Need help with revolver purchase

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HKGuns

HKGuns

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I know exactly diddly squat about revolvers. Looking to purchase my first revolver and am wondering what the general opinion of the S&W 29-2 in .44 Mag would be from the revolver folks here?

I'm a very experienced shooter of both pistol and rifle, but just never done a lot with revolvers..... Your opinions would be greatly appreciated.
 
I own two. One w/6.5 inch barrel and one in 4 inch barrel. They're great handguns.

I shoot mine with mid-range (240 grain bullets; 7.0 grains Unique) rounds.
 
S&W makes a sweet revolver. The model 29 is highly regarded, and the .44 mag in standard pressures will do just about anything you need. I do not have a 29, but have heard you should not hotrod them like colt anacondas, and Rugers.
 
I don't know the ins and outs of the -x models but I know the Model 29 is an amazing revolver.
I want one just so I can say "Smith and Wesson and Me" as I draw and fire at a Target. Sorry Clint Eastwood helped bring this revolver to Iconic status.
Seriously though the 29's and the 629's are fine shootin irons.
 
I love my Model 29-2, but I don't know that I'd recommend it as anyone's first revolver. It's very accurate, but it's expensive to shoot, and comes with substantial kick and muzzle blast, so a lot of them wind up not getting fired very much. I don't think mine had a whole box of ammo fired through it before I got it. I mostly shoot .44 Special reloads in mine.
 
Well, how fortunate as the one I was looking at is sold....So, what would you recommend as a first revolver?

Looking to stay with S&W, budget isn't a concern. (Not unlimited though.)
 
I'd suggest a .357 Mag like an older Model 27, or a later Model 686.

You can start out learning to shoot it with light kicking .38 Special and move up to .357 Mag when you want more power.

rc
 
Actually, I'm not 100% set on the caliber, but I want it stout enough to use as a hunting pistol if I choose to hunt with it at some point.

I don't think a .357 would make a good hunting round would it?
 
The .357 Magnum makes an excellent hunting round with its limitations. You can hunt small game with .38 Special ammunition. (Wadcutters are deadly on rabbits!) You can hunt medium-sized deer with .357 Magnum ammunition out to about 75 or 100 yards with heavy-bullet ammunition (e.g. 180 grain JHPs). Lighter bullets would work out to about 75 yards, IMHO. Oklahoma limits handgun hunting to guns with 4 inch barrels or longer. A 4 inch .357 Magnum such as a Model 686 would be adequate at not more than 75 yards, but a 6 inch or longer .357 Magnum, especially scoped, would work well out to 100 yards (as far as I would shoot a deer with one).

YMMV.

ECS
 
If you are really going to hunt deer sized game a 44 would be a good choice providing better power out to most hunting ranges for revolvers. A 357 works, a 44 works better. It is bigger, heavier, and harder shooting but these things aren't all bad when hunting.
 
Knowing your limitations and the limitations of the round you fire are important to hunting. Yes you can hunt with a .357, no a 6 inch barreled revolver won't work the same as a 30-30 lever, but it will work. I use hand guns to shoot game at the same ranges I would use a Compound bow. That way I am confident not only of the round but my own ability. 50 yards to me is a helluva shot with any revolver and needs practice. Others may be more confident and capable but I will make no claims I cant back up.
If you practice and know your ability a GP 100 with a 6 inch Barrel is a good starter for hand gun hunting. Move into a 44 later.
 
The 29-2 is one of the world's great revolvers. It should be accurate enough for nearly anyone, and the SA trigger pull will be essentially perfect.

You are the only one who knows whether you can handle .44 Magnum recoil. Obviously it's not a good caliber for a first gun, but if you are already acclimated to handgun recoil in general then it should be no issue for you.

The 29-2 does come with a limitation: it is not an especially strong revolver by modern standards. It will not stand up to extended firing with standard Magnum loads (250/1400) as well as, say, the Ruger. It also is not a great choice for the "+P" Magnum loads in use today, such as those from Garret. Within those limitations, it is an outstanding revolver.

WRT caliber, the "standard" .44 Magnum load is ideal for most North American game. I would not choose it for very large and/or dangerous animals, but it has worked before and doubtless will work again. I do not have experience with the .357 for big game hunting. "Common" wisdom holds that it is marginal for whitetail and out of place for anything larger. I have no reason to argue with this wisdom, assuming 158 grain SWC bullets. I strongly suspect the more modern WFN and LFN heavyweight bullets extend the abilities of the .357 significantly, but again have no personal experience.
 
Guys telling me .357 isn't good for handgun hunting beyond 50 yds? Doesn't matter, 'cuz I can't hit DOODLEY at 50 yds with a revolver. Given that for me (and maybe you), YOUR range is more limited than the cartridge's, I'd say the .357 is plenty... unless you're hunting something .357 just wont DO reliably. For whitetail (small ones here) i wouldn't hesitate... but I'd need to get close. Hogs or bigger? I'd want a .44, except I'd rather have a .30-30.
 
I have a model 29 and I love it. I reload so i can shoot for cheap. The recoil of the 44 is nowhere near as bad as some folks make it out to be. My son has been shooting 44 mags since he was 10 or 11 years old. He prefers my 45 acp revolver but he always shoots the 44's when we take them out.

