Which .44 Mag?

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Currently though I wouldn't do anything with a Redhawk, because with Ruger's new 357 hybrid gun it is only a matter of time until the redesigned Redhawk will be available in 44 Magnum, making the Super Redhawk virtually obsolete, given resolution of barrel strength issues.
The "Super GP100" may very well obsolete the Redhawk but not the Super Redhawk.
 
Lots of options here and all have their pros and cons. Older N-frames are great guns and I surely don't have enough of them. Treat them appropriately and they will last a long time. I treat mine as slightly stronger .44Spl's and run them around 1200fps, rather than full steam 1450fps. Both my 29-3 and 629MG are tackdrivers.

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My favorites for general purpose use and holster duty are Ruger Bisleys. For me, they are the most comfortable. I have three in .44Mag. A Bisley Vaquero:

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A full custom by JRH with oversized six-shot cylinder and Rowen Dall sheep grips:

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And a mild custom by David Clements:

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For years I thought that Super Blackhawks were uncomfortable to shoot. Come to find out, it was just the factory grips. With these properly shaped stags, it is even comfortable with the Buffalo Bore 340gr +P+ load.

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The Uberti Callahan target is a sleek sixgun, barely bigger than a Colt SAA. I treat it about like the S&W's. The cylinder is too short for heavy bullet handloads anyway.

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I'm primarily a single action shooter but my favorite as a dedicated hunting sixgun is by far the Super Redhawk. It is comfortable to shoot and well balanced with the optic mounted over the frame, rather than the barrel and you still get to keep your iron sights. The SRH and the custom stainless Bisley above are easily capable of really heavy loads in the 50,000psi range. Long cylinders allow for bullets to be seated out of the case. I've been able to get 330gr LFN's to 1440fps, 355gr WLN's to 1350fps and 405's to 1160fps. The 355gr is far and away my favorite heavy bullet in the .44Mag.

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I haven't taken any decent pictures but have been playing with a Dan Wesson over the last year or so. Here it is with a blackbuck I recently took in Texas. Gonna have to do something about the barrel mounted scope as well.

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Great pieces. The Dave Clements Bisley is a stunner.
 
The Super is still Ruger’s flagship revolver. The new Super GP is merely an SRH with the frame extension cut off - it’s all SRH.
I think of it as neither a GP nor SRH. It's too bad they didn't think of a more defining name, avoiding the word "super". "New Redhawk" would have worked for me.
 
Regardless of what it is thought of, it is a Super Redhawk with the frame extension lopped off and a standard Redhawk barrel in its place. I agree that the name sucks.
 
Regardless of what it is thought of, it is a Super Redhawk with the frame extension lopped off and a standard Redhawk barrel in its place. I agree that the name sucks.
How is the resulting frame any different than a vintage Redhawk, the progenitor of the Super Redhawk?
 
The frame is SRH. Not RH. The lockwork is SRH, similar to the GP. The ONLY difference is the friggin' barrel. The Super GP is a Super Redhawk without the frame extension, period. It is essentially an 8-shot .357 version of the GP44 that Bowen first built years ago. In other words, you could make a Super GP out of a Super Redhawk but you could NOT make one out of the Redhawk. Two different platforms.
 
The Super is still Ruger’s flagship revolver. The new Super GP is merely an SRH with the frame extension cut off - it’s all SRH.
RealGun, MaxP is an industry insider. He knew about the Super GP long before any of us. He is in constant contact with the engineers at Ruger that design these things. Read his post again.
 
I am PATIENT ZERO in the magnum revolver disease.
If I had to chose one caliber I would have to use from now on it would be the 45 L/C, with reloading
as an easy way to adjust the caliber to the Model 25 Smith & Wesson in both 6" & 8" barrels they
are controllable & VERY accurate, it just doesn't stand up to the max loads like the Ruger.
The 44 Model 29 S&W comes next with the same reloadable variety, which I have used to knock down
several deer.
I never could get the hang of Ruger Redhawk because -to me- they look like a cross between western & modern
style frames, just my opinion but several of them around here so they must appeal to lots of you guys.
I did own a fantastic Ruger Blackhawk in 44 mag that was accurate like no other, then the next one was
awful as far as accuracy.
Just remember, if you are buying 2'nd hand there are no guarantees.
 
