Thank you - i have purchased a 44

[Hammerdown77]

CraigC makes the valid point that many shooters couldn't tell the difference between a FA or Ruger when it comes to accuracy, but some can. A Ruger is more than accurate enough for the vast majority of hunting scenarios but there's more to this than just accuracy. If you've ever handled and inspected a FA then you'll know that the difference in build quality compared to any Ruger is glaringly obvious. I like Ruger revolvers for what they are ... rugged, reliable and sufficiently accurate ... but they are still mass produced revolvers with minimal finishing. I don't own a FA but I will one day because I like finely made machines regardless of whether I need or am capable of making the most of the superb accuracy that FA revolvers are known for.

I explain the "need" for this accuracy to people in the following way, just to give them an idea of why I value the extra accuracy potential the FA gives me.

I can be having a mediocre day with the FA and can shoot into 1" at 25 yards, or 2-3" at 50 yards without too much effort.

With most stock Rugers, even if I'm having a PHENOMENAL day, the gun might not be capable of doing that. I'd never know that I'm shooting well, because the gun is only capable of 3-4" at 50 yards.

When you start with a gun that is proven to shoot through one hole at 25 yards, you know that any deviation from that baseline is either due to 1) YOU, or 2) the load.

Just depends on how much that's worth to ya.

 

[Arizonagunrunner]

Ruger Redhawk. 5.5 blued gun is my choice for the mighty 44. Gun will last you, your kids, and there kids a lifetime of use. I love mine. Never consider parting with it. Will shoot from mild to wild. It will handle all game this side of the 48 states. Just know your limitations. I carry mine with a Marlin 1894 in 44 as well. I never feel undergunned for 2 or 4 legged critters.

 

[HankR]

Hate to confuse the issue, but since you already shoot (and probably load for) .45 ACP and your old 45 Colt revolver, maybe you want to look into a stouter .45 Colt?

You'd have to keep the loads segregated, but would not have to invest in another round of dies and probably already have some brass (and the plinking loads could use the same bullets as the .45 ACP, perhaps).

I like the Ruger Blackhawk. I have a .45 Colt Redhawk, but with the 4 inch barrel. I'm not in love with it, but would like to try one w/ 5.5 inch barrel. I do like the blackhawk with the longer barrel (not real long, mine is 5.5 or 6 or so, not the really long one).

I used to load up to the Ruger only loads (close to .44 Mag performance, not pressures), now I tend to load down for plinking often as not.

If you will ever need to go w/ "store bought" ammo the .44 would probably be a better choice. If you mostly roll your own, seriously consider a stouter .45 Colt.

 

[BCRider]

HankR makes a wise point.

If you were to shift gears and consider a stout gun chambered in .45 Colt or even a .454Casull you could use the same bullets and loading dies as you do now for your .45Colt loading.

Segregating the stouter ammo is as easy as running a red or other colour felt pen over the primers and headstamps when the loaded rounds are held in ammo cases. Code 'em with that sort of mark and the difference is instantly seen and easily done.

Of course if you go with .454Cassul then there's no need as the .45Colt ammo can be shot from the Cassul revolver but the Cassul rounds won't let you load them in the .45Colt cylinder.

You ask about recoil. Like you I shot ONE round of a 3 inch magnum slug from a pistol grip shotgun. Never again. It took my hand just under two weeks to heal. But I've shot .454 Cassul from a Super Redhawk on more than one occasion with no ill effects other than facial pain from grinning. Having said that one or two cylinders is all I can tolerate in a day. More than that and my hand does begin to ache a little.

But since you load your own it's child's play to download to your own particular personal tastes for power.

I already do this for .44Mag. I don't mind full power loads in my Super Blackhawk or bobbed barrel Super Redhawk but I do enjoy them more when toned down about 10 to 15% off the peak pressure loads. They still rock my world but I don't need to pick my fillings up off the ground afterwards...

 

[Trent]

In 45 Colt, I've been loading 185 gr jacketed hollowpoints, with a load that's very, very mellow. I'm not 100% sure but I'm thinking like 6gr bullseye? Haven't loaded it in awhile and I'm too lazy to walk to the basement right now. It's about the same or weaker than my 45ACP loads, I remember that much. Recoil is extremely mild, considering the slightly underized .451 jacketed bullets, the low powder charge. Accurate bugger though.

I just don't know how strong of an action that Armi Jager is, it's a family inheritance, so has sentimental value. Aside from that it's too damn pretty to risk blowing up, and I refuse to explain to my grandchildren why "one handed granddad" lost his hand to an ITALIAN pistol. No sireee....

