.44 Mag Hard Cast Ammo Question

[hurricane007]

Hi, new guy here.

I'm hoping for advise from some of you folks that may have experience using heavy .44 mag Hard Cast ammo in the the 300 - 320 grain bullet size range. The handgun I'll be carrying these in is a S&W 629 w/ 6" barrel. The purpose is for self defense, in the rare case that a large and furry creature in Alaska decides it's really PO'ed at me. Last resort option, needless to say.

I've Googled around a bit and found some manufacturers that I'm familiar with and some others not too much. Names that have come up so far are:

Garretts
Federal
Cor-Bon
Buffalo Bore
Double Tap

Hoping to hear from folks who may be familar with some of these cartidges. Might any of you folks have an opinion as to which you like best?

I haven't tracked down all the ballistics info on each of the cartridges yet, but here's some sample info from Garrett's for example, Garrett Cartridges Inc.


There was a time when I was of the mind that it's maximum ft.lbs. of energy that's going to determine stopping power. Garrett's has an interesting viewpoint on this. After reading this about penetration performance I'm not quite so sure.
Garrett Cartridges Inc.


How well will the 629 stand up to these loads is another question I have.


Thanks for any advise you'ld like to throw this way.

- Jay


Oops, just noticed that I should probably have posted this in the Ammunition and Gunsmithing Forum - Rookie mistake, Sorry!

 

[cochise]

I bought a couple of boxes of Garretts .44 mag. I shot a few rounds through my S&W Classic and M29 with no problems. It did not seem to kick any harder than my heavy handloads. I have not shot too many because of the cost. So I can't say how hard it will be on your Smith. I think a box or two a year is negligible.

I personally modified my Marlin .44 to take this cartridge. I like carrying this round in a longer bbl hog hunting.

 

[Hendel]

I have shot the Federal, Cor Bon and Buffalo Bore.

To be honest, I can't tell the difference recoil wise between any of them. They all bark, but I just can't determine if one barks worse than the other. I don't own a crono, so I have to basically go by what the manufacturer tells me and "guestimate" what they're doing out of my guns. As long as they're going at least 1,000fps, I'm happy.

I mostly shoot my own reloads and often load 300gr bullets with H110.

My honest opinion is that pretty much any 300gr loading from any of these guys is going to basically be the same, with minor differences. I wouldn't hesitate to have my gun stoked with any of them.

I carry heavy hardcast when rumbling around here in MT and haven't had to shoot in anger or fear as of yet.

As far as your 629 holding up, you probably won't want to shoot a steady diet of these loads because they aren't all that comfortable and they are indeed pricey.

My big bores are Rugers and I only shoot maybe a hundred heavy loads a year. No real reason to shoot more. The rest of my shooting is nice mid-range loads.

 

[hurricane007]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Wish I'd have searched a bit further here on the forum. Here's a pretty good discussion on the subject.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/ammo/169171-44-magnum-load-bear-thats-safe-shoot-629-a.html


- Jay