Ruger Blackhawk 44 mag vs 45 Colt/ACP

[C-grunt]

Im looking at getting a big bore revolver and my two main frontrunners are a Ruger Super Blackhawk in 44 mag or a Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt with a 45 ACP cylinder.

Im liking the 45 Colt option as I can buy hot loaded 45 Colt if I want to hunt or use as woods defense and shoot cheaper 45 ACP for practice.

Im liking the 44 Magnum option as I dont have to worry about buying hot loaded ammo as regular plain jane 44 Magnum you buy at Walmart is already a potent cartridge and I can always buy the hot loaded stuff if I want more.

The big thing for me right now is price. A local store has the 44 Magnum used in excellent condition for 450 bucks. The 45 would have to be purchased new which is 630 bucks. Is the cheaper 45 ACP ability worth nearly 200 dollars more than he 44 Magnum?

What do you guys think? Im really having a hard time deciding.

[gaijin]

Having and using both for hunting and occasional range time; my take is the .45 Colt is at its best as a handloaders gun.

Both calibers in the BH are easy to shoot.
My favorite of the two is the .45 Colt; it's pretty versatile- from mild to wild.

[C-grunt]

Having and using both for hunting and occasional range time; my take is the .45 Colt is at its best as a handloaders gun.

Both calibers in the BH are easy to shoot.
My favorite of the two is the .45 Colt; it's pretty versatile- from mild to wild.

I currently dont reload any handgun but have a basic reloading setup. So all I would need is dies really.

Another plus for the 44 would be I dont have to keep track of two cylinders when getting ready for the range/camping/hunting

[BuzzinSATX]

OF the calibers mentioned, I have only ever owned .44 magnums in revolvers (Ruger RedHawks), and my favorite rounds for plinking were .44 specials.

[CDR_Glock]

I have Large Magnums ranging from the 44 Magnum, 454 Casull, 460 and Smith 500.

If there is any thought of going big, then the 45 Colt is the way to go. You can eventually upgrade to a 460 which can shoot a 460, 454 Casull and 45 Colt. The advantage is greater if you reload.

45 Colt doesn't have much recoil to me. I don't think it's necessary to shoot the lesser 45 ACP.


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[C-grunt]

I have Large Magnums ranging from the 44 Magnum, 454 Casull, 460 and Smith 500.

If there is any thought of going big, then the 45 Colt is the way to go. You can eventually upgrade to a 460 which can shoot a 460, 454 Casull and 45 Colt. The advantage is greater if you reload.

45 Colt doesn't have much recoil to me. I don't think it's necessary to shoot the lesser 45 ACP.


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The 45ACP would be for lower ammo cost, not recoil.

[cdmiller]

Are you wedded to the Blackhawk? If not, the Redhawk in .45 Colt that takes .45ACP in clips might be a good choice as you wouldn't need two cylinders.

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/produc...eets/5032.html

I had an interesting conversation at a SCI show with a hunting guide who normally shoots .45ACP in his for fun but occasionally practices with the Buffalo Bore heavy .45 Colt +P loads he carries in bear country.

[JacksonJ]

All of the above suggestions and opinions are excellent.

I have owned a Super Blackhawk in .44 mag and used it for a couple of decades in load development for my S&W .44 revolvers (an even for my Bulldog Pug). The Blackhawk had a remarkable action, was incredibly accurate and easy to shoot. I am also a big fan of the .44 special as a soft shooting and versatile round. Not that it matters, but I no longer have any of those .44's and kinda miss them as I'm right in the middle of reading Kieth's book "Sixguns".

I can say anything negative at all about the .45 LC, there is plenty of versatility in that round as well. My shooting bud back down south had a Super Blackhawk and a lever gun in .45 LC and they were both great shooting guns.

But we both handloaded. I read you have a basic handloading setup, if you chose to go that route, which I think you'll enjoy, you'll find an incredible array of affordable options...especially if you ever consider casting your own bullets.

Good luck with your decision.

[Det-Sog]

If it were me... I just went through a similar dilemma. While I have always wanted a .44 Mag, I was really considering a .45 Colt capable of shooting .454 Casull.

I went with the .44 Mag mainly for ammunition availability. Most everyone stocks a variety of .44.. As Gaigin mentions, with the .45 Colt, you are going to want to re-load as the variety of factory ammo is not near what you can get with the .44 Mag. Disclaimer, you really need re-load capability to tweak the .44 Mag also. For what I will ever do hunting or woods walking, the .44 Mag will cover 95% of it. Now, I just need to get into a bigger house so that I can set up a Dillon progressive. Problems solved.

Until then, I can get .44 Mag ammo online for about $10 a box cheaper than I can here in our LGS. Once I get to loading my own, .44 Special also becomes attractive to practice with. That might be a good option for you instead of the .45 ACP. A .44 Mag will shoot .44 Special with no conversion. Again though, you will want to re-load to save a LOT of money. Just my two cents.

I don't think there is a wrong answer here. You will be happy with either choice.

[gunnerblue]

For pure performance, high pressure 45 Colt trumps the 44 Magnum. As mentioned, you will have to reload or buy specialty ammo to achieve top performance in either. Regardless of which caliber you decide to buy, I'd recommend an aftermarket locking base pin (e.g. Belt Mountain) as the factory pin will probably come loose under heavy recoil, binding the gun into uselessness.

As far as interchangeable cylinders go, remember your POA/POI will most likely be off after the swap. This is especially true if your 45 Colt/44 Mag cylinder is zeroed for heavy loads. Personally, I'd rather have a second gun in a dedicated caliber rather than constantly rezeroing, remembering to hold, etc