.45 LC vs. .44 Mag

With modern cases, the .45 LC can be loaded to .44 mag velocites and the bullets have greater sectional density. Guys like Bowen and Linebaugh have built their fair share of guns for this type of application, but any of the truly heavy guns can handle a "+P" loads. Among these are the Ruger Blackhawks and Redhawks and the Colt Anaconda. I'm not sure if the Taurus Raging Bull comes in .45. The problem is that some of them are kinda hard to find in .45 LC. You can always get a heavier bullet in a .45 for the same bullet lenght because a .45 uses a .454 diameter bullet as opposed to the .429 bullet used by the .44 magnum. The .454 Casull is a stretched .45 LC that allows truly ridiculous velocities using even the heaviest hard cast solid bullets. For any of these calibers, .44, .45 or 454, 240-250 grain bullets are plinkers. You don't really get your serious hunting loads with anything less than a 300 grain hard cast bullet.
 
Personally, i think anything more than a 44 Magnum is "trying to turn a sows ear into a silk purse", as your trying to make a handgun do things that it was never intended to do.

Hunting large game with a handgun? Thats all well and good, but cartridges like the 45 Colt and 357 already have enough energy to kill deer sized game out to the limit of a handguns practical accuracy, so the extra energy afforded by the higher magnums is a bit of a waste.

Facing down a large bear with a handgun? You should have brought a rifle my friend. Frankly, it doesn't happen often enough to warrant purpose made anti-bear Snubbed revolvers, yet they exist. The wonders of the internet.
 
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