+1 on what Larry said. I commonly shoot the same cast bullets and powder charges in both revolver and cowboy rifle in both the .44-40 and .44 Magnum. Here are some comparisons of revolver and rifle velocity with the same loads. All handloads are plainbased bullets which shoot well:
.44-40 Test Data
Ammunition_________S&W 544, 5”____Colt SAA 5-1/2”_____El Tigre 22”
Description__________0.006” cyl. gap__0.012” cyl. Gap_____solid barrel
Old Western_________958 fps__________916 fps____________1273 fps
200 JSP_____________36 ES, 13 Sd____75 ES, 35 Sd________32 ES, 12 Sd
“Bullseye Box” Solid Head case
Rem-UMC___________923 fps_________893 fps____________1252 fps
200 JSP_____________94 ES, 36 Sd____93 ES, 31 Sd________76 ES, 29 Sd_
“Dog Bone Box” Balloon Head case
Modern W-W________866 fps__________826 fps____________1218 fps
200 JSP_____________73 ES, 30 Sd____45 ES, 15 Sd________76 ES, 29 Sd
Solid Head case
Avg. Factory Load Vel.__916 fps________878 fps____________1248 fps
Handloads:
#42798 wheelwts_____771 fps__________769 fps____________1133 fps
W-W case, WLP______119 ES, 46 Sd____104 ES, 36 Sd_______52 ES, 17 Sd
35 grs. Goex 2Fg, 1/8" compression, solid-head case
#42798_____________887 fps__________854 fps____________1079 fps
6.5 grs. 452-AA_______94 ES, 39 Sd_____75 ES, 28 Sd________68 ES, 24 Sd
W-W case, WLP, Solid Head case
#42798_____________970 fps__________953 fps____________1364 fps
18.5 IMR4227________96 ES, 37 Sd_____108 ES, 37 Sd_______89 ES, 26 Sd
Rem-UMC factory primed balloon-head case, REDUCE 1 FULL GRAIN FOR SOLID HEAD
Side-by-Side Revolver-Rifle comparisons in .44 Magnum “Medium Velocity”
Ammunition assembled in Remington New Factory Primed brass with Remington 2-1/2 primers.
Load Description_________Ruger 5-1/2"______Marlin 20”__Remarks
----------------------------------------Cyl.Gap 0.008"--------Solid barrel
43-230G 1to30Sn/Pb 7.2BE___978, 18Sd________1178, 7Sd___1.59” OAL cr. top groove
43-230G 1to30Sn/Pb 24.5RL7_1022, 18Sd_______1432, 26Sd__1.59”OAL
Saeco#441-WW 16#2400___1137, 40Sd________1363, 24Sd__1.66” OAL 265-gr. Keith
73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia