Author Topic: .44 magnum advice (Read 2016 times)

JerryNH · « **on:** January 16, 2007, 07:31:47 AM »

I am planning on buying a revolver to carry in the woods in black bear country. It'll be purely for defensive purposes. I am looking at the Alaskan and the Mountain Gun. I've read a lot of comments about how tough it is to shoot the .44 magnum and how much damage it's done to people's hands. Are bleeding hands typical of .44 mag shooters? How does the Ruger Alaskan compare to the S&W mountain gun in .44 mag. I am looking for a gun that is easy to retrieve in a hurry if needed.

Thanks for any assistance you can provide.

SDS-GEN · « **Reply #1 on:** January 16, 2007, 07:59:05 AM »

Bleeding hands? Are you serious? You should have no problem shooting a .44 mag. I only way 150 lbs and stand 6' tall, pretty scrawny. I have shot the S&W 329PD (the lightweight scandium framed .44) with no problems. After a box of full power loads your hand will feel it, but you can always load down or shoot 44spl for practice. By the way that lightweight S&W is a dream to carry. Get the wood grips as the rubber ones kind of "dig into" ones hand.

JerryNH · « **Reply #2 on:** January 16, 2007, 10:42:34 AM »

Thanks for the info! I don't want to throw stones at anyone by saying where I saw it, but I've been doing a lot of reading of posts on different websites regarding the .44 magnum and there's more than a few out there that talk about their web between the thumb & forefinger bleeding after shooting. I am assuming they do more than just plinking with the .44 mag. Again, I appreciate the feedback.

safetysheriff · « **Reply #3 on:** January 16, 2007, 11:25:47 AM »

i have found that a rather 'relaxed' grip on the .44's i shoot makes it easier for the revolvers to roll with the recoil and makes my hands/wrists much more comfortable. it's only necessary to maintain sensible control of the revolver, not to manhandle it which makes recoil more injurious from what i've seen. i have put Hogue Mono-Grips on my .44's to help with consistent positioning of my hands on the revolver and to help with absorbing recoil as well. they work very well.

take care,

ss'

Graybeard · « **Reply #4 on:** January 16, 2007, 11:59:05 AM »

I don't like being first up on these threads like this as I've been told it discourages participation whether it does or not.

I've bled from the .44 magnum a few times. Back in the old days the original grips for the TC Contender were pretty horrible and way too small. Run the kinda loads that USED to be standard down the barrel of the 10" and especially the octagon 10" and it wasn't uncommon to bleed from it. But that was from contact with the trigger guard. Wearing gloves with that particular combination was the best way to keep all your blood inside you.

Now I've bled where you mention several times from shooting the FA83 mostly in .454 Casull with super heavy loads and when using iron sights. The weight of the scope really helped and I don't think I ever brought blood when it was on. I can't recall but I think I've brought blood a time or two with the FA83 .44 Mag I now have using the really hot loads when I got careless in my grip.

I normally hold a handgun very loosely in my hands, a habit picked up thru so many years of double action shooting. Single actions are designed to roll in the hands and if I keep my normal loose grip on them with really heavy loads the hammer will come down on the back of my hand between thumb and first finger and it does make me bleed from time to time. If wearing gloves no blood can result and if I'm careful and hold my grip appropriately for a single action it doesn't either.

But this is mostly with the .454 Casull not so much so with the .44 magnum and certainly NOT with the puny loads the factories put out these days.

Back in the old days when the .44 magnum was new the factory loads were running a full 300 fps faster than factory loads do today.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 16, 2007, 12:11:44 PM »

I have shot the 44 Mag for about 25 years and never have bleed once. I shot 454 Casull's, 460 Mags and 500 Mags and never a bloody knuckle, finger or anywhere for that matter. Maybe the guys that bleed need a better grip or learn how to handle there handguns. JMHO.

