.44 mag decision.

K

Kal

Inactive
I'm trying to decide between a Taurus Tracker in .44 or a Ruger Redhawk in .44. I'm looking for one I can pack with me while hiking, mainly in Colorado and Wyoming.

I've handled the Tracker already and I didn't care much for the feel of the grips, they seemed pretty large for me. From looking around online there don't seem to be a lot of other options out there. Certainly not like there are for the Redhawk. I haven't handled the Redawk as well as I would have liked, can't seem to find many in the area in a 5.5" barrel, but I've handled the GP100 quite a bit and liked how I could reach everything. How does that compare to the Redhawk?

Which one would you rather take backpacking?
 
I'd choose the ruger in 5.5". You mention a comparison to the GP100. That compaison is external only. The redhawk uses one spring for both the trigger and hammer so you loose hammer strength if you try to put in a lighter spring. The only suitable action job is to have the sear bearing surfaces finely honed by a professional. I like ruger revolvers best of all because they are bull strong and don't cost two weeks salery. They tend to have heavy triggers that are somewhat rough. To tell you the truth I'd choose a blackhawk stainless in 44mag 5.5". If you handload or are willing to buy expensive ammo I'd go with the same gun in 45 colt. as a side note, that 45 colt is also available in the redhawk.
If are willing to spend more, look at the BFR's and the freedom arms guns
garryc
 
I guess external comparisons are what I was really after. I wouldn't know enough about the internals of either to notice any differences just handling them.

How about the dimensions around the grip? The reach to the trigger felt about the same and I could reach the release and the hammer just as well I thought. Do the two guns have roughly the same external dimensions there? That was one thing I couldn't find on the Ruger website anywhere.

How about grips? I see the Super Redhawk has the same grips as the GP100, will similar grips fit on the Redhawk or is it designed differently? Does Ruger sell any extra grips that'll fit on a Redhawk or will I be going elsewhere (not really a problem, just curious)?
 
Why only two choices? The Ruger Super Redhawk would be a nice choice in stainless and 480 Ruger or 44 Magnum. The Taurus Tracker is also a good choice in 480 Ruger, stainless and 5" barrel. The Ruger single actions are worth checking out in stainless also. In BIG bores, I really only like the Taurus Trackers, Ruger SRHs and the S&W 629 Mountain Gun in 4". Taurus and Ruger single actions are good choices. Grips are out there, you have to hunt for them. Pachmayr rubber is my choice. Butler Creek is OK.
 
For a pack gun you might also want to look at the Ruger Super Red Hawk alaskan --- in 454 casull it will also fire 45 long colt, get it converted for use with moon clips and it will fire 45 acp as well --- it comes in a very nice pair of houge mongrips that I elieve are also availbe now from houge or ruger. So in one gun you can have anything from 45 acp personal defense rounds, light 45 colt practice loads, hotter 45 colt hunting / woods rounds, big ol 45 colt shot shells, and if you need the power you can fo to whatever you want in the relm of the 454 casull wich well.. will put down pretty much anything if you put the bullet in the right place.

Sadly they don't (yet) make the Alaskan in 44 mag, though like I said the 454 has a lot of versitility and wold be a good choice if you only had to pick one gun.

The GP100 is also great and if you want a pack gun the 3 inch (fixed rear sight) or 4 inch (adjustable) GP100 is lighter than anything in the redhawk line and this will make a differance to you at the end of the day when packing it all the time, 357 mag is nto a bad choce in the woods --- there are those who will argue against it and surely there is some merit to this if you think you might run into big bears, at the same time when it was introduced the 357 was viewed as very powerfull and many large animals taken with it so power of a round in general discussion is offten a thing of relative perception not actual utility. The 357 provides much the same versitility as far as having self defense rounds, shot shells, mild plinkers or hunting / critter gitter rounds, at the same time in a more compact package that is always easy to find ammo for it.
 
The SRH and the GP-100 have the same grip frame so they share stocks/grips. The RH is an older design and has it's own set of stocks/grips.
Unless you want the newer grip frame style or plan on shooting the hard thumping loads then the RH will be perfectly fine and it is lighter than the SRH.
 