I do NOT want to risk getting cartridges mixed up and losing fingers over it, which is why I've steered away from getting a full powered 45 LC. I guess I could mark the case heads, that way if the load slip gets separated from the ammo the cases themselves would be color coded?

Anyway, getting off track here.

There's a certain scene in Dirty Harry that still resonates with me all these years later.

So, 44 it is.

Maybe another gun another time (a man is never truly done buying guns, while he's still sucking air and working for a living, right?)

The thing I enjoy MOST about shooting is the challenge of accuracy. I'll spend an inordinate amount of time planning out loads on rifles. I REALLY enjoy working up loads for rifles. Never really had a REASON to do it with my handguns before. Work them up until they function well, and crank them the hell out on the progressive.

I'd like a companion piece for my rifle range trips. Something that'd let me get handgun practice in while I'm waiting for the barrel to cool down on my rifle between strings. Something that can hold a group at 50 or 100 yards (or perhaps further).

With a double duty of being a deer gun for handgun season. (A season I have yet to participate in!)

 

[Trent]

Segregating the stouter ammo is as easy as running a red or other colour felt pen over the primers and headstamps when the loaded rounds are held in ammo cases. Code 'em with that sort of mark and the difference is instantly seen and easily done.

HAHA! We were probably typing that about the same time.

 

[BCRider]

OK, so what pistol caliber rifle are you interested in getting or which do you have now?

And yes, a rifle/pistol combo is a nice thing to have.

And yes, .44 mag out to reasonable range is most certainly useable for hunting anything smaller than a mid size horse.

I don't blame you for wanting to keep the lower powered "cowboy" loads for the family gun. That way you know it's not going to get shot loose from recoil. So the options would then be .454Cassul or "other" in the form of the 44Mag.

If you go that way and enjoy the Harry Callahan connection what about taking your time and finding a proper early dash number model 29? I can most certainly say that if you do find one and load down that 10 to 15% from max that you WILL enjoy it. Lost of wrist shortening recoil yet oddly accurate if you can avoid the "Magnum Flinch"

Although I really enjoy my Super Blackhawk I'm very much on the lookout for a nice early Model 29. There's just something about a big N frame with big holes that my lowly .357mag Model 28 Highway Patrolman can't match.

 

[Trent]

I own the following handgun calibers;

22LR (don't reload for this obviously, but the rest I do)
5.7x28
380
9mm
38 Special
357 Mag
40 S&W
45 ACP
45 Colt

It seems a 44 Mag is the "next logical step" on the power band.

 

[BCRider]

Far be it from me to suggest that a fellow gun nut should hold back....

If you want to go for a rifle and handgun set and if you like lever guns I can heartily recomend a Rossi Winchester '92 clone.

Some folks have had some quality control issues with them recently. So I would not buy it sight unseen. But if you can locate and inspect one and it's decent looking on the outside then buy it. IF NEEDED, the insides are easily massaged by any decent gunsmith that does any cowboy action work for the local shooters. The work should not cost more than a spring kit and two hours of labour or you're being robbed. They are easy to slick up on a basic level and when done are smooth as butter on a warm summer day. And they are surprisingly accurate.

Pair a rifle of this sort with a Ruger Super Blackhawk and you have a darn nice field pair for not a whole lot of coin.

My own Rossi in .357 that I got to use with my cowboy action shooting was a trifle gritty at first but operated nicely. I slicked it up myself using information from the 'net as well as a second trip inside based on what our local resident CAS shooting gunsmith suggested. It's about 95% there from a CAS competition standpoint. Which means that when Joe or Jane average shooter tries it they smile a lot at how nice it cycles. I only have troubles when trying to cycle the lever really fast at this point. And I mean like "blink" fast. It tends to stand the bullet up and jam it when I flick the lever forward then back virtually in one motion. And in the end it may be a case of the '92 simply not being a suitable gun for a faster CAS shooter. I'm not giving up yet though...

But for plinking or hunting it's MORE than fine. And the .44Mag is certainly able to take down a decent variety of game.

 

[Kiln]

Whatever you do don't buy a compact .44 Mag with a short barrel and fire .44 Mag out of it. You'll probably end up hating the gun unless you buy something big and heavy with a medium-long barrel.

Now shooting .44 Special on the other hand is very comfortable but doesn't have nearly the power of the magnum cartridge or the ballistics.

Here's my Rossi R44102:



It really SUCKS with magnum ammo but is a great revolver with .44 Special.

I'd also like to note that I've shot .357 Magnum with some regularity over the past couple of years and it is nothing compared to this gun.

