The author's favorite guns for the .44 Magnum are Smith & Wesson Model 29s of various vintages. However, he doesn't feed them the heavyweights, only loads up to 240s at 1,300 fps max. Hotter loads go into Rugers.

We all know the history, how Elmer Keith loaded the .44 Special case to its "true potential" and created the precursor to the .44 Magnum. And in so doing, he embarrassed the ammunition- and handgun-makers into realizing what a great cartridge they had been overlooking.

Nonsense. What Elmer Keith did to achieve his breakthrough was simple: He designed a bullet with more of its shape (and thus volume) out of the case than in. Doing so gave him more case capacity. And he used slower-burning powders than had previously been used for handguns. Whereas most handgun cartridges in the early part of the 20th century were loaded with Bullseye or other fast pistol-powders, he used fast rifle-powders. The availability of a variety of powders with differing burn rates was a relatively new development when it appeared in the 1920s. And finally, he exceeded the pressure limits of the .44 Special, something he could do only because of the greater strength of the Smith & Wesson revolvers he was using.

Compared to the Colt SAA or the raft of other .44 competitors available then, the S&W Triple Lock was strong. By today's standards it is not, and if you have one, you should not attempt to follow in Keith's footsteps. What was significant was that he was first, and he was a thorough experimenter who learned from his mistakes. The end result was a great advance, but you must recognize all those reasons in order to safely load the .44 Magnum beyond .44 Special pressures.

Unlike many other cartridges, the .44 Magnum is actually three cartridges. Run at the sedate and low pressures of the .44 Special, it is both a soft-shooting load and a thumper. A 240-grain lead semiwadcutter loaded to only 900 fps posts a power factor of 216--beyond all but the top-end .45 ACP +P loads.

At that power level the cases may come out of your revolver grubby from carbon. Without enough pressure to expand the case to a tight seal, gas blowback can come between the case and chamber walls, creating the carbon coat.

The same PF can be gained by launching a 180-grain JHP to 1,200 fps, something no .45 ACP +P load achieves. In its current full-power guise, the .44 Magnum pushes a 240-grain bullet to 1,200 fps, for a 288 PF. I know for a fact that a hard-cast bullet pushed along at "only" 1,000 fps can penetrate and exit a 36-inch-deep stack of ballistic-gelatin blocks. The 240 could do the same even after going through bone. A full-power .44 Magnum load is a serious hunting load.

This is the Oregon Trail True Shot 310 Wide, a flat cast bullet with gas check. If you need a sledgehammer, this is it.

The newest and even more powerful level, the "third .44 Magnum," is achieved with even heavier bullets. The bullets range from the 270-grain Speer Gold Dot to the Hornady 300-grain XTP and Oregon Trail's 310-grain Trueshot. The only way the newest loads can be used is to extend some of the limits of what Elmer Keith started: more weight out of the case and slower powders.

The pressure can't be increased, for there is no margin left. All the top-end reloading data with pressure-tested data shows .44 Magnum loads maxing out at 35,000 psi (or 38,000 CUP). The SAAMI specs call for a limit on the .44 Magnum of 36k psi (40k CUP). When you're launching a 300-grain bullet past 1,200 fps, you want to keep the margin available in case of trouble, not use it to generate a few more feet per second.

SAMPLE RELOADS FOR THE .44 MAGNUM
BULLET WEIGHT	PRIMER	POWDER	WEIGHT (grs.)	VELOCITY (fps)
S&W M29, 4-inch barrel
180-gr. Oregon Trail LTC	Rem LP	Titegroup	5	926
180-gr. Hornady XTP	Rem LP	HP-38	6.3	948
180-gr. XTP	Rem LP	N-320	7.5	959
180-gr. XTP	Rem LP	N-320	10.2*	1,299*
180-gr. Oregon Trail LTC	Rem LP	Bullseye	6.7	970
180-gr. Oregon Trail LTC	Rem LP	HP-38	6.1	927
240-gr. Oregon Trail LSWC	Rem LP	2400	18.5	1,275
240-gr. Oregon Trail LSWC	Rem LP	Titegroup	5.5	853
240-gr. Oregon Trail LSWC	Rem LP	Titegroup	9.5	1,203
240-gr. Oregon Trail LSWC	Rem LP	N-350	12.6*	1,284*
240-gr. Hornady JSP	Rem LP	WW-231	9.5	1,056
240-gr. Hornady JSP	Rem LP	HP-38	9.5	1,147
240-gr. Oregon Trail LSWC	Rem LP	AA#5	10	832
240-gr. Oregon Trail LSWC	Rem LP	Clays	5.2	873
Ruger Super Blackhawk, 7.5-inch Barrel
240-gr. Oregon Trail LSWC	Rem LP	N-350	12.6	1,289
240-gr. Hornady JSP	Rem LP	N-105	16.1	1,411
280-gr. Berry	Rem LP	H-4227	20.6	1,292
300-gr. Hornady XTP	Rem LP	N-110	17.7	1,269
310-gr. Oregon Trail Trushot	Rem LP	N-110	17.7	1,271
310-gr. Oregon Trail Trueshot	Rem LP	H-110	21	1,311
310-gr. Oregon Trail Trueshot	Rem LP	Lil' Gun	16.2	1,211
*Loads proven safe in author's gun, but he has seen pressure signs in others. **For Ruger Redhawk, Blackhawk and Super Blackhawk revolvers only. Start at least 10 percent below and work up, watching for signs of excess pressure

What do we need the power for? The basic .44 Magnum loads, while not running any more pressure than a warm .44 Special or a .45 ACP +P, have enough power to be a significant handgun load. You can learn to shoot a revolver accurately with such loads. A 240 at 900 is stout enough to be a "real load" but not so heavy that you'll spend more time flinching than aiming. You can easily load a 180 lead truncated cone to 950 fps and go shoot a practical match with a practical gun.

In bowling-pin shooting the .44 Magnum is very well thought of. You can get a .44 Magnum load that exceeds the working PF threshold of 195 with ease. With a pair of guns at hand you're ready to dish out destruction to a tableful of pins without beating yourself up.