Practice & target
Full-metal-jacket, plated, lead, and wadcutter bullets describe different constructions. Grain weight is projectile mass; it does not state a powder charge or guarantee recoil.
THE CARTRIDGE LIBRARY · REVOLVER & LEVER-ACTION RIFLE
.44 Remington Magnum
A rimmed magnum revolver cartridge that also appears in sporting carbines. Handgun and rifle velocities must therefore be read with their actual test-barrel lengths.
2A Ledger reference desk · Sources checked October 18, 2026
Read the dimensions
- Overall · min–max
- 1.535–1.610 in
38.989–40.894 mm - Case length · max
- 1.285 in
32.639 mm - Lead bullet max
- 0.432 in
10.973 mm - Rim diameter · max
- 0.514 in
13.056 mm
Know the exact name
At a glance
- Cartridge family
- Revolver & lever-action rifle
- Bullet specification
- 0.4320 in / 10.973 mmLead bullet max
- Factory examples
- 16 loadsSelected, sourced examples below
- Weight in cited examples
- 180–300 grGrains measure mass, not powder charge
.44 Remington Magnum is identified by its complete cartridge designation. The resource-table alternative is 44 Rem Mag. A caliber number, bullet diameter, or family resemblance on its own does not identify ammunition compatibility.
.44 Special and .44 Magnum retain separate specifications. Firearm-specific authorization governs the use of shorter related cartridges.
Dimensions: open the exact dimensional drawing ↗. The displayed number is lead bullet max, rather than an assertion that every manufactured projectile or barrel has this exact diameter.
Origins & evolution
Background & development
The .44 Magnum grew from Elmer Keith’s work with the .44 Special and the effort to make that level of performance available in a purpose-built commercial revolver cartridge. Sierra dates its introduction to December 1955. The new case was longer than the .44 Special’s, and the cartridge made its debut in Smith & Wesson’s large-frame revolver, followed closely by Ruger’s .44 Magnum Blackhawk.
The design quickly acquired a reputation that reached far beyond the hunting field. It later appeared in other revolvers, automatic pistols and rifles, while handgun hunters and metallic-silhouette competitors developed practical uses for its performance. Newer cartridges eventually exceeded it in power, but that did not erase the .44 Magnum’s influence. Its lasting position comes from the meeting of Keith’s earlier experimentation, commercial ammunition development and firearms built around a distinct magnum cartridge rather than an uprated .44 Special loading.
Historical sources: Sierra: .44 Remington Magnum cartridge history ↗
Construction changes the story
Loads, variations & specialty offerings
Expanding factory bullets
JHP, XTP, FTX, HST, and similar product names refer to particular designs. Muzzle energy alone does not show expansion, penetration, or reliability in a particular firearm.
Specialty load families
Reduced-recoil, subsonic, monolithic, and heavier-bullet offerings are product-specific. A +P marking is a pressure category where standardized, not simply a heavier bullet. Follow the maker’s exact product and firearm guidance.
In the cited .44 Remington Magnum examples, bullet weights are 180, 200, 225, 230, 235, 240, 280, 300 grains. These are the weights actually present in this source selection, not a claim that every possible loading is listed.
Bullet construction background: Hornady: anatomy of a bullet ↗. Exact product descriptions and velocities are cited in the factory table.
