Which Big bore Revolver for hunting?

[jack the toad]

Currently owning both a S&W 4" 500 and 4" 629, my major complaint with the 500 is that the 4" only comes with a comp and Smith doesn't offer a blank compensator like with the 460.
I don't care for any type muzzle brake on a handgun especially for hunting because it's not practical for me to wear hearing protection then.

 

[S&Wfan]

Hi,

When my wife and I take a trip, with our little Boston Terrier, I take a car . . . not a bus.

When I have to kill a fly I don't grab a baseball bat.

When I am charged a dollar for an item I don't pay ten.

And when I'm hunting whitetail and hogs I don't need a heavy, mega-sized handgun . . . a .44 magnum does incredibly well, thank you.

My goal is to pack light and I hate toting heavy guns and scopes in the woods. My 6" barreled Model 29 w/Holosight is relatively light . . . and the massive 300 grain, hardcast bullet really thumps deer and hogs and "plants" 'em right where they are hit if you do your job correctly!

I've owned and hunted with a Contender. No thanks. My Model 29 allows me to take accurate shots at any distance practical.

Are the .500 and .460 rounds "overkill?" No really . . . for you cannot "overkill" anything. Once they are dead . . . they are dead!

Naah, I don't need the expense of a bus, nor the expense of a bigger cartridge either . . . for the .44mag is plenty gun for the job!

T.

 

[Troutman]

<<Are the .500 and .460 rounds "overkill?" No really . . . for you cannot "overkill" anything. Once they are dead . . . they are dead!>>

S & W fan,

Agreed.

I overlike that statement you made. Yes….It’s an ambiguous term.
Doing the reverse. What is “underkill”, then?


<<My goal is to pack light and I hate toting heavy guns and scopes in the woods. My 6" barreled Model 29 w/Holosight is relatively light .>>

I, myself, overlike my handguns on thee….relatively heavy side, generally speaking, in ambiguous terms that is.
I have to use heavier bullets in my 29, to make up for those weight deficiencies.

 

[D&T]

Take the 454 Casull. Properly loaded, it offers more punch at 100 yards than what the 44 mag. does at 15 feet and the trajectory at 200 yards is as good as the 44 mag. at 100 yards. NO - I'm not putting down the 44 mag. as it is still my all time favorite handgun pistol cartridge. Each one has it's own place and usage in the game fields....

 

[slow944]

D&T I picked up one of those today. I haven't had a chance to go to the range yet, but as soon as I can get the rings and the scope mounted I'll be heading out. Question, How do you carry yours in the field? Belt holster or Bandalera? Also do you reload or use factory?

 

[Big Boomer]

+1 for the 460

Although, I own a pc 12" in 460 I am not 100% sold on the smiths. There is really no need for the double action and the cost is quite high.

I have been thinking about a 500 and have decided on a Magnum Research BFR. These are around 800 or less and you can even get the longer barrel without paying the big bucks. They are built like a tank similar to Ruger in single action and seem to be worth the bucks.

The longer cylinder will allow you to play with seating depth and heavier bullets to get lower pressures.

I heard a rumor that frames are actually made by Ruger (can anyone confirm?)

pay them a visit, many places do not stock them but they can order them as I found out.

http://www.magnumresearch.com/Browse.asp?Category=BFR:Revolvers

I'm sold on the 500 with the 10" barrel.

 

[Stainz]

The shorter frames were just Ruger SBH - with lots of care in fitting. The longer frames, like the .45-70 and .45/.410 chamberings, may be made elsewhere. The MR BFR's are nearly as nicely fitted together as FA's - but all list at $999 MSRP. That $800 is little more than dealer cost - and would be an excellent price for any new one. The barrels are custom, as are the usually 5-shot cylinders. The screws are generally hex head (Allen head). The lockwork is smoothed, too... just a lot of TLC - certainly not a 'bare bones Ruger'. While functional, I don't care for the rubber grips - wood stocks, etc, are extra. They don't cut weight, either.

