I want to start a discussion about Magnum revolvers.

C

Chainsaw.

New member
I want to have a discussion on MAGNUM revolvers, anything above 44 mag. PLEASE dont turn this into either the "whats the purpose of it" it discussion or the tired old "44mag will do anything you need to do" discussion. This is mostly ment to be you telling me your pleasantries or perhaps your masochisms of shooting the true magnums of the revolver world. Im on the hunt for my next revolver which will the a magnum or prehaps for this discussion and ultra mag and want to hear your thoughts, so long as they dont involve the above, or why XYZ is more affordable.

What is your guilty pleasure round and why?
 
You may want to define exactly what "above 44 mag" actually means. You obviously have some idea but may not be communicating it clearly to the forum.

Would a 45 Colt as abusable in a Ruger Blackhawk qualify?
 
I always wanted a LAR Grizzly .45 Win Mag, a friend has one and I always liked shooting it. It's one of those pistols that you have to shoot at some point in time.

But for large bore fun I ended up buying a Taurus Raging Bull in .454 Casull. I never had an issue with mine, it shot everything I put in it and shot it well.

Then S&W had to come out with the 500 Magnum and I knew I had to have a pistol that could shoot bullets as heavy as my 50 BMG rifle could shoot. I always enjoy bringing the 500 to the range and shooting it. Most people are afraid to shoot it as they think it's going to break their arm or wrist. Most will end up trying it after they watch me shoot it and I explain to them that it's mostly internet hype that they're afraid of.

Big bore rifles and pistols are definitely alot of fun and fun to shoot. Who cares if they're not practical, pricey, whatever.
 
My next revolver wil be a super red hawk in 480. I know you don't want any talk about the 44 but I have one now and can't wait to try out the 480 .
 
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My friend also mentioned to me shooting the 44. I was a 357 Magnum fanatic and had a few. I reloaded for 357 when I couldn't find any 125 grain bullets. Needless to say, I was resistant to make the jump.

One day a club member let me try his 44 Magnum. It was a Redhawk. It wasn't that bad. I hit a plate he had put out at 50 yards. That was a rush. I started looking at 44 Magnums at gun shows. The Alaskan, 29 and 629.

One day, I was having dinner with my friend. I said, "don't be surprised if you see me with a 44 Magnum when you return from your trip." The next morning, he offered me a deal: his Performance Center 629, the reloader, supplies. It was an offer I couldn't refuse. I shot 44 Magnum out at 50 and then 75 yards. I figured I could hunt with it. I feel better about handguns that rifles, in general. Recoil wasn't bad, and it was an accurate, hard hitting round.

One day, I saw a Ruger 454 Casull Super Redhawk up for trade. I had a 308 Sako Tikka that I wasn't using. So I traded it for the Casull. When I was getting ready for my first shot, I was a bit concerned. I read that it had more recoil and flip. I even wore a glove. After the first shot, I was hooked. This is not bad at all, I thought. I tested some pretty hot rounds, and it wasn't at all uncontrollable.

Then I started wondering about the 500. I liked the potential of a revolver that could load anything from 275 grains to 700+ grains. I was telling another friend about maybe considering the 500. Low and behold, his friend had one for sale with dies and supplies. It was another offer I couldn't refuse. After shooting it, i realized, it wasn't that bad. I didn't have any 700 grain, but it's not a round, I'd need. I can foresee using 500 grains, though.

Lastly, I started reading about the 460. Sure it could shoot 454 Casull and 45 Colt, but I already had that option. For some, sure it can be an advantage but I wanted the ballistics of a 460. The highest velocity available is a 200 grain going nearly 2400 FPS. But that was a 10.5" barrel. I wanted something more practical so I opted for the 8 5/8" barrel. It was more than fast enough, and it was still a flat shooter out to 200 yards.

Mind you factory ammo is expensive. So I reload.

I like the power and versatility of the bigger revolvers.
 
Freedom Arms .454 Casull -71/2' barrel here.
Ordered mine the next day after an acquaintance showed up with one right after they came on the market.
Got it ported, a trigger job, .45 Colt cylinder (never used it yet!), and a large assortment of spare front sights and internal parts.

