Do any of you guys/gals have any hunting experiance with this round? I have an opion between 2 Rugers. A Super Blackhawk in .44 mag with 7 1/2" barrel and a Blackhawk in .41 mag with a 5 1/2 barrel and Hogue rubber grips. Both are 350 bucks. I had a Super when i was a kid and liked it but i never had a 41. My father owned one and loved it but never hunted it. How do they perform on Whitetail?
Both are decent deals but I think the .44 is a better deal.
I don't own a .44 ... only have a .41 which I love by the way. I shoot it ok. The .44 gives you the option of shooting the hot stuff in the field and the lighter stuff (speacials) at the range. Anyway, the .44 gives you a little more distance but both will take whitetail. I have not yet hunted my .41, so I do not speak from experience but rather from the information I gained in my information quest before I purchased. I talked to a bunch of guys who had owned both the .41 and the .44, and chose the .41 after a few trips to the range.
If both guns are in good condition they are each a decent deal, but most here wil probably point towards the .44
you may want to check your state regulations. Where I live I could not hunt with a gun that had a 5 1/2" barrel. I bought a 44 mag Ruger Super Red Hawk because it had a legal length barrel for me. The same may be for you, check into it before you purchase.
The 41 Mag, was originally designed for Law Enoforcement, to bridge the gap in power,between the .357 Mag, and .44 Mag, with less recoil than the .44, however, it was found out very quickly, by the agencies that bought them, that the .41 Mag, kicked just as bad as the .44,and the .41 never really took off like it was supposed to,I personally, have never owned, but have shot a .41 magnum, and really, its more of a lighter push than the .44, I think that the .41 Mag, has almost as much power as the .44 Mag. I, do think the .41 mag, is an excellent cartridge for the handgun hunter.
i have a ruger rifle in 44 mag and a marlin lever gun in 41, i have killed deer with both, of the the two pistols you mentioned i'd go with the 44, primarily because i would prefer the longer barrel, other than that i'd bet that you or the deer would not notice much difference between the 2 cals. i also have a S&W pistol in 41, i just like some of the "oddball" calibers and guns, big fan of the 41
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If it were me, I'd take the .44, just because I think the longer barrel would be nicer for hunting. Plus, you probably have more ammo options to choose from with the .44.
Location: S.W. Pa.-- Heart in North Central Pa. mountains-
Posts: 2,508
RE: 41 Mag
Anyone who will tell you that a .41 Ruger Blackhawk will recoil the same as a .44 Mag. Super Blackhawk has not probably not shot both. I own a SS Super Blackhawk with the 10 1/2" bbl., and had to put oversize rubber grips on it right off the bat. The .41 Mag has a 6 1/2" bbl, and I can shoot it comfortably with factory grips. Both shoot fairly stout handloads. Even with the added weight and longer barrel to reduce muzzle jump, the .44 is by far the more heavy recoiling of the two IMO. Not unmanageable at all, just more noticeable.
If the purpose is hunting I'd go with the 44. I'm a big fan of the 41 however. I have an old SW 57 and absolutely love it!! Ammo is quite a bit more expensive though so you really shouldn't even consider it unless you handload.
Also, another reason the 41 magnum never took off is because it was designed, like mentioned, as a defense round and they loaded way too hot. When trying to introduce a new Gun/Caliber combination it probably would've been best decide..."is it a defense round or lil bro to the 44?" Truth is it can be both.
Anyways....the 41 gives up very very little to the 44 when we're talking hunting. (until you bring in the Buffalo Bore and Garrett ammunition) But since you want a hunting pistol I'd go with 44 BECAUSE the 41 mag you've mentioned isn't as good of setup for hunting. If the guns were chambered the opposite I'd tell you the reverse.
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41 Mag
