The 44 Remington Magnum is a centerfire handgun cartridge standardised by SAAMI in ANSI/SAAMI Z299.3. SAAMI sets its maximum average pressure at 36,000 psi, and publishes its reference velocities for both a vented barrel and the standard test barrel. This guide sets out SAAMI’s published reference velocity for each bullet weight, computes the muzzle energy each one carries, and compares the 44 Remington Magnum with the 357 Magnum on the same basis.
44 Magnum ballistics chart: SAAMI reference data
SAAMI publishes nominal mean instrumental velocities for each reference bullet weight, measured at 15 feet from a vented barrel and from the standard test barrel, and marks a figure it has not established. It does not publish energy, so the ft-lb figures are computed. Where SAAMI lists more than one velocity for a weight, both ends of the span are shown.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Bullet weight | Vented-barrel velocity / computed energy | Test-barrel velocity / computed energy |
|---|---|---|
| 180 gr | 1,600 fps / 1,023 ft-lb | 1,800 fps / 1,295 ft-lb |
| 200 gr | Not established | 1,710 fps / 1,298 ft-lb |
| 210 gr | 1,250 fps / 728 ft-lb | 1,525 fps / 1,084 ft-lb |
| 220 gr | Not established | 1,580 fps / 1,219 ft-lb |
| 225 gr | Not established | 1,275–1,500 fps / 812–1,124 ft-lb |
| 240 gr | 995–1,335 fps / 528–950 ft-lb | 1,175–1,600 fps / 736–1,364 ft-lb |
| 250 gr | 1,150 fps / 734 ft-lb | 1,150–1,520 fps / 734–1,282 ft-lb |
| 275 gr | 1,185 fps / 857 ft-lb | 1,335 fps / 1,088 ft-lb |
| 300 gr | Not established | 1,200 fps / 959 ft-lb |
What the numbers mean for a shot
SAAMI lists 9 reference bullet weights for the 44 Remington Magnum, from 180 to 300 grains. The lightest, 180 grains, is listed at 1,600 fps in a vented barrel (1,023 ft-lb computed) and 1,800 fps in the test barrel (1,295 ft-lb computed). The heaviest, 300 grains, is listed at 1,200 fps in the test barrel (959 ft-lb computed). The most energetic reference load is the 240-grain at 1,600 fps in the test barrel: 1,364 ft-lb computed.
SAAMI lists more than one reference velocity for 225, 240 and 250 grains. Its own note says this is because a weight can carry several introductions meeting different market needs, such as reduced-recoil loads, or because propellant and loading advances allowed higher velocities after the original load appeared.
None of this is a downrange figure. SAAMI measures at 15 feet, so retained velocity, energy and drop depend on the bullet’s ballistic coefficient, which SAAMI does not publish. Each product in our 44 Magnum ammo range lists whatever its maker publishes for that item.
Barrel, chamber and pressure
A revolver loses some gas, and with it velocity, at the gap between cylinder and barrel, which is why SAAMI publishes a vented-barrel velocity for revolver cartridges beside the test-barrel one. SAAMI notes that the vented-barrel figures “are provided for information only” and that vented test barrels are used for the establishment of catalog velocity values for cartridges normally chambered in revolvers. Your own revolver’s barrel length will move the numbers again. The maximum average pressure is 36,000 psi. Fire 44 Remington Magnum ammunition only in a firearm chambered for it. Several unrelated cartridges share a number, so match the full designation on the box to the marking on your barrel.
44 Magnum vs 357 Magnum: the SAAMI comparison
A figure from one maker’s catalogue cannot be laid beside a figure from another’s: each picks its own test barrel, zero and bullet, and many publish no test barrel at all. SAAMI is the shared basis, because it fixes one standard test barrel and one way of measuring velocity for every cartridge it lists.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| SAAMI specification | 44 Remington Magnum | 357 Magnum |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum average pressure | 36,000 psi | 35,000 psi |
| Standard test barrel length | Revolver test barrel (see SAAMI drawing) | Revolver test barrel (see SAAMI drawing) |
| Test barrel twist rate | 1 turn in 20.00 in | 1 turn in 18.75 in |
| Test barrel groove diameter | .429 in | .355 in |
| Lightest reference load | 180 gr — 1,800 fps / 1,295 ft-lb | 101 gr — 1,650 fps / 610 ft-lb |
| A weight both list | 180 gr — 1,800 fps / 1,295 ft-lb | 180 gr — 1,350–1,400 fps / 728–783 ft-lb |
| Heaviest reference load | 300 gr — 1,200 fps / 959 ft-lb | 180 gr — 1,350–1,400 fps / 728–783 ft-lb |
SAAMI standardises the 44 Remington Magnum at 36,000 psi and the 357 Magnum at 35,000 psi, so the 44 Remington Magnum runs 1,000 psi higher. At 180 grains, a weight both list, SAAMI’s 44 Remington Magnum reference velocity is 1,800 fps (1,295 ft-lb computed), against up to 1,400 fps (783 ft-lb) for the 357 Magnum. On that row the 44 Remington Magnum carries the more energy.
What SAAMI cannot settle is anything past the muzzle. It publishes no ballistic coefficients and no downrange data, so it cannot say which cartridge shoots flatter at distance; that depends on the bullet. We stock the other side of this comparison too: 357 Magnum ammo.
44 Magnum ballistics questions
What is the maximum pressure of the 44 Remington Magnum?
ANSI/SAAMI Z299.3 sets the maximum average pressure for the 44 Remington Magnum at 36,000 psi.
What twist rate does SAAMI use for the 44 Remington Magnum?
SAAMI’s test barrel drawing for the 44 Remington Magnum shows rifling of 1 turn in 20.00 in. Revolver barrel lengths vary widely, so your own revolver may differ.
What bullet weights does SAAMI list for the 44 Remington Magnum?
SAAMI lists 9 reference weights, from 180 to 300 grains: 180, 200, 210, 220, 225, 240, 250, 275 and 300.
Is the 44 Remington Magnum more powerful than the 357 Magnum?
Power is not a SAAMI measure, but reference muzzle energy is a fair proxy. At 180 grains, a weight both list, SAAMI’s 44 Remington Magnum reference velocity is 1,800 fps (1,295 ft-lb computed), against up to 1,400 fps (783 ft-lb) for the 357 Magnum.
What is the effective range of the 44 Remington Magnum?
Effective range is not a SAAMI specification and it is not a measured figure. SAAMI measures velocity at 15 feet, so it says nothing about performance at distance; that depends on the bullet and the shooter.
How much does the 44 Remington Magnum drop at 100 yards?
SAAMI publishes muzzle velocity only, so it cannot give a drop figure. Drop depends on the bullet’s ballistic coefficient and on the zero range. A drop figure is unusable without its zero, so use the figure a maker prints for the specific load.
Where to buy these loads
Hilltop Armory carries 44 Magnum ammunition from Buffalo Bore, Grizzly Cartridge Company, Federal, Underwood, Hornady and HSM Ammunition. Browse the full 44 Magnum ammo range.
