I'm trying to decide between a Taurus Tracker in .45 Colt 4" and a Ruger Redhawk in 5.5" for CCw as well as a hunting piece. I will plan on carrying in a shoulder holster for both purposes. I have a 2" snub .357 for warmer days but, wanted a larger bullet for hunting and fall/winter carry here in Indiana. I've been reading some impressive things about the ole .45 Colt. What do you all think I should buy?
Ccw + Hunting .45 Colt
- Thread starter slow
- Start date
Scarborough
New member
I voted Redhawk with some hesitation. The Taurus line is just not for me. I like Ruger's but man that sure is a good sized gun you're considering. Nice but a bit large. If you can handle it by all means go for it. Lord forbid you ever have to use it for protection but if you do there won't be any doubt about it being a cell phone or some such.
I picked the S&W 25 over the ruger because it would save you a little weight and you still have good balance. The other thing is I like S&W actions over the redhawk for smoothness and the ability to tune them up a little better. BUT one thing to keep in mind with some older S&W 25's is that bbl. throat dementions might be off.
Brian Williams
New member
I voted
For the Taurus Tracker cause I already have one. It is a great gun and is the size of a S&W k frame. It is a lot easier to carry than either a Red hawk or an N frame. I would also like a Ruger Blackhawk Hunter but it is not offered in 45 Colt.
If you can pack a 4" S&W 686 or 66 all day you could pack a Taurus Tracker in 45 colt the same way. It even weighs a little less.
For the Taurus Tracker cause I already have one. It is a great gun and is the size of a S&W k frame. It is a lot easier to carry than either a Red hawk or an N frame. I would also like a Ruger Blackhawk Hunter but it is not offered in 45 Colt.
If you can pack a 4" S&W 686 or 66 all day you could pack a Taurus Tracker in 45 colt the same way. It even weighs a little less.
Last edited:
As noted above the Redhawk is quite sizeable. Not mentioned but out there is the Colt Anaconda (it is even heavier than the Redhawk) and the Dan Wesson large frame revolver (really heavy).
As .45's go if you handload heavy loads I am not so sure about the Smith standing up to the stout loads in some of the manuals. I guess it would depend upon how many rounds you fire off in a year. Otherwise the Smith is probably the best bet. Unlike with the .44 mag Smith the cylinder thickness is a bit thin on the .45 for stout loads and the cylinder notches are not offset so that determines what can be fired through it. Older Smiths before about 1990 may not have the "endurance package".
Action wise the Smith will have the best action especially if tuned. A Redhawk isn't bad tuned though. I just got back a Redhawk tuned by TJ 's Custom in California. It went in with a 6.5 pound single action and came out with a 3 pound action (he claimed he could reduce it a bit less but I specified 3!). The double was off the scale of my Chattilon (sp) trigger scale that reads to 12 going in. Now it is a bit over 9 pounds. For reference I have a tuned 629 Mountain Gun with a 3 pound single action and 7.5 pound double action.
As .45's go if you handload heavy loads I am not so sure about the Smith standing up to the stout loads in some of the manuals. I guess it would depend upon how many rounds you fire off in a year. Otherwise the Smith is probably the best bet. Unlike with the .44 mag Smith the cylinder thickness is a bit thin on the .45 for stout loads and the cylinder notches are not offset so that determines what can be fired through it. Older Smiths before about 1990 may not have the "endurance package".
Action wise the Smith will have the best action especially if tuned. A Redhawk isn't bad tuned though. I just got back a Redhawk tuned by TJ 's Custom in California. It went in with a 6.5 pound single action and came out with a 3 pound action (he claimed he could reduce it a bit less but I specified 3!). The double was off the scale of my Chattilon (sp) trigger scale that reads to 12 going in. Now it is a bit over 9 pounds. For reference I have a tuned 629 Mountain Gun with a 3 pound single action and 7.5 pound double action.
Johnny Guest
Moderator in Memoriam
As always, a dual purpose piece MUST be a compromise - - -
- - - What makes a great hunting revolver is somewhat different from a great Concealed Carry piece.
