WrongHanded
Member
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2017
- Messages
- 4,771
My .44 mag Ruger Redhawk with 5-1/2" barrel has been a project. And by that I mean, it's been a journey - that journey may not yet be over, but fingers crossed - to learn to shoot well, and get set up the way I can shoot it best. It was my first .44 Magnum, and possibly for that reason alone, I've been reluctant to part with it despite how much of a pain in the butt it's been.
I've been through some good times with it, where we've perform fairly well. And we've been through some rough patches, where nothing is working and I feel like cutting it into little pieces with an Oxyacetylene torch.
However, I'm hoping that I finally have it right now.
A Bowen Rough Country rear sight and extra tall front sight were installed along the way. The rear was for the target blade more than anything, but the front was for the 300gr+ loads that were hitting far too high above POA with the regular front sight. Because the barrel isn't clocked quite right, and the extra tall front sight just exacerbates that issue, rear sight is now cranked all the way left, and finally hitting POA with these heavier bullets, despite some odd and inexplicable horizontal shift in impact going from 240gr to 300gr bullets.
Then there the grips. I've tried the stock wood panels, the Hogue monogrip, and a Nils Griffe. All have pros and cons, and all leave the backstrap exposed, which is extremely unpleasant with heavy recoil. I also tried the Pachmayr Presentation grip, which does wonders for recoil mitigation, but is so big and thick I don't seem to be able to grasp it consistently, which caused POI shifts. But I've found the Pachmayr Gripper seems to cover all the bases, except that it's ugly. At this point I simply don't care. It gives a consistent hold, allows for good control for follow up shots, and even the heaviest recoiling loads I've put through the gun don't hurt.
I've done a "kitchen table" trigger job, and added a shim or two. But it still wasn't a light enough trigger for my liking, so I tried a Wolff spring kit with the 13# spring, and now the 12# spring which is functioning correctly in DA, and gives a very nice crisp and fairly light SA pull.
And I've just finished accuracy "testing" of the newest .44 mag load I've worked up. Montana Bulletworks 300gr LBT WFN-GC (actual weight approx 310gr) and 22.0gr of Power Pro 300 MP. Chrono testing has yet to come. But I'm pleased with the results.
Both groups were fired at 25 yards from the benches, arms supported on a rest, gun in hands and otherwise unsupported.
The group on the left was before I cranked the rear sight over the last 1/4 turn or so (which I confirmed with other ammo). All shots were fired SA, without a break in between. The group is 1-15/16". I believe that's a personal best for me with iron sights on a handgun and using this setup.
The group on the right is also 6 shots, measures 2-9/16", and was fired at the same distances from the same position. This is after I finalized the sight adjustment. However, this group was fired one shot at a time. After each shot I put the gun down and relaxed my arms and hands a bit. I'm not entirely sure why the two shots on the left are out there so far, but I can only assume it's because that's where I was pointing the gun. Fuzzy targets can fool me like that sometimes (perhaps I should consider a visit to the optometrist). But in seriousness, those two showed up somewhere in the middle of the group, so I doubt there's anything to blame but the guy holding the gun.
So, in conclusion, whilst I'm no bullseye shooter, I've got a gun that's working the best it's ever worked for me. And I've got a new load with a lot of potential. Now I just have to check how fast the load is, and see if I can hit some gongs out at farther distances with this combination. No other gun I've owned has caused me as much strife as this Redhawk. Hopefully those days are in the past.
I've been through some good times with it, where we've perform fairly well. And we've been through some rough patches, where nothing is working and I feel like cutting it into little pieces with an Oxyacetylene torch.
However, I'm hoping that I finally have it right now.
A Bowen Rough Country rear sight and extra tall front sight were installed along the way. The rear was for the target blade more than anything, but the front was for the 300gr+ loads that were hitting far too high above POA with the regular front sight. Because the barrel isn't clocked quite right, and the extra tall front sight just exacerbates that issue, rear sight is now cranked all the way left, and finally hitting POA with these heavier bullets, despite some odd and inexplicable horizontal shift in impact going from 240gr to 300gr bullets.
Then there the grips. I've tried the stock wood panels, the Hogue monogrip, and a Nils Griffe. All have pros and cons, and all leave the backstrap exposed, which is extremely unpleasant with heavy recoil. I also tried the Pachmayr Presentation grip, which does wonders for recoil mitigation, but is so big and thick I don't seem to be able to grasp it consistently, which caused POI shifts. But I've found the Pachmayr Gripper seems to cover all the bases, except that it's ugly. At this point I simply don't care. It gives a consistent hold, allows for good control for follow up shots, and even the heaviest recoiling loads I've put through the gun don't hurt.
I've done a "kitchen table" trigger job, and added a shim or two. But it still wasn't a light enough trigger for my liking, so I tried a Wolff spring kit with the 13# spring, and now the 12# spring which is functioning correctly in DA, and gives a very nice crisp and fairly light SA pull.
And I've just finished accuracy "testing" of the newest .44 mag load I've worked up. Montana Bulletworks 300gr LBT WFN-GC (actual weight approx 310gr) and 22.0gr of Power Pro 300 MP. Chrono testing has yet to come. But I'm pleased with the results.
Both groups were fired at 25 yards from the benches, arms supported on a rest, gun in hands and otherwise unsupported.
The group on the left was before I cranked the rear sight over the last 1/4 turn or so (which I confirmed with other ammo). All shots were fired SA, without a break in between. The group is 1-15/16". I believe that's a personal best for me with iron sights on a handgun and using this setup.
The group on the right is also 6 shots, measures 2-9/16", and was fired at the same distances from the same position. This is after I finalized the sight adjustment. However, this group was fired one shot at a time. After each shot I put the gun down and relaxed my arms and hands a bit. I'm not entirely sure why the two shots on the left are out there so far, but I can only assume it's because that's where I was pointing the gun. Fuzzy targets can fool me like that sometimes (perhaps I should consider a visit to the optometrist). But in seriousness, those two showed up somewhere in the middle of the group, so I doubt there's anything to blame but the guy holding the gun.
So, in conclusion, whilst I'm no bullseye shooter, I've got a gun that's working the best it's ever worked for me. And I've got a new load with a lot of potential. Now I just have to check how fast the load is, and see if I can hit some gongs out at farther distances with this combination. No other gun I've owned has caused me as much strife as this Redhawk. Hopefully those days are in the past.