The short answere is that, depending on what ammo your using, the mag has 2 to 3 times more energy and 2 to 3 times less fall in trajectory than the special. The mag is a decent hunting revolver while the special is lots of fun to shoot. So get the best of both worlds by purchasing a 44 mag revolver because you can shoot both mag and special ammo in it. You can only shoot special ammo in a 44 special revolver.