Choosing a .44 Magnum

[230therapy]

If you do research on red dots, you will see that one of the many benefits is they assist old eyes. Suarez is doing quite a bit with red dots and handguns. You may want to look around on warriortalk.com and read some of the many articles posted there.

 

[Mike1234567]

*deleted*

 

[CraigC]

For me, for a hunting sixgun, I would not put an optic on it at all if it was not going to be a 2x.

To that end the light transmission aspect is significantly minimized.

Fixed it. A good 2x will indeed be much brighter than a red dot. At 2x, you don't need a large objective lens. A high quality straight tube scope will often be significantly brighter than an el cheapo 50mm.

Add to that the fact that the magnification will intensify any instability in your hold and make it appear like your sight is wandering all over the place. This can lead to shooters jerking the trigger or trying to do a "drive by" (firing as they try to sweep the crosshair past their target).

Like most things, this can be corrected through practice.

 

[wlewisiii]

If I was going to spend that much on a new revolver, it would be the Smith & Wesson. It just looks so much better than either Ruger. Of course, I'd rather buy a Cylinder & Slide fixed sight for it rather than any optics, but that's just me.

 

[mdauben]

If I was going to spend that much on a new revolver, it would be the Smith & Wesson.

Well, locally the Smith is going for around $800, the Redhawk for $740 and the Blackhawk $615. So, while I agree the Smith is a great gun, it is also the most expensive (by almost $200 compared to the Blackhawk). Certainly $200 is not an automatic deal killer, but it is something to think about when I make my final decision.

Of course, I'd rather buy a Cylinder & Slide fixed sight for it rather than any optics, but that's just me.

Also, I'd definetly have to disagree about the fixed sights. I think they are a fine choice on a SD handgun, but on a target and hunting gun, which I may be regularly changing the ammo on, IMO fixed sights are a handicap. If I was to stick with iron sights, the adjustable sights on the 629 are quite good IMO.

 

[xXxplosive]

IMO...............my old S&W Model 29 w/ 6 1/2" Bbl.........is much better lookin than them all..sorry.

 

[mdauben]

IMO...............my old S&W Model 29 w/ 6 1/2" Bbl.........is much better lookin than them all..sorry.

No need to be sorry, the Model 29 is definetly a handsome looking gun. Personally, I like stainless revolvers and I think the full length underlug of the 629 Classic is a real help in taming recoil, but if someone wanted to give me a Model 29 with a 6.5 inch bbl, I would gladly accept it!

 

[BYJO4]

I prefer the S&W because of its fine action and appearance. I also like stainless over blue or nickel. Everybody has their own opinions. Rugers are fine guns but I will always choose S&W.

 

[John Ross]

mdauben, do NOT buy any single action .44 mag until you have shot one and like the way it feels when it goes off. Some people, me for one, HATE the way a heavy-recoiling single action feels under recoil.

I'm primarily a Smith man (understatement) but the Redhawk will last you forever if you want to constantly shoot max loads with bullets over 260 grains in weight and can live with the mediocre trigger. Jim Clark Jr. is the guy to put a trigger job on it if you go that route; $70 for the last one he did for me but that was 7-8 years ago.

I don't know how much you plan to shoot but the Smith will likely go eight to ten thousand rounds before needing attention under the lifetime warranty. Make sure you really like the feel of the full underlug; some of us that shoot a lot dislike the muzzle-heavy feel, especially during long sessions.

The comment about Smith's now using rifling in .44s that isn't as good for cast bullets is a new one on me, but I've been focused on the .500 since 2003 so I'll have to look into that.

Given your desire to mount a scope, which you may not always want to use, I'd advise you to get the Redhawk and put different grips on it. You can scope it and then take the scope on and off without ever monkeying with the rear sight.

 

[mdauben]

mdauben, do NOT buy any single action .44 mag until you have shot one and like the way it feels when it goes off.

Believe me, I would if I could! None of the local ranges have any .44 mags for rent, except for 629s and I don't know anyone who owns a .44 mag (or larger) SA. The only SA I have ever shot, personally, is a repro .36 cal Colt Navy, which I know does not have anything like the recoil of a full-bore .44 mag.