From the factory catalog
180 grains
1,460 fps
JHP
225 grains
1,280 fps
BARNES EXPANDER
235 grains
1,380 fps
TERMINAL ASCENT
Compare all 16 cited factory load records
| Maker / product | Bullet mass | Published construction | Muzzle velocity | Test barrel | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FederalC44B | 180 gr 11.66 g | JHP | 1,460 fps 445 m/s | 4-V in | Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗ |
| Hornady9080 | 200 gr 12.96 g | XTP® | 1,500 fps 457 m/s | 7½ V in | Hornady · PDF p. 191 ↗ |
| Hornady9083 | 200 gr 12.96 g | MonoFlex® | 1,475 fps 450 m/s | 7½ V in | Hornady · PDF p. 191 ↗ |
| FederalP44XB1 | 225 gr 14.58 g | BARNES EXPANDER | 1,280 fps 390 m/s | 6-V in | Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗ |
| Hornady92782 | 225 gr 14.58 g | FTX® | 1,410 fps 430 m/s | 7½ V in | Hornady · PDF p. 191 ↗ |
| FederalP44HST1S | 230 gr 14.90 g | HST | 1,085 fps 331 m/s | Not stated here; see source | Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗ |
| FederalP44TA1 | 235 gr 15.23 g | TERMINAL ASCENT | 1,380 fps 421 m/s | 6 in | Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗ |
| FederalAE44A | 240 gr 15.55 g | JHP | 1,230 fps 375 m/s | 4-V in | Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗ |
| FederalC44A | 240 gr 15.55 g | JHP | 1,230 fps 375 m/s | 4-V in | Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗ |
| FederalF44FS1 | 240 gr 15.55 g | FUSION SP | 1,290 fps 393 m/s | 4-V in | Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗ |
| FederalP44HS1 | 240 gr 15.55 g | HYDRA-SHOK | 1,210 fps 369 m/s | 4-V in | Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗ |
| Hornady9085 | 240 gr 15.55 g | XTP® | 1,350 fps 411 m/s | 7½ V in | Hornady · PDF p. 191 ↗ |
| Hornady90868 | 240 gr 15.55 g | DGH | 1,620 fps 494 m/s | 7½ V in | Hornady · PDF p. 191 ↗ |
| FederalP44SA | 280 gr 18.14 g | SWIFT A-FRAME | 1,170 fps 357 m/s | 6-V in | Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗ |
| FederalP44SHC1 | 300 gr 19.44 g | SOLID CORE | 1,150 fps 351 m/s | 6.5-V in | Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗ |
| Hornady9088 | 300 gr 19.44 g | XTP® | 1,150 fps 351 m/s | 7½ V in | Hornady · PDF p. 191 ↗ |
Explore the published data
Ballistics you can inspect
Select a legend entry to add or remove its line. Hover or tap a plotted point, or use the position slider. With the graph focused, arrow keys move the inspector. Solid dots identify source points; dashed connectors show estimates between them. Load construction, pressure category, and test setup can differ even at the same grain weight.
Read the original values as accessible tables
.44 Remington Magnum: velocity by barrel length
| Exact load | Source / publisher | Published points |
|---|---|---|
| Cor Bon 165 gr. JHP | BBTI | 2: 952; 3: 1,015; 4: 1,150; 5: 1,270; 6: 1,321; 7: 1,385; 8: 1,433; 9: 1,438; 10: 1,501; 11: 1,497; 12: 1,514; 13: 1,549; 14: 1,541; 15: 1,564; 16: 1,552; 17: 1,590; 18: 1,558 |
| Cor Bon 225 gr. DPX | BBTI | 2: 951; 3: 1,095; 4: 1,250; 5: 1,301; 6: 1,320; 7: 1,385; 8: 1,387; 9: 1,447; 10: 1,467; 11: 1,472; 12: 1,474; 13: 1,495; 14: 1,506; 15: 1,550; 16: 1,532; 17: 1,563; 18: 1,540 |
| Federal 240 gr. Hydra-Shok JHP | BBTI | 2: 944; 3: 1,095; 4: 1,251; 5: 1,367; 6: 1,380; 7: 1,462; 8: 1,497; 9: 1,535; 10: 1,571; 11: 1,584; 12: 1,579; 13: 1,608; 14: 1,623; 15: 1,645; 16: 1,619; 17: 1,629; 18: 1,643 |
| Speer 200 gr. Gold Dot Short-bbl HP | BBTI | 2: 833; 3: 964; 4: 1,099; 5: 1,170; 6: 1,197; 7: 1,251; 8: 1,282; 9: 1,278; 10: 1,319; 11: 1,315; 12: 1,353; 13: 1,341; 14: 1,358; 15: 1,361; 16: 1,377; 17: 1,354; 18: 1,341 |
.44 Remington Magnum: factory velocity downrange
| Exact load | Source / publisher | Published points |
|---|---|---|
| 180 gr Federal JHP | Federal | 0: 1,460; 25: 1,340; 50: 1,240; 75: 1,160; 100: 1,090 |
