Best length for shooting 44 mag

Actually they did make a few 5" Anacondas but they are rare and expensive.

I like my 4", mainly because it is a Colt; I like all Colts.

Maybe I should get a 6" and see if I like it better for shooting magnums.
The thing is you can find .44 magnum at Walmart but not .44 special. I guess there is more demand for .44 magnum for the guidos with desert eagles out there.

They did make .45 Colt (though not near as many). But I've got a single action Colt in .45 Colt that hits right to point of aim, so that base is well covered.
 
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I'd have to say I've found the 5.5" Redhawk to be the minimum effective length for a .41/.44 magnum. So, I'd go with the 6" Colt.
 
The anaconda has that massive underlug, I'm wondering how I'm going to feel about the recoil of the six and eight inch anaconda.
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I suspect you will feel exactly the same way ("abusive") with either a 6" or 8". Learning to shoot 44's is something you have to work at.

My first center fire revolver was a 6" Colt Python. Loved the action, the balance, and the feel. I was a POOR shot with it. I was young and mostly had experience shooting 22 revolvers and I found the 357 mag to be "abusive" and no fun to shoot.

Roll the calendar forward and I got what I believed was a good buy on a 8 3/8" SW M57 (41 mag) which I wanted to use for deer hunting. I had not shot the Python in years, but was committed to learn how to shoot this revolver well. I did. That revolver is the most accurate (for me) revolver I own and shoot. I also have a 4" that I shoot okay, but not as well as the longer barreled one. After shooting a lot with the 41 mag, I bought a 6" Colt Trooper Mark III 357 mag and loved the thing. Sold the Python.... I have no regrets even though Pythons now sell for 2x what I sold it for.

My point is... practice practice practice and you will develop a tolerance for the recoil and shoot more accurately. 44 mags are not much different from the 41 mag in terms of recoil. But I have to admit that I sold off a couple 44's after learning to shoot the 41 mag. Just didn't need a 44 for anything.
 
Interesting original post about barrel length. I have somewhat of an experiment going on with that here and now. When people say "carry" they don't often define the situation. In my case, I may carry in a jacket or vest pocket, a belted holster outside the pants and under the jacket, or I might carry in a belted holster under the clothing. Here's something I found: a 4 inch is ok in a normal sense. But a 4 inch on a belt inside of the shirt pokes into the body when sitting while driving. In that case a 2 1/2 barrel is much better. So my point is that when you "carry" are you seated in an auto? Do you wish to be under a jacket but outside the shirt? Or do you wish to be under the shirt so nothing is visible even if the jacket is open? Today I tried my Model 28 4-inch Highway Patrolman under the t-shirt with jacket and I had to move the muzzle out from my leg while driving. Next time I will try the 2 1/2 inch model 686 and I think that will not be poking into me when sitting behind the wheel.
 
My carry situation for big bores is for range and mountain use. Camping and hunting. This looks like what I am looking for in a holster for my Blackhawk, but eek 185 bucks! http://www.epsaddlery.com/p-47-doc-holiday-holster.aspx#KitInPostBack

I actually have a similar holster to this Doc Holliday holster that I bought from WWG in AK fo my SBH but it rides the gun slighty higher and more cross chest. It is a fantastic holster and actually could be used under or over a coat. I have no link for that one.
 
I dont mean any disrespect but earlier posters mentioned that the long barrels and muzzle heaviness of the guns hurt their arthritic wrists and shoulders. If just holding the gun hurts you, you really probably should not be shooting a 44 magnum.

As to barrel length, I have an 8 3/8" S&W 629. If you dont need concealment it is really nice to have the long sight radius and extra weight up front to tame the muzzle rise.
 
I agree. I have loaded for and shot 4", 5.5", 6". 7.5", and 20" 44 Mags and it seems to me that the longer the barrel, the better the particular ammo shoots. Some powders need that bbl length to work good.
 
Best length for shooting 44 mag

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In a Colt anaconda
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For carry/range fun?? :confused:


carry 4 or 3. Range? same. I couldn't hold a long barrel revolver shooting a target, too heavy.
 
Carry considerations are not important to me for this gun.

I have both 7.5" and a 4 and 3/4" Colt single action in .45 and the long barrel is definitely much more pleasant to shoot.

I have fired S&W model 29s in both 6 and 8 and 3/8" barrels, both were hard kickers to me.

It's not a question of tolerance for a few rounds. It's a question of having fun shooting the damn thing. I always have fun shooting anything .41 magnum and below. Why bother shooting a gun that's not fun when you could be spending your finite precious time and money shooting a gun that is fun?

The original question stands:
Is there such a thing as a fun to shoot .44 magnum (by my terms, given recoil is subjective)?
 
There apparently is for other folks. Whether or not there is such a beast for you is something no one else can answer. You will have to try it yourself and see.
 
My Ruger Redhawk is a 7 1/2" and, IMHO, that is the perfect length. If you go short you lose power and velocity. Longer is just plain akward to carry and handle.
I'm not very big and my three holster styles were fine after some modifications. (hip, cross-chest and shoulder)
 
Is there such a thing as a fun to shoot .44 magnum (by my terms, given recoil is subjective)?
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There sure is. Of course, you will have to find the model gun that suits you, and the power level of ammo that you are comfortable with. As you shoot more, you get better and learn to manage more recoil. This may mean getting a 7.5" and shooting Specials in it for awhile.

A 7.5" 44 Mag with 44 Specials in it is almost like a 38 (to me). The people who whine about the 44 recoil is the people who shoot the gun once a year. If you want to get really good with a 44 Mag, you must hand load for it. Then you can load target ammo cheaply and practice shooting it more. Then it gets fun.;)

Power Plinking! :D
 
I'm a reloader so like dirty Harry I light load my 44mags, sort of like 44spec+p.Use full power in my 1894 S lever gun.Prefer 180gr or 210gr jhp bullets
 
You shouldn't have to "work" at making it fun, it should just be fun already like everything else. I don't give a whit about the macho factor, I shoot for fun.

I think I'll just use my 4" Anaconda for .44 specials, enjoy it for what it is and stick to .41 magnum for hunting and shooting.
 
I'd also stick to the 41 mags and I do. And yes, I shoot some of the lower powered 41 mags too. I don't think they are much fun however. Watching the bullet travel down range is not my idea of a powerful round.

It's not a question of tolerance for a few rounds. It's a question of having fun shooting the damn thing. I always have fun shooting anything .41 magnum and below. Why bother shooting a gun that's not fun when you could be spending your finite precious time and money shooting a gun that is fun?
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Having fun is what is all about. Full factory loads in 41 mag also beat you around. Shooting low powered 44 mags is not shooting 44 mags in the traditional sense. (I know this doesn't make sense at face value.) The 44 mag is supposed to be a powerful caliber just like the 454 Casull is designed to be a powerful caliber. You could shoot 357's at the same power level as downloaded 44's, so why even bother with the 44 mag? What you are doing is increasing the flexibility or utility of the 44 mag caliber. Does that make it not a 44 mag? Of course not, but.... it's a circular argument.

Kcub, I know you know this, but I will say it anyway... felt recoil is subjective and the design of the gun makes a difference. It is part of the reason why I am not a huge Ruger Redhawk fan. Many like shooting 41's and 44's from single action guns due to felt recoil. Push versus roll... etc.
 
You shouldn't have to "work" at making it fun, it should just be fun already like everything else.
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If you want instant gratification then perhaps 44 Mags are not for you. There's no 44 master in a box. Personally, I think the learning experience is fun also, but I understand that there are those that do not.

I want to have fun, but I don't want to have to work at it. Kids.:rolleyes:
 
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