Ruger Hunter model SBH's....

[alan in ga]

the 44 Rem mag is still listed on Ruger's web site.
Are they still being made? I know Ruger says they are backlogged and no orders at present, but was this pistol available before the panic buy of everything?
Still looking [45 would be nice but the 44 Rem Mag is probably more a reality search for anything less than the $1K folks are asking for the 45 Colt versions].

[pistolfan]

I bought mine (45Colt) off of GunBroker but paid close to the 1K, my son bought one from a local sporting goods store in the $700-$800 area his is a 44 mag. I don't think they are making new ones just using up parts left, I read this off of a SBH Hunter site lipseysguns.com I think. I really like mine, can't wait for warmer weather to start working with it. I bought mine in the fall so I didn't shoot it a lot. Hope this helps a little. Peter

[ratgunner]

Wow. I guess I did okay as I just got one new for $625

[kynardsj]

I lucked up and got one of the 45 LC Hunter's too. I'm thinking I paid around $750.00 for mine on Gunbroker sometime in 2010. Lipsey's originally had 600 made and then a couple of years later Ruger had a parts clean out and put 255 more out there. As far as I know that's all there will be. Pretty sure the 44 mag SBH Hunters are still being made. They're still listed on the website.

[BlkHawk73]

  being cataloged and being readily available are tow different things obviously.  Not every model is in continuous production.  I do believe for many models, Ruger uses Lean Production so until it's ordered, it's not made. Eliminates all the huge idle inventory they used to have. Not exactly a high-demand model so production isn't huge and also, it's not a model many shops will readily carry. 

[kynardsj]

BlkHawk73, I had not thought of it that way but you are correct sir.

[BlkHawk73]

  Out of curiosity, I check my usual haunt's inventory.  They show they have 2 44 Hunters currently in stock.


0860 SUPER BLKHWK HTR 44 MAG 7 1/2 STSRuger$699.992736676008605KS47NHNN

[alan in ga]

Thanks guys...saw a Redhawk in 44 Rem Mag  'as new/unfired/used' today, blued and has the scope base machined barrel rib. I had a stainless Redhawk as soon as it came out years ago....enjoyed it. Saw this one with the Ruger Ring dovetails in the rib and bought it. It's a 7.5" barrel standard Redhawk [not Super].
Glad to have a 'wheel gun' again!

[kynardsj]

You'll like the Redhawk. I've owned a Super Redhawk in the past and it was OK for a while but last year some horse trading got me a stainless 45 LC Redhawk with the 5" or 5 1/2" barrel. Not sure which length but, it's a very sweet shooter. It travels with me hog hunting in case I need a fast follow up shot.

[alan in ga]

I've enjoyed shooting mostly cast [250 Keith/RCBS] bullets out of 3 New Model SuperBlackhawks, one old 3 screw SB 44, and now on my second Redhawk.
What I had in mind was the fun of shooting with a scope at the range mostly, and then being able to remove the scope for using it as a utility pistol [?], and then being able to probably put the scope back on with no resighting necessary if I want to test another load or whatever. Guess it could be called a 'whatever gun'.
Now to find someone that is still enthusiastic about casting..... : )
I still have the G2 Contender MGM 11.5" barrel in .44 mag with a fast 10" twist. Got it scoped but have not been to the range yet. If the Redhawk shoots accurately the MGM barrel may go back on the selling/trading block. Bought it here.

[alan in ga]

HEY! Anyone measured the ring height on their Redhawk/Hunter? I've got to find rings for this Redhawk. I guess you measure from the bottom of the inner ring to the flat base???
Thanks!

[kynardsj]

I tried several bullets and loads in my 45 LC Redhawk and the one that it likes best is a Missouri Bullet Company 255 gr Keith style SWC over 10.0 gr of Unique. It'll stack them if I do my job. Not a screaming load but a 255 gr cast bullet running 1000-1100 fps is fun to shoot and will shoot thru most anything in my part of the world. Years ago I loaded and shot 44 mags. We cast or own 250 gr SWC's and loaded them over 9.0 gr of Unique. Very pleasant to shoot. Had a guy come to the hunting club with a 10 inch 44 mag Contender and didn't have any bullets. We gave him some of these, he sighted his Contender for them and went deer hunting that afternoon. He shot a 6 point at about 40 yards that was facing him, the bullet went in the chest and went out thru one of the hindquarters. Since then I've done a lot of reading about big bore cast bullets and have a whole new respect for them. They don't need to be running magnum speeds to do a lot of damage. Check out some of the writings on this website about this. http://www.customsixguns.com/writings.htm Good luck and good shooting with your new toy.

[alan in ga]

Sorry, forgot to add that I settled for a 44 mag instead of a 45LC.....would sure liked to have found a 45 but have lots of 44 stuff from years of shooting .429".
 

[kynardsj]

Nothing in the world wrong with a 44 mag, I just got hooked on the 45 LC.. Same principle, big bullet doesn't have to go fast to hammer something. Lot more fun to shoot too when  a pistol doesn't punish the shooter. All three of my 45 LC revolvers are Rugers and will handle the "OMG" 45 LC loads I shoot in my 20 inch Encore but it just ain't a lot of fun to do it. Recoil doesn't bother me but I shoot the other loads a lot more.

[gcrank1]

Use bullets that fit the cyl. throats if possible, its not unusual to find them several thou' larger than the barrel groove dia., but lead will swage down fine under pressure.
I recently got back into the world of Ruger 44's with a 1975 S-BH (one was my 1st 44 way back) and its a nice nostalgia shooter for me. Kinda wish now that I had mothballed the early SS RedHawk I had followed the S-BH with.......I put the factory available Express Sight setup on it for hunting and it would do it all.

[alan in ga]

I too, purchased that 'bead front and V notch' rear sight set from Ruger for my first Redhawk. Excellent sights!
My first Redhawk was in the -3500 serial number range, purchased when the very first guns were released. It had 'striations' running in the rifling as though Ruger had a marred rifling cutter/button, or whatever they used to make the first barrels. It shot ok but not as accurate as any of the few Super Blackhawks I had just prior to it's purchase.
I think almost ALL of my Ruger 44 pistols had tight spot in the throat just past or at the forcing cone= where the barrel threads were in the frame. Somebody must have used a LONG cheater bar when screwing on those barrels.
I ran a TIGHT patch through THIS Redhawk's bore and can feel NO tight spot so I'm anxiously awaiting to see if it's accurate! A bullet squeezing through a tight spot early on in a barrel and then running through a larger bore has a hard time achieving accuracy of one that doesn't [I'm thinking anyway].
We'll see, getting to the range as soon as possible!
I think I'll check to see if Ruger still offers that bead/V notch rear blade sight kit!

[gcrank1]

As I recall the kit had the rear 'wide V' plate, the gold bead front and 2 or 4 colored plastic blades. I think I saw one on GunBroker a short while back (?), but my memory ain't quite what I remember it being.......
Way back then I never knew enough to check for things like 'throat sizes' and 'thread crimp', I just casted WWts, sized .430, loaded over unique and shot different loads until I found one or two I liked. All my 44s would hit, or at least bounce, pop cans at 100yds fair regular, Id say 50% or better, leaning forward on a picnic table bench with a solid two-hand hold (no bags). I, foolishly perhaps, thought all revolver calibers would be that easy to load for!
Anyway, as much as the guns cost back then, compared to what I made as a blue color working man, I had some nice ones and glad I did. I do think that the new ones might actually be a better 'value' when we account for inflation and the styles and features now are terrific. This may well be the 'Golden Age' of handgunning?