44 Magnum options

44 magnums

RSRH, S&W629-5DX Classix, My number1 is THE DAN WESSON 744V SS WITH
an 8 3/8" Barrel. One magnaported, One solid. A deadely accurate revolver. If you can handel it. Loaded with 240gr loads we are talking 58oz. A dream to shoot for a younger man. My days of shooting it are over.

SAFE SHOOTING ALWAYS

MR835 IS GONE

Schwing- The double latches on the Raging Bull were just something to get used to. If you lay the gun on your left palm, use your thumb to open the rear latch and the other thumb to get the front latch, it's not that hard to do, just an extra step.

I got lucky and found a very nice used Ruger SRH for the price of a Taurus so that made up my mind for me.

One more plus with a Dan Wesson 44mag or other cartidges is if you want a 4" barrel or a 8" barrel or 10 or 15" its just change it in 2 minutes time. EWKarms also sells shrouds with weaver rails built in so you can carry open sights or change to a mounted optic in less than 2 minutes.

http://www.ewkarms.com/zen8/

As far as I know, Dan Wesson stopped making revolvers a while back.

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Correct

I love my Ruger SRH so much I bought an Alaskan to CCW.

I still love my S&W 686s also.

Make mine the S&W PLEASE!!

DM

I have glanced at these. I have a GP100 .357. It is, in fact, my favorite revolver at the moment. I won't rule them out but they seem to be very similar in feel and design to the GP100 and I am kinda aiming for something different just to shake it up a bit.

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If you're really going for the gusto, get something unusual, like a Mateba Autorevolver.



Otherwise, a Ruger is the most practical choice. A Blackhawk might be a nice change of pace, being a single action.

I'm a little late to the party but I thought I'd finally weigh in with my own experiences and thoughts.

I currently have a short barrel Super Redhawk and a Super Blackhawk. Previously I had a regular long barrel Redhawk which has been sold off to a good shooting buddy for the pittance I paid for it. I've also shot a variety of S&W 29's and 629's in various barrel lengths.

For the trigger feel and overall balance the S&W wins hands down. The Rugers have a little "click" in the trigger travel for DA which tells you that all hell is about to break loose. Nasty for avoiding a flinch if there is any tendency at all on the part of the shooter...

On the other hand for a big hand cannon there's much to be appreciated in a nice Super Blackhawk. Loading and unloading single cartridges and casings lends a feel of pace and respect since you are handling each and every big "torpedo" that is going into the cylinder. And if, be honest here, you'll be shooting most of your shots in SA mode you may as well start off with an SA gun. Grip scales may be switched to suit the shooter since the stock offerings seem tuned to folks with smaller hands.

The Super Redhawk I've got is a heap of fun. But when I shoot this one it's pretty much always in DA mode. It came to me with a slick high mount belt Galco holster and as soon as I get set up with some speed loaders and pouches I'm planning on terrorizing the local IDPA matches with this combo now and then for giggles....

It's not my picture but it's the best I've got at the moment. This is from the local gunsmith that shortened the barrel for a local customer. I then bought the gun when they decided that .44Mag wasn't enough for bear defense when out camping at their gold claim;




So..... after all this what would I buy if I were in YOUR shoes? Despite what I said about the Rugers there is no doubt that for big loads all the time that the Ruger is the way to go. And of the two I'd say that the Super Redhawk is the way I'd go if it were to be a range toy only and used for regularly exploring the top end of the load tables. Especially if I were going to look at getting into accurate shooting at 50 and 100 yards. In such a case I'd mount up a scope and work from a set of crossed sticks used with a tri-leg folding stool. The crossed sticks and tri-leg stool being at least a casual nod towards the idea of using the gun in a way that is at least marginally suitable to use in the field. To me relying on the shooting bench and rests supplied by the gun clubs is fine for load testing or sighting in. But it's hardly "fair" to someone that is expecting to be self sufficient even if it is only in their own mind.

I've shot both the Ruger Super Redhawk and the S&W 629. Both are substantial in the hand. You would do well choosing either of them, in my opinion.

There's a "beater" Mateba in 44 on GB now...

TCB

Love mine too.... Great choice.


It will handle any load made. And there are rounds made specifically for it.

I foresee a lot of fun in your future.

If you find that the trigger guard bites the back of your middle finger it may be that your hands are not as small as you think. I found I was beating up the back of my middle finger badly. A switch to some home made grips that are a lot "fatter" around the upper neck cured this. Something to keep in mind for you if needed.

I do not have any single action 44's but I have a S&W 629, a Ruger Rehawk, and a Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan. The original Redhawk is the most attractive of the bunch but the grip isn't friendly to heavy loads. I will not shoot heavy loads out of the Smith on advice from the S&W rep that frequents a nearby gunshop with promotions and does trigger work. However, if you do rattle it loose they will fix it. The most comfortable to shoot is oddly the snub nosed Super Redhawk Alaskan. I'd imagine that finding a Super Redhawk with a longer barrel would be just about perfect.

As for the Anaconda, if you don't already own one don't bother. At todays prices they are more collectors items than shooters. I know I'll get hammered for saying that, but at the current market prices, and the fact that they are continually rising, I can't see using them as a shooter. I would sell one and buy a Smith and a Ruger if I were shooting. There is an old guy I know that has two Kodiacs or Grizzlies (whichever one is the 44) and he shoots them all the time and it just kills me to watch him knowing he could fetch close to $10 grand for the pair in good shape.

If an Anaconda has already been shot you aren't going to devalue it by shooting it some more.

Congrats on the SBH, take note of the 'Ruger Only' sections in handloading data with interest, they're there for you now!

Slow powders like 2400, Accurate #9 and Win296/Hodgdon110 are in your future. I like the Nosler sporting JHP bullets in the 250-pack for full bore booming.
I load up plinker rounds with my cast 240 LSWC and a charge of Titegroup or Alliant PROMO. It feels like shooting 38 specials in the huge Rugers.

Cant go wrong with a Ruger super Blackhawk.

If I had it to do over again...

I would get a Smith & Wesson Model 29 with a 6 inch Bbl.
Second Choice would be the Ruger Red Hawk 5.5 inch
Third choice would be the Raging Bull
Probably would never buy a 44 Tracker again it is a little too light for me with full magnum loads.

My first thoughts when recommending a DA revolver in .44 magnum to meet your requirements would be either a standard S&W 629 (6.5 inch barrel) or Ruger Redhawk (7.5 inch barrel). Both have MSRPs around $1K but I really think in this case you get what you pay for (they are IMO much better guns in every way than the Taurus). The S&W Performance Center turns out some upgrades of the 629, but at a $250-500 premium. They are certainly better guns, but whether they will be worth the extra money to you, I can't say.

Of course, if you really want to push the .44 magnum with "heavy loads" you might want to look at the Ruger Super Redhawk (7.5 or 9.5 inch barrel). It should be able to handing the hottest "Ruger only" loads you can find in any manual. AFAIK, the MSRP is less than $100 more than the standard Redhawk, and the only reason I didn't recommend this one to begin with is I find it a terribly ugly revolver.

Or just get one like mine...



Normally I shoot 240/250gr SWCs at 1000 fps with a good load of Unique powder.

Deaf

ColtPythonElite said:

If an Anaconda has already been shot you aren't going to devalue it by shooting it some more.

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True, but most used ones haven't been shot very much. If they haven't they will clean up very well. Around here most used 44s for sale, no matter the brand, have a very small round count. Most people buy them shoot them a few times and decide it is too much for them.