Ive got a question for you experienced 44 mag shooters.... I am NOT reloading (44mag) yet, and would like to know what you would choose to shoot thru a 4" barrel mod-29 44 mag.

I'm not concerned about target (and plinking) ammo... but rather looking for a self defense round. What would serve me best?

1. fast (fps) & light bullet, or

2. heavy bullet (mass/momentum), with slower fps?

Any advice, things to consider, stress to handgun, etc would be appreciated ~ given I'll be practicing with that round as well.

Also, any (reasonably priced) factory brands you favor?

Many thanks! ~Zano

Self defense against what - other human beings or dangerous animals?

The 44 magnum is overkill for self defense against other people; with most factory rounds you would risk over-penetration and possibly unintentionally hitting someone on the other side of the intended target. 44 Special rounds might be better for this kind of self defense.

Self defense against dangerous animals - I would go with Buffalo Bore, Double Tap, or Grizzly with heavy cast bullets.

The Speer 200gr 44 Special Gold Dot Hollow Point is a better choice for just humans and will work quite well in the 44 Mag.
Standard Hornady 44 Mag with the 240gr XTP hollow point if you can have only one. As said above against humans way more than needed but will do the job. With most animals a very good balance between expansion and weight retention and penetration. For animals that want to eat you or crush you 427mach1's advice is very sound.
Chip King

I have a 4" S&W 29-2 and an 8 3/8" S&W 29-2. I also have an 8" Colt Anaconda, a 6 1/2" Ruger Super Blackhawk and an 10 1/2" Ruger Super Blackhawk. I would carry one of the .44 special loads for human protection. For woods protection and hunting, I carry the Hornady 44 Mag 225 gr FTX LEVERevolution rounds in my handguns and in my Marlin 336-44 Texan. They are much flatter shooting than any of the blunt nose rounds.

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U.S. Navy - U.S. Army, ret

Another vote for a good .44 Special load like the Federal 200gr LSWC-HP , Winchester Silvertip , or Glaser Safety Slug.

Good advice has been posted in the above responses. I will note that Remington offers a 180 grain hollow point load commonly seen at Walmart. Common sense says it might be good for your task, but avoid it - It is loaded hot, and has about the worst muzzle blast I have seen in a factory load of any weight. Buffalo Bore and, and a few others make heavy 44 special loads that are just about a perfect balance of power and controllability.

Larry

Speer makes the .44 Magnum Short Barrel round. It's loaded a little hotter than the typical 44 special and is an excellent round for SD. The information I've read says your 4" barrel is the longest barrel it's effective in. It expands at much lower velocities than the typical round.

Barnes makes a 44 magnum VOR-TX load that is also a mid-range velocity load that will work well for SD.

IMO, if you get above 650 ME and/or 1200 feet a second the recoil will be too much for fast follow-up and you are asking for over penetration.

The suggestions for 44 spl SD rounds are good ones too, but be sure they are heavy/fast enough. Some of the lighter rounds designed for Charter Bulldogs etc do not meet FBI penetration criteria, even by the manufactures own numbers. For example, according to Hornady, their 165 gr 44 spl round penetrates to almost 10" of gel, which fails to meet the 12" minimum criteria for a legitimate SD round. It's a nice light round that won't skip the crimp on a round, which is a concern for a light gun for Bulldog, but of no concern for a M29. Go with the Cor-Bon, Buffalo Bore rounds etc if loading 44 spls.

You should check out the gel tests, round info out there yourself, the rest of us have opinions, but are not ballistics experts. You need to make up your own mind based on fact, all we can do is point toward good rounds to research.

JMO

If you can find any, CCI Blazer 240 gr JHP would probably be good.
I think they are loaded to more of a mid range level than typical full
power factory level.

Gentlemen, thank you for the advice, recommendations, and warnings! I apologize for not specifying what type of self defense I was talking about, but you've given me thought for both kinds (of SD)! Not only do I want the most effective round against a threatening human, I also wilderness hunt where bears live.

Your suggestions were what I was looking for, and more. Looks like I've got some research to do, and an excuse to "try out" the options.

Thanks again everyone... truly appreciate the input! ~Zano

Fiocchi makes a mid range 240 grain SJHP in their "Pistol Shooting Dynamics" line. Good ammo and reasonably priced.
One local LGS has it for $28 per box of 50, a steal compared to most jacketed 44 Mag ammo. Good brass for reloading too.

PMC makes a 180 grain load but it is HOT! I shot a box out of my 6.5 inch M-29 and couldn't believe the muzzle blast and recoil from a 180 grain load.

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Virtue,Liberty & Independence

learn to load-both spl and mag rounds can be done with the same dies.

If it is self defense against other people look for something in
.44 Special, that is plenty powerful enough without a lot of over penetration. .44 Magnum is just way too much against humans, in any configuration.

The above is just an opinion.

I like the 180 gr PMC 44 specials. I can control that much better than magnums for follow up shots, especially double action. About the same ballistic numbers as a 45 ACP 180 gr HP and people seem to think that is more than adequate for defense. +++ they are relativly cheap and avaialble. Of course for me that would be with my 329pd which is really a 44 special that can shoot mags as far as I am concerned. In my Super blackhawk, or 6" 629 classic full power mag loads are quite manageable but I would not consider either of those guns as "defensive" since they weight a tone and and stick out like a brick when you have one tied to your body.

Factory loaded 44 mag ammo is why people shot reloads in their 44s.

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S&WHF 366

Here's my experience. A 45 ACP shoots the same size

load. But with my range tests, the .45 made a dent

in a LP tank. Stacked three deep, the .44 went through

both sides of the first two LP bottles, then made a dent,

larger than the .45 dent, in the third LP tank.

This is with standard, run-of-the-mill factory ammo.

If you are a reloader, you know why. The average .44 round

uses 4 to 5 times as much powder as a .45 ACP, which,

even in it's FMJ base form, is a proven man-stopper.

If I had to make a recommendation, (and I don't) I

would say use the largest, heaviest hollow point round

you could find, backed with the standard amount of

powder. IMO, this would deter a Grizzly, at close range,

in a self defense situation, in the woods. But there

is far too much penetration to viably use a .44,

in a non woods environment. YMMV...