Several years ago, they dropped their only .45 Colt-only chambered variants - admittedly made by D-Max, a company they absorbed some time earlier. A closeout dealer had them for $449 - a super deal. My local pusher had one forever - until the day before I went to buy it! It really was nice - and, if my SS Bisley BH was worth the $390 I paid for it, that BFR .45 was clearly worth it's original MSRP of $900+. Look at one at a gunshow - or a really well-stocked dealer - any caliber.

Guns not bought...

Stainz

 

[Fumbler]

....

 

[borrowedtime69]

indestructable

my choice would be the larger new Ruger Revolvers. the Ruger line of revolvers is way over-built and will take a beating for a few life-times. most revolver manufacturers recommend that you shoot lower power ammo in them and accassionally use the magnum loads, example - A .357 should be shot mostly with .38 specials, they just arent built to last, theyre built for pretty. -Eric

 

[Barr]

A Ruger Redhawk is an ideal revolver for hunting. A .44 Magnum load that is handloaded can be downloaded for plinking and target duty and with just a little tweaking can be a small handheld cannon right on the edge of controllability for most people. Under 50-75 yards, the .44 Magnum properly loaded can put down most if not all North American game.

If you buy ammo look at Buffalo Bore ammunition. Some of their ammunition is loaded just for Ruger Redhawks or Super Redhawks due to their having longer cylinders than most revolvers. Due to the rounds OAL being longer, they can push more velocity from the same round with similar pressures.

 

[LAK Supply]

The .460 is a sweet setup.... but the X frames are freakin' HUGE!!!

I like the 45/454/460 thing, but even the Trail Boss X frame is too big to wanna pack around much. A 44 mag loaded with hot stuff (I second the DT ammo recommendation seen earlier in the thread) is more than adequate for most anything, and the frames are still a manageable size.

If you're strictly hunting get the 460..... you'll be using a longer barrel and likely a scope so you'll be out of holster range anyway. If you want to pack it in a holster you'll thank yourself for staying in the N frame range.

I can't comment on the Super Redhawks since I don't own one...... How do they compare to the N or X frame Smiths? I'd be curious to know.... if they're smaller than the X frame and available in something in 4-5" I might just have to pick one up for myself.....

 

[campbell]

I can't comment on the Super Redhawks since I don't own one...... How do they compare to the N or X frame Smiths? I'd be curious to know.... if they're smaller than the X frame and available in something in 4-5" I might just have to pick one up for myself.....

Much lighter than the X frames. 7.5'' Super Red is 53 oz. But, the 7.5'' is as short as it comes (aside from the giant snubby Alaskan version). Pretty easy to have it cut down though. They can still be had under 700 new. Spend a couple hundred to have that barrel cut, and it'll weigh about the same as an N frame but will take loads that'll turn an N frame into a hand grenade.

 

[pinkymingeo]

With proper shot placement, you can kill a deer, hog or bear with a 38 Special. If you miss, a 375 H&H won't do the job. A lot of guys have trouble dealing with the blast and recoil of hot 44mag loads, much less 460-500. A large-frame 357 is fun to shoot and adequate. 45 Colt is fun to shoot and adequate. I use 10mm revolvers, which are fun to shoot and adequate.

 

[ryan b]

my 2 cents if you cant stop it with a 44 mag it needs to have a stock on it

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Amen -- a hot loaded .45 Colt of a .44 Mag is about all the average man can shoot well. I don't deny there are some men who can shoot the .460, .454, 500 S&W and so on -- but I bet a lot of guys who buy those revolvers never put a full box of shells through them.