| 200 gr Hornady XTP® | Hornady | 0: 1,500; 50: 1,332; 100: 1,194 |
| 225 gr Federal BARNES EXPANDER | Federal | 0: 1,280; 25: 1,209; 50: 1,147; 75: 1,096; 100: 1,052 |
| 230 gr Federal HST | Federal | 0: 1,085; 25: 1,046; 50: 1,012; 75: 982; 100: 955 |
| 235 gr Federal TERMINAL ASCENT | Federal | 0: 1,380; 25: 1,297; 50: 1,222; 75: 1,158; 100: 1,103 |
| 240 gr Federal JHP | Federal | 0: 1,230; 25: 1,169; 50: 1,117; 75: 1,073; 100: 1,035 |
| 280 gr Federal SWIFT A-FRAME | Federal | 0: 1,170; 25: 1,107; 50: 1,056; 75: 1,013; 100: 977 |
| 300 gr Federal SOLID CORE | Federal | 0: 1,150; 25: 1,100; 50: 1,057; 75: 1,021; 100: 989 |
| 200 gr Hornady MonoFlex® | Hornady | 0: 1,475; 50: 1,310; 100: 1,176 |
| 225 gr Hornady FTX® | Hornady | 0: 1,410; 50: 1,233; 100: 1,102 |
| 240 gr Federal JHP | Federal | 0: 1,230; 25: 1,170; 50: 1,120; 75: 1,070; 100: 1,040 |
| 240 gr Federal FUSION SP | Federal | 0: 1,290; 25: 1,221; 50: 1,162; 75: 1,110; 100: 1,067 |
| 240 gr Federal HYDRA-SHOK | Federal | 0: 1,210; 25: 1,152; 50: 1,102; 75: 1,060; 100: 1,024 |
| 240 gr Hornady XTP® | Hornady | 0: 1,350; 50: 1,230; 100: 1,133 |
| 240 gr Hornady DGH | Hornady | 0: 1,620; 50: 1,467; 100: 1,330 |
| 300 gr Hornady XTP® | Hornady | 0: 1,150; 50: 1,083; 100: 1,030 |
How to interpret the comparison
Changing bullet weight also often changes bullet design and propellant choice. Two curves are comparisons of the listed products, not a controlled experiment proving that bullet weight alone caused the difference. Catalog downrange points are projections under the maker’s conditions; barrel-study points are recorded observations in the study firearm.
Direct answers
Common questions
What is .44 Remington Magnum?
A rimmed magnum revolver cartridge that also appears in sporting carbines. Handgun and rifle velocities must therefore be read with their actual test-barrel lengths.
What diameter does .44 Remington Magnum use?
The cited dimensional standard lists 0.4320 inches (10.973 mm), lead bullet max. This drawing convention is different from a casual caliber nickname.
Are similarly named cartridges interchangeable?
.44 Special and .44 Magnum retain separate specifications. Firearm-specific authorization governs the use of shorter related cartridges.
Are the graph values measured or estimated?
Factory datasets show manufacturer specifications and any published downrange projections. Chronograph and barrel-study datasets identify recorded measurements and the original test source. Dashed connectors and intermediate inspector values are labeled linear estimates; single source points are not extended into invented curves. Energy is calculated from bullet mass and velocity.
Does higher energy mean the best load?
Energy is calculated from mass and velocity. It does not establish accuracy, expansion, penetration, pattern density, recoil, or suitability for a particular firearm. Use the exact product documentation and firearm manual.
Trace the facts
Sources & methodology
Skives & petals: read the jacket construction →
Compiled by 2A Ledger from the linked standards, manufacturer publications, and identified test records. Checked October 18, 2026. Historical tests and older catalogs retain their original dates; a listing here does not establish current availability.
- SAAMI: dimensional drawing · PDF p. 1 ↗
- Sierra: .44 Remington Magnum cartridge background ↗
- Federal · PDF p. 60 ↗
- Hornady · PDF p. 191 ↗
- Federal · PDF p. 61 ↗
- Ballistics by the Inch: archived measured barrel data (2020 archive) ↗
- BBTI: study index and source records ↗
Diameter figures preserve the cited drawing convention. Inch–millimeter conversion uses exactly 25.4 mm per inch. Factory specifications describe the maker’s test setup; your firearm, ammunition lot, temperature, and measuring method can produce different results. This is an educational factory-ammunition reference, not a reloading manual.