Super Redhawk accuracy problems?

J

JohnKSa

Administrator
I haven't found a factory load that will group a cylinder full of rounds under 5" at 50 yards with my Super Redhawk. That's using a rest.

There are no obvious problems that I can see with the gun...

1. Am I expecting too much?

2. Am I not trying the right load? Suggestions welcome.

3. Will I be able to improve accuracy significantly by loading my own?

:confused:

John
 
I really enjoy my super redhawk. You should be able to shoot sub 5" groups w/ some practice. I found my mistake when using a rest was where I was resting. I was resting only the barrel and found much beter accuracy when I also rested the grip on the bench. Also improved when I used a straighter arm.
I also found breath control became more important at that range.
The most accurate factory load I've used are the Winchester supreme hunting loads. However I have been very surprised at the accuracy of the CCi Blazer cheap stuff. I wrote a post about 2 months ago on that range visit. I don't claim to be an expert and I cant always shoot groups that good, but focusing on the above points helped me a lot.
 
The gun is a .44 Mag with the 9 5/8" barrel.

I've tried:

Federal 180 jhp
UMC 180 jhp
Blazer 200 jhp
Samson 240 JHP
Hansen 240 jhp
Winchester USA 240 jsp
Federal 250 fmj silhouette load

Possibly others--that's all I recall at the moment.

I've recovered a bullet and the rifling marks are deep and well-defined. Also no evidence of keyholing or instability.

Nothing seems to be loose, especially with the hammer cocked.

Trigger is nice both SA and DA, so I don't think it's a trigger control issue. Primer indents look deep and consistent.

I'm at a loss. I've got semi-autos that shoot better than this...
 
How experienced are you at shooting a .44 magnum? I have the same gun as yours, although mine wears a 2x6 scope. By the time huntng season rolls around most of my groups (off the bench) at 100 yards fall inside a 3" circle......some a little better, some a little worse. Depends on me...not the gun.
 
Steve,

Well, I don't shoot it much, but that's mostly to do with ammo cost. I can shoot a lot of 9mm for what it costs to feed the "monster".

I don't really think that recoil is the problem though. My first gun (not first centerfire--my first firearm) was a GP100 in .357 and after some trouble cleaning the .38 Special rings out of the cylinder, I've shot mostly 125gr Federal JHP out of it. IMO, it recoils more (sharper) with that loading than the Super Redhawk with any loading I've yet to try.

I'm not a great pistol shot, but I do OK. In the last few club shoots (my company has a gun club) I won overall revolver (GP-100@25yds), second overall in semi-auto (Elite II@15yds) and second in rimfire pistol (22/45@25yds).

You guys are about to convince me to spend some money on a gunsmith...

BTW, what load are you using to get 3" @ 100 yards?

Thanks,

John
 
Standing by my suggestion; try some XTP's.........and maybe some premium ammo.
Might stick with 240-300g.

Another thought, brand new gun? might need some 'shooting in'.
 
Odd--my first reply didn't take...

Thanks for the recommend on the Hornady bullets and ammo. I'll give them a shot (so to speak).

Weshoot2,

The gun has had 500-700 rounds through it as nearly as I can recall. Not new, but probably past break-in. Right??


Good shooting,

John
 
If you want to learn about recoil do like me and shoot some .41 magnum 250 grain CorBon loads out of a Taurus 415T. Anybody here got a .454 Casull??? Hehehe.
 
BROKEN IN

Keep trying different brands, and heavier weights.

Don't give up yet, that gun should shoot real straight.

Have another known good shot try it, too.
 
Mine's the 7.5", and it hits good. I'd say the gun's potential is half of what you are getting at twice that distance. I can't help you out with any recommendations for factory loads but I see a couple possibilities not yet mentioned.

You didn't say if you were using a scope of not. It sure sounds like some kind of a scope problem. If you are using a scope try taking it off and verify your groups at a closer distance. Check the mount screws, they don't seem to stay torqued down very well on mine. What about the internals? If you're not using a scope, try one, it'll tell you if it's the gun or not in a hurry.

How's the crown look? Lord knows I don't look down my muzzle very often. That's just sick and wrong! :)

I was under the impression that there is supposed to be some rotational freeplay in the cylinder and that a small amount is good for accuracy. Mine has very little, but it is there. It feels exactly the same to me whether the hammer is cocked or not.

There is one thing I've done to my gun that improved my accuracy. The SR trigger has a large overtravel. I wrapped the trigger guard behind the trigger with tarred cloth electrical tape. Built it up to act as an overtravel stop. Once the sticky wore off and the trigger seated into the tape properly it turned out to be real sweet. I can shoot double action about as well as single action now. The tape supports my finger near hammer drop allowing very fine control over the final squeeze while keeping the sights aligned. Overtravel is basically non-existant.

Good luck with your problem.
 
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