Big bores with modest recoil?

[brewer12345]

I have a lot of fun shooting 45 ACP at the range. There is something about slinging a big hunk of lead downrange with a bit of flash and boom that go with it. OTOH, high recoil means I wouldn't shoot much of it. What other cartridges are out there that meet the big bore, modest recoil description? I have a 44 mag rifle, but not a revolver, so that is an obvious one that I could load lower powered rounds for. 44 LC? Anything else obvious out there?

 

[fxvr5]

44LC?

I think you mean 44 Special - which can be fired in a 44 Mag. They will also shoot 44 Russian.

 

[WrongHanded]

.45 Colt

 

[crestoncowboy]

Could always get a 454 or 460. Have all the flame and boom you wanted then go to 45 colt and have pretty much no recoil in the same gun.

 

[ThomasT]

Start reloading. It will let you shoot revolver loads so mild that with the sun at your you can watch them go downrange. I shoot a light load from my 44 mag Black Hawk using mag brass and 5grs of Bullseye with a 240gr lead bullet. Believe me it still has some punch but its a fun load to shoot. And it doesn't beat you up like a full power load. I like midrange loads too at around 950fps but the recoil is clearly more than the 5gr BE load.

 

[LaneP]

You sound like a prime candidate for a Ruger New Vaquero .45 Colt. If you reload, grab yourself some 250 grain lead flat points and a jug of Trail Boss for easy, all day lead slinging at about +/- 700 fps.

If you don't reload look for commercially available "cowboy" (low pressure) ammo.

 

[DocRock]

44 Special

45 LC - 250 grs Berry’s plated over 9.5 grs HS-6 in a Ruger Blackhawk is quite low recoil and lots of fun.

 

[earlthegoat2]

44 special and 45 Colt are always the first that come to mind for me

44 mag out of a rifle is also mild and great fun in a long gun.

 

[brewer12345]

I reload and cast. Most of my 45 ACP is 200 grain cast SWC over 4.5 grains of bullseye or 7 grains of unique. I know these slow moving, heavy slugs do a lot of damage if need be. I would have no hesitation about the latter as a woods load and I killed this fall's deer with a .530 round ball. I already do reduced loads in things like 30-06, so the same in a big bore is child's play.

 

[Eddietruett]

I love the 44 spl.

 

[Tallball]

To me 45acp, 44 special, and "normal" 45 colts all feel about the same.

40 S&W is NBD is a large pistol.

 

[jstert]

ruger blackhawk 45lc/acp convertible with rubber hogue or pachmayr grips is a reliable, softer platform.

 

[AK103K]

If you reload, pretty much anything can be a fun shooter. Youre not at the mercy of whats only available to buy.

Type of gun, shape, and size of the grips, how you set it up, etc, can add to that.

Even with full power loads, learning and using the proper technique can make a big difference too.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

If you reload, pretty much anything can be a fun shooter.

This is the answer. You can cook up powder puff loads that are lots of fun. The only caution I'd give is low powered rounds may not cycle all semiautos properly. I suppose you could stick a bullet in a barrel on a revolver also if you wanted to see how light you could go.

As factory goes, 45 Colt and 44 Special are the most obvious choices.

 

[Armored farmer]

.45 colt and .45 acp seem mild compared to magnums, but still deliver performance.

 

[mcb]

455 Webley

 

[Heir Kommt Die Sonne]

Yes, I was about to say .455 Webley as well. If you can find yourself a Webley revolver, then that's a good bigbore revolver with modest recoil.
Also, a GP100 .44 special would be a good choice as well.
Colt or Smith & Wesson model 1917s In .45 ACP.
I'd also recommend a Ruger Blackhawk .45 LC and .45 ACP convertible. Actually been thinking about one of those myself lately as well.

 

[fireside44]

I was shooting .44 special this morning at 7 yards. 3" Rossi 720, 7.0 grains unique and a 240 SWC I cast from Lyman molds with a nice hearty crimp. Penetrated approx 1.5" through my paper plate target into a seasoned cedar stump. Recoil with hardwood grips was bordering on a bit of what might become cumulative pain, but only if you were putting more than 150-200+ rounds downrange in a session and not using any shooting gloves. I have the original rubber finger grooves if I wanted extended range time but not really a concern. I can DA them about 4" groups rapid aimed fire and can touch holes if I take my time. You can get away with fairly minimal ear protection in a pinch vs the sharp crack of a .357 magnum. Your ears will ring without protection but not "I can't hear anything but ringing" like a magnum or a rifle will do to you. I generally just run out back real quick minus ear protection to check my loads and a cylinder full (5) is tolerable. Save the lecture I have lost more hearing from my propensity for ear infections in humid weather than I have through shooting unmuffed or listening to loud music.

I would definitely recommend anything in .45LC, .45acp, or .44 special for your request OP. If you handload, you will be much better off because the LC and special can be kind of pricey (44 special IS pricey, not kind of). I do like the .44 special it uses a little less powder and lead than a 45LC while giving similar performance overall and since a lot of .44 magnum guys ditch their brass at ranges I can find it and trim it down to special lengths for affordable shooting. I don't see as much .45LC left behind. Otherwise finances would force me into being a 9mm/38 special only guy. Thanks Richard Lee your cheap anniversary kit for all the hate has kept me in good ammo for years.

 

[edwardware]

I suggest (and bought) a 45 Colt. In an appropriate Ruger, you can vary loads from John Wayne to Major Kong.

And, since we're talking, it's '45 Colt'. There's no such thing as a '45 Long Colt', but there are lots of people who can't keep their .38 and .45 Colt-developed revolver cartridges straight.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

There's no such thing as a '45 Long Colt'

Yep

 

[Rembrandt]

One option would be to go with a Desert Eagle in .44 mag. Because of the gas operation and weight, 44 mag recoil is close to what a .357 revolver would be.

 

[Targa]

.44mag and .45 Colt can pretty much do it all for a reloader. Of course you need the right firearm, especially for .45 Colt, you don’t want to sling hot, Ruger only loads for example out of an 1873 reproduction.

 

[JERRY]

factory 44 spl ammo is really fun from a Rossi 720. its like target wad cutters from a 629.

 

[.308 Norma]

you don't want to sling hot, Ruger only loads for example out of an 1873 reproduction.

Ha! Yeah, I don't even want to sling very many hot, Ruger only loads out of my 45 Colt Ruger Blackhawk. They hurt on both ends.

 

[.308 Norma]

I have a lot of fun shooting 45 ACP at the range. There is something about slinging a big hunk of lead downrange with a bit of flash and boom that go with it. OTOH, high recoil means I wouldn't shoot much of it.

I guess like all types of gun recoil, it's a matter of perception. Or maybe it's the platform you're using to shoot 45 ACPs. What kind of gun do you have?
I'm asking because I personally find my 45 ACP (a full-sized 1911) a real pleasure to shoot. It kicks a lot less than my Model 69 Smith revolver even when I'm shooting my own, mild, 44 Magnum handloads - which are about like hot, 44 Special loads.