Make sure you really like the feel of the full underlug; some of us that shoot a lot dislike the muzzle-heavy feel, especially during long sessions.

Well, I love it on my 686, but that only has a 4 inch bbl, the extra couple inches on the 629 could make a difference in how I feel about it.

Thanks again to everyone for the continued input.

 

[manderson]

I shoot a Smith 29-5 six inch and love it (very much a pre-lock Smith guy here). I had the opportunity to shoot a six inch Anaconda at the range a while back and it was excellent. I liked it more than my Smith. But we're probably getting out of the price range with Colt as $1200 is about the cheapest you could find a nice one.

 

[CraigC]

While recoil is very, very subjective, I have seen very few shooters who actually find DA's more comfortable to shoot than SA's with heavy loads. This is because the DA grip design tends to push recoil straight back into the palm. Whereas recoil is transmitted more into muzzle rise with a single action. For the record, a SA grip should roll 'with' your hand, not 'in' it.

A trio of N-frame .44's to muddy the waters a bit. The Ahrends Retro Target stocks on the middle .44Spl are best suited to the recoil level of that cartridge. They are a tad bit thin and squared off at the backstrap. The Herrett's (CDNN) on the top .44Mag are decent but warped. The Altamonts on the 629MG are not too bad. I love ivory (or faux) on stainless or plated sixguns and these are very dense and substantial. Fairly comfortable. They could all use a set of Herrett's Roper stocks.

 

[DM~]

mdauben, do NOT buy any single action .44 mag until you have shot one and like the way it feels when it goes off. Some people, me for one, HATE the way a heavy-recoiling single action feels under recoil.

I agree 100%, i've owned several blk/super blk hawks along with other models of single actions, and never could get use to the way they recoil. The Smith is just plain a lot easier to shoot accurately for me.

I've taken a lot of big game with my M-29 from moose on down, useing cast 250 grain Keith style bullets over 23.0 of H-110, and i see no need to keep changeing loads/bullets in any of my 44's. It's an excellent "one load for everything" that shoots very good in every 44 mag revolver i've fired it in. I won a lot of long range pistol matched with that load in my M-29 too...

DM

 

[BCRider]

SOMEONE in your club(s) or at the ranges you frequent must have a Blackhawk or Super Blackhawk. Or perhaps you could hook up with a fellow THR member that has one and that lives within a hour's drive of you. Offer to bring the ammo or at least offer to buy them lunch as a thankyou afterwards if they say not to bother with the ammo.

There's no doubt that shooting the SA plowhandle style guns is a whole other experience from shooting double action guns. Having the gun slide and rotate in your grip when it fires is part of the experience. But it may not be fun for everyone. At the very least it'll feel odd for a while if you're not used to it.

It also requires a slightly different hold and trigger finger action if you're more acustomed to shooting DA revolvers.... at least that's what I've found since getting solidly into SA guns courtesty of shooting in cowboy action events and developing a demented desire to project huge clouds of sulphurous smoke courtesy of black powder cap and ball guns...

 

[Gordon]

Another vote for the Ruger Bisley Hunter because of your stated purpose. For some reason the Hunter series seem a little better finished in my experience. Although S&W has by far the best warranty system IMHO, the chances are these days you might need it from the get go. The edges on the newer S&Ws are very sharp, no hand finishing evident unless it is a Performance Center gun. Sad IMHO as I too like S&Ws but haven't found one I would buy in the new millenium outside a Performance Center 1911.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

And that's really the sticking point for me. I really like everything about the 629, except the way you mount a scope to it. If it wasn't for my scope requirement, the 629 would almost be a no-brainer. As it is right now, the Smith and Blackhawk are probably neck-and-neck for my final choice.

It's really not hard to scope a W&W M629. You remove the rear sight by taking out the screws and mount a Weaver style rail. Then just mount the scope with Weaver style rings. You can see the S&W rings and bases on their site, HERE. (not that you have to buy from them, just as an example)

 

[ExAgoradzo]

The reason I voted the Blackhawk is that both my 357 and my 45 are BHs. The other reason is that I prefer the SA when talking about pushing that much lead through the barrel. Now that I also have an auto I have come to appreciate the DA: only, the diff between a 9mm and a 44mag is something to consider.
I do like the Hunter version and I will check out the Bisley version as well (the 44mag is somewhere like #3 on my list of 'to get guns'.
Enjoy whichever you get!

