.44 mag barrel length 4" or 6"

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Jason_W

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The gun would be used for hunting and possible trail/camping carry, but not day to concealed carry.

I've fired both 6" and 4" bbl revolvers and each has it's advantages. A 4" barrel is more compact, but I tend to have better aim with a 6".
 
I sold my four inch

Kept my six inch. But I realy enjoy shooting my five inch 625. I don't know if S&W makes a five inch 629. That would be a great option. Only problem with the six plus inch guns for me was sitting in a vehicle.
 
You shoot the 6" better and you aren't going to carry it concealed? Go ahead and close the thread up, you've already made your decision
 
I have 629s in both a 4" and a 6". The 4" is my constant woods companion. I seldom pull the 6" out of the safe. I found the shorter barrel to be accurate enough out to 50 yards, and a lot easier to carry in a belt holster riding in a truck or on a 4 wheeler. I don't feel I've given anything away either by using the shorter barrel.

I've joked but I bet it's true: the 629 4" barrel has shot more hogs than any other gun I own due to it's ALWAYS on my hip and ready to go.
 
the four inch barrel is more convenient than the six for hiking and camping. plenty long enough for hunting.

murf
 
My only .44MAG is a Ruger SBH with the 7-1/2" tube.

My next .44MAG will be a 4", or if it was ever available & I stumble across it, a 5" M29 pre-lock. I'll trade out the Ruger for it if I have to.

I have a 6" S&W 686-1 that I bought new. I won't part with it, but kind of wish it was a 4".

So - I say buy a 4" gun.
 
44 mag is a cartridge which can make real good use of as much barrel as you put it thru, even lever action carbines
so I say 6"
if "more compact" 4" will do you, and handier to carry, might just as well shoot 44 special thru it
and better/easier aiming never yet hurt any shooter's accuracy, no matter the caliber
 
I carry a 629-1 with a 8 3/8" barrel as my wood's gun on belt holster.You should have no problem with a 6" .44 and you say you have better aim with the 6".
 
Ballistically, 6" over 4" is a 50% boost in barrel length

If that is not enough to convince you, go to the web site

ballisticsbytheinch.com

Lost Sheep
 
I have three 44 Mag handguns in 3", 6", & 10" barrels. the 3 incher just sees mid power cast lead loads, very accurate and a lot of fun. My ten inch I love to shoot full house magnums in at long distances 25-100yds. My six inch hardly ever sees the light of day.
However if I were you and the choice was 4 or 6.....it would be the six incher hands down.
 
If I were planning on hunting with the revolver, I'd choose the 6". I use a 8 3/8" S&W M57 and a 9.5" Ruger Super Redhawk (SRH) for deer hunting. I wish I would have gotten the 7.5" version of hte SRH.

If you are just going to carry the revolver as "backup" while hunting (ie carrying a rifle and a handgun), I would choose the 4". I use a 4" M57 for this purpose, but it seldom comes up anymore since I usually hunts woods. The SRH is just too big to carry with a rifle and as a result you're never really ready to use it and I choose the "sure thing" (the rifle) to make the shot when the moment of truth arrives. That invalidated my whole reason for using a revolver for hunting. So, now I only take the scoped SRH in most cases and leave the rifle home unless I'm hunting fields.

The better aim should always win when you hunt with a revolver.
 
I own a 7 1/2 SBH that I am currently using for hiking/hunting. But I plan on trading it in for the 4 inch. If a bear charged me there is no way (unless I had a good amount of time) I would have it out before the bear reached me. I could defiantly get a 4 inch out much faster if I had to. The 7 inch is very accurate but its just really too long.
 
I've got a Ruger Redhawk with a 7.5" barrel and a Dan Wesson with 6" and 8" barrels. I prefer the longer barrels in .44 magnum. All my .357's have 4" barrels, except for one 3". I have no interest in shorter barreled .44 magnums. I'm not going to carry them conceiled. If I were, I would definitely want a shorter barrel, but it would be in .44 special.
 
If your plan is to use the revolver as your hunting firearm (not an also-carry) I'd say you answered your own question. You basically say in your first post you do not need a shorter barrel and you are more accurate with the 6" So the more accurate one is the one you take hunting.

One thing I've found, is a 6" allows you to easily support the revolver against a tree or stand, making the shot even more likely.

I know that the 4" is easier to holster, but even an 8" revolver can be carried easier than a rifle.

Finally, if you are thinking of scoping it, 4" with a scope look odd, and feel off balance to me.
 
I have 3, 4 and 6 1/2-inch barrel lengths here. The 3 and 4 get used quite a lot. I was just thinking yesterday, the 6 1/2 hasn't been out of the safe in over 20 years!
 
I have a 6" model 29 and really love it. But I also have a 4" 586 (.357) which is so handy and easy to pack.

Are you really going to hunt with it, or carry it for fun while you're hunting?

Are both configurations available at this time? Different models, ages, etc..... or do none of those things come into play?

Is it only barrel length that matters, go with which one you can shoot accurately, unless you plan on shooting a lot and getting more proficient with the 4". A 4" model 29 looks awesome, of course, the 6" 29 is sweet too.

Sorry, I'm rambling and not helping much.
 
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