.44 mag recoil compared to .357?

.44 magnum in a big gun like that isn't bad. Changing the grip could help. I like the factory rubber grip pretty well or you could put on some Hogue rubber grips with the pad in the back where the web of the hand rides. Wood grips can be tricky. Some can help by typically being oversized and spreading the recoil, but some hurt just because wood is hard.

I'd try out your uncle's and then try to buy it off of him since hopefully he'd give you a deal since he doesn't like it. 9.5" is just too big IMHO. 7.5" is big as is.

That Super Redhawk will absorb any loads you feed it short of mini nukes. It's so massive you'll think you're shooting 38s in a 357.

What Harmonic said. I was shooting a friends 8 inch Anaconda a few weeks ago, less recoil than a 4 inch 357. The long barrel and the weight absorb recoil extremely well. And the Ruger is heavier than the Colt. It will be very comfortable to shoot.

Ditto to the preference to .44 over .357.

I can fire my .44 redhawk 5 1/2 inch in double action just as slow and inaccurately as I do on my snub nose .357.

Soda cans at 15 meters ... they need to be destroyed!

I've always found the .44 mag recoil to be significantly heavier than the .357 mag. I think anyone that says differently has just forgot the differences or perhaps they're shooting a light weight pistol in the .357 mag and a heavy ported pistol in the .44 mag.

Here are the figures. I probably underestimated the velocity of the .44 from the 9.5" barrel and may have underestimated the powder charge, both would increase the recoil of he .44 mag. You can calculate comparisons of various loads and different guns using the Recoil Calculator at Handloads.com.

I think it is a different type of recoil. I prefer the "pushing rolling" recoil of the 44 against the "snappy" recoil of a 357. JMO

I've always found the .44 mag recoil to be significantly heavier than the .357 mag.

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It's all subjective. But hey, if it bothers you, then by all means stay away from the 44.

It's not for everyone.

It's not that bad. Don't be skeered.

The .44 mag can be mastered, but I don't like the heavy recoil. Even with a Ruger Redhawk, the recoil is not fun. I enjoy .357 mag, though out of a short tube it's a bit aggressive. Still, it's worth learning to live with. Anything with more than a 6-inch tube is a horse pistol, IMO.

I have a new 629 (original) that's never been fired. Beautiful gun, but I'd rather have a 4-inch Smith 686 in a heartbeat. It's just too much kick.

i got a S&W 629 powerport .44 6.5 inch barrel and a S&W 627 .357 with a 4 inch barrel. The recoils feel identical to me that could be because the heavier ported barrel on the .44 but anyway unless you got tiny girl arms and wrists I wouldn't be intimidated by any .44 short of a 2.5 inch barrel scandium revolver that weighs 3.5 ounces.

Per your description, the recoil diffrerence would be negligable. I back that up per my experience with both.

anyway unless you got tiny girl arms and wrists I wouldn't be intimidated by any .44 short of a 2.5 inch barrel scandium revolver that weighs 3.5 ounces.

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Seriously. Most perceived recoil is, in my opinion, psychological. Don't be afraid of the recoil, but do respect it. I've fired Winchester 250 gr. Supreme Platinum Tips through a snub nose 44 that weighs all of one ounce more than a 2.25" SP101 and I'm a mean hulk of flesh at 5'7" and 145 lbs

Do you know you shot it? Absofreakinglutely. Can you run a whole cylinder through it? Yes. Multiple cylinders? Of course. Would I want to make a 50 round day of it? No, but i wouldn't run 50 rounds of balls to the wall .357 through my SP101 in a day in defference to my hand. That's what they make the WWB's for and if it really is a problem, start picking up .44 specials.

Why are you going with a Super Redhawk? I ask because I have one and it's too heavy to carry very far. I'm seriously thinking of giving it to my SIL for his birthday. Why not buy a regular Redhawk - blued. My Super Redhawk is SS and it takes a lot longer to clean than a blued model.

I shot a SRH with a 7" barrel and an identical load (800 ft. lbs.) not too long ago at the range I go to that has a rental case. It was sweet! The recoil was not noticeably worse than shooting a .357. The SRH is lots heavier than either of my .357's and that extra weight soaks up the recoil. If I had the money I'd be buying a .44. Some day...

With heavier bullets in the .44 it doesn't bother me as much as some balls to the wall .357's. I've probably over a thousand loads of 21 grains of 2400 under a 265 grain LSWC out of a 4'' and 5'' Model 29 with no problem. It was usually hitting around 1250 out of the 4'' IIRC. With 15 grains of 2400 under a 173 grain 358429 in a .357 case in a Model 27 the blast and recoil were worse to me. Now if we go to shooting 180 grain jacketed bullets in the .44 the blast of the .357 is a red headed stepchild compared to it. Those 180's are just damn abusive

I Like Recoil

It's a rush. And I would have to categorize the recoil from a 240 JHP with 24 gr 296 under it as snappy in my SBH - nothing slow & rolling about it. Reminescent of being around howitzers in the military... Seriously, the plow handle on the SBH rolls up and your typical revolver handle thrusts directly into your hand/arm - I let it roll and roll with it. That same round in a 6" M29 will beat me into submission much sooner, and that's where the recoil absorbing grips help for long shooting sessions. I like the Magna grips and they do a pretty good job of spreading it out, but shooting a lot of big, fast bullets over time will tire you.

I actually hate the recoil of a 44 in a DA gun. I had a 9.5 inch SRH, and both the stock GP100 style factory grip and a Hogue Tamer were brutal with full house 240 grain cast bullets in front of 24 grains H110. Literally felt like I was slapping a brick wall with my palm. Even with a shooting glove

Then I bought a Single Action SBH and can shoot those same loads all day. I still wear a glove for longer sessions, but without a glove in a SA is better for me than a DA with a glove. I think that the gun just rides up in my hand in a SA like it was designed to, so I don't get nearly as much of a slap to the palm.

In guns of similar weight/size , barrel length and grip material like my 357 Smith 686 shooting 158 JHP magnums and 44 Smith 629 firing 240 JHP magnums there is a noticeable difference in felt recoil - with the 44 magnum obviously producing more. Not unbearable mind you , but there is no doubt which is the 357 and which is the 44.

In the same two revolvers firing the same weight bullet like the 180 Hornady XTPs with a full charge of say , H110 , the difference is pretty dramatic. Anyone who truly believes the 357 produces more of a sharp crack and snappy recoil vs the gentle roll of the 44 is welcome to shoot the 180s in both my 357 and 44 mag and see if you still believe the same afterwards.

When firing guns of significant size and weight differences I have experienced instances where the 44 mag was indeed the more pleasant to shoot. My old 10 1/2" Ruger Super Blackhawk was the mildest 44 in terms of felt recoil that I have ever fired. My old 2 1/2" Smith 66 with the wood checkered grips can actually be discomforting with some loads.

44 Recoil Clearly More Punishment

This is both objective (you can measure it) and subjective (you can feel it). I also shoot 357s from a GP 100. These are loud, but don't hurt the hand or wrist. The 44 is simply different. Shoot one after the other in guns of similar design and weight and I promise you'll know the difference.

I love my 44 mag Blackhawk. However, 95 percent of the rounds that go through it are 44 specials, perhaps my favorite round. The mags are for hunting or for practicing for hunting.

Two weeks ago, I shot various 357's, including a 6" GP100, and a Ruger .44 mag with 7.5" barrel, and honestly, the recoil "felt" about the same on both. Of course the .44 had a little more oomph, but I didn't think it was anywhere near intolerable. I'd say get it in 7.5" from your uncle. It was a sweet gun.