# .44mag



## Savage260 (Oct 21, 2007)

I shot 2 .44mag revolvers earlier today, and thought they were great. 1 was a Ruger Redhawk 7.5" and the other was a Smith mod 629-3. I have never shot .44mag before, but now I am going to own one.

I am looking for a revolver to hunt up any thing up to deer sized game, and plinking/targets.

What would you all suggest, and why? I am not looking at spending over $800.00 so that might limit my choices.

Any info is greatly appreciated!

Laite


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I have two Smiths. One has a four inch barrel and the other a 8 3/8 inch barrel. I tried Elmer Keiths trick of taking off my front site and cutting two thin lines across it. I then took it to the jeweler and had him inlay the lines with gold. I sight in for 50 yards and use the lines for 100 and 200. Well, that was my intention except I should have done some experimenting. The lines turned out to be 200 and 400. Oh, well, they are good indicators anyway. I know that half way between the 50 and first line will put me on at about 150, and half way between both lines puts me right on at 300, yards that is.

The four inch barrel puts my Kimber 1911 to shame for accuracy, but the longer barrel simply walks all over the four inch in accuracy and has about 200 fps more velocity with the same loads.

I have not shot a deer with the four inch, but I have shot a few with the longer barrel. Off the bench the long barrel will swing a four inch steel plate every time at 100 yards. With a hard cast 240 over 9 gr of Unique I average 1157 fps. Cottontails are not safe to 100 yards if I have a rest. The odd thing is even at 25 yards a cottontail hit through the ribs has no meat damage.

Years ago I read an article called the 10.91mm mag. It was actually the 44 mag with the Hornady 300 gr with double canular. The cylinder is long enough to load in the second canular leaving room for more powder. I am heading out for coyote in a couple of minutes so I don't want to search for my book, but I think I was getting 1425 fps. I killed a deer at 175 yards with that load.

Have to go the sun is nearly up.


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## jtillman (Oct 31, 2005)

Plainsman....tell me more about Elmer Keiths trick, or where I can find out more about that (book, website, ect). I searched a little for him, but couldn't find anything on front sight info you mentioned...although there is plent of info about him.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

To tell the truth I don't remember where I read it. However, I do remember that he shot very long distance for a handgun. He prefered a partridge type sight.



> Definition for "Patridge sight" : A sighting system developed by famous revolver shooter E. E. Patridge in 1892. It consists of a flat-topped, thick front sight with parallel sides. The width of the front sight appears just slightly smaller than the width of the square notch in the rear sight. Proper sight alignment calls for the tops of the front and rear sights to be in line, and for an equal amount of light showing between the sides of the notch and the sides of the front sight.


With the lines cut in the sight you raise a line to come even with the top edges of the back sight, and your target remains at just the top of your front sight. With a line about 1/8 inch down from the top of the front sight you add about 100 yards on an eight inch barrel. The shorter the barrel the more pronounced the affect of the 1/8 inch adjustment.

OK, I run and took a quick pic of my front sight. Keep in mind I wish I had put both lines a little further up. However, I do enjoy plinking at rocks at 400 yards with the bottom line.


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## jtillman (Oct 31, 2005)

Very interesting. I can't wait to go back home after work and pull the .44 out and check things out. Thanks for the picture, that helped lots.

After doing a quick search on Elmer Keiths, most of the information I could find talked about his 600yd shot on a mulie and his pistol in general....but couldn't find anything on the sights like you mention.

This would be a nice alternative to putting a scope on the .44.


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## rasmusse (Oct 24, 2006)

Laite:

I use a Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 magnum for hunting. It has a 7 1/2 inch barrel. I handload some fairly stout hunting loads and I know the big Ruger single action can handle the pressure. Just a well built, dependable handgun.


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## varmit b gone (Jan 31, 2008)

Ruger Super Redhawk, the only way to fly for a hunting handgun other than the Contenders. They can stand up to so much more. This is proven in the reloading books, some say "Only use trhis load in Ruger Super Redhawk and Thompson Encore/Contenders", just my 0.02


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## jtillman (Oct 31, 2005)

Laite:

Guess I forgot the main reason for the post....oops.

I shoot a Taurus Raging Bull with an 8 /38" barrel. It's a heavy gun, shoots like a dream....kicks way less than my budies .357 with a 6" barrel.

I have shot a Redhawk and Blackhawk as well. Both are very nice, and if I hadn't found such a good deal on the Taurus, tht may have been the direction I went.

Good luck on finding your pistol.


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## TK33 (Aug 12, 2008)

I have a Taurus .44mag with a 6 1/2" ported barrel, it shoots like a dream. I would take over the 629, Colt anaconda, or the super redhawk.

The ported barrel makes it bark but instead of kicking or jumping up like the 629 it drives almost straight back. I have taken 6 deer open sight with it. Great handgun. My .02

The last time I checked the Taurus was at or under $600

Good Luck


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## varmit b gone (Jan 31, 2008)

I have heard the Taurus' don't hold together at all, but like I said, thats just what I've heard.


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## TK33 (Aug 12, 2008)

I would doubt that, they seem to be alot more sturdy than the 629, and they are definetely better built than the ruger. They are a very simple gun so I don't know what would go wrong. They had some sort of deal with S&W and beretta in the past. They also have some sort of a lifetime warranty, I don't know how limited the warranty is since I have never had to use it on mine (8yrs).

