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Henry Big Boy .44mag or .45 Colt?

DoubleBarrel
Hi,
I am considering purchasing a Henry Big Boy in either a .44mag or .45 Colt. I could use some help on the pros and cons of caliber. Ballistics comparisons, etc? Seems to me they are pretty close and either caliber would be ok, but I'd like some advise.
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Comments

7 comments

Date Votes
  • Hokkmike
    They are certainly both OK. The .44 probably has all kinds of advantages, especially for hunting. But - my sentimental favorite handgun cartridge of all time is the .45lc. It is what I shoot despite the short comings.

    I am sorry not to provide specifics. The hunting loads in the .45lc are very limited and I am not familiar with numbers on the .44 mag per se.

    Sako Fan
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  • Snellstrom
    Go .45 Colt.
    Hokkmike is correct in that the .44 mag has more available loaded ammo choices for hunting and shooting, but the two can perform very close to each other when the right .45 ammo is found or loaded if you are into loading your own. I myself would go .45 simply beacause of the age, and nostalgia of the cartridge, too much overblown hype surrounding the .44. To me its a neat thing when a 100+ year old cartridge holds its' own with a modern "magnum".
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  • Throckmorton
    What does the mfg. say about 'ruger level' loads in the rifle.That is the big diff. between the two calibers....they can be very close to equal in a ruger-only load.
    Even at 'std' loadings the old .45colt in a rifle will put down a lot of game.
    IMHO,YMMV,yadda yadda yadda

    Throckmorton SASS #23149
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  • DoubleBarrel
    You guys have me leaning towards the .45LC which was my first instinct. A dealer was trying to convince me that the .44mag was better for hunting. Personally, I am a nosalgic type and like the old cartriges. I plan on using it for black bear and elk - I hunt in mostly dense forest so long range isn't a big issue. Most of my shots are 50-125 yds. Got my last bull at 75 yds.
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  • Mobuck
    I'm sure the mechanics are better now, but the reason winchester didn't use the 45 in their earlier rifles was the very small rim which doesn't give much for the extractor to grab.

    Mobuck<BR>
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  • jthoresen
    Am I missing something here? Isn't the velocity / energy of the 44 mag twice what the 45 LC is? For a rifle I would defiantly go with the 44 mag.
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  • Ballistic
    For HUNTING .44 mag hands down., for COWBOY shooting the .45. Like comparing an apple to an orange.
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