Big bore revolvers

Maybe something to consider: I'm currently looking at purchasing a S&W 625 JM. The 625 is chambered in .45 ACP and uses moon clips to help load and extract rounds. Being a .45 is definitely qualifies as big bore and it allows you to use ammo that's more economical than a .45 Colt or .44 Magnum. I have a Ruger Blackhawk Convertible in .45, and I really enjoy shooting .45 ACP out of it. It's gives a nice thump with each pull of the trigger but it won't beat you up on the range.

I have a new model Ruger flattop in 45acp/45 long colt with a 4 5/8 barrel.
The gun has 2 cylinders so that I can shoot either one. To date I have only used the acp cylinder. I enjoy this single action quite a bit.
You might take a look at one to see if it is your type of deal.

Ruger Super Blackhawk in .480 Ruger. All the horsepower you will need yet not abusive.

Half of my revolvers are big bores and I shoot them more than the .357 and unders. 625, 624, Super BH, BH 44 special, BH 45/45, and a 29-2 plus a CA Bulldog. Don't shoot many magnums but who needs em? 240 to 250 at from 800 to 1000 fps is fine with me.

I'm not recoil sensitive. Shoot any long arm known to man.
I have smaller hands, so a 6", full lug, GP-100 is my go to.
About all I can handle. Back in the day, Blackhawk in .41 and .357 was good.
I'm liking double actions more and more!

That's for hunting. Not carry.

SlowFuse said:

MaxP, visually that looks perfect. I love those unfluted cylinders. I've always thought the larger calibers would be a little out of my price range. What other calibers does the 480 shoot?

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The 480 Ruger is a .47 caliber and only shoots that caliber.

The 480 Ruger is a Ruger proprietary cartridge and at present there are no other cartridges with shorter cases that it can chamber.

Blackhawk in .44 I think would be the way I would go.
Nothing against the other options.

If you want to scope it easier their Bisley Hunter is a good option, and gets you a less common Bisley frame.

The .480 is neat but I wouldn't go that way. Ammo is a lot more and even reloading for it is $$ since it's an odd size bullet. I'm a Ruger nut and I haven't gotten one yet.

The 45LC/ACP is a nice option and worth a look.

The Ruger Black Hawk can handle the .460 Rowland loads using Longshot and .45 ACP brass. This is an accurate powerful load.

http://handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=41

I have a Super Redhawk in a 480 and have really grown to appreciate this round. The 480 is not a common round so reloading is a plus. Ruger has expanded their offerings of this round over the last couple of years and that is leading to a few more listings of ammo and reloading supplies. It wont ever be a real popular round but it is unique and I now feel will make its place into enough hands to keep it around for years to come. There is always a lot of talk about recoil on the big bores, I find it is the blast with the high pressure mags that rob some of the fun of burning through a bunch of ammo. This is a big bore that hits hard and the muzzle blast (concussion) does not take the fun out of shooting it if you want to burn through a box or two at a time. The main thing to remember even though there are a handful of good choices for the big bores, enjoy which ever one you choose.

SlowFuse said:

I want something that I would consider a big bore revolver.

something you enjoy shooting often.

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Do you reload? I don't think I'd enjoy shooting any of my big bores often if I didn't reload. That being said, I enjoy shooting them all. But of those under your 454 limit I'd say the .41 and .44 mags get the most use. I have a few .45 colts but the caliber never grew on me so I hardly shoot them. That's just a personal thing though.

If you reload you'll probably enjoy any of them. Pick the one that speaks to you the most, buy it, and start plinking.

only in the Ruger black and red hawks for the 45 colt cartridge.

murf

.....no, I'm not kidding.

I have an unusual one I like.

It's a S&W 629 with a 2.5 inch ported barrel.

Put on Ahrends Cocobolo grips in place of the Hogues it came with.

Cal44, Now that is a real beauty.

SlowFuse said:

I think I was thinking 460 SW. Thank for the info.

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While you can shoot 45 Colt and 454 Casull in a 460 S&W Mag, I understand accuracy with at least the 45 Colt is not as good as it could be due to the 1/2" shorter case and the jump to the forcing cones that the bullet has to do.

While I have fired a few 45 Colt cartridges in my 460XVR, I found a light load (1100 fps or so, light for the 460 ) for the 460 S&W case. That way I do not have to deal with the carbon build up in the chambers that forms when shooting shorter cases.

Besides, I save my 45 Colt cases for my 45 Colt revolver and the option is there if I choose to exercise it.

.45ACP the furthest I've gone down the "big bore" route, if that even counts. Since about 90% of my range time is with 1911s, my recently acquired S&W 325 (lightweight version of the 625) fit right in to the stable. It's a lot of fun to shoot, but it sounds like you're looking for something more extreme than .45ACP. I may wind up with a .45LC one day so that I can pair it with a lever-action, but it hasn't happened yet. I'll be very interested to see what you finally settle on!

My Blackhawks and Super Blackhawk are my favorite revolvers out of many. If you reload, the SBH with 44 specials is gentle to shoot, or you can use magnums for some extra oomph. If you don't reload, the obvious choice is the BH "convertible" with the extra cylinder in 45acp. That cartridge is easy to find and cheap. They are both terrific revolvers.

My favorite pistol is my Ruger BH Bisley in 45 Colt. If you reload there are no worries about ammo prices and availability, and you can customize your load to whatever you want. The .44 Mag SBH would be the other option I'd recommend. If you don't want to shoot full bore magnum loads you can shoot 44 special. It will likely be my next single action.
The Bisley is a love/hate thing. I really like mine, but most will recommend you handle one before purchasing.

-Jeff

If the size of the bore counts more than the power behind the pill, you might look at the new GP100 in .44 Spl. I have Blackhawks and Redhawks in .44 Mag and they are great. But I'm really looking forward to getting the new GP out to the range. Yes, only five shots ... but hard to beat on the "coolness" factor.

I'm a big fan of my 625 in 45acp. I shoot it more often than my 629 in 44mag.

I reload 45acp, 44spl and 44mag. Even though the 45acp and 44spl are very similar on paper, 45acp is cheaper to load. Brass is cheap or free for the 45, and it uses smaller powder charges and load data is EVERYWHERE. Data is not uncommon in 44spl, but it's not really as prevalent.

The difference in the cost of factory ammo is YUGE! If I'm behind on loading, picking up a few boxes of 45acp isn't prohibitive and it's common. 44spl, not so much.

I'd suggest either a 625 or a convertible blackhawk. You can find hot 45acp from Buffalo Bore for the 625 if you need a "boomer" or hot 45LC if you get a blackhawk.

Get a convertible. I have 45/45ACP in a 3 screw Ruger and a Freedom Arms with 45LC, 45ACP, 454 and 45 Magnum. Love the 45 magnum although 45ACp is most fun.