Ruger Super Blackhawk Recoil

SailBeamReach · August 23, 2011, 09:38 PM

Recently bot a SBH 5.5". The 1st thing I noticed is that the recoil dynamics for 44 magnum loads was much diff. than the comparable Redhawk 44 mags because of the shape of the backstrap. The SBH rolls in my hand and jams against the hammer and frame causing hamburger hand. Careful and firm placement of my two hand grip has helped somewhat.

The Redhawk has a knob in the backstrap that stops the roll. I now use a glove when shooting the SBH which helps. I'm currently shooting 240 JSP on top of 20.5gr of 2400.

My question is, has anyone experimented with other bullets and powders and found differences in the amount of rolll? If so, what were your observations?

pendennis · August 23, 2011, 10:04 PM

My solution was to try some different stocks.

I tried Pachmayr, and then Hogue.

Hogue won.

PS - I actually like the roll action. It spread recoil out, instead of straight back.

PPS - Welcome to the forum!!

highpower3006 · August 23, 2011, 10:11 PM

25+ years ago I had a burning desire to own a Super Blackhawk. The only loads that I found that I could shoot comfortably were either .44 specials or .44 magnums that were loaded down so far they might as well have been specials.

I gave up after a few months of experimenting and sold the Ruger and bought a S&W Model 29. After the hand chewing experience of the Super Blackhawk, the big Smith was a pleasure to shoot, and I have never looked back.

Last Sunday I was at the range with a friend of mine and he let me shoot his SB. Yep, I still hate shooting those things.

I know that you can get different grips for them that shape the grip more like a double action so it won't roll up in your hand so bad, but by now I have such a dislike for them that I just don't care to try again.

BTW, I have a Colt SAA in .44-40 and I love shooting it. so I am not a single action hater.

shootniron · August 23, 2011, 10:20 PM

Hogue Tamer makes all of the difference.

My "go to" hunting round is a cast bullet at a max of 1200fps and it is a pleasure to shoot in the SBH. If the recoil is too much for you, load some rounds a little lighter and they will work fine for hunting...you don't have to have rip-snorting loads for them to be effective.

FrankenMauser · August 23, 2011, 10:49 PM

Don't try to tame the beast. Learn to work with it.

The grip frame was designed to roll in your hand. Learn to work with it, and you'll be a better shooter with that revolver. If you try to "tame" it, and always fight the beast, you won't do was well.

It's like using a grinder or sander:
You guide the tool to let it do its job. Don't fight it, or force it. Let the tool do the work, or bad things happen.

SailBeamReach · August 23, 2011, 10:57 PM

Thanks, I'll try the Hague Tamer. It provides finger groves but does not reshape the backstrap. Maybe that is enough to slow the rotation with hot loads.

SailBeamReach · August 23, 2011, 11:11 PM

Well, maybe there's a trick to learning how to hold that beast to stop the roll before flesh meets hammer. I'll put a few more hundred mag rounds down it and see if it's something I can get use to. If not I'll trade it for the Redhawk with the humped back strap.

Slopemeno · August 23, 2011, 11:42 PM

As a 'smith I dehorned the bottom of SBH hammers often.

Let it roll. I found SBH's to be pretty comfortable to shoot actually. Have you ever tried a Bisley grip frame? It makes the recoil much more straight back.

TexAg · August 24, 2011, 01:45 AM

Loosen up your elbow, let the muzzle rise. Roll with it, don't try and keep it down.

Locoweed · August 24, 2011, 08:23 AM

About 35 years ago, when I lived in Alaska the first time, my seven year old daughter was shooting my SBH and really enjoyed it. I didn't like the rollback when I fired it and I was too young and poor to afford custom grips so eventually sold it and went with a S&W model 29.

Rifleman1776 · August 24, 2011, 08:31 AM

I have had a SBH in .45lc and a Redhawk in .44 mag.
Found both pleasant to shoot.
As others have said, let the single action roll and work for you.

Daryl · August 24, 2011, 01:18 PM

On my old, full sized Vaquero, the original stocks on it made recoil seem worse than it should have been when shooting full powered .45 Colt loads.

I tried smaller, "gunfighter" stocks thinking that they'd allow me to get a better grip with my medium paws, but it was just about as bad.

