Author Topic: recoil in .44 mag. Contender (Read 1558 times)

barber · « **on:** October 22, 2008, 05:54:27 PM »

I guess I've turned into a real wimp in my old age. Went to sight in a .44 mag Contender loaded fairly hot with H110 280 gr. hardcast, red dot sight and 10 inch barrel. The recoil about drove me nuts. I shoot my SRH and SBH .44 with the same loads, and don't have a problem. So, anyone have any suggestions?

AiredaleTerrier · « **Reply #1 on:** October 22, 2008, 06:08:25 PM »

Sell the 44 and get a 357Maximum. I'm working on a load for the Max so I can hang up the 44Mag. I've become a wimp myself...

HL · « **Reply #2 on:** October 23, 2008, 01:36:32 AM »

You could also try a 44 mag in a 14 or 15" barrel. I had a 10" and went to a 14". There is a big difference in recoil.

Ladobe · « **Reply #3 on:** October 23, 2008, 03:02:46 AM »

Just because the case will hold it, you don't have to stuff it full of H110. Lighter load, lighter bullet would reduce recoil.

Davemuzz · « **Reply #4 on:** October 23, 2008, 03:26:08 AM »

Quote from: Ladobe on October 23, 2008, 03:02:46 AM

Just because the case will hold it, you don't have to stuff it full of H110. Lighter load, lighter bullet would reduce recoil.

Excellent point! I have shot plenty of "plinkin" loads at the range with just Hornady swaged lead bullets and enough powder to keep the fps at 1000. No barrel leading or minimal and cheap, cheap, cheap to shoot.

Dave

Graybeard · « **Reply #5 on:** October 23, 2008, 04:07:39 AM »

The .44 Magnum Contender is a critter with many personalities or faces. Put it in a 10" barrel bull or even worse octagon and use those old original grips and feed it full max loads and it's as ugly as anything I've ever shot. My first pretty much never failed to bring blood.

Put a 14" barrel on it use good modern grips from Pachmayr or the newer ones from TC with the rubber insert and scope it and it is truly tamed to the point of being what I consider mild.

Of course as Ladobe said ya don't have to load it to max just cuz ya can. Back in the early days we used to use our 14" barrels with bullets we cast from Lyman 429244 mould using linotype and they dropped at about 242 grains. We loaded them over 17.0-17.5 grains of 2400 and they shot very accurately and the recoil even with iron sights was mild and they were very pleasant to shoot.

vonfatman · « **Reply #6 on:** October 23, 2008, 05:54:31 AM »

Good suggestion Mr. Greybeard.

My "problem" is with the darn trigger guard on my Contender...that darn thing is what gets my hand while shooting "warm" .357 Max, .44 Mag, 41 Mag loads.

I do not have a Pachmayr grip on my Contender frame..I can do this if it will help a bit. But my barrels are all 10". I'm all ears as to how others deal with the back of the trigger guard hitting the fingers while shooting heavy loads.

Thanks.

Bob

barber · « **Reply #7 on:** October 23, 2008, 09:19:57 AM »

Thanks for the replies. I have a 14 in, barrel, and I will try it. I have a red dot that I will try also. Going to order some bullets and will try loading them down a bit. Also glad to hear I ain't the only one that has problems with a 10 in. barrel. Thanks again.

Curtis · « **Reply #8 on:** October 23, 2008, 10:57:32 AM »

Quote

The .44 Magnum Contender is a critter with many personalities or faces. Put it in a 10" barrel bull or even worse octagon and use those old original grips and feed it full max loads and it's as ugly as anything I've ever shot. My first pretty much never failed to bring blood.

I've got one of those dreaded 10" octagon barrels and you are not wrong!!! Not fun at all.

Curtis

Curtis · « **Reply #9 on:** October 23, 2008, 11:01:29 AM »

Quote from: vonfatman on October 23, 2008, 05:54:31 AM

Good suggestion Mr. Greybeard.

My "problem" is with the darn trigger guard on my Contender...that darn thing is what gets my hand while shooting "warm" .357 Max, .44 Mag, 41 Mag loads.

I do not have a Pachmayr grip on my Contender frame..I can do this if it will help a bit. But my barrels are all 10". I'm all ears as to how others deal with the back of the trigger guard hitting the fingers while shooting heavy loads.

Thanks.

Bob

I guess my fingers are skinny enough to not have that problem. The only time the trigger guard spur bites me is if I have my off hand somewhere it doesn't belong.

