Posted: 11/23/2011 7:14:18 AM EDT
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Haven't bought a new gun in a few months and really have all of the guns I want...the one thing I am interested in buying is a large caliber revolver either a 44 Mag or 357 Mag revolver. Should I get one? I don't care about the cost of ammo since this will be a toy to shoot a few times at every range trip. Should I take the plunge? Which caliber and why? I only have one other revolver (S&W 642) and want to get something with more bang than my .45's.
I most likely will get a S&W or Ruger. What's your preference? |
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I had a Ruger Redhawk w/ wood grips. Shooting .44 spl was like a dream, but when I went to shoot .44mag it was like someone hit my hands with a sledge. It wasnt pleasant to shoot at all. I can shoot .357 all day long, .44mag is way above .357.
If I were to get a heavy caliber pistol ever again, id get some good rubber grips and probably have it magna ported. |
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For range shooting 44mag is fun the first cylinder after that I usually feel like going back to my auto's. 500S&W is even worse my friend just for fun will go to the range and blast off 20-40 rounds through his I usually shoot 1 cylinder and do not feel like shooting anymore because the recoil is rediculous.
I have a 629 that was given to me from a passing relative myself I have shot probably 50 rounds though the pistol since owning it and I have had it since 1995. |
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.357 mag is going to be a lot more versatile. .44 mag is obviously more powerful. My wife has a Model 13 4" .357 and I have a .44 single action. Both are a lot of fun to shoot. If it is purely just a toy and not for large animal defense or hunting, then I'd say get the .357 for ammo availability.
Whatever you get, you know you'll need to get a lever action carbine in the same chambering. |
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Quoted:
.357 mag is going to be a lot more versatile. .44 mag is obviously more powerful. My wife has a Model 13 4" .357 and I have a .44 single action. Both are a lot of fun to shoot. If it is purely just a toy and not for large animal defense or hunting, then I'd say get the .357 for ammo availability. Whatever you get, you know you'll need to get a lever action carbine in the same chambering. .357 Magnum : BOOM .44 Magnum : BOOM I have a 686+ and a 629 Classic. When I shoot the .44, EVERYBODY comes to the lane to see what I am shooting. I am just now realizing the truth of having to have a levergun in the same caliber(s), and THEY BE SPENDY. |
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Quoted:
.357 mag is going to be a lot more versatile. .44 mag is obviously more powerful. My wife has a Model 13 4" .357 and I have a .44 single action. Both are a lot of fun to shoot. If it is purely just a toy and not for large animal defense or hunting, then I'd say get the .357 for ammo availability. Whatever you get, you know you'll need to get a lever action carbine in the same chambering. Sounds like I need to find a range and rent both calibers to see how well I like the recoil. How noticeable is the difference between 357 and 44 if both were shot out of a 4 inch barrel? |
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.357 mag is going to be a lot more versatile. .44 mag is obviously more powerful. My wife has a Model 13 4" .357 and I have a .44 single action. Both are a lot of fun to shoot. If it is purely just a toy and not for large animal defense or hunting, then I'd say get the .357 for ammo availability. Whatever you get, you know you'll need to get a lever action carbine in the same chambering. Sounds like I need to find a range and rent both calibers to see how well I like the recoil. How noticeable is the difference between 357 and 44 if both were shot out of a 4 inch barrel? Big difference. .357 seems sharper and lighter. .44 is certainly manageable but you're right, you should shoot both to see what you like best. I don't see a lot of benefit outside of attention getting to the .44 if you won't need the horsepower for defense or hunting. |
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An old but probably true saying was that you could buy all the used .44 magnums you wanted and probably get the original box of ammunition less the only six(6) rounds that had ever been fired through it.
Full house .44 magnum in a revolver gets way old after 6-12 shots for most folks. I own the following .44 magnums; 4 Ruger Vaqueros [2 of which are Bisley] 1 Ruger carbine 1 Marlin 1894 1 S & W 629 - 6" 1 S & W 629 Classic - 5" I hunt with CF rifles[ but not the .44's] and shotguns and carry .357 revolvers and 9 mm and .45 ACP semi-autos. Since I don't live in bear country [ well small well protected black bears] all my ,.44 magnums are range firearms. I'd think real hard on a 4" or Mountain Gun if your desire is to shoot full house loads ..of course, .44 Specials in magnums are fun. Be safe and have fun. |
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An old but probably true saying was that you could buy all the used .44 magnums you wanted and probably get the original box of ammunition less the only six(6) rounds that had ever been fired through it. . This was true in my case. Shot a box of .44spl and then went to the .44mag, shot one cylinder and took it directly to the gunshop and yelled at my buddy for selling me that freaking thing. Of course we laughed, but soon got rid of it. Box of ammo was missing 6 rounds. |
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my redhawk was the first wheelgun i ever done bought... aint no topstrap like a redhawk topstrap... just say'n...