 

[camar]

Maybe I missed it, but I did not see anyone suggest to you to find a gun store that has a range and rents out guns. I would suggest doing this if possible to save you time and money.

 

[Trent]

Maybe I missed it, but I did not see anyone suggest to you to find a gun store that has a range and rents out guns. I would suggest doing this if possible to save you time and money.

Funny, I suggested that very thing to someone shopping for 45's right here on this forum a couple days ago.

I've already looked in to it, the ranges around here all rent auto-bangers, and I've shot all of those for the most part.

One thing I'm surprised about, I haven't seen a 44 mag at the range in years. The only time I've shot a 44 mag, it was loaded with 44 special. I remember that being pretty mild. But never shot a 44 mag, proper.

I can just picture pulling out a big old 7 1/2" barrel 44 magnum at the next pin shoot this spring.

"Shooters ready..." BZZZZZZ

people open up with their little pea shooters.. pop..pop... pop... {trent smirks} BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! HAHAHA!

(Yes, my BOOMS will have an exclamation point.)

Annnd this is why I normally don't post the very first thing in the morning.

Will continue with my cup of Joe now and quit making an ass of myself.

 

[HankR]

I do NOT want to risk getting cartridges mixed up and losing fingers over it, which is why I've steered away from getting a full powered 45 LC.

Fully understood. It's your fingers we're talking about, and your choice. I just thought I'd mention the option. Truthfully, I won't buy a .45 Colt that I don't think will handle the "Ruger only" loads, even though I rarely load them that way these days, so we feel the same way about that. I just don't happen to have an family heirloom/antique .45 Colt to confuse the issue.

Just wanted to be sure you were aware of the option.

 

[tnelson31]

If you can wait until summer and can meet around the wi/il border, I have a 29-2 you can shoot all day long. For free!

Of course it would be nice if you brought your rpd with you...

 

[BCRider]

(Yes, my BOOMS will have an exclamation point.)...

And don't forget the mandatory diabolical evil laugh after each shot...

 

[Sam1911]

Heh heh...when I first picked up my 629, I didn't have reloading gear for it, so I ran to a few local shops to buy enough ammo to shoot it in a match that weekend.

Of course I could only find a couple boxes of .44 Spc. and when that was gone I switched to 180 gr. Rem. Magnums. As it happened, that was rather sudden, right in the middle of a stage... "Pow, Pow, Pow, BOOOOM, BOOOOM, BOOOM!"

Seemed to catch the SO's attention!

 

[Deer_Freak]

In the OP Trent expressed a desire to be able to hit targets at 100 yards. I am not 100% accurate with my Dan Wesson 15-2 with a 10" barrel at 60 yards. Many posters are mentioning guns with a 5" or shorter barrel. For hunting a longer barrel is much better. Gas expands better in a long barrel, not to mention an improved sight plane.

This is the only real life side by side comparison I have ever taken part in. The local sheriffs Dept was considering switching to Fiocchi ammunition for their 357 mag off duty/secondary weapons. A 125 gr SJHP fired from a 4" barrel when clocked by a chronograph was traveling around 1650 FPS from several different guns. The same ammo when fired from a Ruger Blackhawk with a 6.5" barrel was clocked at 1740 FPS.

Trent wants a 44 mag that will gain even more velocity than a 357 mag from a longer barrel.

 

[CraigC]

Actually the .357 tends to gain more velocity in longer barrels than the .44Mag.

A longer sight radius is typically better for accurate shooting but that does not mean one cannot shoot accurately with a shorter barrel. I've managed 2"@50yds with a 629MG and its 4" tube as well as a 4 5/8" Ruger. It takes greater concentration but I don't really think it makes a huge difference. One also has to balance weight/length/bulk with portability. Any difference in velocity, to me, is irrelevant.

 

[Trent]

Heh heh...when I first picked up my 629, I didn't have reloading gear for it, so I ran to a few local shops to buy enough ammo to shoot it in a match that weekend.

Of course I could only find a couple boxes of .44 Spc. and when that was gone I switched to 180 gr. Rem. Magnums. As it happened, that was rather sudden, right in the middle of a stage... "Pow, Pow, Pow, BOOOOM, BOOOOM, BOOOM!"

Seemed to catch the SO's attention!

HAHA! That had to have been quite a shock!

It's too bad I have to work on servers afterhours tonight, or I'd be out shopping for a 44 right now.

Which means I'll have to deal with the hordes of Saturday shoppers.

(I'm NOT a "people person"..)

 

[BCRider]

I hear ya! A group of buddy's at the range or at any of my other hobby activities is one thing. A night club or crowded shopping mall is QUITE ANOTHER! ! ! !

