One of the more powerful handgun rounds out there, the .44 is a great solution for home defense and concealed carry.
Here’s a list of the best .44 ammo on the market. These rounds offer superior reliability, power, and consistent performance.
Top 5 Rated .44 Mag Ammo
| Name of Product | Weight | Rounds | Muzzle Energy (ft lbs) | Muzzle Velocity (fps) | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remington HTP Rounds | 240 grain | 500 | 742 | 1180 | $$$ |
| Hornady JHP XTP Load | 240 grain | 20 | 971 | 1350 | $$ |
| PMC Bronze Ammunition | 180 grain | 25 | 1225 | 1750 | $$ |
| CCI Blazer Cartridges | 240 grain | 50 | 767 | 1200 | $$ |
| Winchester 44 Rem Mag Ammo | 240 grain | 500 | 741 | 1180 | $$$ |
Best .44 Mag Self-Defense Ammo
First let’s take a look at self-defense rounds. These are, without exception, hollow point rounds. While anyone who’s watched a cop TV show or movie knows hollow point rounds cause massive damage when they encounter a human body, a lesser known fact is that these rounds are also LESS likely to exit the body and cause collateral damage.
This is why they are ideal for home defense.
1. Remington HTP Rounds
This self-defense ammunition is manufactured by the Remington. In fact, the .44 Remington Magnum ammo was first create and commercially marketed by Remington, hand in hand with Smith & Wesson. So, you can say that the .44 Mag ammo was partly initiated by Remington.
Moreover, it comes with 500 rounds altogether. If you’re an avid shooter or gun enthusiast, this bulk ammunition is a must-have for you because you can use them for a longer period of time and not forgetting, the price per round for ammo in bulks are way cheaper, hence well worth your investment in the long run.
These 500 rounds on the other hand are divided into 50 rounds per box and 10 boxes per case. They are arranged in an organized manner in the box in order to ensure convenient handling and removal of the rounds, in the midst of hunting. Moving on to its usages, this product is mainly utilized for self-defense purposes be it, home defense or personal defense according to your preference.
In terms of casing, it is of the boxer-primed brass in which it is brass-cased and boxer-primed. In other words, the brass alloy construction ensures that it is rust-resistant when in contact with rain or moisture in the environment meanwhile the boxer-primed style allows it to be reloadable; old primers can be replaced with new ones when used up.
Apart from that, it fires at a muzzle velocity of 1180 feet per second (fps) and muzzle energy measuring 742 foot pounds (ft lbs). For your information, higher velocity as well as energy will lead to a more devastating result when in contact with your target. Weighing 240 grain, the bullet is of the semi-jacketed hollow point (SJHP) type.
That being said, it is designed to provide you with an excellent stopping power and expansion of the standard normal point, but with deeper penetration. Since it’s semi-jacketed, the partial jacket produces a uniform mushrooming effect upon impact. All in all, this round is perfect to be used for self-defense because it is designed to make sure threats are stopped with just one single shot.
Suitable for :
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- Semi-jacketed hollow point bullet
- 500 rounds altogether
- Non-corrosive and reloadable
- Deep penetration
- Uniform mushrooming
2. Hornady JHP XTP Load
The Hornady XTP line is basically a custom grade ammo that is popular for its great reputation among gun enthusiasts. Need proof of its great reputation? Well, stay tuned! Firstly, it features the jacketed hollow point bullet types that is solely designed to provide high-impact energy transfer as well as controlled expansion when in contact with the target, to guarantee you with the best shooting performance.
In addition to that, it comes with the jacketed hollow point extreme terminal performance (JHP XTP). The renowned XTP cartridges ensures maximum knockdown power so you get to take down your target in one single shot. For the JHP type, the bullet comes with a hollowed out shape that is jacketed with stronger metal coating which comes in handy to increase its strength as well as prevent barrel fouling.
The hollowed out shape ensures controlled penetration since the projectile expands when in contact with the target. In terms of performance, it exits the muzzle and flies at speed of 1350 fps, together with muzzle energy measuring 971 ft lbs. Also, there are 20 rounds in total that is included upon the purchase of this product.
These 20 rounds are arranged in an orderly manner in the box. If you want easier access, you should consider getting reload pouches or strips so you can place your ammo inside them securely without worrying about them falling to the ground. The strips can then be hooked on the sides of your weapon for your added convenience.
The casing is made out of brass therefore promising a corrosion-free performance therefore contributing to its durability. The boxer-primed style ensures that the old primer can be reloaded with the new ones once they are used up, with just a simple pin punch. For your information, the boxer-primed method is popular in the United States
Suitable for :
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- 20 rounds included
- JHP XTP rounds
- Brass cased and boxer primed
- Great knockdown power
- Controlled expansion
- High impact energy transfer
Best Target Shooting Ammo
The most important factor in choosing target ammo for your .44 is that it performs as closely as possible to your self-defense rounds. This ensures you gun behaves in a similar manner when fired. Otherwise what’s the point of spending all that time on the range.
1. PMC Bronze Ammunition
Back to its history, the PMC bronze cartridges are manufactured by the Poongsan Corporation which is said to produce products ranging from small arms ammo to large howitzer rounds to accommodate the needs of the South Korean military. In addition to that, these rounds are rather unique because PMC manufactures all of their products from scratch, using raw materials, therefore producing reliable ammunition with great consistency.
Apart from that, it comes with 25 round altogether. These 25 rounds are arranged in the included box, in an orderly manner which comes in handy for easy access and convenient handling. However, if you’re an active or frequent target shooter, then you should go for ammunition available in bulks because then you can fire multiple rounds without it finishing off quickly.