i'm kinda a small feller, but the 44mag outa a 7 inch hawk is just fine. i got some friends that dont like it, but they dont like the mosins either. ya can pay more for a .44... but it aint gonna be no better than the ruger. |
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Quoted:
Haven't bought a new gun in a few months and really have all of the guns I want...the one thing I am interested in buying is a large caliber revolver either a 44 Mag or 357 Mag revolver. Should I get one? I don't care about the cost of ammo since this will be a toy to shoot a few times at every range trip. Should I take the plunge? Which caliber and why? I only have one other revolver (S&W 642) and want to get something with more bang than my .45's. I most likely will get a S&W or Ruger. What's your preference? I like the 357mag over 44mag I hate any magnum with a barrel under 4 inch My 3 favorites S&W M13 M&P 4inch barrel S&W M19 4inch barrel and the S&W M686 4 inch barrel and for shooting my full power reloads 
WHY S&W Ive have around 10 S&W revolvers J,K,L frames Every single one was a tack driver .you can just see the quality I had a GP100 in 3inch and 6 inch They are built like tanks and are accurate just not a S&W 
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My experiance was similar to others here.
I purchased a 6" S&W Model 29 .44 Magnum, as a big brother to our 4" S&W Model 19. 357. After the first two 6 shot cylinders of full house .44's on the range, I was shaking and flinching. Now understand I am 45 and have been shooting since I was 5. I was a Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division and have done heavy Technical Rescue. I have taught alot of others to shoot. Many may be able to handle the recoil just fine, but I diddnt like it. I also had a Winchester 94 Trapper in .44 Mag. The gus were fun with light handloads, but I eventually sold them off. I have rifles for hunting, and for handguns - the .357 is enough for me. |
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I've been eyeing something to shoot nukes and after a lot of looking, I'm leaning toward a Raging Bull.
OP go get one in your hand and see if you don't like the feel of it. NICE grips and ported too. And it's also rated for nukes like the Rugers and Wessons so it should hold up over time. |
| I have 629 classic, 29nickle 8inch,629 6inch,57 41mag, 500SW. and a Ruger GP100 6inch 357. I would like a 586, 357 but the GP100 is very good. I like the full underlug so if I could only have one it would be 629 classic. I also think the 44 Raging bull would be well worth the money something you could take out and use and not worry about. |
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If you reload, they are a lot of fun. I have a couple of them with 7" barrels and they are a hoot.
If you are stuck with buying factory ammo and foresee a lot of hot ammo going through it, I'd lean toward Ruger's Redhawk. The consensus seems to be that it can take more of a pounding than the Smiths. If you have a bunch of cash burning a hole in your pocket and want versatility, look into the S&W .460 guns. They can a variety of .45 loads, including .45 Colt and .454 Casull. |
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I would get a Smith 629. Resale value is better than Ruger. They are fun to shoot. I have a 4" older one. I load up some 240 grain lead bullets with Universal Clays that are top end in a 44 Special load and get great results.
Don't let people scare you with the recoil stories. That was mainly a problem with the original wooden grips on Smith guns. They would hurt you. The Houges that are on them now help a lot with felt recoil. |
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I prefer a 4" S&W model 29 and a one handed hold. "Grip the gun not hard." Do not lock your wrist or other "increase your split time" tricks designed for flexing frame plastic 9mm's. If you do it will damage your wrist. Don't fight the recoil. Relax. Let it raise in recoil. If you are feeling any pain in your wrist the next day you were fighting it. Stop before permanent damage occurs. It's completely different from shooting 9mms and even .45's. Also be sure to place your thumb against the frame below the cylinder latch, never on it, or you will regret it. "Grip the gun not hard," is a quote from Elmer Kieth.  |
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When really shooting a revolver it comes down to the trigger
For me that means a S&W. Yeah I know Rugers are decent strong guns and the triggers can be worked on to make them fairly decent. Take my word for it and just get the S&W and you will have a great trigger from the get go , if you then do a bit of work you will have a spectacular trigger. I wouldn't want to choose between a 357 and a 44. One really wants both. Generally the recommendation is first to get the 357 for the versatility and more reasonable ammo but for the way the OP stated his needs the 44 might be the ticket |
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Absolutely a fun gun to have. Like others posted above, you won't go through a couple hundred rounds in a shooting session like you could with a service automatic. You CAN go through a hundred rounds of .44 spcl, and then shoot a few cylinders of mag just for the fun.
