Author Topic: Taurus 44 magnum (Read 6072 times)

cbourbeau32 · « **on:** April 20, 2007, 12:59:19 PM »

I am considering buying a Taurus 44 magnum and would like some input (good and bad) from owners of either the model 44 4" or the tracker 4". Any input would be appreciated. Thanks, Charlie

James B · « **Reply #1 on:** April 20, 2007, 01:34:57 PM »

I have the 44 Magnum Ultra Lite. Weighs 26 OZ. Its great to carry while hunting. I love this gun and its performed perfectly for me. Full power loads are a handful in this light 4 inch gun but 44 Specials work well and I have some 300 grain cast bullet loaded down to about in between 44 Special and 44 Mag. One load thats full power but pretty pleasant to shoot is the WW 250 Grain Partition Gold factory loads.

roger460xvr · « **Reply #2 on:** August 30, 2007, 04:50:33 PM »

get the model 444 raging bull 44mag can handle the hoter loads.

RonO777 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 30, 2007, 05:56:43 PM »

Ive got a 44mag raging bull and I love it. I cant tell you how many rounds Ive shot thru it. The only problem Ive had with it is the center pin that activates the rear lock has jammed on me twice. But all it needed was to be cleaned. Another thing is with the porting you cant shoot shot shells.
Ron

alaskaman444 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 27, 2007, 05:50:02 PM »

I've had my Taurus .44 mag for years. I taken it hiking, four wheeling, and hunting with no problems what so ever. If all your getting it for is a side arm to take out into the woods it's a great gun. If your looking to get something that will see a lot rounds go through it at the range you might consider a larger bodied 44 mag. Me, I'd like to get my hands on a Desert Eagle .44 magnum!

corbanzo · « **Reply #5 on:** September 27, 2007, 08:04:34 PM »

If you are looking for a taurus .44mag, I would recommend the raging bull. You aren't going to break it, and it can handle any hot loads you put through it, including the factory .44mag +p's that are out. My RB is in .454, and that is a great gun.

I also have the .444 ultralite, and it has given me some problems. After opening it up, and doing some sanding, it works great now, shoots really good.

The trackers I dont know about, and I have heard a couple of stories with problems with them, but then again, there are plenty of people out there who love them.

A couple of things to make sure of on taurus:
cylinder to barrel alignment (use a pen flashlight)
tight lockup on all cylinders
firing smoothness

Give it a good test run before you buy it, and you'll get yourself a good gun.

Blowtorch53 · « **Reply #6 on:** October 08, 2007, 10:00:27 AM »

I just bought a 6" Raging Bull. It's heavy as hell but it handles stout loads really well and is fun to shoot "full house." It's the most comfortable .44 I have ever shot and it has the smoothest trigger out of the box. I paid $489.00 + tax for mine here in Texas. BT53

teddy12b · « **Reply #7 on:** October 08, 2007, 10:59:37 AM »

I've never owned a taurus 44, but I have owned two 357 mags model 608. One had a 4" barrel and the other had a 8" barrel. I had problems with both of them and now I'm a Ruger guy. I read some bad things about the customer service of Taurus and hopefully you'll never need it anyway, but I'd just be a little hesitant to buy one.

Just seems like you can't win no matter what you buy somebody will say it's junk. I've seen taurus revolvers have springs break, ruger screws sheared off, and s&w parts fly off. No matter what you buy just make sure you can argue well for your decision.

DenLee · « **Reply #8 on:** November 09, 2007, 03:58:39 PM »

Quote from: cbourbeau32 on April 20, 2007, 12:59:19 PM

I am considering buying a Taurus 44 magnum and would like some input (good and bad) from owners of either the model 44 4" or the tracker 4". Any input would be appreciated. Thanks, Charlie

I have the Tracker 4" in blue. Had light strikes and sent it back. Took 8 weeks but now I have a great gun for shooting 44 specials and 44 mags up to 270 reg loads.
If I had to do it over I would. But if you buy new it may have to go back to Taurus to replace the trigger assy like mine.

