Heavy Caliber Revolver Recommendations
- Thread starter ditchpanther
- Start date
22-rimfire
New member
It's a sport. I quit meat hunting years ago. It's the fun, not the score.
I have the 44- Ruger Red Hawk,it has been ported,cylinders polished,and trigger replaced with adjustable,pressure and travel,with trigger stop.I load Mag,loads,as well as 44- special loads,like many loaders I have Hunting Loads and Target Loads,
I think if you load for your self you can use one caliber for different types of shooting.and,,I am A fan of the 44- Mag,if it Was Good a Enough for (( Dirty Harry ) it should be good enough for me.LOL
And this is my first post on The Firing Line,,,Really enjoy the vast amount of knowledge found here.
Thanks Voo-Doo
I think if you load for your self you can use one caliber for different types of shooting.and,,I am A fan of the 44- Mag,if it Was Good a Enough for (( Dirty Harry ) it should be good enough for me.LOL
And this is my first post on The Firing Line,,,Really enjoy the vast amount of knowledge found here.
Thanks Voo-Doo
g.willikers
New member
If you're going big, why wimp out.
Impress your friends and increase your bragging rights.
Get a .50.
Impress your friends and increase your bragging rights.
Get a .50.
22-rimfire
New member
If you want something 44+, I'd look at the BFR revolvers. They handle the big boys pretty well at a price I can live with. I very much like my 6.5" BFR in 475L/480 Ruger. Mostly shoot 480's in it. MUCH more pleasant to shoot than the Ruger SRH. Much.
black mamba
New member
I agree with 22 rimfire about the BFR's ability to soak up recoil. I have a 5" 454 Casull that I fire 340 gr flat nose at 1200 fps and the recoil is both controllable and not too harsh. I often shoot 100 rounds at a session without any problems.
RIDE-RED 350r
New member
Surprised nobody has suggested this for the first time big bore wheelgun buyer....
But how about seeing if you have a friend or friends who have wheelguns in the various calibers you are interested in?? See if they will let you buy some ammo and give them a try??
But how about seeing if you have a friend or friends who have wheelguns in the various calibers you are interested in?? See if they will let you buy some ammo and give them a try??
22-rimfire
New member
That 5" BFR is really nice. Is the 5" measured from forcing cone to end of the barrel? They are well made revolvers. Kind of wish I had the same gun in 475 Linebaugh/480 Ruger. The 480's are my "specials". They still pound you a bit.
I'd have to say that one of the best matchups is the .41 magnum caliber and the Ruger blackhawk/SBH/Bisley/Hunter.
I got them in 4 5/8", 5 1/2" (Acusport), 7 1/2" (Hunter), and Bisley hunter.
They're all good.....if you reload.
Ammo runs $50 a box and up for factory ammo.
You can reload 2 boxes of premium ammo for less than $40.
But the high price of ammo in this caliber does come with a hidden positive.....I've never seen a .41 magnum factory loading that a good blackhawk/SBH/Bisley/Hunter wouldn't fit 6 shots into a 3" circle at 25 yards, unless I was severely over-caffeinated.
If you don't reload, then maybe a Henry big boy in .38/.357 magnum?
I got them in 4 5/8", 5 1/2" (Acusport), 7 1/2" (Hunter), and Bisley hunter.
They're all good.....if you reload.
Ammo runs $50 a box and up for factory ammo.
You can reload 2 boxes of premium ammo for less than $40.
But the high price of ammo in this caliber does come with a hidden positive.....I've never seen a .41 magnum factory loading that a good blackhawk/SBH/Bisley/Hunter wouldn't fit 6 shots into a 3" circle at 25 yards, unless I was severely over-caffeinated.
If you don't reload, then maybe a Henry big boy in .38/.357 magnum?
