44 magnum wasn't as painful as I had expected.

Pops1085 · April 22, 2017, 11:14 PM

Got a chance the other day to finally shoot a 44 magnum. A friend brought out a Redhawk with a 6" barrel and great big, fat Hogue grips on it. Not trying to be macho, but before I touched off that first round I wasn't sure if I was going to make it through an entire cylinder. I'm in love. I was honestly shocked by how pleasant it was. I mean holy hell the muzzle blast was out of this world but my hands felt fine. We were shooting some full house loads too, nothing crazy, but still 240 grains in that 1400-1600 fps range. I think the thing that helped was not locking out my arms and letting them absorb the recoil vs trying to muscle it down.

Honestly, my little J-Frame 38 special is way more unpleasant to shoot than that gun. Definitely bumped up to number one on my list of next firearm purchases.

Just thought I'd share my story. You always hear the stories about the guys who buy a 44 magnum for their first gun and then sell it with a box of 49 rounds.

Mr.RevolverGuy · April 23, 2017, 05:17 AM

Uh-Oh Pops good luck it is an addiction. 44magnum for me is fun especially if you reload for it. You can go from mild to wild.

Sometime back I wrote an Article about the 44mag being the most versatile pistol cartridge, my opinion. My club knows I am a 44 fan and I was able to borrow 7 different 44 magnums to be included in the article. I had a few categories each would go into,

Hunter
Self Defense
All Around General Purpose
Plinking

I shot them all across the chronograph.

Good luck pops on finding your favorite.
If you want to read and see some great 44magnum revolvers here is the article I referenced.
http://www.dayattherange.com/?p=2925

CajunBass · April 23, 2017, 05:30 AM

Several years back, I had a Smith & Wesson Model 29-2, with a 4" barrel. After shooting it with some 44 Special type loads, she asked to try "the real stuff." So I loaded it with some factory 240 grain loads, I forget which now.

She went through a cylinder full then said, "I thought these things were supposed to kick?"

Not really surprising maybe, but my wife is handicapped and walks with either a cane or a walker.

shootbrownelk · April 23, 2017, 05:48 AM

I bought a Ruger Super RedHawk in .454 Casull and a box of Hornady's 300 gr. ammo for it. I was almost one of those guys who sell a magnum with the box of shells one light. But I discovered reloading and shooting .45 Colts through it to work my way up to Full-House .454 loads. I finally reduced that first box to once fired brass for reloading. In your case the 44 special loads are good for plinking.

jughead2 · April 23, 2017, 06:15 AM

i was the same way years ago friend pawned his to me with a hand full of hot reloads. finally own my own 8 inch barrel who needs a rifle

CDR_Glock · April 23, 2017, 06:48 AM

Glad you feel that way. A very small percentage of people can tolerate a large Magnum. If you can handle a 357 Magnum Snubnosed revolver, then you can definitely handle a 44 Magnum.

To me, the 454 Casull was not much different. I tried some hot loads, too. After than I got a Smith 500 6.5". However, I read that the 460 was the flattest shooting handgun out to 200 yards (and some change). So I bought it, too, to hunt deer.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

smee78 · April 23, 2017, 07:14 AM

Glad you had fun trying a new caliber.
Just remember a lot of the fun was due to the extra weight of the Redhawk and the long 6" barrel and the big squishy rubber grips. If you go out and buy a shorter barrel gun with wood grips you may feel differently about the recoil.
Just wanted to throw that out there if you go looking for a new addition. I do enjoy the 44 from time to time but prefer a 45Colt, its more of a push in the hand than a snappy recoil for me.

Real Gun · April 23, 2017, 07:29 AM

I guess I won't be shooting much longer. Yesterday I had almost identical 6 1/2" NMBH Flat Tops at the firing line and wound up firing 41 mag from a 44 Mag. Accuracy was exceptional, but I had to use my squib rod and tack hammer to remove the stuck cases, all 6 of which were split from expanding into a larger chamber. After cleaning I found no obvious damage to the gun, but barrel leading was a challenge to clean, while I never did get it perfect.

The lesson is DO NOT HAVE MORE THAN ONE CARTRIDGE'S AMMO ON THE BENCH AT THE SAME TIME. I had more than one gun out, because I use a 4-gun stand. The ammo is then the control point. I will start keeping other guns put away until ready to shoot, one by one.