Then I made myself a set of oversized stocks (couldn't seem to be able to buy 'em) that I customized to fit my hand naturally. These made all the difference in the world for me, and it's very comfortable to shoot now, even with Buffalo Bore 325 grain loads at 1325 fps.

Improving your grip strength will help a lot too, but grips that fit my hand made a big difference for me.

Daryl

Old Grump · August 24, 2011, 02:14 PM

Instead of modifying my grips I bought a shooting glove and that is the only gun I use it with. My 41 mag was even worse but Pachmayr took all the bite out of it. I didn't mind modifying that one because it's my carry gun in the field and I don't want to stop and have to put a glove on if I need to shoot it. The 4" barrel just made it a better carry choice than the 7" barrel of the Ruger.

**Aguila Blanca** · August 24, 2011, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SailBeamReach

Well, maybe there's a trick to learning how to hold that beast to stop the roll before flesh meets hammer. I'll put a few more hundred mag rounds down it and see if it's something I can get use to. If not I'll trade it for the Redhawk with the humped back strap.

As TexAg wrote, go with the flow. The old, single action revolvers were not designed to get back on target fast, they were designed to roll up in the hand to facilitate recocking. If it's rolling up so far that the hammer is chewing at your hand, you're fighting it rather than working with it.

Daggitt · August 24, 2011, 07:25 PM

It is like shoes. Different things work for different hands. John Taffin has written extensively about this in his books. Have seen more than one photo of Taffin wearing a leather glove with his index finger wrapped in adhesive tape. The old Blackhawk with that straight backed trigger guard was well known for chewing up your hand.Try different grips to find what works for you.

RickE · August 24, 2011, 08:51 PM

In defense of the SBH, when using heavy game loads, the 629 will not hold up long. If for hunting, or bear defense, I will take the SBH and some Buffalo Bore loads. You can punch paper with your 629 light loads.

SailBeamReach · August 24, 2011, 09:19 PM

Thanks everyone,

As suggested, I'll also try allowing more elbow flex. The gun is real purdy with the stock rosewood grip, it'd be nice to keep it.

I also just picked up a Hogue grip. I can see it fills the hand better than the stock grips and the rubber and texture is sure to slow that roll enough to handle hotter loads without jamming into the hammer.

If any of you know people at Ruger, one cheap easy design improvement to the SBH would be to round out the frame up around the hammer so that when the hand bottoms out in stiff roll the the landing zone is more like the hump on the Redhawk backstrap which brings the roll to a comfortable halt. Right now everything up around the hammer is sharp angles.

GeauxTide · August 24, 2011, 09:27 PM

Lookup JB Wilson's Ruger BearPaw Grips on EBay. Their design and craftsmanship are the best I've used. They live on 3 Bisley's and the original grip SBH. Another tip - When I started shooting heavy loads in Rugers, I tried putting my offhand in a cradle position under the grip. Much more comfortable. I also learned to roll with the recoil and they didn't bite anymore.

Jeremiah/Az · August 24, 2011, 11:05 PM

I bought a set of oversized wooden grips for mine that really tamed it. That company is no longer in business. It was Magnum Grips in Payson Az.

madcratebuilder · August 25, 2011, 04:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexAg

Loosen up.
Loosen up your elbow, let the muzzle rise. Roll with it, don't try and keep it down.

This!

Let that plow handle grip roll in your hand and let your elbow bend to absorb some of the recoil.

Clifford L. Hughes · August 25, 2011, 01:35 PM

SaleBeamReach:

I shoot both the Smith & Wesson model 29 and the Ruger Super Black Hawk with its barrel shorteded to 4 5/8s. Both guns have been tunned up at Magna Port and both are magna ported. I find that Magna porting makes managing recoil on both pistols easier. I find also the the recoil is still stout and requires good shooting techniques: mainly a more then firm grip with the shooting hand and then letting the pistols recoil freelly. (follow through)

August 23, 2011, 09:38 PM	#1
SailBeamReach Junior Member Join Date: August 23, 2011 Posts: 5	Ruger Super Blackhawk Recoil Recently bot a SBH 5.5". The 1st thing I noticed is that the recoil dynamics for 44 magnum loads was much diff. than the comparable Redhawk 44 mags because of the shape of the backstrap. The SBH rolls in my hand and jams against the hammer and frame causing hamburger hand. Careful and firm placement of my two hand grip has helped somewhat. The Redhawk has a knob in the backstrap that stops the roll. I now use a glove when shooting the SBH which helps. I'm currently shooting 240 JSP on top of 20.5gr of 2400. My question is, has anyone experimented with other bullets and powders and found differences in the amount of rolll? If so, what were your observations?