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If you consider a single-action revolver, I'll cast another vote for the Ruger Blackhawk 45 Colt/acp convertible. Even in 45 acp it can produce respectable power with 185 grain plus P loads, and in 45 Colt it can take any whitetail and rival .44 Magnum in power. Just to me, (and people vary) the balance of the .45 Blackhawk is much more comfortable than the smaller bore .357 and less nose heavy. Not a big thing but I notice it. I should mention, if you want to hunt, the regular Blackhawk is a better choice than the "Flattop" Blackhawk which is on a smaller frame and has a smaller cylinder which is not capable of loads in the .44 Magnum class. Be sure you know what you are holding in your hand if you want to use heavy loads.
The Ruger single actions are great. One of my favorites is the 10mm/38-40 convertible but they are now almost impossible to find now. The 357 Mag/9mm is a great choice. The long cylinder allows heavy bullets like the 180 grain. The 45 Colt is on the right end, nice revolver but I limit them to 45 colt loads. If I think I need more power, I use something else. The 460 is just great all around. It will drill 45 Colt loads at 25 yards and it will shoot 5-shot groups under 2" @ 100 yards with the right load. The weight of the revolver makes it a joy to shoot. A lot of good choices out there. Good luck.
22-rimfire
New member
Arrows kill differently than bullets. And I do believe for the average deer handgun hunter, the 357 mag is marginal except at close range. I don't think anyone here is requiring anyone to buy a "gi-normeous hand cannon" to hunt deer with. People use what they like. I like the 41 mag and 480 Ruger calibers for deer hunting.
ammo.crafter
New member
Big Boomer
Get a Ruger in .44 mag and shoot .44 Spcl until you're used to the recoil. Then try some .44 mags.
I love my .41mag and if you reload you can make .41 Spcl to try first.
Get a Ruger in .44 mag and shoot .44 Spcl until you're used to the recoil. Then try some .44 mags.
I love my .41mag and if you reload you can make .41 Spcl to try first.
I think post #24 was the very best post here by a very experienced shooter.
And no matter what you buy the best accessory you can add is a reloading kit. You can buy a Lee starter kit for just over $100 and then add the dies for your caliber. Reloading will let you do away with a duel caliber gun. You can just down load the round it is chambered for and keep one size of brass on hand.
I have owned 357, 41 and 44 mag handguns. I have several 357s and a 5-5" 44mag Blackhawk. I don't shoot the the 44 that much. I do have reduced loads for it and it isn't bad to shoot even with full power loads but I just enjoy the 357 more. Of all the 357s I own and have owned the 6" GP-100 has been shot the most.
The 357 is generally regarded as a 50 yard deer round. Thats reasonable I think. The bigger bores may give you slightly more range. But I like the challenge of the hunt. Every deer I have killed including two Elk have been at 80 yards or less except for one whitetail I killed at 250 yards with a 243. None of those were killed with a handgun but could have been. A handgun or a traditional BP rilfe adds a whole new diminsion to the hunt.
If you want to see what a 357 from a long barreled revolver will do look up Robert Peterson and his hunts with a S&W 357 revolver.
And no matter what you buy the best accessory you can add is a reloading kit. You can buy a Lee starter kit for just over $100 and then add the dies for your caliber. Reloading will let you do away with a duel caliber gun. You can just down load the round it is chambered for and keep one size of brass on hand.
I have owned 357, 41 and 44 mag handguns. I have several 357s and a 5-5" 44mag Blackhawk. I don't shoot the the 44 that much. I do have reduced loads for it and it isn't bad to shoot even with full power loads but I just enjoy the 357 more. Of all the 357s I own and have owned the 6" GP-100 has been shot the most.
The 357 is generally regarded as a 50 yard deer round. Thats reasonable I think. The bigger bores may give you slightly more range. But I like the challenge of the hunt. Every deer I have killed including two Elk have been at 80 yards or less except for one whitetail I killed at 250 yards with a 243. None of those were killed with a handgun but could have been. A handgun or a traditional BP rilfe adds a whole new diminsion to the hunt.
