# whats more powerful 44mag. or 45lc.



## Bam Bam

I just wanted to know what was more powerful a 44 or 45. I read somewhere all a 454 was 45 mag.


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## one hogman

.44 mag is loaded{ factory] a lot hotter [ more pressure] more power ft. lbs. more  velocity,than a 45 long colt, the 454 is a .45 caliber case is longer than 45lc and loaded to more pressure than .44 mag it is a very powerful round and you can shoot a .45 lc in a .454 casul  gun, same diameter but not vice versa. it's all about pressure and what the brass and gun are rated for.


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## redneckcamo

44 mag is the more powerful round of the 2 between it an 45 Colt.........and its about rite to say the 454 casull is a 45 colt magnum


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## ATLRoach

This a battle that has been raging for awhile but when loaded +P in a gun that can handle it the 45LC has some serious pop in very close range to a 44Mag.


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## Bam Bam

Thanks to all for answering my ?


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## Coastie

Bam Bam said:


> I just wanted to know what was more powerful a 44 or 45. I read somewhere all a 454 was 45 mag.



Take a few minutes and look at some balistics tables readily available on line. The .454 Casull is in a class by itself when it comes to the .45s.


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## leoparddog

ATLRoach is right. With handloads the 45LC can be loaded to pressures equal to the 44Mag - IN THE RIGHT GUN.  The 45LC has a larger capacity and can throw heavier bullets faster.  When I go to the range nobody want to shoot my Ruger Blackhawk with my 45LC handloads.  I can shoot a 265gr LBT WFNGC bullet at 1275fps from a 5.5" barrel.  In my M92 lever action the same load does 1750fps.

In reality neither of them are a joy to shoot at the range.  I haven't shot a deer with this load yet, but maybe this year.

The 454Casull ups the ante even more over a hot 45LC handload.


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## jmoser

Actually .45 Colt can exceed .44 mag energy levels even with shorter bbl length.

If you are a handloader and have a strong Ruger SA gun you can easily exceed .44 mag levels in the .45 Colt with similar bullet weights.

I handload for both calibers - not talking factory ammo here.


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## GAR

*44 vs 45 Colt*

Had to chime in on this one. I shoot a older Ruger Redhawk in 45 Colt. When you load the Colt with heavy for caliber cast bullets you are entering into a differant realm of performance.

With that being said, it was either Rifle or Handloader magazine that just ran an article about the 44mag with some serious loads. No lite weight bullets were even mentioned in the article. All heavy for caliber loads. Made me think about getting a 44 mag to compliment my 45 Colt.

GAR


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## dertiedawg

It was Handloader magazine. If your shooting a Super Redhawk in 44mag and load it hot, does a hot 45lc handload still exceed the 44 mag energy levels? That article in Handloader lists 340gr Rim Rock bullets which is a heavy bullet for a 44 mag. Note  that the loads suggested in the magazine are VERY HOT LOADS and are for use in Ruger REDHAWKS and SUPER REDHAWKS ONLY and exceed the maximum pressure level for ALL other 44 mags.


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## jmoser

dertiedawg said:


> It was Handloader magazine. If your shooting a Super Redhawk in 44mag and load it hot, does a hot 45lc handload still exceed the 44 mag energy levels? That article in Handloader lists 340gr Rim Rock bullets which is a heavy bullet for a 44 mag. Note  that the loads suggested in the magazine are VERY HOT LOADS and are for use in Ruger REDHAWKS and SUPER REDHAWKS ONLY and exceed the maximum pressure level for ALL other 44 mags.



I get 300 XTPs to 1250 fps and 300 LBTs over 1300 fps in my .44 SRH.  Have not seen the need to go over 300 gr in the .44, I  load .45 Colt with 300 XTPs and 335 gr LBTs.


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## dertiedawg

I would if I were going on a Bear hunt in AK or Moose in Maine. Some day... my time will come, and I plan to use the 44 with hot, heavy hard cast loads! The 44mag is very versatile, and with the proper load it can be used to kill just about any big game on the planet.


