.44 Magnum first shots - I'm hooked

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SQLGeek said:
Thanks for the comments, everyone! The discussion around SBHs reminded me that I had been looking at the SBH Hunter a while back in .44 Mag. Anyone have any experience with those?
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Experience with both 44 Mag (300gr w/ 18gr 110) and 45 Colt (300gr w/ 22gr 110). Both feel identical with these two loads.

I cannot say enough how good shooting, fine handling and tough guns these are. Unhook one of the spring legs, and you have an awesome trigger. Here is mine in 45 Colt along with a 25 yard target.

25 yard 10 round target, that is. Pretty easy to break clay pigeons, off hand at 100 yards.

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Ru4real said:
I cannot say enough how good shooting, fine handling and tough guns these are. Unhook one of the spring legs, and you have an awesome trigger. Here is mine in 45 Colt along with a 25 yard target.
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What weight bullets were you using with the 2400 powder?
 
I enjoy them very much.

I hold large heavy revolvers more loosely than smaller ones. The weight of a big revolver helps keep it steady for me, especially if it's a bit barrel-heavy.

These are maybe kinda like the "standard" 44 magnum US revolvers? They all fit my XXL hands well and I enjoy shooting all of them.

The Super Blackhawk is my favorite. With SA revolvers I tuck my pinky under the grip and let the gun roll with the recoil a bit. They never ding me. Mine is an old unaltered three-screw. The trigger is amazing.

The Super Redhawk fits my hands well and it's fun to shoot... nice sights and trigger and so forth. I got it for cheap because of the 9.5" barrel. The long barrel really seems to help with the recoil. It's the mildest of the three.

The 629 is a nice S&W N frame. That's a high compliment. The trigger sights, etc. are excellent. I don't find the recoil objectionable, but I do prefer shooting it with the other set of grips that came with it, the rubber Pachmayrs.

All three are good shooters. They're all super gentle with 44 special, but more exciting with magnums. :)

Super Blackhawk

Super Blackhawk


Ruger Super Redhawk

Ruger Super Redhawk


Smith and Wesson Model 629-5

Smith and Wesson Model 629-5

 
SQLGeek, nice S&W's you have there. You need a nice 29 or 629 to go with them. If you can find one, and price isnt an issue, Id go with the 29. :)

I personally prefer the 4" or shorter guns, in any caliber, but thats me. Handguns are meant to be short and easily carried.:)

I currently have a 4" 629 and a 3" 696, which is a "special". Both are great shooters, and I always have an eye out for a N frame 44 snubby, but you dont see them all that often around here, and unfortunately, any of the older S&W's are leaping up in price. Had a couple of nice 4" 29's in the past, and foolishly traded them off.

If you arent shooting DA already, nows the time to learn. It will make shooting the magnums a much better expereince. It will also take care of that flinch, and make you a better shooter all around too, and with anything you shoot. It was my first 4" 29 that got me shooting that way, and for some of the reasons you stated. An old PPC shooter "showed me the way", and Ive never regretted it, and Ive not thumb cocked a DA hammer since. :)
 
I bought my 71/2 inch Super Blackhawk.44 mag from a workmate who was intimidated by the recoil for 200 bucks. Tamed it with some Pachmayr Presentation grips. With full house 240's, it's a hoot to shoot, accurate too. hdbiker
 
SQLGeek said:
I've become a bit revolver obsessed over the past few years. Thanks to a buddy of mine, I've gotten the chance to try several different ones in .38, .357, .45 Colt, .45 ACP & 10mm. I have acquired a couple myself, a Model 27-2 and 28-2. And I have also obsessed over working up various .357 loads for these guns.

Never had I tried a .44 Magnum until last weekend when we met up to go shooting again. He brought a 3" 629 for me to try with both .44 Magnum and hot .44 Special loads.

.44 Magnum is quite unlike anything I've ever shot before. It simply screams. It actually hurt. One cylinder of it and I was ready to be done. He had me try some .44 Special and even with hot loadings, that was pretty fun. The big, clean holes on the paper were kind of cool.

We shot some other things and then he encouraged me to try another cylinder of .44 Magnum. I didn't want to but he might have called me names. OK, fine, I would do it. Another cylinder and I now had a blood blister.

No, I'm done for sure now. I don't like .44 Magnum. Another cylinder of .44 Special though and I was thinking maybe this isn't the end of the world.

I shot some 9mm and .22 for a while. OK maybe six more of the .44 Magnum beasties.

Well I'm now bleeding and my hand hurts. I'm flinching too. Switch to one more cylinder of .44 Specials and I've stopped flinching and actually produced a decent group at 10 yards.

We finish out the day with some .22 and I'm laughing due to the lack of recoil.

It's been a week and I find I want to shoot .44 Magnum again. I've been idly browsing revolvers online and researching recipes in my reloading manuals. Maybe I can find a 29-2 to match my other -2 guns. I think I'm hooked.
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There is a rather distinct difference between the 629 3" and 629 4". I find the 4" to be far more pleasant with the same loads.
 
Seedy Character said:
Sold my SBH because of square trigger guard knuckle busting.
Found a BH in .44mag with round trigger guard.
I'M MUCH BETTER NOW.