(Imagine that!)
I very much like my 625-whatever Mountain Gun, due to the combination of portability, decent concealability, and power.
As to the S&W action not accepting heavy loads, you might want to do a TFL Search using "Heavy .45 Colt Loads," "Hunting loads for .45 Colt," and, if you have some time to read, simply ".45 Colt." You can trim down responses somewhat by limiting your searches to Handloading & Reloading and The Hunt forums (fora??)
Don't have the link available, but one you'll find is one to Sixguns.com and sixgunner.org boards. There's at least one article by John Linebaugh. VERY worthwhile reading.
No way a concealable .45 C will equal the pure hunting capabilities of, say, a ten-inch barrelled, scope-sighted Contender in .35 Remington. Sorry--You just can't. OTOH, for close range use and targets of opportunity, a 250--275 gr. SWC bullet at around 900 fps will kill any white tail deer that walks, and wouldn't be a bad load for much other game.
Another caveat - - - As a long-time cop and Texas CHL instructor, I've seen any number of guys who say they're going to get an expensive shoulder holster so they can pack their BIG OL' handgun concealed. I mean, six-inch N-Frame Smiths and long-tube Redhawks, not to mention the .44 and .50 Desert Eagles LOOK good in movies, and SOUND good in coffee klatch discussions. Actually wearing one beneath normal street clothing is another matter, even if you reside where the weather is mostly cool. So, some of 'em spend big bux in order to have a few weeks of heat rash and neck aches, before they make other arrangements. Big difference in a comfortable hunting shoulder rig and one which is fitted closely enough to really HIDE a big handgun.
A full scale 1911 (39 oz plus ammo) is about as large as most people can handle on a daily basis. Yeah, I know a couple of guys who go the "Dirty Harry" route with six-inch S&Ws. I also note they doff the rig at every opportunity. An alloy .38 snub sure beats NO gun.
Just a grumpy old man's two cents worth.
Best,
Johnny
- - - What makes a great hunting revolver is somewhat different from a great Concealed Carry piece.
(Imagine that!)I very much like my 625-whatever Mountain Gun, due to the combination of portability, decent concealability, and power.
As to the S&W action not accepting heavy loads, you might want to do a TFL Search using "Heavy .45 Colt Loads," "Hunting loads for .45 Colt," and, if you have some time to read, simply ".45 Colt." You can trim down responses somewhat by limiting your searches to Handloading & Reloading and The Hunt forums (fora??)
Don't have the link available, but one you'll find is one to Sixguns.com and sixgunner.org boards. There's at least one article by John Linebaugh. VERY worthwhile reading.
No way a concealable .45 C will equal the pure hunting capabilities of, say, a ten-inch barrelled, scope-sighted Contender in .35 Remington. Sorry--You just can't. OTOH, for close range use and targets of opportunity, a 250--275 gr. SWC bullet at around 900 fps will kill any white tail deer that walks, and wouldn't be a bad load for much other game.
Another caveat - - - As a long-time cop and Texas CHL instructor, I've seen any number of guys who say they're going to get an expensive shoulder holster so they can pack their BIG OL' handgun concealed. I mean, six-inch N-Frame Smiths and long-tube Redhawks, not to mention the .44 and .50 Desert Eagles LOOK good in movies, and SOUND good in coffee klatch discussions. Actually wearing one beneath normal street clothing is another matter, even if you reside where the weather is mostly cool. So, some of 'em spend big bux in order to have a few weeks of heat rash and neck aches, before they make other arrangements. Big difference in a comfortable hunting shoulder rig and one which is fitted closely enough to really HIDE a big handgun.
A full scale 1911 (39 oz plus ammo) is about as large as most people can handle on a daily basis. Yeah, I know a couple of guys who go the "Dirty Harry" route with six-inch S&Ws. I also note they doff the rig at every opportunity. An alloy .38 snub sure beats NO gun.
Just a grumpy old man's two cents worth.
Best,
Johnny
