best 44 mag??

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theboyscout

theboyscout

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Of all revolvers, which one handles .44 magnum the best, with the most manageable recoil combined with high accuracy?

Keep in mind, i would like to keep the barrel length around 4 inches and in chest carry for defense or hunting purposes.
 
S & W 629 and Ruger Redhawk are both big revolvers so they should soak up a bunch of recoil. The Ruger is a little heavier so recoil may be milder still, but I haven't shot either. Both available in 4 inch barrel.

Ruger also has a Bisley Blackhawk in 3.75 inch that might be pretty fun.
 
I don't know I've only ever shot two 44s often. A 8" red hawk that was more like sparking off a 38 or 357 and my trail boss. The trail boss is a 3" full underlug solid cylinder model 629. I think it's a peach. But it's mine and there is few like it. It's like 24 inches of flame and it bucks a bit. But nothing feels as good as knowing your concealed carry piece is a 44 mag.
 
I have a Smith & Wesson 29 with an eight inch barrel. I used it to shoot metallic silhouette with.
It is fairly accurate and I have hit a lot of steel rams at 200 meters. Missed a lot of them as well.

Zeke
 
zb338 said:
It is fairly accurate and I have hit a lot of steel rams at 200 meters. Missed a lot of them as well.
Click to expand...

The 150 meter turkeys were always my problem targets when shooting IHMSA silhouettes. Rams were pretty easy even with a 45 Colt and aiming about 20 feet above the berm. You could eat lunch waiting for a 45 Colt round to get out to the 200 meter rams.:)

For the OP, you cannot go wrong with a S&W M29/M629 or a Ruger Redhawk. As said, the Ruger is a bit bigger than the S&W and recoil might be a bit less.
 
Bad Ninja said:
The shooter, however pays the price.
Cannon loads out of cowboy guns are not for the feint of wrist.
Click to expand...

I agree. My .44 is a Virginian Dragoon. A real beast of a revolver, but full house loads hurt. I much prefer my .44 house rockers in a rifle, thank you.
 
For long term durability, and the ability to handle a steady diet of heavy bullets loaded to fairly warm levels, in a currently produced gun, I don't think you are going to beat a Ruger Redhawk or Super Redhawk.

S&W 29/629 close behind. Anacondas from Colt have a great reputation also, but are out of production obviously, and cost quite a bit. If I was looking to sling heavy bullets consistently, I'd go with a Ruger.

A Dan Wesson in 445 Super Mag would be an excellent choice too, if you can manage to find one.
 
Though I've never shot another .44 mag, I'd recommend against the Anaconda. My 6” Anaconda is out of time after only a few hundred rounds and probably 1000 dry-fires. Searching the web, I've found that this is a somewhat common issue. It is very accurate though.

As far as recoil, like I said I’ve never shot another .44 mag, but my S&W K frame with a 4” barrel and factory wood grips is like a pea shooter with .357mag compared to my Anaconda with those factory rubber grips. I’ve put a couple hundred rounds through the .357 in a range session with no problem, but I develop a flinch after 3 cylinders with the Colt. I don’t know if that’s a function of the gun, or if the .44 is just THAT much more powerful.
 
[QUOTE="bassjam, post: 10565786, member: 222787"I'd recommend against the Anaconda. My 6” Anaconda is out of time after only a few hundred rounds and probably 1000 dry-fires.[/QUOTE]
You're makin me feel a little better about letting my 6" .45LC get away. ;)
 
There is no "best" 44 mag. Different people like different things and have different wants or needs. No one 44 is all things to all people....however:

I have a bunch of 44s and of them all the one I would keep if I had to get rid of all but one is my 5 1/2" Redhawk.
Heavy enough to soak up recoil from cases full of H110 and 300gr bullets
Long enough barrel to have reasonable accuracy at reasonable distances
Short enough of a barrel to not be unwieldy to carry
Strong enough to digest full power loads from sun up to sun down every day and pretty much never wear out
All of that said, it is not much of a CCW.
 
I have the 3" s/s 629-1 that I bought ~30 years ago. It is accurate and, especially with the new-style Pachmayrs, it handles the recoil very well ... but ... quite frankly, if I were carrying this pup for SD, I would download it to high .44spl range so that I could get back on-target sooner and more accurately.