It is just a fact that brain farts are becoming more and more frequent.

random guy · April 23, 2017, 07:44 AM

Pops, I think you have made an astute observation. The blast from magnums is usually the worst part, and it can be a real detriment in itself. But if you are capable of shooting an average full power .357, a .44 Mag shouldn't be much of a shock at all.

People vary, loads vary and individual guns differ. It is easy to say "If I can handle it, anyone can handle it". That is fallacious. Most people, however, who want to shoot magnums (at least up to .44) can do so with little or no discomfort. Those who don't want to...well there's gonna be no pleasing them.

Hogue finger groove grips are some of the best IMO and a good addition to any .44 you might choose.

rob-c · April 23, 2017, 07:47 AM

absolutely love my SRH in 44. I can easily shoot 100 rounds per session, I recently swapped out the Hogue rubber grips to Hogue wood grips with no effect on me. and this was with my hunting loads of 240 grain xtp over 21 grains of 2400... I will say that my lcr in 38+p with 158 grain bullets over 4 grains unique will make my hand tingle after 100 rounds and that's with the Hogue tamer grip..

dahermit · April 23, 2017, 08:00 AM

Years ago (before it burned in a fire), I had a .44 Magnum Ruger 3-screw Blackhawk (not Super Blackhawk), with a five and one-half inch barrel. Those early, pre-Super Blackhawks with their small grip frames were brutal to shoot. One had to keep a lot of pressure on the grip with the pinky and next fingers to keep the gun from rolling back and slamming the 90 degree angles of the frame above the grip, into the web of the hand.

Targa · April 23, 2017, 08:20 AM

Quote:

From Smee78: Just remember a lot of the fun was due to the extra weight of the Redhawk and the long 6" barrel and the big squishy rubber grips. If you go out and buy a shorter barrel gun with wood grips you may feel differently about the recoil.

This ^^ is good advice OP. You fired one of the biggest/heaviest .44's on the market that was wearing a pair of the biggest rubber grips you can get.
I have a 5.5" Super Blackhawk and as much as I hated to do it, I had to replace the beautiful plow handle grips with ugly, Pachmyer rubber grips. The wood grips just didn't allow me enough purchase on the grip due to my freakishly large hands, this caused me severe knuckle slap that caused a bit to much bleeding for my taste.
Anyway, I rambled, like Smee eluded to, the firearm you are using makes a difference.

random guy · April 23, 2017, 08:55 AM

The Ruger single actions, apart from their Bisley, were not well suited to the .44 and probably contributed a lot to the "fearsome" reputation of the cartridge. I didn't care at all for the original wood Redhawk grip for that matter. Mine got Pachmyers and eventually Hogues.

The Bisley grip turns their single actions into pussycats.

Mr.RevolverGuy · April 23, 2017, 09:16 AM

I agree with this statement

Quote:

The Ruger single actions, apart from their Bisley, were not well suited to the .44 and probably contributed a lot to the "fearsome" reputation of the cartridge. I didn't care at all for the original wood Redhawk grip for that matter. Mine got Pachmyers and eventually Hogues.

The Bisley grip turns their single actions into pussycats.

But those wood grips on the Redhawk are beautiful if you ask me but dang do they hurt

Not to hijack the thread but does anyone know where you could get an appealing yet functional set of wood grips for a redhawk?

Real Gun · April 23, 2017, 10:04 AM

Here is a premium wood grip on a Redhawk that did not fit my small hand and is for sale, if you PM me.

jackmoser65 · April 23, 2017, 10:08 AM

Quote:

The Bisley grip turns their single actions into pussycats.

The Bisley is hard to beat!

Mr.RevolverGuy · April 23, 2017, 10:23 AM

PM Sent Real Gun

Hal · April 23, 2017, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Honestly, my little J-Frame 38 special is way more unpleasant to shoot than that gun.

My long ago sold off Walther PPK/s hurt me worse than my 4" barreled S&W M29, so, I don't doubt you for a second!

Kreyzhorse · April 23, 2017, 10:51 AM

I can't shoot my Vaquero all day, but even with the stock grips, the gun isn't bad tomshoot. The key with the stock grips is allowing the gun to roll upwards.