Weighing 180 grains, this product is of the hollow point bullet type. In other words, it comes with a hollowed out shape which allows the bullet to expand quickly upon impact. As a result of this, the penetration followed by the rapid expansion is rather controlled which is important especially when used for punching holes in paper targets, because over-penetration might cause collateral damage.
Furthermore, once leaving the muzzle, the projectile flies at 1750 fps, followed by muzzle energy measuring 1225 ft lbs. For your information, the benefit of having high energy and velocity is so that the penetration is deeper, thereby producing a more devastating result upon entering the target.
Nevertheless, since your target is basically just paper targets in the field, deep penetration is not required at all. Moving on to the type of primer, it is boxer primed which contributes to its reloadable characteristics. By reloadable, I mean that the old primers can be conveniently replaced once they are used up with just a simple pin punch.
Suitable for :
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- Hollow point bullets (180 grain)
- 25 rounds per box
- Controlled penetration
- Boxer-style primers
2. CCI Blazer Cartridges
The CCI Blazer has a great reputation as one of the best reliable training and practice ammunition. By training and practice, I mean the act of punching holes in paper targets which doesn’t require much penetration and expansion similar to that designed for hunting and self-defense.
Firstly, it has a total of 50 rounds per altogether per box, which are arranged neatly for convenient removal, in the midst of shooting your targets. In my case, I prefer getting bulk ammunition especially for target training purposes because then, I can conveniently fire multiple rounds at one go, without worrying about it getting used up in a short period of time.
In addition to that, getting them in bulks are very well worth your investment because they are way cheaper, in terms of price per round. Moving on, once fired, they travel at muzzle velocity of 1200 fps with acquired muzzle energy measuring 767 ft lbs. Just so you know, the velocity and energy work hand in hand to influence the penetration of the projectile.
Weighing 240 grains, it is of the jacketed hollow point type in which the hollowed out shape of the cartridge is jacketed/covered by a stronger metal or alloy coating. This comes in handy to increase the strength and durability of the round as well as prevent barrel fouling due to the lead stripping in the barrel.
Apart from that, its hollow-like shape allows for quick expansion upon impact therefore resulting in controlled penetration when in contact with the target, which is really essential to prevent over-penetration.
All in all, this ammunition line is solid and of excellent performance because it is heat-treated and is equipped with a non-reloadable aircraft grade aluminium case. This aluminium casing on the other hand is combined with high-quality ammo and reliable CCI primers which guarantees great accuracy and performance.
Suitable for :
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- Heat treated and non-reloadable aluminium case
- Controlled penetration
- Rapid expansion
- 50 rounds altogether
- Jacketed hollow point rounds
- Solid CCI primers
Best Deer Hunting Ammo :
Winchester 44 Rem Mag Ammo
Unlike the previous 4 ammunition that is used for self-defense and target training, the Winchester ammo stands out because it is mainly designed for deer and wild boar hunting (medium-sized games) purposes. Moving on, it includes a total of 500 rounds upon the purchase of this product. These 500 rounds are divided into 50 rounds per box and 10 boxes per case.
So, it’s safe to say that with this product’s total number of rounds, you can stock up to make sure that you never run out of ammo for a long time or bring it along with you when group hunting. Bulk ammunition comes in handy (provided you put them to good use) especially if you’re an avid hunter. You are also able to save cost because they are cheaper, in terms of price per round.
The cartridge weighs a total of 240 grain, which is sufficient enough for game hunting. That being said, heavier bullet weights are essential for higher muzzle energy and velocity, hence resulting in deeper penetration. Deeper penetration is required in order to successfully penetrate the skin and hide of the game to reach its organs, for a humane kill.
Besides that, it is brass cased and boxer primed hence contributing to its rust-resistant and reloadable characteristics. In other words, you are able to punch out the old primer which is used up and reload them with the new ones in order to successfully ignite the powder charge when the handgun is fired.
Winchester’s 44 Magnum 240 grain jacketed soft point (JSP) cartridge produces consistent expansion, thereby providing excellent knockdown power for hunting and self-defense purposes. In addition to that, the JSP bullet is also known as the soft-nosed bullet. It is basically a jacketed expanding projectile that comes with a soft metal core.
The metal core on the other hand is enveloped by a stronger metal jacket which provides great expansion upon impact, hence successfully promising a wound diameter greater than the bullet diameter itself.
Suitable for :
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- Jacketed soft point rounds
- Great expansion upon impact
- Excellent knockdown power
- Boxer primed and brass cased
- 500 rounds in total
Key Considerations when purchasing Bullets:
Weight & Type
The weight of the bullet is measured in unit grains. If you have noticed, the common bullet weight for the .44 Remington Mag ammunition is 240 grains. To be honest, the weight of the bullet doesn’t affect the shot unless it is used for hunting games; then you want heavier (>90 grains) weight.
There are various cartridge types out there. The popular ones include the jacketed hollow point, jacketed soft point, full metal jacket. Choosing the right type solely depends on your personal preference and what you plan on using these rounds for. They basically vary in terms of expansion, penetration and power.
Check out the informative guide that explains each type here.
Primer Type
Most of the cartridge here comes with the boxer-primed method. The added advantage of this method includes having reloadable characteristics. In other words, the old and used up primers can be discarded and punched out to be replaced with new ones. For your information, the primers function to ignite the powder shot in order for the handgun to be fired.
However, there are also cases that can’t be reloaded such as the CCI Blazer rounds in this case. The boxer-primed method is popular in the United States meanwhile the berdan-primed style is mainly used out of the US.
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