 

[FLORIDA KEVIN]

I have a ruger SRH in 454 and I absulutly love it ! I started handloading so that I can aford to practice with it ! the more I shoot it the better I like it !If you are limeted to factory rounds then I would get the SRH in 44 mag because you need to practice to get to be competant enough to take game !.44 mag costs about 22-24 dollars per 50 rounds 454 starts at around 22dollars for 20 rounds ! If you handload go with the 454 ! The 250 to 260 grain bullets are cremepuffs in the SRH!!

 

[warriorsociologist]

Well, first off, I handload.... SO, with that out of the way, here's my reasoning...

I began hunting whitetail with a handgun about 12 years ago with a 6" S&W 686 (iron sights only) loaded with 180gr. Hardcast or 180gr XTPs over a max load of H-4227. I knew that I was toting the smallest legal caliber for my state (WI) then (though now the laws have eased up on this a great deal), but the performance I witnessed on game was nothing less than outstanding. I guess I made sure to take only good shots that I knew were within my ability and I never had an animal move more than a few yards after it was hit. Also, over the years, I have posted my stories on the 'Net from many of these hunts.

Then around 1998/1999 or so, I caught "10mm fever" and bought (2) G-20s, (1) G-29, a 6.5" 610 classic Hunter, and a 4" 610. I hunted with the 6.5" and found it to be a wonderful platform. Then, after returning from a deployment in 2003, I began to consolidate my collection down to only those pieces I actually shot regularly. In the end, I kept one version of 10mm (the G-20), a 4" and 6" version of my .357s (both 686-4) as well as a few others (a pair of 642s, a G19, etc.)...

Anyway...then the seller's remorse set in.

So, I bought and sold a few more...and also began taking a serious interest in the .41 mag (& picked up a 6" S&W 57-2). My rationale was similar to what I thought about the 610 - basically, I saw both of these as having all the power I needed in a platform (S&W DA revolver) that had served me so well over the years. Also, I had owned a 629 "Classic Hunter" at one time that needed timing work sooner than I would have liked it to (thus, I sold it after it was fixed), and I had also seen a few of my pals' other .44 mag N-frame guns begin to show their age after a few thousand stout 240+gr. hunting loads (yes, a few THOUSAND - they shot steel plates weekly). Since I really preferred the feel and action of the S&W guns, I figured that the .41 mag was the way to go if I wanted to maximize (a) power over my .357, (b) the long-term durability of the firearm (in this case, an N-frame S&W).

Further, I figured that if I honestly thought I were ever in a situation where I needed "more gun" than what a .41 mag offered, I would necessarily also think I needed more than a .44 mag too. While the .44 (.430) does hold a slight edge in raw HP over the .41, I just didn't feel that this marginal increase in energy was significant enough to justify owning a .44 AND a .41 since I could not think of any task that a .44 mag could accomplish that my .41 could not. In the end, I decided to stick with the .41 mag and .357 mag in revolvers and keep the 10mm confined to my autos. I guess if I ever do feel I need "more handgun" than my .41, I'd probably step up to the .454 Casull in a SRH as I view it a "real" gain...but, that said; I really don't think I'll ever actually take that plunge. Most likely, if I were confronted with such a situation I'd just choose to tote a 12ga. Rem 870 + slugs as a primary weapon and keep my 4" .41 mag on my hip.

Thus, I guess the .41 mag is, to me, a "44 mag-like caliber" that will allow my N-frames to keep on ticking longer than they might if few a steady diet of equally-maximized (HOT) .44 mags. I think the .41 mag does everything I'd want either caliber to do...and after all, the job I now have my .41 mag assigned to (whitetail hunting) is one I used to use a .357 mag to accomplish with good results anyway.


- My .02... YMMV.

 

[D&T]

slow944,

I apologize for taking so long to respond...

I carry mine in an Uncle Mike's cross draw shoulder holster and I only shoot handloads. My main load for deer is SPEER's 260 gr. JHP load at just over 1,800fps.. With the muzzle brake on this one, recoil is more comfortable than a 44 mag. shooting a 240 gr. bullet, which allows for a lot of practice in the off season....