Never have forgotten my first shot with it.
As mentioned, it had a trigger job. Light!
Sort of forgot and slightly cradled the right hand with the left with a medium grip.
When the gun came out of recoil I looked at my numb left palm where the butt had impacted it. Seriously thought it was broke.
I have never made that mistake again.
Mine is an extremely accurate pistol with jacketed bullets from Hornaday, but the pistol really likes the Freedom Arms bullets as well.

Had (and probably still do) a chance to buy a 4" 500 with about 300 rounds of factory. Current owner sure won't be shooting it again.
It is one of the the most accurate magnum pistols I've shot, cloverleafing the first 4 at 25 yds offhand.
Pulled the last out of the group, as my eyes were watering too badly
(from the powder and concussion of the ported insert piece -we were shooting at a covered range) to focus on the front sight.
If I knew where to get a solid insert to replace the side ported versions that come with the gun, I would pick up that .500 tomorrow!

JT
 
I guess I only have three "magnums" that meet the vague criteria.

Bought a Ruger Super Blackhawk 7.5" in .44 Mag for my first revolver.
Liked it. Shot it a lot.
Eventually traded it off, about 12 years later, to get a hunting rifle for the wife (which she hated :rolleyes:).

After 4 years of pursuing it, I finally got that SBH back. And, eventually, it went back to Ruger for a full rebuild (it was worn out). It's brand new again, and runs better than ever.
Now it is paired with a S&W 29 (6.5") for double-action work.


In the other safe, there's a Ruger Super Redhawk 7.5" in .480 Ruger.
Mucho fun. Plenty of whallop.
...But notably more expensive to shoot commercial bullets (even if reloading). And still a bit more expensive to shoot with my own cast bullets.
Plenty controllable, and well within the limits of the average shooter -- so long as they don't fight it or have poor technique. ...But definitely not "Grandma's K-22".

If I had to pick one revolver and ditch the rest, it would be a tough call between the .480 and the SBH.
If I had to pick one cartridge...? .44 Mag, hands-down. It's just cheaper, more available, and easier to work with (in regards to factory ammo, reloading components, reloading, etc.). I like the .480 Ruger, but sourcing components (even just bullet molds or bullet sizing dies) can lead to many headaches.
 
I like the Freedom Arms single action revolvers, large frame (model 83) ..not their medium sized model 97 - for heavy calibers...( as well as for lighter calibers like .357 Mag or .44 Mag for that matter). The model 83's fit my hands better ...the model 97's are a little small in my hands ...and move around too much as gun recoils.

Model 83's are 5 shot revolvers ...and I have fired them in .475 Linebaugh and .454 Casull. Of those 2 calibers, I like the .475 Linebaugh better..its a little less snappy in recoil than the .454 Casull in my opinion ( but they both have a lot of recoil ) / both are solid heavy magnum revolvers...whether you want them for fun ...or you want to hunt with one.

I like the premier grade model 83's, with an Octagonal barrel upgrade and a full action job. In .475 Linebaugh - or in a .454 Cassull, I preffered it in the 7 1/2" barrels. ( My model 83 in .357 Mag was made in a 4 3/4" Octagonal barrel about 7 yrs ago...)...but for a big game hunting capable revolver, I would go with the 7 1/2"..( although my days of hunting big game are over..). The extra weight and length helps reduce muzzle jump a little bit ..and reduce recoil quite a bit / I have not fired the heavier calibers in a 4 3/4", but I suspect it would be way too much recoil and would lead to a flinch...for me at least.

Octagonal barrel is strictly an appearance issue...and a little heavier...but its a great look in my view. The only downside right now is I understand their lead time on a new order is out beyond a year - but its worth the weight in my view.

I would also suggest you order a holster from Freedom Arms to fit whatever gun you buy...their holsters fit way better than anything else I have found..for woods carry, etc..

I see a lot of model 83's around used...but rarely see one with the Octagonal Barrel...../ several years ago, Freedom Arms changed the design of the firing pin in their model 83's...and all of the new ones have a bushing under the hammer, holding the firing pin in the frame ...so you can grind a screwdriver tip to fit the head of the bushing, back it out, and replace the firing pin without sending the gun back to Freedom Arms. I would not buy a used Freedom Arms that had not been retrofit with the new system...

