Win .44 Mag Velocity from a 20" Barrel

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Crash
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Win .44 Mag Velocity from a 20" Barrel

#1

Post by Crash »

I just bought a 50-round box of Winchester .44 Rem Mag cartridges, 240 gr., JSP. On the box it states that the muzzle velocity from a handgun (no barrel length specified) is 1180 fps. Anybody know what kind of muzzle velocity I can expect from this cartridge from the 20" barrel of my Browning Model 92?

Thanks,

Crash
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puma guy
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Re: Win .44 Mag Velocity from a 20" Barrel

#2

Post by puma guy »

Crash wrote:I just bought a 50-round box of Winchester .44 Rem Mag cartridges, 240 gr., JSP. On the box it states that the muzzle velocity from a handgun (no barrel length specified) is 1180 fps. Anybody know what kind of muzzle velocity I can expect from this cartridge from the 20" barrel of my Browning Model 92?


Thanks,

Crash
Other than channeling Elmer Keith here are some tables that may help. The link is a table for velocity from 2" to 18" and also has a table for muzzle energies. The ballistic table that I pasted here is from a forum so I didn't use the link. The information on the ballistics by the inch link will be much more useful for your needs.
If you are going to hunt hunt with your rifle there are better choices than the .240 gr JHP.
The 44 Remington Magnum cartridge was introduced to the public in 1955 in a collaboration between Remington and Smith&Wesson. While the 44 magnum was introduced as a new and very powerful handgun cartridge, it is also a great carbine rifle cartridge as well. The 44 magnum cartridge chambered in a good fast handling carbine rifle is the perfect rifle for hunting deer up to elk size at close range, it is extremely effective in heavy cover where shots will be under 50 yards.

The .44 magnum has enough power and bullet energy at 50 yards in a carbine rifle to shoot clear through an elk and with a bullet diameter of .430 inch the wound channel is quite large. For those that like big heavy bullets for such work the 300 grain XTP bullet by Hornady is very accurate in a carbine rifle. The 300 grain XTP bullet of Hornady's delivers more than a half ton of energy at 50 yards and there is not many animals in North America that can stand up to that kind of force. The .44 Remington Magnum is an excellent short range deer and black bear cartridge for North American
http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/44mag.html

Ballistics:
This is a ballistics chart for the 44 Magnum rifle:
Rifle barrel length: 20 Inches.
Ammunition: Hornady 300 grain XTP bullet.
Bullet diameter: .430 inch.
Bullet weight: 300 grains.
Bullet ballistic coefficient: .245.
Rifle zero: 98 yards, 2" mid-range rise.
Range Muzzle 25 yds. 50 yds. 75 yds. 100 yds. 150 yds. 200 yds.
Bullet Velocity: 1,350 fps. 1,297 fps. 1,248 fps. 1,203 fps. 1,162 fps. 1,093 fps. 1,038 fps.
Bullet Energy: 1,214 ft.lbs. 1,120 ft.lbs. 1,037 ft.lbs. 964 ft.lbs. 900 ft.lbs. 796 ft.lbs. 717 ft.lbs.
Bullet Drop: - 1.5" + 0.9" + 2.0" + 1.6" - 0.2" - 8.8" - 24.6"

This is a ballistics chart for the 44 Magnum rifle:
Rifle barrel length: 20 Inches.
Ammunition: Hornady 225 grain FTX bullet.
Bullet diameter: .430 inch.
Bullet weight: 225 grains.
Bullet ballistic coefficient: .145.
Rifle zero: 122 yards, 2" mid-range rise.
Range Muzzle 25 yds. 50 yds. 75 yds. 100 yds. 150 yds. 200 yds.
Bullet Velocity: 1,870 fps. 1,746 fps. 1,629 fps. 1,519 fps. 1,416 fps. 1,239 fps. 1,106 fps.
Bullet Energy: 1,747 ft.lbs. 1,523 ft.lbs. 1,326 ft.lbs. 1,153 ft.lbs. 1,002 ft.lbs. 767 ft.lbs. 612 ft.lbs.
Bullet Drop: - 1.5" + 0.4" + 1.6" + 2.0" + 1.4" - 3.1" - 13.4"
44 Magnum Reloading:

Bullet Diameter: .430 Inch.
Maximum Case Length: 1.285 Inches.
Trimmed Case Length: 1.275 Inches.
Primer Size: Large Pistol.
Maximum Cartridge Overall Length: 1.610 Inches.
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Crash
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Re: Win .44 Mag Velocity from a 20" Barrel

#3

Post by Crash »

puma guy,

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it. At this point I'm not planning on hunting with the rifle, just needed some inexpensive ammo to "get the feel of it." If I hunt with it I will definitely get some more appropriate ammo.

Thanks again,

Crash
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Re: Win .44 Mag Velocity from a 20" Barrel

#4

Post by puma guy »

Crash wrote:puma guy,

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it. At this point I'm not planning on hunting with the rifle, just needed some inexpensive ammo to "get the feel of it." If I hunt with it I will definitely get some more appropriate ammo.

