which is the better 44 mag wheel gun?

B

bullfrog99

New member
I've been looking at the stainless 44 magnum wheelgun market lately and have narrowed it down to two possabilitys.
on is the 5 inch ruger stainless redhawk, the other is the taurus M 44 stainless. I am trying to keep the barrel at the 4 or 5 inch mark for a strongside hip holster. the taurus is ported, but I estimate the ruger is a stronger gun.
does anyone have anything to say about either? accuracy wise? I think the Ruger is heavier but I am not sure.
 
Greetings from Anchorage, the Ruger is far and away the best. With proper barrel break in and quality loads I've seen several do the "magic" minute of angle groups at 100yds..henry
 
5.5" Redhawk (own three, 41, 44, and 45LC, and the 7.5" .357).

Add Pachmayr Decelerator grips and Millett orange-ramp front sight.
 
I have a Super RedHawk with a 7.5" barrel and Leupold 2x scope. Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet shooter! I guess you know my answer to your question :)
 
ok so the ruger it is, looking at buffalo bores websight, they list heavy 45 colt loads as superior to 44 magnum loads of the same weight. Would I be better off with the 45 colt, seeing how I have a winchester 94AE wrangler in that caliber right now? Does anyone have anything to say about the 45 colt in rugers?
 
QUOTE:

Does anyone have anything to say about the 45 colt in rugers?

That Ruger's take the back seat compared to Smith & Wesson. :D

I'm serious, had to get my two cents in.

But to answer your question, you would ultimately be betters served by getting a Ruger SRH in 454 Casull. You'd still be able to shoot ALL 45 Colt loads with the added benefit of 454 Casull loads for that stubborn game that you think would refuse to take a dirt nap when hit with a 41, 44 and 45. Also, if you look at the cost of adding a mount and rings to a Redhawk (there is a model that comes with the rings, but they are harder to find and sure to pay a premium if special ordered.), the Super Redhawk already comes with rings for your favorite scope, making it a bargain. Look, added savings and more power! Is this a great country or what.

3S&W629s.JPG


It doesn't get better than this!

Robert
 
The 45 Colt 5.5" stainless REDHAWK would be my first choice. 'Cowboy' loads for plinking, and up to 395g bullets for hunting anything.
The 454 is not necessary.

(I've got a easy-shooting 335g/1170fps for 45 Redhawks.)
 
I've owned S&W Mod 29s, Ruger RH and Taurus RB in .44. I've liked them all, but that being said, IMHO the Taurus was the best "bang for the buck". The S&Ws were just what you would expect, typical Smith & Wesson revolvers - just bigger and heavier. The Ruger RH was sweet, it had a professional trigger job and was SLICK. The Taurus Raging Bull is BIG and HEAVY and - most importantly - ACCURATE. I put an Ultra Dot scope on it and love to shoot the beast. It is heavy enough (and ported too) to absorb the recoil from some hot Winchester, UMC and PMC loads. The "best" is a matter of perception, but, based on my experiences, I can recommend the Taurus without any reservations. Good shooting.
 
Get a Super Blackhawk.

Hi I am kind of new to big bore sixgunning. I did buy a Ruger Super Blackhawk,7.5in bl Stainless Steel. I have shot it quite a bit and love it. It is the only one I can recomend. Rugers are very strong guns. If you reload you can go very hot and not worry. Don't go over board though:) Hope this helps,45automan
 
I agree with 45 automan, for target shooting and hunting a double action is unneeded, the extra money is better spent on a scope.
 
In my opinion

The Ruger Redhawk and SuperRedhawk are the toughest DA revolvers made. They require less maintenance than the S&W (check your screws for tightness - really) and have a lockwork superior to Taurus (Taurus' lockwork evolved from the S&W design but they cheapened it).
 
You originally asked which was better, Ruger or Taurus. I agree with other posters that the Ruger is the better choice. I would also say to go with the 44 Magnum. While the 45 Colt has more potential, that potential is overshadowed, in my opinion, by the availability of the 44 Mag. Unless you are a prodigious handloader, you'll never realize the full potential of the 45 Colt.