 

[Mick_W]

Gotta go with the smith.

 

[Stainz]

629's have been scope rail ready for eons. If it's an older 629, release the cylinder and look at the underside of the topstrap. They all have the drilled/tapped front hole - that secures the rear sight - by the forcing cone. If one is seen at the midpoint and rear of the topstrap, you are scope rail ready. Here is my current production 6" 629-6 with a Weigand SS rail and a Weaver H2 2x28 handgun scope. Great scope - I had one on my .454 SRH for years.



The 629 will handle any SAAMI specification .44 Magnum. Current models have the entirety of the endurance improvements - and are more valuable for that alone. Also, a round butt frame permits the use of the S&W/Hogue .500 Magnum grips - as mine sports. That is the greatest recoil aid the 629 can have, IMHO.

If you have to have a Ruger - look behind 'Curtain #4' at a Super Redhawk. My 7.5" .454 SRH was my finest Ruger revolver - my 5.5" .45 Colt RH was at the other end.

Stainz

 

[Shoot66]

For the stated use, I vote for Ruger Bisley Hunter. Have been thinking along the same lines for a while myself too. Ended up deciding on the Bisley Hunter. Now just need to get one.

 

[CraigC]

As stated, the newer S&W's (post 1992?) are easy to scope but you do have to remove the rear sight. Which is not really a huge deal because you'll probably have to bottom out the rear sight of the Ruger to put a scope on it anyway.

 

[mdauben]

SOMEONE in your club(s) or at the ranges you frequent must have a Blackhawk or Super Blackhawk.

I wouldn't be supprised, but if so I've never met them. Now, admittely I tend to be a bit of a loner on the range, just quietly doing my shooting and then leaving and all of my shooting takes place at either commercial or public ranges (no clubs) which doesn't help with socializing at the range.

629's have been scope rail ready for eons.

Hmmm... I've seen photos of 629s with the scope mounted directly to the top strap, which I thought looked kind of cludgy compared to the sleeker mounting systems on the two Ruger Hunters. That rail system on your gun looks kind of cool, though, and I may have to rethink my resistance to scope mounting a 629 after all. Thanks for sharing that!

Another vote for the Ruger Bisley Hunter because of your stated purpose.

It seems the Blackhawk supporters are overwhelmingly in favor of the Bisley version of the big Ruger SA. I guess I definetly need to try and get ahold of one to get a feel for the grip.

If you have to have a Ruger - look behind 'Curtain #4' at a Super Redhawk.

Eh, I'm sure its a fine gun, but I dismissed it early from consideration becuase I find it... well, ugly. Some people may think looks are a silly thing to consider when deciding on a gun, but if the choice is between a good looking gun and an ugly gun, if both are quality made and reliable why not go with the better looking one? I just find the Smith and the Blackhawk far supperiour in appearance to the Super Redhawk, and to paraphrase an old saying... life is too short to shoot ugly guns!

Thanks again for all the input.

 

[BCRider]

Normally I agree with you about the looks of the Super Redhawks. But when I found this bobbed bit of goodness some months back I just had to have it. It's a superb gun to shoot and it came with a custom made belt holster that will fit in well with IDPA style shooting. I just need to get some speed loaders for it now... This is an older picture. It's now wearing a Hogue Monogrip which soaks up full power loads better.



Other than this SR because of the funky looks my favourite choices for .44Mag are the classic 6 inch S&W Model 29 for double action and the Ruger Super Blackhawk with regular or Bisley frame in single action.

 

[buck460XVR]

Hmmm... I've seen photos of 629s with the scope mounted directly to the top strap, which I thought looked kind of cludgy compared to the sleeker mounting systems on the two Ruger Hunters.

mdauben....maybe you should look into a PC 629 with the integrated scope rail. I have the older 629 hunter and have used it with and without a red dot. At the moment I'm back to the irons with it for targets and hunting, but as my eyesight gets worse I'm sure there will be some form of optics back on 'er. I've seen many Magnum Hunters used going for 8 bills and less. Triggers are exceptional and they are scarey accurate.

 

[dprice3844444]

what would dirty harry say