Thanks again,

Crash
You're welcome.
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Re: Win .44 Mag Velocity from a 20" Barrel

#5

Post by olafpfj »

I took a 185lb hog using Winchester 240gr JSP from a Ruger Deerstalker. Ammo is just fine for hunting.

Chronoed around 1850 fps.
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puma guy
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Re: Win .44 Mag Velocity from a 20" Barrel

#6

Post by puma guy »

olafpfj wrote:I took a 185lb hog using Winchester 240gr JSP from a Ruger Deerstalker. Ammo is just fine for hunting.

Chronoed around 1850 fps.
Can't argue with a successful kill. A 240gr JHP will certainly do that. I have used a Norma .240 grn JHP in my Super Blackhawk to kill a deer. My point was there are better loadings for the .44 mag, which have better bullet design for improved ballistics.
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Re: Win .44 Mag Velocity from a 20" Barrel

#7

Post by Crash »

olafpfj wrote:I took a 185lb hog using Winchester 240gr JSP from a Ruger Deerstalker. Ammo is just fine for hunting.

Chronoed around 1850 fps.
olafpfj,


What's the barrel length on that Deerstalker?

Crash
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Re: Win .44 Mag Velocity from a 20" Barrel

#8

Post by The Annoyed Man »

Crash wrote:
olafpfj wrote:I took a 185lb hog using Winchester 240gr JSP from a Ruger Deerstalker. Ammo is just fine for hunting.

Chronoed around 1850 fps.
olafpfj,


What's the barrel length on that Deerstalker?

Crash
18.5" (SOURCE) Last year of production was 1985.
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Crash
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Re: Win .44 Mag Velocity from a 20" Barrel

#9

Post by Crash »

The Annoyed Man wrote:
Crash wrote:
olafpfj wrote:I took a 185lb hog using Winchester 240gr JSP from a Ruger Deerstalker. Ammo is just fine for hunting.

Chronoed around 1850 fps.
olafpfj,


What's the barrel length on that Deerstalker?

Crash
18.5" (SOURCE) Last year of production was 1985.
The Annoyed Man,

Then I ought to be able to expect about the same, or possibly a little bit higher, from the 20" barrel of my Browning Model 92, right?

Thanks for the info.

Crash
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Re: Win .44 Mag Velocity from a 20" Barrel

#10

Post by The Annoyed Man »

Crash wrote:
The Annoyed Man wrote:
Crash wrote:
olafpfj wrote:I took a 185lb hog using Winchester 240gr JSP from a Ruger Deerstalker. Ammo is just fine for hunting.

Chronoed around 1850 fps.
olafpfj,


What's the barrel length on that Deerstalker?

Crash
18.5" (SOURCE) Last year of production was 1985.
The Annoyed Man,

Then I ought to be able to expect about the same, or possibly a little bit higher, from the 20" barrel of my Browning Model 92, right?

Thanks for the info.

Crash
I would think so......more probably a little higher, but my guess is probably not by much more than 50-60 fps for an extra 1.5" of barrel.
“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.”

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Re: Win .44 Mag Velocity from a 20" Barrel

#11

Post by philbo »

Found some chrono notes from when i had a browning 92. 240JSP over a max load of H110 was averaging just over 1950 fps from the 20" barrel on a warm day. By dropping back the load to about 1900 fps accuracy improved though.

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Re: Win .44 Mag Velocity from a 20" Barrel

#12

Post by Crash »

The Annoyed Man wrote:
Crash wrote:
The Annoyed Man wrote:
Crash wrote:
olafpfj wrote:I took a 185lb hog using Winchester 240gr JSP from a Ruger Deerstalker. Ammo is just fine for hunting.

Chronoed around 1850 fps.
olafpfj,


What's the barrel length on that Deerstalker?

Crash
18.5" (SOURCE) Last year of production was 1985.
The Annoyed Man,

Then I ought to be able to expect about the same, or possibly a little bit higher, from the 20" barrel of my Browning Model 92, right?

Thanks for the info.

Crash
I would think so......more probably a little higher, but my guess is probably not by much more than 50-60 fps for an extra 1.5" of barrel.
So we're lookin' at about 1900 or so. I would think that 240 gr JSP slug would do the business on a hog or Texas Hill Country Whitetail out to about 100 yds or so with that kind of velocity.

Next thing I need to consider is sights. It has semi-buckhorn rears and a small post front. How about a rear tang sight? I know that they are made for the Browning Model 92,

Thanks for all the info,

Crasj
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Re: Win .44 Mag Velocity from a 20" Barrel

#13

Post by Iunnrais »

philbo wrote:Found some chrono notes from when i had a browning 92. 240JSP over a max load of H110 was averaging just over 1950 fps from the 20" barrel on a warm day. By dropping back the load to about 1900 fps accuracy improved though.
Sounds about right to me. 240gr JSP over max H110 in my 1894 with a 20" bbl cronyed out at about 1965 fps last time I checked mine. It's turned into a nice lightweight hog rifle with a little 4x scope on top as well as become my default toss into the truck gun when out at the farm (over my AR in 6.8 which is admittedly the better rifle for ranged shots.)
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