Advice for a new handgun hunter

[One Eye]

I want to try this handgun hunting thing.  In the past, I have owned the following handguns: Ruger Blackhawk in .44 Mag, a Ruger Blackhawk in .357, a S&W M19 in .357, and a Phoenix Arms .22 semiauto.  None of these were actually hunted with.  I only plinked with them and carried the revolvers as backup guns while hunting with long guns.

I am leaning towards something in .44 Mag, since I do not handload (yet).  The one challenge that I have is that I have "very small" hands.  When I say very small, I am not exaggerating as I wear a size 8 ring.  I am 5' 11" and 195 pounds and I can handle heavy recoil.  I do not like large grips on any guns (handguns or long guns).

Any advice for someone with "women's hands"? 
Dan

[Redhawk1]

I don't have woman hands, but I suggest after you get a handgun, have a set of custom grips made, you can have them made thin which helps with smaller hands. I had a set made by Eagle grips and they are very thin. Actually they are to thin but they work on my BFR.

That is an option.

[Ken ONeill]

A Ruger SBH with standard grips and a round butt S&W 629 with hogue grips can both be mastered by someone with a size 8 glove hand. Shoot, shoot, and shoot more. RELOAD !!!

[TEXXAS]

One Eye I have small hands, for gloves I use mens small when I can find them or womans Lg. I have found a ruger bisley that has the grips reshaped at the frame and all edges rounded works great. I shoot a 500 Linebaugh and 44 Mag's without gloves. A Smith round but and smooth Hoge wood grips works great also.

                                                            Chad

[One Eye]

One Eye I have small hands, for gloves I use mens small when I can find them or womans Lg. I have found a ruger bisley that has the grips reshaped at the frame and all edges rounded works great. I shoot a 500 Linebaugh and 44 Mag's without gloves. A Smith round but and smooth Hoge wood grips works great also.

                                                            Chad

Thnaks Chad.  I really appreciate you sharing real world experience with this issue.  I really like the looks of the Bisley grip, so that is encouraging.  I always thought the big S&Ws were too big.  Maybe the older ones I held many years ago simply had big grips installed.
Dan

[ropadop]

My friend has small hands.  He really likes the bisley grip frame on Rugers.  He has the SS Bisley Super BH Hunter in 44 mag.  He also has the Ruger Super RH.  You may be able to get after market grips from Pachmayr or Hogue that fit you better than the factory grips.  I second the recommendation of the SW N-frame round butt with Hogues.  The gripper or decelerator Pachmayr's would be too big, but the standard Pachmayr or compacts may also work.

[Freezer]

    I wear size 8 gloves.  I have a S&W Mountian and  the wood grips were too big.  For $20 I bought rubber Houge grips and they work fine.   I also had them on two Ruger SBHs.  I like the finger grips and thin styling.  I like the Hogue finger grips because they seem to give me a more consistant grip esp. when I don't take time to concentrate on the hand positioning and grip.  I've never liked Pachmyre because they're too fat.