I've recently purchased a Ruger super Blackhawk Hunter in 44 mag. With hot loads recoil can be a bit on the hands. Anyone have any suggestions on a grip to help with the recoil. I did buy the hogue monogrip that states that it was for my super Blackhawk Hunter with a round trigger guard which is what I have but it does not fit. Unsure if they put the wrong grip in the wrong box or if I'm just not trying to install it correctly. I've also noticed that there are some companies that make wood grips that are a little bit wider than the factory wood slats. In anyone's experienced is that seem to help with recoil.

Its a 44Mag..The recoil is harsh.
I have owned 3 of them over the years and each one of them I have found a reason to trade or sell them..
I carry and hunt with a 6"inch .357 now...to hell with 44's  I wont buy another one.

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But I'm old and recoil sensitive and sick of being beat to hell just to say I have/carry a BIG gun.
YMMV
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Edit: I still have Blackhawk that's shoots 45acp and also a extra cylinder for 45Colt..Now that's a really nice revolver to fire and own/carry..
But No more 44s for me.

Try the Bisley SBH Hunter. The Bisley grip is much more comfortable with big recoil revolvers than the standard plow handle grip is. If you like the Bisley, maybe trade/sell yours and replace it with said Bisley. Or just shoot .44 Specials.

I have one Ruger plow handle 44 SBH. I keep it because that was the first sixgun I ever bought.

I have many more Rugers; Blackhawks, SBHs, Vaqueros... all are Bisleys. My 45 Colt Blackhawk Bisley handles Buffalo Bore loads quite nicely. Still recoils like a mule kick but the Bisley grip is much more controllable and comfortable to shoot.

Just a thought.

Pain. Hardcore, excruciating pain, is beauty.



Wear a glove.

You need to make sure that it actually says Super Blackhawk Hunter and not just Super Blackhawk. The Hunters have a longer gripframe than a regular SBH with the square trigger guard so grips are not interchangeable.

On the recoil mitigation side had you asked before the purchase you would have likely been advised to look at the Bisley grip configuration as opposed to the traditional Plow Handle. The Bisley makes it easier to control the recoil and is more pleasant to shoot overall. There is a reason when you start looking at single actions larger than 44mag that most of them come through with a Bisley type grip.

That said, adding some weight (i.e. a scope or red dot) to your hunter will add some additional weight in front of the grip and help with muzzle rise. Also a set of decent shooting gloves will help mitigate some of the sting as well but in the end, a hot loaded 44 mag is going to recoil.

You can also start doing some strength training to improve both your grip and wrist strength. The ability to hang onto the gun better will allow you to better let your natural body mechanics work to control the recoil. If at the shot the gun rolls almost vertical in your hands while your forearms barely move indicates that you need to hold the gun tighter. At the shot, the gun should roll up but your  arms should be bending at the elbow to allow it to swing upward in a big arc. If your wrists are doing all of the bending (recoil mitigation) it makes the recoil feel that much worse and is a pretty good indication that you need better wrist and grip strength.

Also as you are getting used to it you don't need to shoot maximum end loads (300-320gr @ 1300fps). Look toward a more sedate load that will allow you to get to know the recoil characteristics of the gun better. A 240gr bullet @ ~1000 fps is quite pleasant to shoot.

@GingerShanks, how big is the hole in the front of that one?

I like this half incher

Is that a Freedom? Excellent! I’m guessing the hole in that guy is larger. Mine is a .44.

It’s not so much the recoil that makes it painful, it’s the Sack Peterson grips rolling in your hand.

Yeah those stag cheese graters have got to be a bit...um abrasive... in the palm during recoil.

Not a freedom, Magnum Research BFR in 500 JRH.

Out of curiosity, does that stand for Big Fuckin Revolver?

pacmeyers tore my hand up, like grabbing a motorcycle tire while somebody revs n pops the clutch

I learned to simply wear leather work gloves, stock grips, and let the gun roll up into your paws in recoil

somehow it soaks up the recoil, even with 2400 Keith loads

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I believe officially it is "Biggest Finest Revolver" but you can draw your own conclusions based on the fact they make one chambered in 45-70, 44 and 450 Marlin.

I have the Hogue grip, but mine has the square trigger guard. I seem to recall that it was a little stubborn and it took some work to install. I really love how it handles with the rubber grip. I have some pretty hot ammo for this thing and it’s still a pleasure to shoot with this grip.

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Ok guys appreciate all the input.   Spoke with a higher representative today.  I have a super Blackhawk bisley Hunter with a round trigger guard.  They do not make a grip for my gun.  Bisley Hunter has a different grip than the regular hunter.  I got some lead 240 gr bullets I'm gonna load with titegroup for practice.  I'll just have to work on my technique

The Bisley grip is one of the best grip shapes for mitigating single action recoil. Glad to hear that is what you have.

You also don’t  need to run max loads to hunt with. A 44mag will put down deer just fine with 240gr bullets running at 1000fps.

