Picked up my new Taurus Tracker, 44 mag, on Friday, took it to the range on Saturday, in spite of the bad weather. Couldn't have the gun in the house all weekend without shooting it. First thing I have to say about the gun is, it's pretty...It's also ( by far) the loudest handgun I've ever shot. I always wear good hearing protection but even with that on the noise is very noticeable. The factory grips are good but a bit small for my large hands but I think a pair of Hogue's will take care of that problem. I also took a 22 auto and a Ruger GP 100 in 357 mag with me. I started with the 22 and worked up to 38 then heavy 357 loads. I figured working up to the 357 would help me ease into the recoil I knew was coming with the Tracker. It didn't. I have a Ruger Super Redhawk in 44 mag also but it has an 8" barrel and absorbs most of the recoil. I closed my eyes and pulled the trigger. The recoil came but I still wasn't ready for it. It's the first handgun I've fired that actually hurt to shoot. I loved it! After about 10 rounds I had to put a thicker, padded glove on my right hand to help absorb the blast. After a few rounds of getting used to it I ended up firing 30 shells through it. It's very accurate at 25 yards, once you're not afraid anymore. It really pushes back against you but it does seem like the porting helps in keeping the barrel down since it didn't flip up much, which is what it was designed to do. I'm happy with my purchase. I hear some people say "just get a 44 mag and tone down the reloads." Well, in that case, it's no longer a 44 and you may as well have saved the money and stuck with the 357. I agree it's not a gun you'd shoot woodchucks with all day but it's great for what it was designed for, a short barrelled, light, powerful trail gun. Once you get used to the recoil and all the noise, I think you'll like it, I do...