Elaborate if possible


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## duckslyr (Nov 27, 2008)

You can never go wrong with a ruger revolver! Taurus has come a long way in the past few years and they are great too but it sure aint no ruger. as for smith and wesson they are awesome guns but from what i have seen you are paying more for the part of the gun that says "SMITH & WESSON" than you are for the actual gun. i would definatly get a ruger.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I have had about five Rugers. Tough as nails guns, but the bore is slightly rough, and they lead up much faster than the Smith. Trigger is better on the Smith, and I have never shot a Ruger with the accuracy of a Smith. I have had Super Blackhawk, Redhawk, and Super Redhawk. I have had about 15 Smiths. Still have three. 
Oh, no that's not right I guess I forgot. I don't have any handguns. I only have two single shot rifles, and one is broken and the other has no sights. One of these years I am going to buy some ammo. dd: I wouldn't want Nancy and Obama to think I owned anything nasty.


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## Savage260 (Oct 21, 2007)

> Oh, no that's not right I guess I forgot. I don't have any handguns. I only have two single shot rifles, and one is broken and the other has no sights. One of these years I am going to buy some ammo. I wouldn't want Nancy and Obama to think I owned anything nasty.


Plainsman, how could you forget some thing like that. I bet you sold off all your nasty guns years ago!!!

Thanks for all the responses!!! From what I have read and been told the Smiths are less well built and don't handle high power loads on a regular basis. Any thing to that???

From what I have heard Ruger is by far the strongest design most rugged line. I have not heard or read(so far any way) about one failure with a Ruger. I have heard they are not as accurate nor as comfortable to shoot as some of the others.

I have heard and read that Taurus is any where from cheap junk to extrememly reliable and very accurate. Not sure how to take that. I have heard their customer service is not very good.

I did shoot much better with the Smith, but that was .44 special loads vs 200gr bullets at around 1800fps(not my own loads so I don't know for sure) out of the Ruger.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

> I bet you sold off all your nasty guns years ago!!!


Oh, absolutely, they are all gone. :justanangel: I wish I could remember the guys name that bought them all.

I do agree that the Ruger is a tougher gun. I have pushed 300 gr bullets to 1425 fps, but it isn't something I would want to make it digest on a daily basis. If I wanted to do that I would stick with a Ruger.

If I was going to shoot moderate loads with lead bullets Smith is the only one I would consider. I always had the Lewis Lead Remover out every time I shot half a box through my Rugers. I can pound 200 rounds through my Smiths and not touch them afterwards.

It depends on how your going to use your handgun. Tough as nails with heavy loads the old Super Blackhawk is hard to beat. Want to toss it in a pack and beat it around go with the Vaquero that has no sights to get knocked off. Want a plinker for cottontails with lead bullets, want to shoot 240 hard cast at up to 1450 fps for deer get the Smith. Want smooth double action and Smith is the only way to go. A gunsmith can set your Ruger up with a nice trigger and lap your bore for lead bullets.


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## Savage260 (Oct 21, 2007)

> It depends on how your going to use your handgun. Tough as nails with heavy loads the old Super Blackhawk is hard to beat. Want to toss it in a pack and beat it around go with the Vaquero that has no sights to get knocked off. Want a plinker for cottontails with lead bullets, want to shoot 240 hard cast at up to 1450 fps for deer get the Smith. Want smooth double action and Smith is the only way to go. A gunsmith can set your Ruger up with a nice trigger and lap your bore for lead bullets.


I guess other than deer hunting and shooting targets for fun I haven't really given it that much thought!! I did see a few nice pistols at Scheel's in Minot today, but their prices suck!!! I told the guy I would take the Super Blackhawk if he dropped the price $50(should have said $100) and he told me they didn't deal on guns. Also tried the Sportsman's Loft, but they were very busy and had a terrible selection on hand. I guess I will have to wait until I can get to Fargo again. I would really like to handle the Taurus pistols. The S&W's are just a bit too high priced. Maybe I can go with a pre owned though.


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## varmit b gone (Jan 31, 2008)

I'm going to dis agree on the Rugers being uncomforatable to shoot, IMO they are way better than Smiths.


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

Has anyone shot the Rugar Alaskan?


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## ruger1 (Aug 16, 2006)

I know one of the things I like about the Ruger Super Redhawk is that it comes ready for scope mounts. I like the Taurus, but it needs to have a frame built for the scope mounts. I don't know about the S&W regarding scope mounts. I do know that the price on the S&W is getting up there.


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## goatspeed (Apr 9, 2007)

Take a look at Gunbroker.com and see if you can find any 629 Hunter Plus models from the S&W Performance Center. I got one right at 800, your limit. I've seen them as low as $750. They average $900. Most S&W PC guns retail north of $1300, so it's a heck of a deal. Here's a link:

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/ ... sFirearm=Y

It has a rail on it for mounting a scope or dot sight, or laser if you wish. It's crazy accurate. I shoot better with it than any of my other revolvers. It has a 7.5 inch barrel. It can take heavier loads than a normal 629. If you double action, it's crazy smooth. It looks like Hellboy's gun too, which might be a plus Here's some pics of mine.


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## varmit b gone (Jan 31, 2008)

That is a sweet looking gun! I may have to try one of those bad boys out.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Wow what a price on the PC Smith. I don't think there are many guns out there shy of $2000 that are in the same ball park with that gun. I thought about one a couple of years ago, but rather than spending $500 to boot I just bought another Smith. So now I have two. One serious hunting, and a light carry. The one just shot to good to trade in. I average under an inch at 25 yards off sandbags. I have seen one like the PC Smith with a scope though, and at 25 yards it was nearly a single caliber size hole.


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