What about a Taurus Raging Bull? I love mine, it’s my favourite .44...btw does the Tracker in .44 has a larger grip than a one in .22? caz Raging bull is a lot larger than a tracker 22...

I don’t find Redhawk to be very comfortable, just don’t like SA type drips.
 
I've got a redhawk .44 5.5" for that exact purpose as well as hunting.

I initially liked the looks of the "cowboy" like grips on it, but found them painful to shoot high power loads more than 20 rounds.

I changed them out for larger grips by hogue that fill in the space behind the trigger guard so my knuckles don't get so abused.

I find the taurus trackers have a similar problem with the trigger guard being too close to the grip.

You may end up having a more finely tune-able trigger on the taurus (I don't know), but the redhawk I feel is a better gun. It's a heavier frame, and that is going to matter for recoil and follow up shots in a self defense gun.
 
You didn't really mention what the overall use of the sidearm is for. Is it going to be a camping gun used for plinking and fun? Self-defense from wild animals? The GP100 with the 4" or 3" barrel is going to be much more comfortable than a 5.5" barrel revolver. In Colorado or Wyoming you're primary danger is Cougars and Black Bears. The 357 Mag is fine for them. In Yellowstone, there are some grizzlies, which you will probably want the 44Mag for. Just make sure the gun is of adequate weight for the cartridge that it fires. Follow-up shots are hard with a 25oz. 44Mag for example.
 
Traacker 44 v Redhawk 44

I am not familiar with the "Tracker" but, I do know about the Redhawk.
The Redhawk is big, heavy and bulky. Also, the Redhawk will take any load you want to put through it.
My recommendation is a Stainless 5 1/2 inch 44 Magnum Redhawk
 
You didn't really mention what the overall use of the sidearm is for. Is it going to be a camping gun used for plinking and fun?
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I hope to be able to taking it hiking and backpacking, use it for some target shooting, and home defense type things (though my shotgun would be better there).

I got a chance to handle a Redhawk and Super Redhawk earlier today. They were both ok for my hands but it doesn't look like my wife would be able to use either one. With the regular Redhaw she couldn't really reach the trigger and the Super version wasn't a whole lot better.

The GP100 was my first choice, I still really like the look of the gun, but I wanted one that would be able to do everything I wanted since I don't have enough funds to get a number of guns at the moment. The 44 looks like it'll fill more roles than the 357 will.
 
Sounds like you need to back off on the hand cannon since your wife can't handle the reach of one of the rugers and you can't afford a smith 629 (which I don't recommend anyway).

Re-examine the .357. There are some amazing, powerful loads for .357 out there that will put the hurt (and the dead) on any black bear. Then you can look at smith vs ruger vs taurus again.

And your missus will be able to wrap her hands around it ;)
 
The .357 was what I was thinking about initially but three different gun stores all recommended the .44 instead if I planned to do any hiking in Wyoming and further north. Since I do it seems that's a better bet.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to hit the forums here since yesterday so I picked up a Taurus Tracker in .44 earlier today. My wife was able to handle that one just fine, which is weird since it didn't seem to fit me all that well. Should be able to try it out at the range once it stops raining. Hopefully this week :)
 
Congrats!

If you find you don't like the grip (punishment on your knuckles when you shoot), go with a Hogue Monogrip.

They fill in that area behind the trigger well and keep that middle knuckle out of the way! Good product.
 
I realy like the Tracker, I have a Total Titanium Tracker 357 and love it.

It is a tack driver. I use it for hiking/hunting. I live in the woods and it is my general purpose go anywhere gun. 7-shots of 357mag is alot of firepower. It weighs less than my HK 45acp!!!
The Tracker is more accurate than was my Python or 686.
 