August 23, 2011, 10:20 PM	#4
shootniron Senior Member Join Date: April 16, 2011 Location: Georgia Posts: 1,599	Hogue Tamer makes all of the difference. My "go to" hunting round is a cast bullet at a max of 1200fps and it is a pleasure to shoot in the SBH. If the recoil is too much for you, load some rounds a little lighter and they will work fine for hunting...you don't have to have rip-snorting loads for them to be effective. Last edited by shootniron; August 24, 2011 at 11:58 PM.

August 23, 2011, 10:49 PM	#5
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,421	Don't try to tame the beast. Learn to work with it. The grip frame was designed to roll in your hand. Learn to work with it, and you'll be a better shooter with that revolver. If you try to "tame" it, and always fight the beast, you won't do was well. It's like using a grinder or sander: You guide the tool to let it do its job. Don't fight it, or force it. Let the tool do the work, or bad things happen. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

August 24, 2011, 01:45 AM	#9
TexAg Member Join Date: July 9, 2010 Posts: 79	Loosen up. Loosen up your elbow, let the muzzle rise. Roll with it, don't try and keep it down.

August 24, 2011, 02:14 PM	#13
Old Grump Member in memoriam Join Date: April 9, 2009 Location: Blue River Wisconsin, in Posts: 3,144	Instead of modifying my grips I bought a shooting glove and that is the only gun I use it with. My 41 mag was even worse but Pachmayr took all the bite out of it. I didn't mind modifying that one because it's my carry gun in the field and I don't want to stop and have to put a glove on if I need to shoot it. The 4" barrel just made it a better carry choice than the 7" barrel of the Ruger. __________________ Good intentions will always be pleaded for any assumption of power. The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern will, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters. --Daniel Webster--

August 23, 2011, 10:04 PM	#2
pendennis Junior member Join Date: March 18, 2009 Posts: 572	My solution was to try some different stocks. I tried Pachmayr, and then Hogue. Hogue won. PS - I actually like the roll action. It spread recoil out, instead of straight back. PPS - Welcome to the forum!!

August 23, 2011, 10:11 PM	#3
highpower3006 Senior Member Join Date: July 30, 2011 Location: Savannah TN Posts: 1,219	25+ years ago I had a burning desire to own a Super Blackhawk. The only loads that I found that I could shoot comfortably were either .44 specials or .44 magnums that were loaded down so far they might as well have been specials. I gave up after a few months of experimenting and sold the Ruger and bought a S&W Model 29. After the hand chewing experience of the Super Blackhawk, the big Smith was a pleasure to shoot, and I have never looked back. Last Sunday I was at the range with a friend of mine and he let me shoot his SB. Yep, I still hate shooting those things. I know that you can get different grips for them that shape the grip more like a double action so it won't roll up in your hand so bad, but by now I have such a dislike for them that I just don't care to try again. BTW, I have a Colt SAA in .44-40 and I love shooting it. so I am not a single action hater.

August 23, 2011, 10:57 PM	#6
SailBeamReach Junior Member Join Date: August 23, 2011 Posts: 5	Thanks, I'll try the Hague Tamer. It provides finger groves but does not reshape the backstrap. Maybe that is enough to slow the rotation with hot loads.

August 23, 2011, 11:11 PM	#7
SailBeamReach Junior Member Join Date: August 23, 2011 Posts: 5	Well, maybe there's a trick to learning how to hold that beast to stop the roll before flesh meets hammer. I'll put a few more hundred mag rounds down it and see if it's something I can get use to. If not I'll trade it for the Redhawk with the humped back strap.