Actually have 7, in different calibers.
Get a Blackhawk, you will be hooked.
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I am the exact opposite. My first 44 mag experience was with a round trigger guard Ruger and it took quite sometime for the swelling on my middle finger to heal. Enter the Super BlackHawk and I bought one and have never had trigger guard bite. A bum wrist has pretty well done away with my full power load shooting but it is still a very nice and very accurate gun with 44 special loads even when they are pretty stout. I also recently fitted the SBH out with those ugly Hogue rubber grips and they do a very good job of softening recoil.
 
trackskippy said:
SQLGeek, nice S&W's you have there. You need a nice 29 or 629 to go with them. If you can find one, and price isnt an issue, Id go with the 29. :)

I personally prefer the 4" or shorter guns, in any caliber, but thats me. Handguns are meant to be short and easily carried.:)

I currently have a 4" 629 and a 3" 696, which is a "special". Both are great shooters, and I always have an eye out for a N frame 44 snubby, but you dont see them all that often around here, and unfortunately, any of the older S&W's are leaping up in price. Had a couple of nice 4" 29's in the past, and foolishly traded them off.

If you arent shooting DA already, nows the time to learn. It will make shooting the magnums a much better expereince. It will also take care of that flinch, and make you a better shooter all around too, and with anything you shoot. It was my first 4" 29 that got me shooting that way, and for some of the reasons you stated. An old PPC shooter "showed me the way", and Ive never regretted it, and Ive not thumb cocked a DA hammer since. :)
Click to expand...

Thank you for the compliments. I typically favored revolvers in 3" or 4" until I bought my Model 27 on a whim because the price is right. For target work, the 6" barrel is sublime. I do enjoy shooting my 28 though.

I shoot DA some but not a ton, especially with the 27. It is definitely a challenge for me to do it well still. I just don't practice enough.
 
I have one of the Stainless NM Blackhawks with a 3.75" barrel. Its fun to shoot, and a flammenwerfer at times in lower light. The lock time of that SA hammer fall kills me though. :)

Ive never really noticed that the shorter barreled guns had more perceived recoil. Blast can definitely be noticeable, and maybe thats the perception. Maybe the added weight of the longer barrels helps with the muzzle staying down some, but I doubt Id notice a difference between a 3" and a 4".

Grip type also makes a difference in perception.
 
I enjoy my 44 spl Blackhawk and my Redhawk Kodiak. I have only tried factory ammo, still working on getting components for reloading, but factory Magtech 44 Mag out of the Kodiak was fine and 44 spls out of it were very pleasant. The Blackhawk is very pleasant with factory 44 spl. I did change out the grip from the thin wood to hogue rubber on the Kodiak and I think that helps out a lot.
 
6C6E3A5F-DAD1-4AB4-B6DF-A0176A0A44C5.jpeg
Try some slightly less Than mag and Hot Specials. In full size 44 mag handguns- They are soft shooting and You can probably shoot them more accurate.
John Taffin and Skeeter Skeleton have Good Load charges…. that Fit rite in there. Like a Cadillac - you will find a Big Smooth 44mag with a Mild charge is a comfortable ride- And plenty of power for most anything.
 
My first 44 mag was a model 29 6” I bought from a friend NIB for 200 bucks! Sold it for 300 when I started flying. Wish I still had that one. Next was a Super BlackHawk 71/2”. Killed a hog in Tennessee with it. My uncle finally talked me out of that one. Years later I bought a 629 4” that I took a buck with. I ended up trading it to a friend for a 629 Performance Center Hunter that I never really warmed up to so it went down the pike. Thinking my wrists really didn’t need the abuse anymore I came across a beautiful model 24 that fulfills my needs for a revolver in 44 caliber:) 9F328FA5-BC27-438D-B4F5-94A6234F4E7D.jpeg 57CD1E86-A83A-41EF-94C1-BBEB60128D1C.jpeg
 
1BD02107-0C63-4E7C-8CB3-B3B2ED563C0D.png Many have generated to the belief that a 300gr projectile and a full charge of H110 is required for a deer at 50 yards. I do think that negates the Versatility of the cartridge.
The 44 magnum was developed from the 44spl (My favorite handgun Cartridge) by the “44 Associates” to be as Effective, yet at further distances. A Quote from some writings of a famous person I’m not fond of. Yet if you look into the versatility of the 44 magnum it can accomplish so very much. From a mouse load of 180gr at 700fps to a Screaming Hardcast 340gr at 1400fps- it’s Killed just about everything that’s walked , including Elephant. The spectrum of versatility is impressive to say the least.
However, it seems it has been lost somewhere with all the super impressive magnums- That the 44 mag with a simple 240gr at a modest 1,250/1300 fps is insufficient to deliver effective killing power for even the largest of Mammals. Seek out the story of Peterson’s Hunting and the a Polar Bear in 1965. That was a long time ago, And the 44 mag did that successfully without modern high velocity/300gr+ Specialty Ammo.
To the OP- Believe you Me , Your not the only one who is fond of this spectacular cartridge. Tho I prefer the 44spl “most” all the time over the mag.

Ps- Here is a rare 44mag not often seen. A very accurate Remington 788. W/ It’s 1.75-6x32 Leupold, It can deliver the goods precisely and at extended-impressive distances. Even at those distances it is lethal.
 
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Here's mine!

Still need to fix it up...

Though perfectly functional, there's some play in the hammer when cocked, the rear sight needs some work, and the screws need to be replaced (didn't realize how soft the slots were - I've since gotten a whole slew of "gunsmithing" screwdriver bits!).
 
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