering is ofcurrent pro- Super Vel 180 grain jhp or Speer 200 grainduction, and offered better penetration JHP.than the Federal 180 grain load. It also For small to medium game, any of theproduced excellent 50 yd. accuracy as the JHP loads would be excellent. Of all theseaccompanying photo shows.loads, the S&W offering gave outstanding200 grain loads 6W'7W' 10" accuracy in all the weapons used.For heavy game the JSP or SWC loadsa. FrontierJHP 1388fps 1522fps 1649fps are the best choice, with the Winchesterb. SpeerJHP 1334fps 1426fps 1516fps being my first choice. In fact, I long agoThe Frontier load is produced by Hor- settled on the W-W SWC load as the onlynady, and uses their excellent JHP bullet. .44 factory load I carry. Whether your in-Both it and the Speer load were accurate, tended purpose is self-defense, hunting, oralthough these light weight slugs might accuracy, I've found this offering from thenot be the best choice for heavy gamewhen deep penetration is a necessity.boys at Winchester to be ideal.Whether or not the .44 Magnum is"The King Of The Hill" or not, it's a240 grain loads 6W' 7~" 10" highly accurate caliber that can be relieda. W-WSWC 1436fps 150lfps 1645fps upon to meet the needs of its .....b. W-W lHP 1456fps l467fps I 522fps user. ~AMERICAN HANDGUNNER . JULY / AUGUST 1979