JerryNH · « **Reply #6 on:** January 16, 2007, 12:35:51 PM »

As an add on to my original post....Is the .44 magnum enough gun for your average New England Black bear? I usually carry a .45 ACP 1911 A1 but have been told that it was not adequate for black bear. Where I hike & scout for deer, it is definitely bear country and I'd rather have overkill than not enough power.

Thanks again for all the information & feedback!

Graybeard · « **Reply #7 on:** January 16, 2007, 12:36:49 PM »

Quote

Maybe the guys that bleed need a better grip or learn how to handle there handguns. JMHO.

Precisely. The single action guns especially with really seriously heavy loads require a different grip than does a double action. I've never bled while shooting ANY double action gun even when using same loads as made me bleed with single actions because of the difference in the way they transmitt recoil.

Had I been holding on tight enough to those single actions when they went off I'd not have lost blood. I'm not sure I can say the same tho on those old light weight TCs from the early days. Only gloves prevented that.

slave · « **Reply #8 on:** January 16, 2007, 12:40:27 PM »

Make sure you got good ear protection. They will hurt more than your hands

Catfish · « **Reply #9 on:** January 16, 2007, 12:52:24 PM »

Like GB said. I also have bloodied my finger with the old Contender, but never with a revolver. A while back a young couple stopped by to see my guns. He was alot like you, very apprehencive, but she had no fear. She wanted to shot my 629 S&W. I took out abt 1/2 a box of target load, since she had never fired a handgun befor and weighted abt 110 lbs. Well she shot them all and was haveing a ball. I ask her if she want to try some hot loads. She empted the cyclinder with a big smile on her face. Just jokeing I ask her if she wanted to try the 500 S&W. She said she did, much to my disbeliefe. I loaded it wit 440 gr. bullets that were loaded to the max., I do not load down for this gun. She fire 2 round from it. It came very close to hitting her in the head each time and the pounding was very uncomfortable for, but it never hurt her at all.
I can highly recomand the the 629 S&W for what you want. I also have the 329 PD and it`s the carry gun of choice for me because of it weight, but if your consirned abt recoil the extra wieght of the 629 make it a joy to shoot. You can fire a box of ammo through the 629 and feel it less than a cylinder of hot rounds through a 329 PD.

JerryNH · « **Reply #10 on:** January 16, 2007, 01:00:04 PM »

GB...based on your comments about today's (puny) factory loads, would it be safe to say that if I settled on the .454 Ruger Alaskan, shooting factory loads, that I wouldn't have that much of a problem with the recoil? I know there are a number of other factors to consider here and I am certainly not trying to pin you down but in your opinion, how bad is the recoil of the .454 with factory loads?

JerryNH · « **Reply #11 on:** January 16, 2007, 01:09:15 PM »

Catfish: Thanks for the info. I don't know if it's me being apprehensive or if it is more curiosity. I started reading all these posts to get as much information compairing the guns more than I was concerned about recoil. I figured these posts were better than a Consumer Report article since they were coming straight from the shooter's mouths. But as I read more posts, I saw more comments about bleeding and hurt wrists. I was originally thinking about the .454/.45 long Alaskan and I figured it would have a substantial bite to it. But I never considered that they'd cause bleeding. So I will count heavily on the feedback provided here to help decide which way I'll go.

Thanks again!

OLDHandgunner · « **Reply #12 on:** January 16, 2007, 01:52:53 PM »

JerryNH
I would stay with your original thought, the 44 Mag. It has all the knock down power you need. I took down a 350 lb. black bear with my Ruger Redhawk w/ Horn.240 XTP's. I have Pachmayr grips on it. Don't kick too bad. My S&W 29's not bad either. They are right the old T/C 44 Mags were brutal on the hands. My G2 with 44 Mag 12" Hunter barrel bites the hand a little more than the Ruger's & S&W's. I would shoot a friends 44 Mag before you purchase one. See how it feels on your hands, some people just can take the recoil of the 44 Mag. You wouldn't be the first. I've shot 357's & 44's for almost 40 yrs. now. It does take awhile to get use to the noise & recoil of these guns. GOOD LUCK!!!!

millwright · « **Reply #13 on:** January 16, 2007, 02:19:41 PM »

I shoot my ruger sbh 44 more than 1000 times per year with hard cast bullets If you use the 300 gr wfn with a moderate to heavy powder charge it will do whatever you want from zero to 50 yards with a very manageable recoil.