Get out to the range and get some trigger time with it. A 44 has more recoil than most people have ever dealt with in a handgun before and that can be a little daunting, however if you put in the time I think you will come to appreciate it.

I started with the same gun you have and now own more 44s than any other caliber.

wear some regular leather work gloves, like you'd buy at lowes or harbor freight

try 6.5grs win231/HP38 with a 240gr cast & coated.

titegroup is very smokey with cast bullets.

10gr unique/240gr is another good load that is mild enough to shoot all afternoon, but warm enough for deer, etc

I have a S&W 69.  I "train" with a 66-8.

Paladin

Again some great input.  I've only put 40rnds through it as of now.  They are fairly hot loads of lilgun with a 240gr Hornady XTP.  Figured if this bullet shoots well I will use it for hunting but I may back it off a little.  Been shooting open sights and will for another few weeks.  I've purchased a ultradot which will go on it eventually.  I've deer hunted with rifles and muzzleloaders but never a handgun.  Looking for a new challenge. I shoot several thousand rounds a year through handguns but mostly Glocks. Figured I give a revolver a try.  So far I'm enjoying it.  Any tips on shooting from a bipod or tripod with a revolver for them longer shots.

no bipods,....just keep practicing

my GP100 357

@Precision308
Ditch the LilGun for magnum loads. Something about the way it burns causes pretty severe forcing cone erosion. Bob Baker from Freedom Arms did some extensive research on this and found that even just a few LilGun rounds can begin to cause erosion.

If you want full boogie loads stick with H110/W296 or 4227. Those will get you 98% of what you can get with LilGun without causing damage.
Another good magnum powder is Vitivhouri N110 although it can be hard to find.
2400 is pretty much the quintessential magnum powder and should also be on every reloader's shelf.

Just let it roll up. It’s not that bad with 310s and 2400

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Ok.  I did not know that about lilgun.  I'll try some 2400.  Ive always used lilgun in my 458 socom, 450 Bushmaster and 22 hornet.  Gotten great results but I'm not paying attention to erosion.

Quick question.  After Reading all this stuff about lil gun causing forcing cone erosion it has me concerned. I have a lot of the stuff and I've never heard this before of course I've always shot it in rifles. I got 40 rounds through my super Blackhawk 30 of those rounds are a half grain below maximum of lil gun 24grs.   do you guys think I would have done any damage to my gun if I stopped shooting a lil gun now?

If you reload, I like 6.0g W231/HP38 under a 240g LSWC bullet for general shooting and range fun.  It's hot enough to wake you up but not over the top recoil wise.  I've shot thousands of this load over the years.  All of my .44 Mag revolvers shoot it well (I have quite a few).

On the rugers, I like the plain wood stocks that come installed OEM.  I've tried using a rubber stock but it caused two things to me: abraded my hand and put more stress on my wrist (arthritis) so letting the gun rock and roll in my hand is the most comfortable for me.

On S&W 629s, I use the Hogue Monogrip.  This stock is what I have installed on both my 629s and it's actually quite good in my hand.

I would say you are probably ok. There is probably some minimal erosion/pitting but nothing that is too substantial to cause accuracy issues. The stainless Ruger uses is known to be extremely tough stuff so it may have a bit of extra resistance to the LilGun erosion.

If there is anything there you could probably get rid of most of it through firelapping.
As a benefit it will likely make the gun more accurate and makes cleaning a snap. My SBHBH cleans up with 2 patches regardless of how many rounds I shoot through it. I will also do ~ 2.75 MOA at 100 yards off sand bags with loads it likes.

Another note, if you are already or intend on shooting cast bullets, I have found that all of my Ruger 44 mags do best with bullets sized .432". The bulk bullets you find in most stores are sized .430 and lead the bore starting with the first shot. By the 2nd cylinder accuracy is already dropping off markedly.

Used Missouri bullet company 240gr lead bullets backed by 7 grains titegroup.  Was able to shoot great groups with open sites with this combination. I did not chronograph myself but I believe my rounds were probably doing about 1100 ft per second according to the book and the hardness on these bullets is rated at 18. The first inch or so of the bore did have a little bit of leading after 30 rounds.  I went and picked up some powder that was available I bought a pound of HS6, alliant 2400 and Winchester 231. I just loaded some of those same Missouri bullet company bullets up with Winchester 231 and I'll also load it some Hornady XTP 240 grains with them.  My lead loads with 231 should be around 1,000 ft a second while my jacketed bullet reloads should be about 1100 to 1200 ft per second.  I'm looking for a good blinking round and in a good hunting round for whitetail deer.

Those Missouri Bullets are sized .430. As you found, they are going to lead like an SOB after not many rounds. You need to be looking at bullets sized .432 for your SBHH. I have nearly an entire box of .430gr SWCs I bought (~400 left) that I simply can't shoot out of any of my Rugers due to the .432 cylinder throats.