If you want to see what a 357 from a long barreled revolver will do look up Robert Peterson and his hunts with a S&W 357 revolver.
Kilibreaux
New member
Do not automatically be drawn to the largest, heaviest revolvers on the market. Bear in mind that in the field a handgun is CARRIED a great deal more than it is shot. The difference of 10 ounces can feel like "unbearable" versus " not so bad!"
Just because a massive gun advertises it is capable of digesting millions of full-power rounds does NOT mean it is "better" (only in America)
The rise of super-duty revolvers is the result of the nonsense that you "must" shoot copious quantities of full-power loads in order to be field proficient...this is not true. Decades ago, people brought up shooting knew quite well that reduced loads were for practice, and full power was for serious...and they managed to do just fine with revolvers not "overbuilt" for the job.
Probably the ideal carry-a-lot, shoot-when-needed revolver today is a Smith and Wesson. The New Classic M25 weighs in at just 42 ounces empty, and can easily handle all standard pressure ammo, and a bit of higher performance ammo when needed. NO, it's NOT built to shoot a thousand rounds of the hottest ammo on the market, but it WILL handle a cylinderful at a time and that's ALL you're gonna have in the field! Beyond that, the M29 is probably the ideal compromise in terms of weight versus power because you CAN shoot the heaviest loads from it as needed. Ergonomics seem to have gone out the window...the decision tree is only about brute force delivery without regard for the "concrete block" one must carry around ALL THE TIME just for that ONE SHOT!
For hunting, before I'd saddle myself with a Ruger Redhawk I'd opt for the Super Blackhawk to save almost a pound with a gun equally sturdy, capable of delivering top loads without the weight penalty.
IF I want to carry a mid-50 ounce revolver I am NOT going to choose the Redhawk, but instead the S&W M-500 4" which beats any .44 magnum hands down everyday including Sunday! A "one-ounce slug" from a .500 magnum at around 2,000 lb-ft beats all .44's! The point is, BEFORE you shovel your cash into an over-built, over-priced, overly-heavy .44 magnum, take stock of what has come along in the last two decades that is BETTER for both the cash outlay and weight penalty!
Just because a massive gun advertises it is capable of digesting millions of full-power rounds does NOT mean it is "better" (only in America)
The rise of super-duty revolvers is the result of the nonsense that you "must" shoot copious quantities of full-power loads in order to be field proficient...this is not true. Decades ago, people brought up shooting knew quite well that reduced loads were for practice, and full power was for serious...and they managed to do just fine with revolvers not "overbuilt" for the job.
Probably the ideal carry-a-lot, shoot-when-needed revolver today is a Smith and Wesson. The New Classic M25 weighs in at just 42 ounces empty, and can easily handle all standard pressure ammo, and a bit of higher performance ammo when needed. NO, it's NOT built to shoot a thousand rounds of the hottest ammo on the market, but it WILL handle a cylinderful at a time and that's ALL you're gonna have in the field! Beyond that, the M29 is probably the ideal compromise in terms of weight versus power because you CAN shoot the heaviest loads from it as needed. Ergonomics seem to have gone out the window...the decision tree is only about brute force delivery without regard for the "concrete block" one must carry around ALL THE TIME just for that ONE SHOT!
For hunting, before I'd saddle myself with a Ruger Redhawk I'd opt for the Super Blackhawk to save almost a pound with a gun equally sturdy, capable of delivering top loads without the weight penalty.
IF I want to carry a mid-50 ounce revolver I am NOT going to choose the Redhawk, but instead the S&W M-500 4" which beats any .44 magnum hands down everyday including Sunday! A "one-ounce slug" from a .500 magnum at around 2,000 lb-ft beats all .44's! The point is, BEFORE you shovel your cash into an over-built, over-priced, overly-heavy .44 magnum, take stock of what has come along in the last two decades that is BETTER for both the cash outlay and weight penalty!