Of all the pistols i own i think the model 29 looks the best...and it shoots well too.
 
If you reload, a .44 magnum is fine. If you do not, then a .357 is a better choice. Shoot .38's for practice, full house magnums for hunting.
 
If handgun hunting is in the cards, I would prefer the larger .44 Magnum over a .357 Magnum. Although from the standpoint of shooting heavy loads in a big bore revolver, I greatly prefer the recoil management offered by a single action revolver. Single actions don't have a hump at the top of the grip that serves as an excellent meat tenderizer for the web of your shooting hand, instead they roll up with the recoil and allow that recoil energy to dissipate in a manner other than hammering your hand. I have shot S&W Model 29's a fair amount, and while I like them I still bark my thumb on the cylinder release with full house loads and it is annoying. In comparison I own a Freedom Arms M83 in .454 Casull and although it recoils hard enough to hit you in the face if you let it, the gun doesn't beat up my hands other than stinging my palms with some loads. At .44 Magnum levels of power I could shoot it all day long without fatigue.

With that in mind I would look into (from entry level to the best money can buy):

1.) Ruger New Model Super Blackhawk Bisley.

2.) Magnum Research BFR.

3.) Freedom Arms M83.
 
50 Yds? 50 Yds? Thats 150 foot:eek:. I quess you are one of those types that can shoot the wings off of a fly at 20 yds. Come on. You may hit the target at 50, but I have seious doubts about having the type of accuracy thats required for proper shot placement for hunting. 50 yds huh! Wow:rolleyes:
 
A basic standard of accuracy is two inches for every ten yards, standing unsupported. That level is attainable with a few months of educated practice. Ten inch groups at fifty yards will not win any medals but will reliably take most varieties of big game.

And of course there is no rule which states that one is required to shoot at game from only standing unsupported positions. Shooting from seated, backrest, rock or branch supports, etc. can easily cut group size in half. At the extreme end, one inch groups have been fired from revolvers at one hundred yards, using a bench rest and good technique.
 
Of course, there is a great deal to be said for getting as close as possible. It is far more impressive for a poor shot to get within ten yards than for a great shot to take a chance at one hundred...
 
Just because you are hunting with a handgun does not necessarily mean you will be shooting unsupported. Granted a 50 yard unsupported shot takes some doing and skill but add a set of shooting sticks to the mix and 75 to 80 yards is very doable. Not saying it is for everyone but if you practice with them at longer distances they will significantly increase your accuracy.

Regarding the caliber selection, I would have to give the nod to a 44mag over the .357. Even a modest 44 mag load (240gr @ 1300fps) will perform better than the hottest .357 loads with less bark and less recoil. I used to think that a .44mag would be punishing to shoot but with typical middle of the road loads, it is a real pleasure to shoot. With full snort loads it can be a handful.

For a hunting revolver I will 2nd Coal Dragger on the Bisley Super Blackhawk. I have a hunter model and it is one of the most accurate guns I own. Additionally shooting full power loads in it does not seem to carry the fatigue that I get from shooting similar loads in my Redhawk.
 
caliber really comes down to two things;p 1) do you reload and 2) how big are the deer in your area?

for me, i reload so i really wasnt concerned with the cost of ammo. however the deer here can get pretty dang big and i would hate to get a chance at a monster buck and not have the power to reach the vitals. all this considered, i went with the .44 mag and am very happy. i do plan to pick up a .357 revolver in the future that i can use for hunting because in all honesty, i am sure that it would be more than enough for most deer that i will run into.

by the way, coal dragger dished out some pretty good advice. i hunt with a super blackhawk (single action) and with my hottest loads it does roll upwards quite a bit, but is very easy on the hands. i could honestly shoot hundreds of hot loads in a sitting with no discomfort.


50 Yds? 50 Yds? Thats 150 foot. I quess you are one of those types that can shoot the wings off of a fly at 20 yds. Come on. You may hit the target at 50, but I have seious doubts about having the type of accuracy thats required for proper shot placement for hunting. 50 yds huh! Wow
Click to expand...

we're shooting deer not mice. the kill zone on a deer isnt that small (about a 7 or 8" circle), and if they are standing relativly still, 50 yards wouldnt be too hard so long as you had been practicing.
 
pinstripe,

Sorry you can't seem to develop enough skill to make shots at 50 yard with a handgun, it is not as easy to gain skill with handguns as other arms but it is possible. At this point for me, making a 50 yard shot on a 10" target with an accurate revolver even with iron sights is a chip shot. Your results may vary.
 
A 4" 629 is my EDC. S&W 29/629s are fine guns. Their versatility is the major attraction. They do a fine job for social work and will handle big angry mammals all right if you do your part. If recoil is a problem, use .44 special ammo and build up from there.
I agree with everyone here about reloading. The big bores are best if you reload and even better if you cast your own.
A S&W .44 would be an outstanding candidate for the "one handgun to do it all"
In my experience, the .44 is far superior to the .357 as a hunting arm, but I live where bears come in both colors and moose run around in peoples yards like deer in other places. Given that situation, I prefer a .44 over a .357 hands down.
 
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