I had a Colt 1894 US Army revolver in .38 Long Colt that was this way. The cylinder was bored straight thru (a .357 Magnum case would chamber). The barrel had nice rifling but a .357 bullet would slide down the bore. Obviously chambered for a heeled bullet.
.44-40 uses a .427″ diameter bullet, but .38-40 uses a .401″ diameter bullet. I remember reading opinions that .44-40 was an effective “man-stopper” but .38-40 wasn’t, even tho the velocity is the about the same and the bullet is only .026″ smaller and 20 grains lighter.
Man stopper schman schmopper. Any who’ve hunted big game for more than a season or two would not speak of subtle caliber differences as being relevant.
I hunt with a fifty caliber in roughly 44 Magnum energies, and the only genuine “deer stopper” I’ve seen was the shot that hit the spine, dropping the animal in its tracks. A 22 LR from a pistol, striking the spine or brain will stop the animal just about as well.
January 1st, 2015 at 11:00 am
I had a Colt 1894 US Army revolver in .38 Long Colt that was this way. The cylinder was bored straight thru (a .357 Magnum case would chamber). The barrel had nice rifling but a .357 bullet would slide down the bore. Obviously chambered for a heeled bullet.
January 1st, 2015 at 11:14 am
.44-40 uses a .427″ diameter bullet, but .38-40 uses a .401″ diameter bullet. I remember reading opinions that .44-40 was an effective “man-stopper” but .38-40 wasn’t, even tho the velocity is the about the same and the bullet is only .026″ smaller and 20 grains lighter.
January 2nd, 2015 at 12:43 pm
Man stopper schman schmopper. Any who’ve hunted big game for more than a season or two would not speak of subtle caliber differences as being relevant.
I hunt with a fifty caliber in roughly 44 Magnum energies, and the only genuine “deer stopper” I’ve seen was the shot that hit the spine, dropping the animal in its tracks. A 22 LR from a pistol, striking the spine or brain will stop the animal just about as well.