The 44 looks like it'll fill more roles than the 357 will.
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Short of Big-Game hunting, the 357 will do everything under the sun. If you aren't reloading the 357 will be more practical than the 44, as there is a lot more ammo selection for the 38/357M combo. With a 357 Magnum revolver and a decent rifle, you got all fields covered. A 200gr. 357 Mag load at 1200fps will penetrate just about anything you can imagine. The 125gr. JHPs are extremely aggressive expanders and can be used for varmints and SD against two-legged critters. The 357 Mag is also one of the best manstopping pistol cartridges ever made. Unless you are expecting to come into contact with Big Bears, the 357 Mag would be my choice as it is smaller, lighter, and easier to control. If you are carrying lots of ammo, the boxes will be smaller and lighter as well. If you want one gun and only one gun for every purpose, such as SD and hunting a wide variety of game, then I would say that the 44M would be a better option. If you want to eventually have a pistol and a hunting rifle, then the 357 would probably be a better choice.

Another question. Have you shot a Magnum revolver before? If you haven't then I would definitely go with the 357. If you aren't familiar with powerful pistol cartridges the 44Mag is definitely intimidating. A 357 can even be "too much" for some people and the 44Mag is even worse. Experienced shooters don't have much problem with them though. Its not something you can shoot hundreds of rounds at a time, though.
 
Hogue grips are the way to go!

Have a Tracker in .357 and the factory grip was too big,(from front to back) for my hand. I changed it in about 2 minutes to a Hogue monogrip with finger notches. It felt like a totally different gun and accuracy is better.
 
Now that you got a .44 it's time to get a press and start reloading :D you can load from powder puff .44spl to some nasty loads that make factory .44mag look like .38spl...

oh yeah will it save you a fortune too, if you plan to shot it that is ;)
 
Another question. Have you shot a Magnum revolver before? If you haven't then I would definitely go with the 357. If you aren't familiar with powerful pistol cartridges the 44Mag is definitely intimidating. A 357 can even be "too much" for some people and the 44Mag is even worse. Experienced shooters don't have much problem with them though. Its not something you can shoot hundreds of rounds at a time, though.
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Neither of us have ever fired a pistol before. We put a hundred rounds of .44 special through it this afternoon at the range though without any trouble. Recoil with those loads was nothing compared to our shotgun. Heck, we even managed to hit the same spot on the target a few times in a row :)

Now that you got a .44 it's time to get a press and start reloading
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I'm seriously considering it but like a lot of things I get into I don't know where to begin. At the start the terminology is always meaningless so I'm trying to figure out what I need to buy to start out :)
 
Some free advice, so take it for what it's worth :D

Stay away from anything from Lee made from plastic. If it costs less than a third of the competition, then it really has never been competition.

The Lee basic press may be acceptable (I don't know, I don't own one and have never used one), but the Lee powder throw made entirely of plastic is a waste of $20.

The 100gr scale isn't much better, but can at least be calibrated back to '0' each time you dig it out.

Stick with RCBS, Dillon or one of the other major manufacturers. For a minimum to begin reloading:

RCBS powder throw
Lee or RCBS powder scale
Lee or RCBS single stage press
shell holder for press for your target cartridge
Lee or RCBS priming tool
shell holder for priming tool base for target cartridge
RCBS, Lee, or Dillon Dies for your target cartridge
1lb powder (suggest 'Unique' for .44special or low-power .44mag)
500 bullets from Rainier 240gr FMJ or JHP
brick of 1000 large pistol primers
old brass
2 non-related reloading references (Lee makes a very good book, then get someone else's too just to double check load levels with 2 sources)
calipers to measure over-all cartridge length

I would guess that the total cost to get set up would be about $300 with everything above. There are other ways to begin reloading in a less expensive manner, but involve too many components from the Lee company to be reliable (or safe).

Adding a caliber to your reloading mix involves:
New dies
New shell holders (if base differs)
New powder (if not listed)
New primers (if different size)
bullets (duh)

Reloading is a lot more than just saving money... It's a way to screw states like Kalifornia when they start making ammo manufacturers put serial numbers on ammunition. It's a way to dodge taxes on manufactured ammunition. It's a way to tailor the perfect ammo for your gun.

And it's just fun.
 
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