Wanting a big-bore DA snubby for shooting big bullets at low speeds (handloading)

One of the shooting niches I really enjoy is shooting relatively big bullets at low speeds, so I've been debating getting a big-bore snubby for that. I'll emphasize it's for no practical hunting/bear/CCW/HD purpose, just for casual shooting fun and to have something interesting to handload for.

Looking at options, most of the N-frame S&Ws look to be pretty pricey, particularly as many of the all-steel big-bore snubbies have been out of production for a while, and the Scandium ones seem much more suited to carry than range use and have some scary blowup cases that make handloading sound less appealing. That mostly leaves Ruger as the option, and they're come out with some really cool big-bore options in the last 5-10 years. The main models I've been considering are the GP100 in 10mm or .44 Special, the Redhawk in .41 Mag, or the Super Redhawk in .480 Ruger. I'm less interested in 44 Mag or 45 Colt or Cassul since I want something a little unconventional just for cachet and handloading weirdness.

At this point I'm mostly focused on either the snubby .41 Redhawk or the .480 Alaskan Super Redhawk snub. (The 10mm just seems barely into the big-bore category, the 44Spl doesn't come any shorter than 3"). Would either of these be good options for casually shooting big fat marbles at low velocity, just for the joy of a mellow(ish) boom with an authoritative thwack on the target end?

The Redhawk has some appeal because I like traditional frames with actual front/back strap and slab grips, plus almost every sixgun I've owned felt better with a Tyler T-Grip (I have small hands). The Super Redhawk grip (which is apparently the same as the GP100) looks less small-hand friendly in stock form, though a Pachmayer might help fix that, but supposedly the multi-spring SRH/GP system is easier to get a good trigger pull on than the RH/SS system. Or should I really be taking a harder look at the Smiths, and the considerable extra cash would be worth it to get a snubby 696, 657, 625, etc? The .41 Redhawk snub can be found just under $600 new, and I'd think a 657 snub will be both hard to find and cost double that.

Any suggestions on my best bet for basically "lobbing a brick" for range fun, and the joy of a big bore in a fat little package?

Some great ideas:

• Charter/Rossi/Taurus: these see to be more carry guns than range guns though, and while I'm sure if you get a good one it's great, these three folks have mixed reps on QC. Though I grant the Charter Bulldog is something I've wanted since I was a teen in Seattle in the '90s, and though I didn't like the modern versions as much, Charter makes the retro "Classic" version now which is cool. But I think I'm looking for something a little more refined and with great durability so I can handload pretty freely.
• S&W X-frame .500: an interesting option but it's just never drawn me, and seems pretty enormous. Definitely cool but maybe just not my thing.
• S&W 69: while a cool gun, I'm looking for a "quirkier" chambering than 44 Mag, even if it is probably the most pragmatic big-bore option
• Redhawk in 45 ACP or Colt: while I like the RH, it seems those chamberings are rare (or not at all?) in 2.75" barrel, unlike the 44 and 41

The Ruger .480 Alaskan is definitely one I've been taking a hard look and leaning ever more towards. The stock grip seems like it wouldn't be good for my small hands, but I see it can take all the GP100 grips and some of them look more suited to my hand size (ideally I want as little bulk at the rear as possible to lessen my reach for the trigger).

The downside of the Alaskan over say the 41 Redhawk is that it's kinda pricey; the 41 Redhawk folks have in stock for as low as $600, but at a quick glance nobody has the 480 for under $800, even used. Though the 480 Alaskan totally seems like the kind of thing some people would buy, fire half a box through and never shoot again and eventually sell, so I might just need to set up some email alerts for used models to see if I can get a little lower, though the price isn't a total dealbreaker.

>> To clarify, are you looking to sling heavy bullets or lighter ones?

I'd love to be able to sling heavy bullets at low speeds. Like so long as I can find safe data (I understand sometimes overdoing this can risk pressure spikes with ultra-low charges) I'd be fine shooting 400gr at Cowboy Action speeds to the point I can visibly see the near-ounce marble of lead meander downrange.

If any of you 480 fans have any comments about how reasonable moderate loads can be in it, I'm open to ideas.

mcb said:

The obvious answer is something chambered in 455 Webley. Short, fat heavy, and slow...

Click to expand...

Just like me! Nah, I'm just a little chubby, but that's a good reminder.

Honestly something like the Webley is just what I'm thinking, but I want a modern piece rather than milsurp, plus top-breaks can be a bit fragile.
Really an even closer example of what I'd love would be the obscure British .577 Tranter; that's partially what got me interested in the Alaskan, since one of Bowen's crazy one-off projects was making a 5-shot .577 Redhawk, but that was just an experiment since he didn't want to mess with NFA production.

Scroll down to see how the Tranter round just dwarfs the Webley: http://www.classicarmsjournal.com/577-revolvers/

By the way, as I'm looking at 480 Alaskans, I see that these days they're offered in 6-shot, but there was a period where they were offered in 5-shot.

If I'm not planning to ream it out to .475 Linebaugh or anything, is there any virtue in trying to find one of the less-common 5-shot variants, or just stick with the six shot? I don't particularly need a sixth shot, though I note the few folks making speedloaders (like if for some crazy reason I wanted to IDPA with it for kicks) are six shot. Or if I'm doing "creative" but not insane handloading, is there some extra caution to having a little more metal between chambers?