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## hawgrider1200

My reloading guide says 260 grain bullets can b pushed to 941 fps in 45 Colt. That is the heaviest bullet that the guide has a recipe for. 300 grain 44 mag bullet can be pushed to 1088 fps and that is the heaviest bullet that my reloading guide has a recipe for. That's straight out of the book. 45 Colt has been around for many years if it was safe to load em as hot as a 44 mag then that Keith fella would have done so. Fact is 44 magnum guns were designed and built  to withsatnd more CUP than 45 Colt guns.


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## Georgia Hard Hunter

to quote Clint Eastwood "this is a 44 magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world.......You got to ask yourself, Do I feel lucky... 
Well Do you.. Punk"


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## GAR

*44 vs 45 Colt*

Hawgrider: There is a substantial differance between loads based upon the old Colt SAA and its clones versus the Rugers, Freedom Arms category of revolvers.

Take a look at the HODGDON web site and you will see the differance.

GAR


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## one hogman

dertiedawg said:


> I would if I were going on a Bear hunt in AK or Moose in Maine. Some day... my time will come, and I plan to use the 44 with hot, heavy hard cast loads! The 44mag is very versatile, and with the proper load it can be used to kill just about any big game on the planet.



Ever read any stories of Larry Kelly and the SSK  hand cannons group he developed the trapezoid  cut process of magnaporting guns, he took the.44 mag custom SBH with custom tungsten core bullets to take elephant and Cape buff. With the right bullet it will kill them all!!!


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## HighCotton

Georgia Hard Hunter said:


> to quote Clint Eastwood "this is a _*44 magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world*_.......You got to ask yourself, Do I feel lucky...
> Well Do you.. Punk"



No longer true by a long shot.  That quote was back in the 70's I believe.

The most powerful today would have to be the 500 mag or 600 or 454, if say.


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## Sniper Bob

500 S&W Magnum with some of Ranger Ricks 700gr Bullets should pretty much say check and mate to anything you point it at.


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## Big7

Sniper Bob said:


> 500 S&W Magnum with some of Ranger Ricks 700gr Bullets should pretty much say check and mate to anything you point it at.



Including the top of yo' head and the front of yo' face!


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## Sniper Bob

Big7 said:


> Including the top of yo' head and the front of yo' face!



I think he calls them "Tyrannosaur Thumpers"


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## redlevel

It is really pretty simple.  If you want to be able to buy hunting ammo off the shelf in just about any gun store, go with the .44 mag.   If you are willing to order semi-custom loads, say from Buffalo Bore, or you are a reloader, then the .45 is the way to go.   Anyone wanting to learn why the old .45 is capable of so much needs to read what John Linebaugh has to say.
http://www.customsixguns.com/writings/dissolving_the_myth.htm

In his words, the .45 "is a bigger hammer" than the .44 mag.   It is the difference between a .430 projectile and a .452 projectile.   Read the linked article for an education.

I have been loading a 7.5 inch Old Model Blackhawk with 10 grains of Unique behind a 255 grain Keith SWC for 37 years.  I know for a fact that load will hole a 160 lb whitetail through-and-through and said whitetail will drop where he stands.  This at anywhere from 25-50 yards.  That load supposedly is about 1000fps from the long barrel, and is very pleasant to shoot.  Much less storm and fury than a .44 mag.  Not nearly as loud or punishing as a .357 mag, but more like a fairly hot .38 special in a K-frame.  Linebaugh says his .45 Colt loaded to 900 fps with a 260 grain bullet will shoot through a mule deer lengthwise at 100 yards.  He says in the article if he were going for heavier/dangerous game, he would go to a 310 grain bullet at 1200fps.

I also shoot the 10 grain Unique load (I still have a bunch of them loaded.  I have recently dropped to about 9 grains) in Vaqueros, a S&W Mountain Gun, and a 94AE Trapper.  It is very pleasant to shoot in all my guns.


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