If I buy another 44 it will be a Ruger.

blackbear · « **Reply #9 on:** January 16, 2008, 05:36:49 AM »

Taurus Trackers are excellent revolvers. Raging Bull does not feel right to me for some reason.

warrior1 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 18, 2008, 05:00:34 AM »

i just got the 4" 44 mag,you referred to in your post, and i've loaded 200+ rounds of
cast to give it a work out. trouble here in mi this time of year between weather and other committments ,i haven't had a chance to shoot. i do not like indoor ranges.

i've had or still have other taurus' and they all have performed well for me with little or no problems. dan

azmark · « **Reply #11 on:** January 23, 2008, 12:00:36 PM »

I've shot both the Raging Bull and the Tracker .44s. Both owners had had them for quite a while with no problems. Personally, the Tracker was a better fit for me. The frame on the RB is large, and the reach to the trigger was longer than I prefer. If you'd rather not have the large frame, go with the Tracker. The grips on the two are completely different, too. The Tracker has the ribber grips, and the RB has larger, harder, dual-density grips. No more than I shot the two, I couldn't tell the difference as far as how well the two grips cushioned my hands. I think the .44 mag kicks hard no matter what.

jcn59 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 02, 2008, 07:13:00 PM »

I have the plain old .44 mag. model, blued, 6". Never had a problem with it. Better finish than my 29 S&W Classic. Slightly more accurate than my blackhawks. Just about never shoot it double action. Bought it with no rear sight & took 6 months to get one from Taurus.

Paid $275. used couple years ago. Would buy again.

warrior1 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 06, 2008, 11:03:42 AM »

i thought you would like to know i shot the 4" 44 mag, let's just say i am very pleased with this revolver. dan

dla · « **Reply #14 on:** February 28, 2008, 02:38:17 PM »

Quote from: warrior1 on February 06, 2008, 11:03:42 AM

i thought you would like to know i shot the 4" 44 mag, let's just say i am very pleased with this revolver. dan

What model are you talking about?

corbanzo · « **Reply #15 on:** February 28, 2008, 04:54:37 PM »

I think he made reference to the tracker above.

warrior1 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 29, 2008, 11:20:00 AM »

it is the heavy model 44 44 mag. it is suppose to climb into the mid 40s by sunday ,hopefully sunday or monday i'll get to shoot it again.

teddy12b · « **Reply #17 on:** March 01, 2008, 02:17:45 AM »

I just got the latest issue from guntests.com. I've come to really appreciate the opinions these guys have on firearms and they just rated a Taurus raging bull better than the S&W and Super Redhawk it was compared to. I never thought I would have seen that and I'm still trying figure out if the Raging Bull is a great gun or Guntests.com may not be as smart as I thought they were.

corbanzo · « **Reply #18 on:** March 01, 2008, 03:36:22 PM »

The RB is a great gun. There is no contest there. I haven't seen anyone say anything bad about them, ever. The three that I have put rounds through, and the one that I own have been flawless in operation, and great shooters.

I most definitely like it better than the super blackhawk, like the feel better then the super redhawk. But there are many super redhawk followers who I'm sure would say the raging bull is off for them. Did they compare it to the X-frame? I put the RB and the X-frame smith on about the same level for my tastes.

dla · « **Reply #19 on:** March 02, 2008, 05:58:25 AM »

I've been interested in the tracker. 34oz unloaded. Loaded it wouldn't pull me down anymore than a 1911. I've got a hankering for something with some serious whack, but I'm tired of the 4lb revolvers. I thought seriously about building a 460 Rowland, but the Rowland operates at the edge and bullet-types are limited, whereas the 4" 44mag can hit the same power levels with more margin and a wider bullet selection.

The Ultra-lite is intriguing, but I never see reviews, comments from owners and I don't see many for sale - always an order item. And as the weight decreases, the revolver becomes a handful.

corbanzo · « **Reply #20 on:** March 02, 2008, 07:47:54 AM »

I've got a .44mag ultralite - and it is a handful! It is very light, being titanium, but it is base on the raging bull frame, so it is also quite large, but if you worked at it, you could probably conceal it, it does have a 4" barrel.

The tracker titaniums though, I have heard nothing about, I've never even seen anyone who owns one... they are like a ships in the night... they gotta pass hands somewhere... just who knows where.