August 23, 2011, 11:42 PM	#8
Slopemeno Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2007 Posts: 2,663	As a 'smith I dehorned the bottom of SBH hammers often. Let it roll. I found SBH's to be pretty comfortable to shoot actually. Have you ever tried a Bisley grip frame? It makes the recoil much more straight back.

August 24, 2011, 08:23 AM	#10
Locoweed Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2008 Location: Alabama Posts: 661	About 35 years ago, when I lived in Alaska the first time, my seven year old daughter was shooting my SBH and really enjoyed it. I didn't like the rollback when I fired it and I was too young and poor to afford custom grips so eventually sold it and went with a S&W model 29.

August 24, 2011, 08:31 AM	#11
Rifleman1776 Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 3,309	I have had a SBH in .45lc and a Redhawk in .44 mag. Found both pleasant to shoot. As others have said, let the single action roll and work for you.

August 24, 2011, 01:18 PM	#12
Daryl Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2008 Posts: 2,350	On my old, full sized Vaquero, the original stocks on it made recoil seem worse than it should have been when shooting full powered .45 Colt loads. I tried smaller, "gunfighter" stocks thinking that they'd allow me to get a better grip with my medium paws, but it was just about as bad. Then I made myself a set of oversized stocks (couldn't seem to be able to buy 'em) that I customized to fit my hand naturally. These made all the difference in the world for me, and it's very comfortable to shoot now, even with Buffalo Bore 325 grain loads at 1325 fps. Improving your grip strength will help a lot too, but grips that fit my hand made a big difference for me. Daryl

August 24, 2011, 07:25 PM	#15
Daggitt Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2011 Posts: 321	It is like shoes. Different things work for different hands. John Taffin has written extensively about this in his books. Have seen more than one photo of Taffin wearing a leather glove with his index finger wrapped in adhesive tape. The old Blackhawk with that straight backed trigger guard was well known for chewing up your hand.Try different grips to find what works for you.

August 24, 2011, 08:51 PM	#16
RickE Senior Member Join Date: December 18, 2009 Location: Kirkland Wa. Posts: 516	In defense of the SBH, when using heavy game loads, the 629 will not hold up long. If for hunting, or bear defense, I will take the SBH and some Buffalo Bore loads. You can punch paper with your 629 light loads.

August 24, 2011, 09:19 PM	#17
SailBeamReach Junior Member Join Date: August 23, 2011 Posts: 5	Thanks everyone, As suggested, I'll also try allowing more elbow flex. The gun is real purdy with the stock rosewood grip, it'd be nice to keep it. I also just picked up a Hogue grip. I can see it fills the hand better than the stock grips and the rubber and texture is sure to slow that roll enough to handle hotter loads without jamming into the hammer. If any of you know people at Ruger, one cheap easy design improvement to the SBH would be to round out the frame up around the hammer so that when the hand bottoms out in stiff roll the the landing zone is more like the hump on the Redhawk backstrap which brings the roll to a comfortable halt. Right now everything up around the hammer is sharp angles.

August 24, 2011, 09:27 PM	#18
GeauxTide Senior Member Join Date: April 20, 2009 Location: Helena, AL Posts: 4,423	Lookup JB Wilson's Ruger BearPaw Grips on EBay. Their design and craftsmanship are the best I've used. They live on 3 Bisley's and the original grip SBH. Another tip - When I started shooting heavy loads in Rugers, I tried putting my offhand in a cradle position under the grip. Much more comfortable. I also learned to roll with the recoil and they didn't bite anymore.

August 24, 2011, 11:05 PM	#19
Jeremiah/Az Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2009 Location: Az. Posts: 509	I bought a set of oversized wooden grips for mine that really tamed it. That company is no longer in business. It was Magnum Grips in Payson Az.

August 25, 2011, 01:35 PM	#21
Clifford L. Hughes Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2011 Location: Southern Californis Posts: 795	SaleBeamReach: I shoot both the Smith & Wesson model 29 and the Ruger Super Black Hawk with its barrel shorteded to 4 5/8s. Both guns have been tunned up at Magna Port and both are magna ported. I find that Magna porting makes managing recoil on both pistols easier. I find also the the recoil is still stout and requires good shooting techniques: mainly a more then firm grip with the shooting hand and then letting the pistols recoil freelly. (follow through)

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