Anyway, the 44 is a great cartridge and as someone said above, if you want to be able to shoot a 44, you can. The big part is getting over the mental hurdle.

mete · April 23, 2017, 11:01 AM

44mag ? -- Pachmyer ,yes , also bend your elbows a bit , then when you shoot the elbows act as shock absorbers as they bend more .You don't want to have the gun move in your hands.
I've never fired a Bisley but handling them makes it obvious that they would also help !
Deer with iron sights ? out to 60 yards it works well. Don't worry about expansion .Exit holes are better and you don't need 1600 fps !

dahermit · April 23, 2017, 11:02 AM

Quote:

My long ago sold off Walther PPK/s hurt me worse than my 4" barreled S&W M29, so, I don't doubt you for a second!

Which begs the question: If the PPK/s (larger PP frame),was so fierce, how would the smaller frame PPK in .380 feel, recoil wise?

Hawg · April 23, 2017, 12:00 PM

Quote:

The Ruger single actions, apart from their Bisley, were not well suited to the .44 and probably contributed a lot to the "fearsome" reputation of the cartridge. I didn't care at all for the original wood Redhawk grip for that matter. Mine got Pachmyers and eventually Hogues.

The Bisley grip turns their single actions into pussycats.

Back in the 80's I had a SS Ruger SBH and my first wife who weighed 110 lbs soaking wet loved it with hot loads and she still has it to this day. I had a Bisley. Hated it.

Pops1085 · April 23, 2017, 09:16 PM

Well when I get one, I'm definitely going to err on the side of too large vs too small. Like I said, when I shoot my J-frame with +p 38 specials, my hand is pretty sore. I just assumed it would be as bad or worse with ANY 44 magnum. It was a nice surprise. I also think that the large shelf on the top of the grips probably helped vs the curved grips that the single actions commonly have.

I also did have the advantage of knowing how to grip it. There was a little bit of a learning curve when I bought my first J-frame for carry and found the thumbs locked down on top of each other like this seemed to help.

I will admit, I did flinch like crazy though right away. The blast is no joke, especially indoors... I don't usually shoot at in indoor range, but perhaps if I'm ever shooting one indoor like that I'll double up ear protection.

I couldn't believe the fireballs we were getting!

Pops1085 · April 23, 2017, 09:30 PM

Also, CDR, how does that primary arms red dot hold up to the recoil? I've got a Bushnell TRS-25 and really haven't abused it much. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think they're pretty comparable. Not Aimpoints, but not junk either if you know what I mean.

Chainsaw. · April 23, 2017, 09:49 PM

Its all about the gun, my 629 5" with rubber grips is pretty easy on the shooter, I shot some of my mag reloads (23grains of 4227 under a 265 grain bullet) at 100 rounds a sitting, had a good little blister on my thumb but thats it. Now ypu shoot that load out of one of those scandium frame jobbies and you'll be looking for the Tylenol after a few cylinders. 44 is a great round.

April 22, 2017, 11:14 PM	#1
Pops1085 Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2012 Posts: 369	44 magnum wasn't as painful as I had expected. Got a chance the other day to finally shoot a 44 magnum. A friend brought out a Redhawk with a 6" barrel and great big, fat Hogue grips on it. Not trying to be macho, but before I touched off that first round I wasn't sure if I was going to make it through an entire cylinder. I'm in love. I was honestly shocked by how pleasant it was. I mean holy hell the muzzle blast was out of this world but my hands felt fine. We were shooting some full house loads too, nothing crazy, but still 240 grains in that 1400-1600 fps range. I think the thing that helped was not locking out my arms and letting them absorb the recoil vs trying to muscle it down. Honestly, my little J-Frame 38 special is way more unpleasant to shoot than that gun. Definitely bumped up to number one on my list of next firearm purchases. Just thought I'd share my story. You always hear the stories about the guys who buy a 44 magnum for their first gun and then sell it with a box of 49 rounds. Last edited by Pops1085; April 22, 2017 at 11:28 PM.

April 23, 2017, 05:17 AM	#2
Mr.RevolverGuy Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 991	Uh-Oh Pops good luck it is an addiction. 44magnum for me is fun especially if you reload for it. You can go from mild to wild. Sometime back I wrote an Article about the 44mag being the most versatile pistol cartridge, my opinion. My club knows I am a 44 fan and I was able to borrow 7 different 44 magnums to be included in the article. I had a few categories each would go into, Hunter Self Defense All Around General Purpose Plinking I shot them all across the chronograph. Good luck pops on finding your favorite. If you want to read and see some great 44magnum revolvers here is the article I referenced. http://www.dayattherange.com/?p=2925 __________________ Mr.Revolverguy http://www.dayattherange.com Firearms Reviewed and Reported On: An unbiased opinion with real world use.

