Armscor 44 Rem Mag 240gr JHP – Great Value Range Ammo

Description

The honest description of the Armscor 44 Rem Mag 240gr JHP is that it is a 44 Magnum you can actually enjoy shooting. At 1100 feet per second it is loaded well below full house magnum pressure, which makes it far more pleasant in a revolver and considerably cheaper than the heavy hunting loads. For practice, that is exactly the right trade.

• A deliberately mild magnum
• Full specifications
• Where a mild 44 load makes sense
• Honest notes before you buy
• What it is not
• The bottom line

A deliberately mild magnum

Full power 44 Magnum factory ammunition typically pushes a 240 grain bullet somewhere between 1300 and 1400 feet per second. The Armscor 44 Rem Mag 240gr JHP runs at 1100, which puts it closer to a warm 44 Special than to what Dirty Harry made famous. That is not a flaw, it is a choice, and it is the reason this load is worth buying.

Recoil scales roughly with the square of velocity, so that reduction is felt very clearly at the grip. Most shooters can run a full box of the Armscor 44 Rem Mag 240gr JHP in a session and still be shooting well at the end, which is simply not true of full power ammunition in most revolvers.

Full specifications

• Caliber: 44 Remington Magnum
• Bullet weight: 240 grain
• Bullet: jacketed hollow point
• Muzzle velocity: 1100 fps
• Muzzle energy: approximately 645, calculated from the published velocity ft-lbs
• Ballistic coefficient (G1): not published for handgun ammunition
• Case: reloadable boxer primed brass
• Quantity: 20 rounds per box
• Part number: 20 rounds per box, boxer primed reloadable brass

Armscor publishes the velocity but not the energy. At 1100 feet per second a 240 grain bullet produces about 645 foot pounds, which is arithmetic rather than a manufacturer claim. That is still more than most service pistol cartridges make, which tells you something about how much cartridge the Armscor 44 Rem Mag 240gr JHP is even at reduced loading.

Where a mild 44 load makes sense

Practice is the obvious one. Building real skill with a 44 Magnum requires volume, and volume with full power ammunition is expensive and punishing. Shooting the Armscor 44 Rem Mag 240gr JHP lets you work on trigger control and recoil recovery without flinching your way through the session, which is how you actually get better with the gun.

It is also a reasonable load for a lever action carbine in 44 Magnum, where the longer barrel will add velocity and the rifle weight soaks up what recoil there is. Plinking and short range work with the Armscor 44 Rem Mag 240gr JHP in a lever gun is about as pleasant as centerfire shooting gets.

Honest notes before you buy

The brass is boxer primed and reloadable, and 44 Magnum brass is genuinely worth saving. It is expensive to buy, it lasts a long time at moderate pressures, and handloading is how most serious 44 shooters keep costs down. Twenty cases per box adds up faster than you would think.

One practical note for revolver shooters. Lower pressure loads sometimes leave more residue in the front of the chamber, and if you shoot 44 Special in the same gun you already know about the ring that forms. Keep the chambers clean when running the Armscor 44 Rem Mag 240gr JHP and full power loads alternately, or the hotter rounds can become a chore to seat.

What it is not

This is not a hunting load and it is not a bear load. A hollow point at 1100 feet per second will expand readily and penetrate modestly, which is the opposite of what you want on a large animal. For deer, hogs or wilderness carry, buy a heavy hard bullet loaded to full pressure and leave the Armscor 44 Rem Mag 240gr JHP at the range.

Point of impact will also differ from full power ammunition, often by several inches at twenty five yards, because the slower bullet spends longer in the barrel while it rises. If you practice with the Armscor 44 Rem Mag 240gr JHP and carry something hotter, confirm both from your revolver rather than assuming they land together.

The bottom line

For range time with a 44 Magnum that leaves you shooting better rather than sore, the Armscor 44 Rem Mag 240gr JHP is a sensible and affordable choice. You can read more about the bullet design at swiftbullets.com, or browse the rest of our stock on the MAG5 Firearms ammunition page.

MAG5 Firearms keeps the Armscor 44 Rem Mag 240gr JHP in stock and moving, and we are glad to talk through bullet choice before you order. If you are working up a load for a new rifle, a single box of the Armscor 44 Rem Mag 240gr JHP is a sensible place to start.