Scope on 44?

Long ago I bought a used SBH Hunter that came with a scope installed. I could definitely shoot it better with the scope, but I took it off because I didn't like the added bulk.
 
I did it over thirty years ago. That was the first and last time I put a scope on a revolver. Shooting from a rest it seems like a good idea. Shooting it off hand and you soon realize there are problems with a scope and a handgun. It's difficult to look through the scope and not get "blacked out" when the eye isn't perfectly lined up with the center of the scope. Also, all perceived drift is magnified many times over. When red dots came out I put those on handguns and never looked back. They're about a hundred times better in every way. I did kill a buck with the SBH the first day of the season but considered myself lucky to have done so. Just too many issues with a scope. A red dot doesn't magnify error, there is no need to focus anything, and if the dot's on the target you'll hit it. Easy to see in all light conditions also.
 
Dad did

About thirty years ago as well, my Dad scoped a Ruger Super-B with a 10-1/4" barrel. Not sure who's rings and base he used, but the scope was a Leupold 2-1/2x.

As noted by "Second Best", we found the arrangement off-hand a bit twitchy. But...off the bench, we could consistently bust clay birds on the berm at 100 yds. Off a box blind railing, tree limb, stump, the big revolver became a carbine w/o a stock.
 
Adding a scope to a SBH Hunter is easy as can be, but, it sure makes the revolver front heavy. If you are going to always use a rest in your hunting situations a scope can add distance for you. If you also shoot offhand it really doesn't help. A red dot is a better sight system especially for the more versatile aspect. In my experience a 2X scope versus a red dot shows almost no difference in accuracy to 100 yds.
 
Not a direct answer as my scope on revolver expierence was with S&W 29 and 629. Due to age and eye quality the scope was a great improvement, however as stated above red dots worked about as well. Maybe better.
 
Drilled and tapped and dovetailed?

So if I do want to pub a scope on the beast I have to have it drilled and tapped and some dove tails mounted. Is that about right?

Prof Young
 
"...all perceived drift is magnified many times over..." That applies to a scope on anything.
"...some dove tails mounted..." Scope bases, not dove tails. Which model of Super Blackhawk you have matters. The "New Model Bisley" and the 'Hunter' come with integral bases. Otherwise, there are lots of aftermarket bases for 'em. Most of which require removing the rear sight. Not all of 'em require D&T.
 
I'm not a world class tournament shooter and I always shoot with two hands. I've won a few NRA style bulls Eye matches back when I was in 20s & 30s. I
put a scope on SBH and I could shoot it like a rifle, off hand not as good as the
irons. That was a long time ago, I could hit a bull in the butt with a scope today.
I have shot some red dots and do about the same as irons at 25' & 50' and do
considerably better at long distance. I had a Omega peep blade on a Single-6
and there was nothing faster for plinking cans at 25'. I would say for a guy who
is top gun type shot a scope would be a plus. If you are not a good shot a scope
Probably won't help.

The only thing I have to add in relation to mounting optics on Ruger SAs, the
no drill mounts tend to walk. If you are serious about it, get gun D&Ted for
Bases. I've put a lot of them on for customers when I was in business. And
most of them ended up D&T.
 
Back in the late 80s I got my first big bore revolver. A 71/2" super blackhawk. It shot pretty good, but I wanted better. I got my hands on a 2x Leupold M8 scope and a Leupold dual dovetail mount for the Ruger. I could put 5 shots on top of each other at 50 yards from a decent rest. Took a woodchuck at 125 yds with it leaning over the truck window sill. Then I got tired of lugging around that much iron. Got a 51/2" super Blackhawk. That one carries much better, but wouldn't feel the same with a scope. The leupold mount was rock solid, but had to have 2 holes drilled and tapped in the topstrap, and also anchored with a screw in place of the rear sight.

The 71/2" was accurate but heavy. Nowadays if I want to shoot way out there with a 44 I get out the contender. Otherwise I carry the 51/2".
 
I mounted a Leupold with quick disconnect mounts on a super redhawk. I love to shoot that at the club for steel plates and accuracy testing. For me it opened up a whole world of precision. (I did this on a Ruger 22 first) On the other hand it is a lot of gun to carry around. I think it would be fine for hunting but; I dont want to carry that around the woods for stuff like bears, or any casual fun, backpack, hiking, fishing etc...

I like a real scope better than so called optic which apparently refers to red-dot attachments. The dots are much more compact and with QD mount you could try that out. That could be something that was enough of a compromise to stay on the gun full time. I am a little weak in the compromise dept and can do fairly well with iron sights.

On my blackhawk 45 and super black 44, I use pachmayer rubber grips. Much better :) Those tiny little blackhawk grips are the worst. Super Bk is sized better but; the wood hits my palm to hard. An added 2c
 
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I’ve had a scope on my Super Redhawk for 27 years. Have taken many deer with this gun. Not exactly a sneak around through the woods kind of combo, but it’s okay.

Now, my Super Blackhawk does not have a scope. I use it primarily for sneaking around in the thick stuff. I did put a Burris Fastfire 3 on it for this year. Due to aging eyes, the front sight is getting harder to see clearly without wearing glasses.
 
I don't have a SBH, but I do have a SRH with a scope. Mine is a 454. I tried a red dot first and had great results until the internals fell apart from recoil. I put a Burris 2x-7x with posi-lock on it. That was in the late 90's. It takes some practice to shoot off hand and keep a full field of view. But you will get used to it if you try hard enough. I have taken deer with it and carry it in a bandelero holster on my chest. Quite comfortable and easy to carry all day.
 
I did this over 30 years ago. The Weaver mount clamped to the barrel and attached at the rear sight. Had a leupold scope. It added so much weight that I needed to add larger gripd. Overall I ended up not liking the set up and frankly I could acquire targets faster without the scope. I took it all off. Ended up selling the entire setup.
 
I had one years ago with a Leupold 2x EER scope on it. Very accurate off sandbags, but too heavy for decent offhand shooting. I now have switched to the UltraDot 30mm red dot sight on a 6½" 629 Classic. Just as accurate and almost a full pound lighter for better offhand shooting.

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Used the B square mount on a 44 Blackhawk a long time abo. Worked for me once I got familiar.
Now use red dots and prefer them
 
About thirty years ago as well, my Dad scoped a Ruger Super-B with a 10-1/4" barrel. Not sure who's rings and base he used, but the scope was a Leupold 2-1/2x.

As noted by "Second Best", we found the arrangement off-hand a bit twitchy. But...off the bench, we could consistently bust clay birds on the berm at 100 yds. Off a box blind railing, tree limb, stump, the big revolver became a carbine w/o a stock.
Click to expand...

We did the same with a 4x scope. I think the mount was BSquare and the scope Bushnell. I killed a deer with that setup. Really one shot, but pistol bullets at 100 yds are not as devistating as I thought, so I followed up when I got close.

The key to me is barrel length. I have a Ruger Blackhawk 45 Colt. While it might be paper plate accurate at 100, I can only hit to 50 yds, so I don’t think the scope is worth what it does to the revolvers appearance.
 
I hate seeing the top straps of revolvers drilled and tapped for mounts and would use the B square if I were to mount a scope on one. I have a Redhawk 7 1/2" that came with the Ruger mounts for a scope and its what I use in 45C, makes shooting from a rest fun but off hand can get a little heavy after a while.
 
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