Curtis

Ladobe · « **Reply #10 on:** October 23, 2008, 11:45:34 AM »

Quote from: vonfatman on October 23, 2008, 05:54:31 AM

My "problem" is with the darn trigger guard on my Contender...that darn thing is what gets my hand while shooting "warm" .357 Max, .44 Mag, 41 Mag loads.

I do not have a Pachmayr grip on my Contender frame..I can do this if it will help a bit. But my barrels are all 10". I'm all ears as to how others deal with the back of the trigger guard hitting the fingers while shooting heavy loads.

Thanks.

Bob

It's all about fit Bob. With grips that fit your hand and using good techniques, you should never have a problem with any TC trigger guard busting your knuckles, even when shooting the heavier handcannons and even if you've got the hands of Godzilla. TC's generic one-size-fits-all grips leave everything to be desired IOW for many shooters. I've shot the JDJ handcannons for 25+ years and never been bitten by any of them on my Contenders. Found a technique that works for me at first and now have several custom grips for my Contenders that were made to fit my hand perfectly. I also like and use the Pachy's on several of my frames, preferring the Gripper over the Presentation. It's been a very long time since I've shot my Contenders with TC's generic factory grips.

Enter the Encores. Right when they first came out and I got my first frame, along with all the other first tame barrels for it I also got short 454 Casull and 416 Rigby barrels. Both barrels were possible knuckle busters with the generic wood grip from TC that came with the frame. My techniques helped me escape the busted knuckles on most shots with these two barrels, but the torque nearly twisted the pistol right out of my hand with the 454 especially. A friend, the only one of them that had the cajones to try these barrels, got bloody knuckles from both of them after only a couple of shots even wearing shooting gloves. I think in part because he shoots the handcannons two handed while I shoot them one handed, in part because I'd been shooting the handcannons much longer than him and developed better techniques, and for sure in part because the TC grips that came with the frame didn't fit either of our hands well. Soon as I got custom grips from Bullberry that fit my hand, I didn't have to worry about getting busted by these two barrels anymore, or the torque. I got back out of the Encores long before Pachy finally added grips for them, but suppose they would helped too.

LSS, if you are having problems handling recoil/torque with your TC's, before you give up on them spring for a set of custom grips that fit "your" hand. You might be pleasantly surprised that you can in fact easily handle that boomer and even more so that it's really fun to shoot. There are several shops that offer custom grips, and at least two of them will build them to fit your hand from a tracing or as mine were in person.

DEACONLLB · « **Reply #11 on:** October 23, 2008, 02:27:21 PM »

Greaybeard is right about the recoil. I bought a new g2 got it home and loaded it up and let her rip and it almost ripped me, nuff of that ordered a set of custom grips from high plains installed them took it outside and fired off a round or two and both times I thought it would come back and hit me before I got the thing stoped. Later I picked up a nice contender at the gun show that was equiped with a 14 inch 44 mag barrel and a set of nice packmyr grips brought it home and thought why not give this thing a shot which I did and found it was not bad at all so those grips do make a lot of difference. By the way I do live in the country and have a place to shoot against a hill not breaking the law.

Deaconllb

reloading_rich · « **Reply #12 on:** October 23, 2008, 02:52:12 PM »

Having Contender barrels chambered for 44 Mag in both 10" and 14" that have sat in the safe for a few years while I was playing with newer barrels and some of the JDJ varities I had reason to drag them out and check the zero and get reacquainted with them. I was quite surprised when I shot the 10" with some stiff loads. That thing really rocks! Not at all like I remembered it. The 14" was much better but still has substantial recoil that was controllable to moderate. Both these barrels are scoped and have Pachmayr forends which tend to help out with felt recoil. I had an octagon barrel chambered for 44 Mag that I sold before shooting it, which I thought was a wise idea. I could just imagine how much fun that one would have been.

maxhunter · « **Reply #13 on:** October 23, 2008, 05:51:24 PM »

It's all in the way you hold it. Octagon .44mag is a down right mean critter! Feels like a firecracker going off in your hand!

vonfatman · « **Reply #14 on:** October 24, 2008, 01:45:33 AM »

Good stuff guys. I can't imagine shooting/hunting with my Contender one-handed. I have not been taught to do so and find it hard to imagine myself being able to steady the gun well enough to feel comfortable shooting game.

I have lots to learn here!

Bob

Ladobe · « **Reply #15 on:** October 24, 2008, 08:58:02 AM »

Bob,

Naturally it would be easier to show and tell rather than just tell without typing a very long essay. I'll try to give a brief description of my take on it...