I have a Super Redhawk. Also had a Taurus Raging Bull. The Raging Bull is easier to shoot with must less recoil due to the porting. Both are great guns. The Red Hawk is stronger.
 
I have a Super Redhawk. Also had a Taurus Raging Bull. The Raging Bull is easier to shoot with must less recoil due to the porting. Both are great guns. The Red Hawk is stronger.

I’m in the middle of testing a Taurus with porting and while it cuts down on muzzle flip, it doesn’t really lessen recoil but it redirects it - all into the web of your hand. I really wish the porting was optional with their offerings.
 
While I prefer Smith and Wesson's, I've got a Taurus Tracker 44 Magnum. It's a five shot, with a 4" ported barrel, that seems to be about the same size as a K-frame Smith and Wesson.,,it fits into holsters for a K-frame anyway. I've never fired 44 magnum ammo in it, but it's a really nice 44 Special. I suspect it would kick back a bit, with magnum ammo.

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I have a New Model Super Black Hawk and a Taurus 44 both in 44 magnum. I got the Taurus because I always wanted a double action 44 magnum and I can't afford a M29. I like the Taurus just fine. Mine is very accurate. Bought it used and got 2 boxes of factory 44 magnum ammo in the deal. Just under $500.

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I’m in the middle of testing a Taurus with porting and while it cuts down on muzzle flip, it doesn’t really lessen recoil but it redirects it - all into the web of your hand. I really wish the porting was optional with their offerings.
If it has less flip it should have less effect on the web of your hand I would think. That is the case for me between the two.
 
There are no free lunches. Porting doesn't reduce recoil. It reduces muzzle flip by redirecting recoil forces into your hand.
 
If it has less flip it should have less effect on the web of your hand I would think. That is the case for me between the two.

No, it goes straight back and the muzzle doesn't flip up much. I do a lot of bench testing of heavy recoiling revolvers, and this one is actually making my hand somewhat sore. I would much prefer not having the porting, but that's just me.
 
This thread has photos of MANY beautiful .44s. , my compliments to those posters.

I caught the bug with a Super Blackhawk in 1980.
Followed up with a Marlin with a wide field 3 power Weaver scope, a superb weapon for heavy brush.

At this point I have a Dan Wesson kit, a S&W chrome plated, a shorter Marlin that I kept with iron sights, and one that is quite accurate and enjoyable to shoot- the super long barreled Super Blackhawk.

A couple of times at the public range (BITD) I would shoot the long barreled Ruger at cans and they would fly so impressively that people would ask me if I was shooting a .50 caliber!

(I wish I could say "punk" like Clint Eastwood ;)
 
I am curious about how long the Ranging Hunter Holds up.
Taurus Raging Hunter 44 Magnum:Table Top & Range Review
 
There are no free lunches

Nope
I hate the porting for no reason other than the noise. In my experience from the 2 or 3 I have that are ported they take a normally loud gun and redirect that report closer to your ears. I have ported and non ported 44s and ported and non ported 338 Lapua (muzzle brake but same idea) and the sound difference to the shooter is massive. On a range toy where eyes and ears come first it's not a huge deal but a defensive or hunting gun it could be.

The only handgun I've fired that I will say could get uncomfortable is my 329 pd with the pretty wooden grips it came with and the newer ones come with checkered and much nicer wood grips than mine did. With x-frame grips it's not terrible. I prefer no porting personally on a hunting/woods gun that I may need to fire without using hearing protection. My x-frames are ported but I havent fired one with no porting to compare.
 
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