deer hunting revolver S&W vs Ruger

IrvJr said:
There are plenty of used Redhawks and big bore S&W's at one of the local shops. I'll try stopping by there this week.
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Lucky you. I hardly ever see'm round here. The only gun I've bought online was a S&W N-frame Mod 22-4 45 acp. This was after years of searching local.
 
As someone else stated since you already reload the .44mag I'd go with that caliber.

As for the gun of choice - I deer hunt with a Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44mag with a 6.5" barrel. No real need for any hot rounds like BB or Garretts but it'll get the job done. I HAVE run BB through it and it shoots it just fine. Some of the Garretts won't fit in the cylinder. I'd go with the Ruger obviously.

The S&W is a good gun too but its not quite as robust as the Ruger and many will say the S&W has a better trigger but honestly about 15 min and a dremel with a polishing bit and jeweller's compound will fix that easily. You can also take the grips off and lift one of the two legs of the hammer spring off its rest. Remember only one of the two legs and not both or your gun will not function. This cuts the trigger pull down just shy of half and the gun still works reliably without having to replace or modify springs.

I've done this to my SBH and nearly 1500 rounds later its never failed to discharge yet. Of course after the polishing the surfaces of the trigger group and the spring trick my SBH now has a hair trigger. I have to be really mindful of trigger control otherwise I have an AD.
 
Either the Ruger Redhawk or the S&W 629 will make a fine whitetail revolver,I happen to have a S&W 629 that i've been hunting whitetail with since 92' or 93'?
The SBH are some very nice SA revolvers and all three you have mentioned will make a excellent whitetail handgun,just a matter of deciding which one works best for you.
 
Either will get the job done. Choose whichever one you like best.
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Ain't that the truth? You're trying to shoot a deer. Not stop a tank. Pick the one you like the best, or that you can get the best deal on.

They're both good.
 
Ain't that the truth? You're trying to shoot a deer. Not stop a tank. Pick the one you like the best, or that you can get the best deal on.
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And you don't have to run it balls-to-the-wall to get the job done. I typically only run mine around 1150fps with a 240gr SWC. At that pressure level, a good N-frame will last many tens of thousands of rounds. Still kills `em deader than fried chicken. :)
 
Whatever fits your mitt best. Anything .44spc and up will do the job. For me personally the Redhawk grips never really worked out. Blackhawks, Vaqueros, and N frames all fit me pretty well.

mike
 
It all boils down to a matter of personal preference. I've never known or heard of anyone who deliberately hunts deer double action. The ONLY reason for using a DA revolver for hunting is that you shoot it better than a single action, due to sights, trigger, grip, etc.

The SA revolver will shoot the same rounds (.44/.45) and deliver the same power and accuracy, but do it from a gun that is generally weighs less. Weight doesn't matter much on the range, but it matter a lot when you wear it all day.

Like said, you aren't trying to stop a tank. Any regular load will do fine, when YOU put it in the right place.
 
Whatever fits your mitt best.
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^^^This. For hunting you want something that feels like a natural extension of your hand when you bring it up. No different than a longgun that comes to shoulder naturally. Accuracy is more important than manufacturer and a gun that is comfortable to shoot at the range is the one that will be most accurate. As others have said, there is no reason to run any magnum cartridge Balls to the Wall for deer. I have killed deer with .460 S&W, .44 mag and .357 mag. All were killed with standard Magnum loadings that were well under max.
 
The problem with pancakes are they could have been waffles.

The problem with a .44 magnum is it could have been a .41 magnum.
 
I have both and would go Ruger for a hunting revolver due to the fact they can take a steady diet of full power loads.
 
I hand gun hunt with a BFR 45/70. I use it cause I like to keep my caliber selection simple. I all ready shoot 5 bullets I don't want to add another round.
 
SUPER RUGERS RED& BLACK Use both now & for last 20 years.
must say I like the 454 better than the 44mag.:D:D
 
The Ruger is easier to scope. Either way, your not going to wear any of them out. Get one your comfortable with, and gather meat.
 
All three brands of big bore revolvers will do a most excellent job of putting venison in your freezer! All are very accurate shooters. However, if you are the type of hunter/collector that does a lot of gun trading and selling, the Colt and S/W will maintain their value better, especially the Colt. Currently, the only Rugers that are doing well in the collectability area are the "three screw" single action models and the Security/Speed/Service Six models are starting to show an increase in resale value, but nothing like Colts and pre-2001 Smith's
 
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