For what you describe (fun, occasional range gun) you'll be delighted with a .44 mag. I got the Model 29 since I've always wanted the Dirty Harry gun. Make fun of me for that if you want, but it a fun gun to shoot, great trigger, super accurate. Very glad I got it. |
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I have a 29-3 with a 4inch barrel.
I still remember the day I shot around 100 UMC 180grn rounds out of it. Hand was shaking that night as I was typing on the keyboard. Seems I gave my wrist and forearm a good work out that day. I love shooting that gun. Tend to do at least a box of ammo through it when I take it out. I'm still not sure if I like it more with a set of old Magna's on it or with the larger target grips it came with. |
| I say definitely get one. Since it's just a range toy, I say go with the classic Dirty Harry model 29. However, you really should do some research, since the various model changes should be understood. The later models are improved in some ways, but I wouldn't shy away from a 29-2 or 29-3. |
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I would choose the 44 magnum as it does most everything well and will easily do anything the 357 mag can possibly do. It will allow you to cross into the performance and recoil of the heavy hitters (in its maximum loadings) and find the level your comfortable at ( a 7.5" Ruger SBH, RH or SRH can hit 1470 fps with a 340 cast factory loading, its a plenty strong cartridge). I shoot S/A Rugers and Freedom Arms so I can't help much with the D/A Revolvers.
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Boy that's a tough question.
I'd have to flip a coin between the .44 magnum and .357 magnum. But you will like either one if you buy one IMHO. ETA: As you know the .44 magnum is the "big dog" but the .357 magnum is pretty powerful also IMHO. I'm sorry but I just can't pick one over the other, I love them both. |
| I have several 44's the S&W does have the best trigger pull after working on it and a spring kit. I did like the Rugar because of scope machined area. I always hated the 357's because of the loud annoying crack they made when shooting magnums but ok on 38's. 44 mag was always fun at the range. I use to keep a few hot rounds reloaded to chase off the 25 cal and .380 guys. Usually about 6 of them cleared out the toy gun guys. Liked both but for different reasons. Got my trigger pretty nice after some work on the Red Hawk and loved it scoped. |
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Try a few out then decide.
The 629 Classic pounds the recoil straight back into the hand. The Ruger Super Blackhawk torques up as well as back. The Contender with an 11" barrel pounds it right back into your hand. I prefer my Blackhawk because the I feel the recoil less. I think it is due to the way the gun rolls up during recoil. Might just be me but I can sit down and shoot 50 rounds through it with no real issue. 18 of the same rounds in the Contender and I want a break. 24 rounds in the 629 and I want a break. |
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44 mag is one option to go with. If the wife is not carrying her G23 then she has her SW 629 with a 4" barrell. For general use if I am not carrying my G20 then I will have a Ruger Redhawk with a 4.5" barrell. For handgun hunting I have my Ruger Blackhawk with a ReflexII on it.
As far as it being a 'hand full' to shoot, yes my 310's are a hand full but when hunting I want all that I can get. Want to have fun with a 44 mag load up a 'bunch' of 240 cast and watch out. Most everyone will want a turn at shooting it. The good thing about the 44 is that you can down load it for fun, but when you really want the 'extra' punch you can get it. The wife and I used to shoot IHMSA in a another life and we 'learned' how to shoot our 44's real good. Try off hand shooting at a ram target at 200yards and actually hitting it most of the time.
The 44mag is not for the 'timid' but for those that can handle it, it is a good choice to go with. |
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I like Dan Wesson .44s.
They are heavy enough to keep recoil reasonable and they are still available used for under 400 bucks. Mine are accurate. If you want a .357 then I prefer a K frame S&W Model 19 or 66 (stainless finish). I prefer a 4" barrel. I shoot my .357s more than any of my other revolvers. The K frame can be slicked up trigger wise until it touches perfection. Enjoy! |
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i had shot 2 .357 s&w before and a gp-100, then i bought a .44 redhawk and love it i did change the grips though as the older model stock ones are fairly small and my hand hung off the bottom of the gun. finally did get my own gp-100 . but i shoot the .44 more usually a box of 50. generally it does draw attention at indoor ranges. till someone brings a bigger hand cannon.
shot a .41 mag s&w as well, not bad. but finding ammo local is a bitch. a somewhat pain online too but not impossible, just have to look and it shows up here and there. |