April 23, 2017, 05:30 AM	#3
CajunBass Senior Member Join Date: May 6, 2005 Location: North Chesterfield, Virginia Posts: 4,767	Several years back, I had a Smith & Wesson Model 29-2, with a 4" barrel. After shooting it with some 44 Special type loads, she asked to try "the real stuff." So I loaded it with some factory 240 grain loads, I forget which now. She went through a cylinder full then said, "I thought these things were supposed to kick?" Not really surprising maybe, but my wife is handicapped and walks with either a cane or a walker. __________________ For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV)

April 23, 2017, 06:15 AM	#5
jughead2 Senior Member Join Date: June 28, 2008 Location: tenn. Posts: 263	44 magnum i was the same way years ago friend pawned his to me with a hand full of hot reloads. finally own my own 8 inch barrel who needs a rifle

April 23, 2017, 07:14 AM	#7
smee78 Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2008 Location: South Carolina Posts: 2,918	Glad you had fun trying a new caliber. Just remember a lot of the fun was due to the extra weight of the Redhawk and the long 6" barrel and the big squishy rubber grips. If you go out and buy a shorter barrel gun with wood grips you may feel differently about the recoil. Just wanted to throw that out there if you go looking for a new addition. I do enjoy the 44 from time to time but prefer a 45Colt, its more of a push in the hand than a snappy recoil for me. __________________ We know exactly where one cow with Mad-cow-disease is located, among the millions and millions of cows in America, but we haven't got a clue where thousands of illegal immigrants and terrorists are

April 23, 2017, 05:48 AM	#4
shootbrownelk Senior Member Join Date: August 27, 2013 Location: Wyoming Posts: 329	I bought a Ruger Super RedHawk in .454 Casull and a box of Hornady's 300 gr. ammo for it. I was almost one of those guys who sell a magnum with the box of shells one light. But I discovered reloading and shooting .45 Colts through it to work my way up to Full-House .454 loads. I finally reduced that first box to once fired brass for reloading. In your case the 44 special loads are good for plinking.

April 23, 2017, 06:48 AM	#6
CDR_Glock Senior Member Join Date: September 30, 2010 Posts: 704	Glad you feel that way. A very small percentage of people can tolerate a large Magnum. If you can handle a 357 Magnum Snubnosed revolver, then you can definitely handle a 44 Magnum. To me, the 454 Casull was not much different. I tried some hot loads, too. After than I got a Smith 500 6.5". However, I read that the 460 was the flattest shooting handgun out to 200 yards (and some change). So I bought it, too, to hunt deer. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

April 23, 2017, 07:29 AM	#8
Real Gun Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2004 Location: SC Posts: 2,743	I guess I won't be shooting much longer. Yesterday I had almost identical 6 1/2" NMBH Flat Tops at the firing line and wound up firing 41 mag from a 44 Mag. Accuracy was exceptional, but I had to use my squib rod and tack hammer to remove the stuck cases, all 6 of which were split from expanding into a larger chamber. After cleaning I found no obvious damage to the gun, but barrel leading was a challenge to clean, while I never did get it perfect. The lesson is DO NOT HAVE MORE THAN ONE CARTRIDGE'S AMMO ON THE BENCH AT THE SAME TIME. I had more than one gun out, because I use a 4-gun stand. The ammo is then the control point. I will start keeping other guns put away until ready to shoot, one by one. It is just a fact that brain farts are becoming more and more frequent. __________________ Not an expert, just a reporter.

April 23, 2017, 07:44 AM	#9
random guy Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2017 Posts: 272	Pops, I think you have made an astute observation. The blast from magnums is usually the worst part, and it can be a real detriment in itself. But if you are capable of shooting an average full power .357, a .44 Mag shouldn't be much of a shock at all. People vary, loads vary and individual guns differ. It is easy to say "If I can handle it, anyone can handle it". That is fallacious. Most people, however, who want to shoot magnums (at least up to .44) can do so with little or no discomfort. Those who don't want to...well there's gonna be no pleasing them. Hogue finger groove grips are some of the best IMO and a good addition to any .44 you might choose.