At least at gun stores MOST of the folks are more accurately classified as buddys that you simply haven't met yet...

Some good points about hunting accuracy were given above. Plain irons is good for me out to around 50 yards if I'm aiming at a big enough target. Or a smaller target is fine if I can steady my hold against a table and bag or wrists against a handy tree.

For hunting out to 100? And with the "pressure" to make it a clean hit and merciful kill? I'd be looking at guns which have the mount points for a scope. From Ruger that suggests the Hunter models of either the Super Redhawk or Super Blackhawk.

To me hunting is a whole other issue. I would not want to rely on my own eyes and plain irons when it comes to taking the life of the game in the most painless possible way. That and the idea of tracking a wounded animal would tick me off. Besides, from what I've heard from hunter friends the meat is "off" in a wounded animal after a chase due to the adrenaline anyway.

So my idea of what is only just OK for hunting would most certainly be overkill for range plinking.

 

[22-rimfire]

BC, I agree. It often takes mulitple guns to satisfy our shooting purposes. I don't plink with my 480 Ruger, but I guess I could if I wanted to pay the price. By the same token, I don't plink with a 44 mag or in my case, 41 mag. But I could.

There is a difference between wanting to be able to hit something at 100 yds for fun and being able to hit something at 100 yds hunting. So shooting at normal ranges is one type of gun and shooting to 100 yds and beyond is likely to have other considerations placed on the choice of a firearm. Hammerdown77's point about accuracy is a good one also. I shoot and I never really know if it is "me" or the guns fault. I usually assume it is "me".

This is pretty much why I tend to shoot 4" revolvers at normal ranges and longer barreled or larger caliber revolvers at longer ranges. It is fun, but it is a challenge which makes it more fun.

 

[urbaneruralite]

You'll want a double action for short range shots, because a deer can hear you cock the hammer on a SA. The ones you especially want to shoot are more apt to hear.

If you're going to hit soda cans at 100 yards, you're probably going to entertain ideas about scopes and trigger jobs. That is S&W territory.

If you're going to carry it, anything longer than 6" can get old. That's just my opinion, but if it won't carry on my hip, I skip it for a carbine.

You don't need heavy recoiling loads. One can easily make a sound argument for using standard loads with 240gr XTPs and that's it. If you really need something stronger, you might consider a rifle as more appropriate.

All that said, I'd get a 5.5" Redhawk and forget about scopes.

 

[Trent]

I tell you what, I had my Ruger SP101 357 out today. I'd been shooting 125gr golden sabers through it. But I bought a couple of boxes of 158gr American Eagle and decided to run them through today, before doing the NRA basic pistol qualifier with the gun.

WOW those things pack a punch. Stepping up from 125 to 158 grain made a HUGE difference. I suddenly went from "357 is no big deal" to "OW OW OW OW OW"

You know, I'm going to be man enough to admit that after two cylinders of that, I packed that 158 grain American Eagle ammo back up and went back to the 125 grain Golden Saber ammo.

My thumb knuckle is still discolored.

SOMETHING about that Ruger's fit to my grip started biting my hand - and hard - with the hotter ammunition.

At the qualifier shoot tonight, I burned up the last of my Remington ammo. The web and knuckle of my thumb were still sore, and I shot like crap. Most of my rounds were in the A ring, but I was shooting a group 3x as large as I normally do with that gun, and had three flinch shots go WIDE left. I was a little disappointed with myself.

So now, I have to ask... is the SP101's build anything like the Ruger 44 Mag? If so, that thing is gonna shatter my thumb knuckle if I shoot it.

And, since you guys are all revolver nuts.. any advice on aftermarket grips for that Ruger that might solve my knuckle-biting problem?

 

[codefour]

I never experienced knuckle biting shooting my Redhawk .44 mag. My SP101 can bite too. They are different guns and frame styles.

I love SA guns but the plow handle hurts with Magnum loads. I prefer the Bisley for magnum loads. My SBH Hunter Bisley is on order at my LGS.

 

[22-rimfire]

So you discoved the difference between 125 gr and 158 gr 357's. It was a surprise to me too years ago.

The first time I shot my Ruger SRH in 480 Ruger, it ripped up the web of my hand with the hammer. It was one of those memorable moments... What's all this blood? Where is it coming from? Oh.... now I understand.

Lowered my grip a little on that beast and now don't have a problem. But I do tend to wear a shooting glove now on that one hand. Have no idea if anyone experienced this with a 44 mag SRH.

Normal loaded 44 mags are more. Just so you know.