There are many different techniques or ways to shoot a TC pistol - variations of two handed or one handed holds when shooting offhand, with a lean or off a bench that may take different stances, ways to grip and support, ways to manage the recoil/torque, the flow and followup, etc. Some obviously are more stable than others, some more comfortable than others and some more practical than others in a hunting situation. It's one of those to each his own things though and everybody needs to find which ones work best for them in each situation and then practice them.

Since we were talking in regards to shooting the heavier recoiling cartridges in our TC pistols, and your comment suggests concerning offhand shooting/hunting (ie standing on our back two legs with no other mechanical support)...

By "one handed" I mean only my shooting hand has a light controlling grip on the pistola itself to somewhat manage the recoil/torque and go with the flow at the shot. My off hand will usually be under and supporting the weight of the pistol and shooting hand like a rest for the extra stability, but not even lightly gripping anything and not taking any of the recoil/torque. At the shot the off hand is left behind while the shooting hand goes with the flow and follow up. It's just as stable as two handed holds where the off hand actually grips something (pistol grip, shooting hand, scopes, etc), but makes it easier to roll with the shot and not have either hand get bit by the trigger guard, an off hand forearm face slap or face stopping a scope or a barrel. I use such a light grip that some of my handcannons have recoiled well past 90 degrees.

What works for me shooting the handcannons offhand. Other folks may have different techniques that work better for them, but that's how I have shot mine offhand for decades.

L.

barber · « **Reply #16 on:** October 25, 2008, 06:01:08 PM »

I put the 14 inch barrel on and a red dot sight, 280 gr MBW hardcast, 21.9 gr H110, the gun about hit me in the head. One guy said the load was too hot, another friend said he used about 22.5 grain H110 in his revolver, and didn't think it too hot. Guess I'll give up on the Contender, the recoil is just too much. A friend watching said the gun missed my face about 2 inches. Again, thanks for all the input.

vonfatman · « **Reply #17 on:** October 26, 2008, 03:05:59 PM »

L.
Thank you for the reply. I intend to get this resolved with more reading and learning how best to shoot my Contender. I really enjoy the gun. I have 17 barrels...I just would like to get better control with the heavy loads.

It's my go-to gun to test out my reloads. Unreal accuracy/consistency.

Graybeard · « **Reply #18 on:** October 26, 2008, 07:11:46 PM »

For those intimidated by the recoil and especially the guy who said he almost got hit I offer this advice.

The SSK Industries break will end all that. No I generally don't like brakes but the can and do reduce muzzle rise and end torque or twist completely in TCs. It's been awhile and I've forgotten the name of it to be honest but it's JD's design.

I had a .358 JDJ that I just could not handle. The twisting torque of it almost pulled it from my arthritic hands and it rose high from the bags each time I fired. I decided I just couldn't live with it so sent it in for the brake. WOW what a difference.

Zero and I mean ZERO lift off the bags and ZERO twist or torque. It came straight back.

BUT OH did it come back. I decided I couldn't handle that either and admitted defeat it's more recoil than I can deal with in my condition. I have severe arthritis in my hands and arms both and a bone spur or calcium deposit or something on the right thumb right where the recoil from handguns is delivered. I just cannot take that level of recoil.

But if you can and if you don't want the lift and twisting JD's brake will end it completely.

Bullseye · « **Reply #19 on:** October 28, 2008, 07:12:37 AM »

I shoot them kind of like Ladobe described. I shoot factory grips and I keep the off hand low on the grip so that my pointer finger is below the trigger gaurd spur. If someone new to Contenders shoots my gun I show them how to hold it so that they do not get bit by the spur. Everyone seems to survive and it is generally with my unbraked 45-70 or 375 Win barrels since everyone wants to try the big boys.

vonfatman · « **Reply #20 on:** October 29, 2008, 03:42:42 AM »

barber,
Hope my questions did not hi-jack your thread too much. I appreciate the information provided as a result of your initial question.

I am 50 now and am feeling my age as well. I don't look for recoil. I do enjoy working up loads that produce good results and maximize the value of the Contender. Some of these loads are "ugly" when it comes to recoil.

I appreciate all the suggestions.

Bob

barber · « **Reply #21 on:** October 31, 2008, 03:24:14 AM »

Bob, don't feel bad, all questions get answers, don't feel bad about age, I'm 77 and starting to feel it too