Graybeard · « **Reply #14 on:** January 16, 2007, 04:23:44 PM »

Quote from: JerryNH on January 16, 2007, 01:00:04 PM

GB...based on your comments about today's (puny) factory loads, would it be safe to say that if I settled on the .454 Ruger Alaskan, shooting factory loads, that I wouldn't have that much of a problem with the recoil? I know there are a number of other factors to consider here and I am certainly not trying to pin you down but in your opinion, how bad is the recoil of the .454 with factory loads?

DO NOT mistake my comments about today's puny .44 Magnum ammo as compared to the original .44 mag ammo to apply to the .454 Casull. It DOES NOT.

The Ruger SRH kicks as much in .44 magnum as the Taurus RB does in .454 Casull. In .454 Casull the SRH kicks WAY more than the RB.

Still bleeding doesn't happen from any of the double action guns. It's the single actions that can make that happen. They are designed to roll up in your hand and if your grip is too loose when they do that the hammer will contact the back of your shooting hand. This is the only time blood should be made to flow from a revolver. Can't say it's ever happened to me with a double action of any kind.

jhalcott · « **Reply #15 on:** January 16, 2007, 05:06:47 PM »

JerryNH, maybe reading a few books about hiking in bear country will serve you better than carrying a gun you are uncomfortable with. I am sure you know that a black bear can go from zero to 30+ mph in a second ,or 2 at most. Unless you have the gun aimed at the bear when he starts a charge ,you have little chance of hitting it. It's far better to let the bear know your coming ,and give him time to retreat. I would carry for protection against 2 legged problems quicker than for bear. I think just about EVERY ONE should own a gun or two.I also think they have the responsibility to learn how AND when to use them!

slave · « **Reply #16 on:** January 17, 2007, 01:32:13 AM »

What was the main factor that forced such a design difference between the double and single action?

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #17 on:** January 17, 2007, 01:54:03 AM »

Quote from: JerryNH on January 16, 2007, 12:35:51 PM

As an add on to my original post....Is the .44 magnum enough gun for your average New England Black bear? I usually carry a .45 ACP 1911 A1 but have been told that it was not adequate for black bear. Where I hike & scout for deer, it is definitely bear country and I'd rather have overkill than not enough power.

Thanks again for all the information & feedback!

You will be just fine with a 44 Mag, if you were apprehensive and worried about shooting a 44 Mag, the 454 Casull is not for you. I have owned and shot the 454 Casull for many years, it is a heavy recoiling gun. I had a Super Redhawk customized down to a 2 1/2 inch barrel and it is a handful. Stick with the 44 mag and learn how to shot it well, don't just pick it up once in a while, go to the range and shoot the heck out of it.

slave, the main factor for the design difference was to have a faster follow up shot without having to cock the hammer every time. Although there are guys that can shot a single action just as fast as guys with a double action.

slave · « **Reply #18 on:** January 17, 2007, 03:27:50 AM »

Redhawk,

Sorry my post was so general. I was directing it more at the frame and grip differences. I was wondering if this was done to fit in the required components of the double action in the frame or if this was to make a double action more stable if used as a double action.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 17, 2007, 04:13:39 AM »

Quote from: slave on January 17, 2007, 03:27:50 AM

Redhawk,

Sorry my post was so general. I was directing it more at the frame and grip differences. I was wondering if this was done to fit in the required components of the double action in the frame or if this was to make a double action more stable if used as a double action.