You are not supposed to dry fire the Freedom Arms without snap caps...the firing pins bottom out and will break ( but guys do dry fire them - and don't read the manual ).

My .357 mag, Octagonal barrel...4 3/4" model 83...

https://thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=81291&d=1336585674
 
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One of my dream guns would have to be a .500 Linebaugh Maximum. Beautifully finished of course. Either all polished and blued or case colored frame. Barrel band front sight. Burled Walnut stocks. 5 1/2 to 6 1/2" barrel.

But the S&W 500 does about the same thing in an over the counter package. Just doesn't have the elegance.

I was shooting my 8 3/8" .500 years ago and a young guy took the next bench. He was dinging a 12" steel plate at 100 yards offhand most of the time with a Ruger .22. He was a good shot. So he shoots the .500 and it doubles on him. Only time (I think) that I've seen this happen. He was a little shaken.

Then he says the .500 is good and all but can I hit anything with it? :confused:
I took a quick rest and sent his plate flying. May have turned it into a taco. If the question was can I shoot it offhand that well, the answer would be no.
 
I bought a .460XVR because I had the option at a package deal with brass and bullets and the revolver and I figured it would be fun to have a real whopper around for folks who wonder where the limits are. (it isn't the limit but you can see the limit from there...)

Outside of having it for others to try... the only other use I have for it is slapping steel plates while shooting from a rest on the rifle range. I typically hit plates at 200, 250 and 300 yards.

One thing that I find very interesting is that I ran the numbers in a ballistic calculator and with my 240gr handloads with a muzzle velocity of 1,950 fps... this load hits at 500 yards almost exactly like a 5" .45 Hardball does at the muzzle... but with 10 more grains of bullet weight.
 
BallardW. As in anything more powerful than 44 mag, being I have a 44, my 2nd, love it but want more. Please share your thoughts.

CDR glock. Your SRH is the very revolver that has spurred this conversation, at first I didnt like the look of it but has rreeeaally grown on me, that being said I wonder if it would leave me lacking. Definitely had the 460 on my mind.

Jt-ar-mg42, the freedom arms single action is another that makes me drool. Neighbor buddy has one, man what a nice piece!!

Franken mauser, cool you got that hawk back! Id br curious what the rebuild cost you. Nice to know the option to bring and oldie back from the fray is there.
 
BigJimP, I honestly didnt know freedom made two diffent sized guns, Ill have to check that out. And thanks for the pic of your 357, that gun is almost to pretty to shoot, almost.

Targa, why a bisley? It seems alot of folks prefer them for the big boomers, but IMHO that grip angle just looks wrong, m opinion may change once I shoot one em?
 
Random guy, that 500 linebaugh max...son! Thats a pi**ed off mule right there! Its on my list but I want to shoot one first to see how much pain it is!
 
Shops in your area that have some freedom arms in stock ...and i think have both model 83's and 97's .....DJ's, Adventure Sports and Precise Shooters ...and Wades may have some ...but wades would be my last resort..
 
Being a bit of a Ruger fan when I saw CDNN clearance sale on 480 SRHs I jumped it's a 9 1/2" and I've put a 2.5-6x Bushnell on it. I so fell on love with the round I ended up getting a BFR and cut the barrel to 5 1/2". The thing I really like about the cartridge is versatility being able to be the big scoped hunting gun pr the compact carry gun in dangerous game venues.
 
BigJim thats right, you're local-ish. DJs is one of my favorite haunts, not sure if Bruce is still kicking but he was always such a welcome sight there. Adventure sports is another great shop, hard to get their way sometimes though. And yeah wades, I dont spend money with them...
Now being in Issaquah I really like Pintos in Renton, reminds me of the gun shops of my youth. Randy works there and at my local club of renton fish and game so I get to harass him alot, good people.
 
I saw Bruce at DJ's last week....he's doing ok.

Yes, Pinto's is a good shop .....look into Welchers in Tacoma too...
 
Yeah thats another I want to try, a buddy of mine pick up a smith model 357 magnum (pre model numbers) for welchers, niiice shape to!
 
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