April 23, 2017, 07:47 AM	#10
rob-c Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2013 Posts: 151	absolutely love my SRH in 44. I can easily shoot 100 rounds per session, I recently swapped out the Hogue rubber grips to Hogue wood grips with no effect on me. and this was with my hunting loads of 240 grain xtp over 21 grains of 2400... I will say that my lcr in 38+p with 158 grain bullets over 4 grains unique will make my hand tingle after 100 rounds and that's with the Hogue tamer grip..

April 23, 2017, 08:00 AM	#11
dahermit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2006 Location: South Central Michigan...near Posts: 6,501	Years ago (before it burned in a fire), I had a .44 Magnum Ruger 3-screw Blackhawk (not Super Blackhawk), with a five and one-half inch barrel. Those early, pre-Super Blackhawks with their small grip frames were brutal to shoot. One had to keep a lot of pressure on the grip with the pinky and next fingers to keep the gun from rolling back and slamming the 90 degree angles of the frame above the grip, into the web of the hand.

April 23, 2017, 08:55 AM	#13
random guy Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2017 Posts: 272	The Ruger single actions, apart from their Bisley, were not well suited to the .44 and probably contributed a lot to the "fearsome" reputation of the cartridge. I didn't care at all for the original wood Redhawk grip for that matter. Mine got Pachmyers and eventually Hogues. The Bisley grip turns their single actions into pussycats.

April 23, 2017, 10:04 AM	#15
Real Gun Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2004 Location: SC Posts: 2,743	Here is a premium wood grip on a Redhawk that did not fit my small hand and is for sale, if you PM me. __________________ Not an expert, just a reporter.

April 23, 2017, 10:23 AM	#17
Mr.RevolverGuy Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 991	PM Sent Real Gun __________________ Mr.Revolverguy http://www.dayattherange.com Firearms Reviewed and Reported On: An unbiased opinion with real world use.

April 23, 2017, 10:51 AM	#19
Kreyzhorse Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Location: NKY Posts: 12,463	I can't shoot my Vaquero all day, but even with the stock grips, the gun isn't bad tomshoot. The key with the stock grips is allowing the gun to roll upwards. Anyway, the 44 is a great cartridge and as someone said above, if you want to be able to shoot a 44, you can. The big part is getting over the mental hurdle. __________________ "He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson

April 23, 2017, 11:01 AM	#20
mete Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2004 Location: NY State Posts: 6,575	44mag ? -- Pachmyer ,yes , also bend your elbows a bit , then when you shoot the elbows act as shock absorbers as they bend more .You don't want to have the gun move in your hands. I've never fired a Bisley but handling them makes it obvious that they would also help ! Deer with iron sights ? out to 60 yards it works well. Don't worry about expansion .Exit holes are better and you don't need 1600 fps ! __________________ And Watson , bring your revolver !

April 23, 2017, 09:16 PM	#23
Pops1085 Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2012 Posts: 369	Well when I get one, I'm definitely going to err on the side of too large vs too small. Like I said, when I shoot my J-frame with +p 38 specials, my hand is pretty sore. I just assumed it would be as bad or worse with ANY 44 magnum. It was a nice surprise. I also think that the large shelf on the top of the grips probably helped vs the curved grips that the single actions commonly have. I also did have the advantage of knowing how to grip it. There was a little bit of a learning curve when I bought my first J-frame for carry and found the thumbs locked down on top of each other like this seemed to help. I will admit, I did flinch like crazy though right away. The blast is no joke, especially indoors... I don't usually shoot at in indoor range, but perhaps if I'm ever shooting one indoor like that I'll double up ear protection. I couldn't believe the fireballs we were getting!

April 23, 2017, 09:30 PM	#24
Pops1085 Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2012 Posts: 369	Also, CDR, how does that primary arms red dot hold up to the recoil? I've got a Bushnell TRS-25 and really haven't abused it much. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think they're pretty comparable. Not Aimpoints, but not junk either if you know what I mean.

April 23, 2017, 09:49 PM	#25
Chainsaw. Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2015 Location: Issaquah WA. Its a dry rain. Posts: 1,774	Its all about the gun, my 629 5" with rubber grips is pretty easy on the shooter, I shot some of my mag reloads (23grains of 4227 under a 265 grain bullet) at 100 rounds a sitting, had a good little blister on my thumb but thats it. Now ypu shoot that load out of one of those scandium frame jobbies and you'll be looking for the Tylenol after a few cylinders. 44 is a great round. __________________ Just shoot the damn thing.