When I fire it on my backyard range, I can quickly squeeze-off 6 well-aimed shots with the ".44spl" ammo. The first full-boat .44mag load touched-off has me working to get back on-target while the leaves fall off of the trees, all of the concussed small critters settle to the ground and rest shift into Run-Away! Run-Away! mode. :)

My 629 probably has ~1000 full-power rounds thru it in the 30 years and it exhibits no visible sign of strain.
 
Tough question that is rather subjective. I have had a number of Model 29s over the years and have enjoyed them, however, if you want to load your .44 hot and heavy, there are better choices in a double-action than Smith & Wesson's iconic offering. The Redhawk and Super Redhawk are a great choice as they are able to digest basically anything you feed them (within reason). Since I prefer single-actions, for me the Super Blackhawk is hard to beat at that price point. The FA83 is another good choice as is the BFR. I have yet to meet a BFR that didn't shoot really well, and they are the strongest revolver on the planet. You have many choices. W hat will be the primary role of said .44 Mag?
 
Own both a Super Blackhawk and a Redhawk, bot with 5 1/2" barrels. Gotta say that the Redhawk wearing Pachmayr decelerators is the easier to shoot.
 
What about Raging Bull

460Shooter said:
For long term durability, and the ability to handle a steady diet of heavy bullets loaded to fairly warm levels, in a currently produced gun, I don't think you are going to beat a Ruger Redhawk or Super Redhawk.

S&W 29/629 close behind. Anacondas from Colt have a great reputation also, but are out of production obviously, and cost quite a bit. If I was looking to sling heavy bullets consistently, I'd go with a Ruger.

A Dan Wesson in 445 Super Mag would be an excellent choice too, if you can manage to find one.
Click to expand...
 
98Redline said:
There is no "best" 44 mag. Different people like different things and have different wants or needs. No one 44 is all things to all people....however:

I have a bunch of 44s and of them all the one I would keep if I had to get rid of all but one is my 5 1/2" Redhawk.
Heavy enough to soak up recoil from cases full of H110 and 300gr bullets
Long enough barrel to have reasonable accuracy at reasonable distances
Short enough of a barrel to not be unwieldy to carry
Strong enough to digest full power loads from sun up to sun down every day and pretty much never wear out
All of that said, it is not much of a CCW.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your information I would not use as a CCW it would be an open carry on the chest out front of the clothes
 
I'm a big fan of the N frame Smith's. The 29/629 here's mine with some Arhends stocks and a Fastfire III

dueE1Xj.jpg
 
Under the assumption you are going to use factory loads, I would say the S&W 29 or
629 is marginally more accurate. As others have said, the Super Redhawk is a tank,
if you are going to be using hot loads. IME, loading "hot" for the .44, for either S/D
or hunting really isn't called for.
 
I used a 7.5" SBH for nearly 35 years. Great accuracy, reliable for my hunting plinking needs. But a pain to wear on the hip and sit in a car, deer stand etc. Picked up a 4" 629 and haven't looked back. Still love the old SBH but she doesn't see much use anymore.
 
If the question, "which one handles 44mag the best?" means which one is strongest and most durable, then the Ruger Redhawk and Super Redhawk share that title. Their cylinder is stronger and crane & lock up internals more durable.

Even as a Ruger fan, I might argue, despite its slighter profile, the 29/629 is plenty durable and can be had in better handling forms than the Super Redhawk, and with a better grip for me than the Redhawk. The 5.5" Redhawk with the Bantams is a formidable belt gun, however, and has become my second favorite Redhawk for that reason. Else, I strongly favor the 454c 5.5" Super Redhawk for handling, or a 629 Mountain Gun. So while the SRH and RH might be able to handle the beating of the 44mag better than the Smith, the S&W handles it well enough, and the shooter may find it better handling in their hand.
 
theboyscout said:
What about Raging Bull
Click to expand...
While I know there are a lot of very happy Taurus gun owners, I feel their quality control is sub par, and I don't want to give my money to a company I feel produces bad products. Of the three Taurus revolvers I have hands on experience with, they all had to be returned to the factory. Taurus guns do not exist as an option in my world.

I'm not starting a Taurus bashing session. The OP asked me directly. I am also not trying to imply that other brands don't have QC issues also. They certainly do at times.
 
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