The regular tracker at 34oz's shouldn't be too bad if you consider the .357mag, you still get plenty of whack, and not as bad on the hands as the .44. My .44mag ultralite weighs 28oz's.

dla · « **Reply #21 on:** March 02, 2008, 09:52:12 AM »

Quote from: corbanzo on March 02, 2008, 07:47:54 AM

I've got a .44mag ultralite - and it is a handful!

I'm not looking for something to conceal. I'm looking for a trail gun. How much should I expect to pay for the Ultralite? I'm not squeemish about recoil, but I'm assuming the Ultralite is something not mean't to be shot a lot. Also, is the Ultralite frame & cylinder Ti? If so, then it should be corrosion resistant - something I care about here in the PWW.
Thanks for the info.

Davemuzz · « **Reply #22 on:** March 02, 2008, 03:56:55 AM »

I don't own a Taurus. Never have and probably never will. That doesn't mean that they don't make a good product and I don't mean to flame 'em. I don't know what the resale value is on a Taurus, but that should be a consideration when you purchase any gun. Yeah, I know...you may never sell it. I buy my guns and have only ever sold 2 of 'em. One I hated and the other was a CC "upgrade".

I'm a Smith fan....big time. You can pick up a good used 629 (stainless) for $500 to $550. If your going to buy any used gun, read some articles on what to look for and buy from a well know reputable dealer. Even if you buy from the internet, there are quality sellers that will stand behind their products.

FWIW

Dave

blackbear · « **Reply #23 on:** March 02, 2008, 04:11:29 AM »

S&W Is not what it use to be. I was an avid Smith guy for years. Both military and law enforcement were big S&W customers but went looking for better quality handguns years ago. Smith now has the M&P line to lure them back but I don't know if they can do it. All the handguns I buy now are Taurus. Magnum Research is very high quality too and I have been thinking about a BFR.

Davemuzz · « **Reply #24 on:** March 02, 2008, 06:59:46 AM »

Blackbear,

Handguns (and I'm not talking about handrifles or single shots) fall into 2 broad categories...Revolvers or Pistols (semi-auto's). I'm not a fan of the M&P. I own 2 1911's and shoot them only at club events and "for fun".

Smith makes fine revolvers, as does Ruger (even though all ruger's need trigger jobs). BFR are fine revolvers as well and no need to give second thoughts if your considering buying one of those.

MHO

Dave

blackbear · « **Reply #25 on:** March 02, 2008, 07:53:57 AM »

Davemuzz, I will agree that S&W made good quality handguns in the past but like many (if not most ) manufacturers the quality has declined. I purchased a 629-6 Classic as a retirement gift for myself last year. I had to send it back because the cylinder rubbed on the frame. The shop owner told me about a S&W revolver he ordered for himself and that it would not fire after the first couple of rounds. When my 2Nd. 629-6 arrived I accepted it but there were rough spots that you would never see on a Taurus or BFR. I bought the S&W because I carried a S&W revolver and later a S&W pistol for many years.The BFR frame is smooth inside and out. When the F.B.I. switched over to foreign made pistols I was surprised. When most U.S. P.D.'s started switching over to Glocks I was more surprised. When the military went with foreign handguns I was no longer surprised. Most people who carry handguns because their lives depend on them do not carry S&W's any longer.

Davemuzz · « **Reply #26 on:** March 02, 2008, 08:29:43 AM »

BB,

That's ashame. I bot a 629DX Classic 4 years ago (new) 6.5" barrel and it performs as good or better than it looks. This will put all 6 rounds in a 4" group at 100 yards. (From a bench...with a scope).

Dave

teddy12b · « **Reply #27 on:** March 02, 2008, 10:06:50 AM »

All things considered I still think a Ruger is the best bet for the money. Yeah they need that trigger job, but after that they're indestructable. I'm hoping that hogue will make a tamer grip for the redhawk because I'd love to buy one with a 5 1/2 barrel.

blackbear · « **Reply #28 on:** March 02, 2008, 03:51:25 PM »

Davemuzz, What ammo are you using? I plan to start reloading this year and hope to get better performance than I have from factory ammo.

Davemuzz · « **Reply #29 on:** March 02, 2008, 04:28:05 PM »

BB,

The load of choice for my 629 is the 200 grain Hornady XTP over 24.4 grains of Vihtavouri N-110.

Dave