Speed Shooting a .44 Magnum

[Vikram]

When I typed it into Youtube,the first video, of course, was of Jerry Miculek's. I was essentially searching for info on the suitability of using a .44 Magnum for self-defence. I am aware of the facts of the limitations the calibre places in terms of over penetration, weight etc.,as everyday concealed carry choice in an urban environment. Still, I was looking for the ability to shoot is fast.


Not everyone is or can be Miculek who puts 6 rounds through in almost a second.

[youtube][/youtube]



Having never shot it, anyone has any idea about the recovery time for a regular shooter when shooting full-house .44 Magnum loads? Thank you.


Best-
Vikram

[xl_target]

Vikram,
Jerry Miculek notwithstanding, I think .44 Magnum is a bad idea for an everyday defensive carry handgun. I’m not saying it can’t be done but that there are other calibers that are easier to use. Here is some of my thinking.

Don't get me wrong, the .44 Magnum is a great revolver cartridge. It is a great short range hunting cartridge. It is compact and powerful but it does have a healthy recoil. Though not as bad as most people will have you believe if shot out of a 4” or a 6” revolver, full house loads out of a light snubby are going to be absolutely brutal. Recoil is bad enough in .357 Mag, in a Scandium snubby.
1. These are large framed revolvers and consequently are a bulky and heavy way of carrying five or six shots. After a few weeks, it will start to hurt. This is not necessarily due to the weight of the gun alone. Depending on your rig, you could end up with back problems eventually if carried daily. This can be said about almost any handgun. This is because, if a gun is heavy, many people tend to alter their posture while driving or sitting which can have long term consequences. If a gun is light, you tend not to notice it so much and it doesn’t affect your posture as much. Often, with a really stiff belt (the stiffer the better), if you do a lot of driving, it is going to rub your spine in the lumbar region and give you one hell of a sore spot.
2. The recoil will definitely impress you. Double tapping is not going to be as easy as with a lighter caliber like 9mm. Keep in mind that double tapping might not be necessary with the .44 Mag. If you hit someone with a .44 Mag in a vital area, the temporary shock cavity is very large and a second shot may not be necessary. Sure, you could carry .44 Specials in it but even they aren’t easy on the wrists.
3. Indoors, say in your living room or bedroom, any modern handgun will be deafening but a .44 Mag is going to definitely hurt your ears. I mean it is going to physically hurt you, … a lot (as will most centerfire calibers fired indoors). It’s not just a question of your ears ringing, you will feel physical pain with even a single shot. Multiple shots are really going to hurt.

[Grumpy]

I reckon that used indoors with no hearing protection a .44 mag is quite likely to burst your eardrums. Miculek makes shooting a .44 mag easy ..... but even so, check-out the video at 1:49.
For most people the .44 mag is a non-starter as the revolvers are just too big, too heavy, too loud and have too much recoil. The shorter barreled versions are even nastier by the way.
.44 Mag recoil is quite controllable if you`re prepared for it .... The first time I shot a .44 Mag ( a friends Ruger Blackhawk ) he had loaded the ammo to .44 Special specs. First shot - `Hah, this is a pussycat`. Second Shot, ditto. Third shot ditto. Fourth shot - %@$* !!! The so-and -so had put a full-house .44 mag in just to wake me up !

[TwoRivers]

Well, Vikram, it is obviously possible to shoot it fast. If you are Jerry Miculek. As XL pointed out, if you hit, you most likely won't have to worry about a fast second shot. If you are up close, even the blast effect should give you enough recovery time. Recovery time will depend on a number of factors, bullet weight (note that he is using a lighter recoiling 180 bullet,not the standard 240 grain one), gun weight, barrel length, gun fit, your hand, etc. For a concealed carry, everyday gun. it is not a good choice. I would never recommend anything shorter than a 4" barrel for a .44 Mag. Remember "become good, then try for fast". One hit counts for more than six fast misses.

When the cartridge first came out it was just about impossible to get one. Everybody who could afford it wanted one. Then, within two or three years S&W M29s started to appear at gun shows. Too much gun for most people too shoot on a regular basis.

Grumpy's story reminds me of a young captain I worked with. Wanted a powerful handgun, a .45 ACP for bear protection when hiking and fishing. He got talked out of that choice and I got him a Ruger in .44 Magnum. Said that recoil wasn't bad at all, much less than he had been led to expect. Then one day he came in, saying "wow, those magnum rounds have some recoil, my hand is still stinging." Turned out he had been shooting .44 Special all the time, thinking the "special" indicating a specially potent version. Cheers.

[Vikram]

Thank you,XL,Grumpy and Two Rivers for your feedback and the anecdotes.

This is purely an academic exercise of sorts as I have no intention of carrying, even if I could, a .44 Magnum as a CCW. This line of thought, maximum power+ ability to squeeze off shots in as little time as possible, has been in my mind for sometime. It surfaced again when I saw that video of a cold blooded robber chopping up that lady in an ATM/Cash machine enclosure.

I am with you, Two Rivers, when you said that shot placement is more important than being able to shoot fast.

When taken into consideration in the light of my criteria, power and speed shooting, a semi-auto pistol chambered for 9mm, .45ACP or .40 S&W seem to trump revolver calibre choices such as .38 Special or .357 Magnum.

Your views,please.Thank you.

Best-
Vikram

[Grumpy]

I`d go for a locked and cocked 1911 A1 type .45 ACP over anything else if I had to to carry. I`ve used enough different handguns and calibres in my time and always found the .45 ACP easy to shoot. I have to concede however that some people find the .45 ACP unpleasantly thumpy. Something that isn`t always appreciated is just how much more convenient the shape of a semi-auto is compared to a revolver when you have to shove it in a holster in your trousers. I can`t comment regarding a shoulder holster because I`ve never used one but I reckon the same would apply.
Two Rivers comments about .44 mag recoil should be noted - a 240 gr bullet produces considerably more recoil than a 180gr bullet.
Recoil can be a peculiar thing : I had some 300 gr and 320 gr deer legal ( 1700+ ft lbs ) .44 mag cartridges loaded for me to use in my Rossi and the recoil is decidedly stiff - at least as much as 9.3x62 265 gr yet developing only about half the muzzle energy. I wondered if this was due to the stock shape of the Rossi but in correspondence with others it seems to be usual whatever the rifle. The 200 gr .44 Specials are real powder-puffs in comparison.

[BowMan]

This man has a fully automatic index finger...