You also mentioned a 5" barrel. The Super Redhawk only comes in 7.5" or longer barrels. The Smith is, in my opinion, too weak a gun for the 44 Magnum. It's delicate mechanism does not hold up well. Just look at it! It is, however, a fairly good looking and smooth action. If you buy one, buy USED. Don't support the sellout.

And finally, to add to what was said about double actions. I would buy a Blackhawk and spend the money you save on porting, grips, and a trigger job. The Taurus is already ported, but it's a far cry from a durable revolver.
 
The Smith is, in my opinion, too weak a gun for the 44 Magnum. It's delicate mechanism does not hold up well.

A calculator is also a delicate mechanism compared to lets say a abacus. Don't see many of them being picked up in place of a fragile calculator.
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Robert


[Edited by Robert the41MagFan on 11-27-2000 at 06:02 AM]
 
Having competed in metallic silhouette many years ago I came to own several 44 Mag revolvers. The current inventory has 2 Model 29's a 6-1/2" and a 5" Classic. Both are reliable and good shooters but cannot hold a candle in the accuracy department when compared to my Dan Wesson Model 44. I have the set of barrels from 4" to 10". This was the revolver I used in competition. It has easily had over 1200 very hot reloads through it and has not shot loose or diminished in accuracy. Dan Wesson is back in business. I have contacted them for information and accessories about my other DW .357's and they were very knowledgeable and helpfull.
If you find a used one, they are hard to find, it may be an excellent buy. Current manufacture standard and ported barrels along with grips & accessories are available from Dan Wesson and will fit older production guns.
I did have a SBH but never found the grip to suit me. It did shoot well though.
I don't think you'll find a loser among any of the revolvers suggested in this thread. Enjoy your search.

By the way with 23.5 grains of H110 behind a 240 JHP the 5 inch Model 29 Classic doubles as a flame thrower.
 
Robert. Remember I said -- conditionally -- to buy it. I owned a Mountain Gun once and liked it. I also saw a hand-full of shot-out 29's in my time and NEVER a shot-out Ruger.

Swamp. Forgot about the Dan Wesson. Do they still make them? I liked the guns I handled, but have never owned one. They are more accurage and better suited to the seasoned handgunner than the other guns. You can simply do more with it.

Why, yes, they still do! DAN WESSON ONLINE

What I will say is that Taurus 44's that are shot wear out quickly. That I've seen time and time again. Spend the same money on a Single Action, if you are on a budget, but stay away from the Taurus.
 
Ruger Redhawk and Super Redhawk- they don't fall apart and are built like tanks. A lot of custom guns are built on the frames which is a tribute to their strength. Also go with 44 Mag.
 
Hi I am kind of new to big bore sixgunning. I did buy a Ruger Super Blackhawk,7.5in bl Stainless Steel. I have shot it quite a bit and love it. It is the only one I can recomend. Rugers are very strong guns. If you reload you can go very hot and not worry. Don't go over board though Hope this helps,45automan
Click to expand...

I have a Super Blackhawk, same configuration as yours. Recoil is negligible, unless of course your shooting 300gr or heavier bullets at 1400FPS, then, most guns will pack a whallop ;) .

I find that for plinking, the Miwall cowboy loads are the best, they smoke a bit but they are accurate enough to shoot random garbage, and cheap enough to be worth it. Now, for factory target work, I've found that for me, the Remington .44 Mag 180Gr JSP's chrono'd at 1600 odd FPS work great, and I've hit targets out to 75 yards without a problem, most recently, pop cans and clay pigeons :D

My next .44 will be a Redhawk. Dad's Redhawk is all stock, no work done on it, and when he wears his glasses, he can knock out cans at about 50 yards without missing. The DA trigger is decent, I wouldn't compare it with a Smith, but its the closest out of any DA trigger I've felt from a Ruger. With some work, I imagine that it would be just beautiful.

The Super Blackhawk is an over built gun, so if you want to shoot hot stuff, you can do it pretty comfortably in it.... just rolls in your hand
 
as far as percission go's alot of it has to do with the shooter, I outshot a freind who had a colt python 357 and beat him bad with my ruger gp100 357 mag and yet many claim the python is a far superior gun ,I have a taurus 44 now and dont really like it, its off balance and i have the rear site almost off the blade to get a zero out of it.
 
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