OK, I see what you were after. I think you are on the right track as far as the design. The frame had to be modified to fit all the extra parts and allow the proper function of the parts.
Sorry I I misunderstood you question.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #20 on:** January 17, 2007, 12:39:10 PM »

I had to chuckle a year or so ago when i was in the local gander mountain. There behind the counter gun pro

was talking to a customer when i walked up to buy some powder. They were handling a 454 tarus and the gun expert was telling his potential customer that the gun in his hands was so powerful and kicked so much that he knew of two guys personaly that had broken bones in there hands shooting them!!! I about spit out my gum! I got the guy off to the side and straightened him out and sent him to my buddys gun shop in the next town to have him set him up with a gun that suited his needs. The guns shop owner called me the next day and told me the guy told the story and left the shop with a 44 mag super redhawk. Guns can hurt you if they arent held right. (ive put the sight blade of my linebaughs in my forehead a few times MY OWN STUPID FAULT) they can make you blead if the grips arent right. my 396 shooting heavy keith loads would peel the skin off my hand and thats only a 44 special. (a proper set of grips cured that) 44 mags are not going to hurt you. I shot 350 rounds of heavy loaded 300 grain cast out of two blackhawks just last weekend and didnt need any transfusions or bone splints. Only thing that sucked was i had to go back home and load it all back up!

corbanzo · « **Reply #21 on:** January 17, 2007, 02:10:19 PM »

I think the only time my .44 has made me bleed to my remembrance was when it was snowy out.. and my hands got a little wet, and the rubber grip slipped down and i got hit with the hammer. My own fault, like all the other examples here. .44 mag can really be comfortable to shoot quite a few hot loads through as long as you keep your grip right.

And good job straightening him out Lloyd, I own a Taurus .454 casull, and I love shooting that thing. Especially with the weight of the RB, it handles the .454 quite well. I enjoy shooting the .454 better than my SW629 .44 mag, becuase it doesnt have the muzzle flip of the smith.

banen · « **Reply #22 on:** January 26, 2007, 05:40:15 PM »

I am not very experience handgun hunter but here are a few points I might add. I do have a .44 Redhawk and have never had it make me bleed. Actually I went from shooting .22's handguns strait to that .44 and I didn't think it was too bad.

1. I hunt and hike in black bear country and have never worried much about them bothering me. When guys talk about bear protection they are usually more of the Brown / Grizley / Alaskan type. If you feel you would like to have a pack gun thats great, there is just something about having a gun in the woods that is neat, but I wouldn't feel your safety is at risk. Not to say nothing ever happens with blackbears, just rare.

2. .44 is certainly big enough for blackbears. I would argue that a 41 or even a 357 would be good enough for protection purposes. The 357 might not be ideal as a hunting rig but I would think you could get by. These guys might dissagree with me on that.

3. If you are thinking of the 44 and the 454 remember you always have downloaded practice options, being the 44 Special and the 45 Long Colt. (I am pretty sure you can fire a 45 LC in a 454 right guys?). If it were me I would practice with the lighter loads and then just drop in the havy ones when you were carrying for protection. My Vote would be the .44

Broom Rider · « **Reply #23 on:** January 27, 2007, 01:11:33 PM »

I know I'm not the average woman..............my first gun was a 7.5" 44 Redhawk and the first time out with it I went through 80 rounds and was annoyed that was all my father had brought with him. My hand was beginning to get a bit sore though so it was for the best. Since then I've grown to really like the 44 in all sizes of revolver and shoot as much as I can. I've only had one gun draw blood and that was my S&W 340PD when I shot it right handed the thumb latch scored my thumb. I'm a leftie and the muscles aren't properly trained for heavy recoil right handed.

Ak.Hiker · « **Reply #24 on:** January 27, 2007, 06:40:04 PM »

I have two 44 magnum's for woods carry. One is a 4 5/8 inch Super Blackhawk with rubber grips. It is a great gun for hiking. I also have a Taurus model 44. The Taurus has a 4 inch barrel and it is ported. I shoot 300 ot 320 grain loads in the Ruger and 240's in the Taurus. The ported Taurus with a 240 Remington or Winchester softpoints is one easy shooting 44.

JerryNH · « **Reply #25 on:** January 28, 2007, 12:02:13 AM »

Thanks again for all your feedback, I really appreciate it!