Until you can get yourself some properly sized cast bullets you might want to stick to jacketed bullets.

Ok question.  I'm new to revolvers and lead bullets.  Why would a larger diameter bullet lead less?  Also where can I purchase said bullets

titegroup tends to burn hot and cause leading.

try some coated, my 44 mag SBH doesn't lead with coated bullets, even with max loads of H110/win296

here's a pic from when I first tested SNS casting's 200gr. with a max load of H110

no leading.






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Missouri and bayou bullets use the same hi-tek coating, and have the same great results in 357 and 44 mag



for magnum revolver I like win231, unique, and universal for warm, and 2400 or H110/win296 for max magnum velocity loads.

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The deal with lead bullets is that the bullet, regardless of how hard it is alloyed *WILL* melt if the hot gasses from the chamber are allowed to blow by it. This blowby of superheated high pressure gasses causes the lead to liquify and be deposited on the bore (leading). Those lead deposits further abrade and erode the subsequent bullets that pass them and accuracy suffers. Think of the lead bullet like the piston and rings in an engine. You want the rings tight enough to seal the cylinder but not so tight as to bind up.

To get that sealing you want a lead bullet that requires a little bit of force to push through the cylinder throats (front of your cylinder). It should be enough that you can force it through with your thumb but not so much that you need a mallet to pound it through. Test all of the cylinders and use bullets sized for the largest. As I mentioned in my previous post, on all of my Ruger 44 mags:
.430 sized bullet will fall through the throats with no resistance.
.431 will pass through with just the slightest nudge
.432 has just the right amount of push to get it through.

You also get a bit of obturation (expansion) due to fit of the chamber throats and the high pressure behind the bullet. As the bullet leaves the brass the gasses are sealed behind the projectile and the bullet heads down the barrel. If you read the link to the firelapping article in my previous post, it goes through what causes issues with leading.

There are a number of companies that offer bullets sized in .432. See links below
www.beartoothbullets.com
www.montanabulletworks.com
www.pennbullets.com

Powder coated or jacketed bullets eliminate the issue due to the higher melting point of the jacket or coating material allowing just about any size bullet to not lead. That said, working up a load for cast bullets can be very rewarding. Also typically a gun that shoots cast bullets well typically will exhibit better than average accuracy from coated and jacketed bullets. Also cast bullets tend to be less expensive overall. Probably 90% of what I shoot is hard cast.

I also highly recommend firelapping if you want the most accuracy out of your sixgun. When new my SBHBH leaded just like yours does and accuracy dropped off before I got through half a box of ammo. It took me 100 firelapping bullets to get all of the bore restrictions out but what was left was a bore that had an absolute mirror like finish with a very slight taper from forcing cone to muzzle. Now as long as I shoot a .432 sized bullet, I can shoot it all day long with no drop in accuracy. The barrel after shot #200 looks exactly the same as it did after shot #1.

I went back and read some of OPs original posts and see he is also looking at handgun hunting.
BRAVO Sir!

Other than one time, hunting an area where pistols were not allowed, I have not picked up a rifle for hunting in the last 12 years. Handgun hunting is approached almost the same as archery hunting. If you keep an archer's mindset you can be successful. Be warned, it is addictive.
To date I have been successful almost every year with my pistol and have bested the record of the rifle hunters in my camp.

There are a couple of things you should be doing right now if you intend on hunting this season with your SBH.

1) Get that UltraDot mounted and sighted in ASAP.
It takes some getting used to to shoot the red dot well. I find that the higher sight plane of the tube style red dots requires more practice to bring up and point naturally. Accuracy wise the red dot is superior to open sights and is a great addition to a hunting revolver. Below is my SBHBH rig with the UltraDot Match Dot. This gun has been my "go to" hunting gun since I bought it.


2) Determine if you want to use a rest and practice with it.
It took me several years to figure out what rest worked best for me in the field. I have tried shooting sticks (long and short), tripods, sling type rests, and eventually settled on a monopod. For me, it strikes a good balance between size, weight, stability, and adjustability.

Again thanks guys for all the advice.  98redline where did you get your mount.  Ruger ring spacing is off to fit that ultradot

The mount is from Weigand Combat.
https://www.jackweigand.com/Redhawk_Blackhawk_Bisley_Hunter.html

As you noted, the center section of the MatchDot is too long to fit between the stock Ruger rings so I ended up with this configuration. Overall I like it over the stock Ruger positioning. It puts the dot more over the frame and less over the barrel, and helps with the balance of the gun. The sunshade screwed on the front and back make the dot look much longer than it really is. Helps with keeping glare and game spooking reflections down.

I put Hogues on my SB.  It helped a lot.

Ok guys I ordered a weigand combat mount and rings for my ultradot.  Also ordered some 240gr TCBB .431 diameter cast bullets from Penn.  .431 is what they recommended when I spoke with them on the phone.  If they still give me issues I'll go and try some .432.