Ruger Super Blackhawk 44Mag

[sixgunluv]

Excellent choice....I like the 10.5in version carried around the waist on the outside of my hunting coat in a cross draw style nylon holster.

[warnerwh]

Someone mentioned with the newer ones quality could be better. It may be that buying one you can look at and handle would be the best idea. I bought a Blackhawk with the 4 5/8" barrel two months ago and was surprised by the good quality.
The Blackhawk I received 2 months ago locks up very tight, is very accurate and the machining quality is very good. Even the trigger was decent for a stock trigger. I did do a trigger job but I very much dislike creepy and/or heavy triggers. First time out I was able to get my 1.5" accuracy at 25 yards without even trying any tweaked loads. I had a SBH with the 4 5/8" barrel and which would also fire 1.5" groups at 25 yards. Wish I never sold it.

[Nathan]

I have some experience hunting with this revolver in 44 mag and 45 LC. Barrel length is related to my expected shot distance. IMO, for hunting, I like:

4 5/8: 0-25 yds

5.5: 0-50 yds

7.5: 25-75 yds

10.5: 50-125 yds

I have shot 125 yd deer with a 10.5" 44 mag and a scope. Really, it is all about ease of carry, speed of draw vs your ability to aim the revolver.

[Damon555]

But...
Buy used.
Current Rugers are garbage

Not all of them...........My SBHH was purchased about 2 years ago and is just as good as every other example that I've had over the last 25 years.....Not to mention the GP100 44 Special that I purchased a few months back....it's even better than my older GP's right out of the box.

[Pathfinder45]

Maybe it's just me, but I find the typical carry statements here just a little bit odd, as if most folks must use the 7-1/2" revolver as a range toy or perhaps a truck gun. What good is it if you won't leave your truck behind and take your revolver on the trail in a holster? Now, I know, most of y'all can't relate to my next question, but I will ask it anyway: If you could only have one centerfire revolver for all outdoor purposes, including trail carry, hunting and related use, actually out in the field, forest and mountains; which would it be, and more specifically, how long would the barrel be? Try to assume, if you can, that you can only afford one; or that you had to sell every every redundant thing in your life due to some unexpected emergency and you had to be ruthless about it. I only have one and it has to make do. Currently, and for the last 20 years it has been a stainless original original Vaquero in 45 Colt, with 4-5/8" barrel, the one that can take hot loads. I backpack into wilderness lakes with it in a holster and bring a fishing rod while I'm at it. My buddy thinks I'm rather good with this gun and maybe I am 'cuz I shoot it a lot. But it has limitations. I do OK with it at 25 yards or so; but it's no 50 yard gun. It has been more than 30 years since I had a 7-1/2" Blackhawk, so, how well I shot it back then is not as clear in my mind as last week with the Vaquero. But it was my trail-gun then and worked just fine in a cross-draw holster. Maybe I should go back to a 7-1/2" barrel because I would like it to be 50 yard reliable? What say ye, brethren: does the longer 7-1/2" barrel shoot well at 50 yards compared to your shorter guns? Just to be clear, I'm referring to a single-action Ruger, holstered revolver, 44 or 45, and no darn scope. Thanks for your shared experiences.

[black mamba]

Mine would be the 5" BFR in 454 Casull. Not only do they pack better, but I think they look more balanced as well.
I only load 45 Colts in it, but a 325 gr at 1200 will do anything I could ask of it. And 200 SWC at 950 make pleasant range fodder.

[BusGunner007]

That bfr is a good looking gun.:d

[black mamba]

Thanks, Gunner!

[Hanshi]

I use to own a 4" M29 that was exceedingly accurate that I liked and could shoot very well. I also have a Ruger OM Super BlackHawk 7.5 that I've used to kill deer. I don't like handgun scopes and just use the iron sights. It fits in a holster I've had for a long time and is convenient to carry for hunting. If I need a smaller "big revolver", my OM Ruger BlackHawk .45 Colt is what I carry. It has the 4.5" barrel. Out of my 7.5" .45 BH a 265 grain cast swc gives 1250 fps, a bit less in the short tube and not far from a .44mag.

[Cheapshooter]

I carry my original, un-altered 7 1/2" SBH in an Uncle Mikes shoulder rig(hammer down on empty chamber of course). Very comfortable, and convenient.

[625TC]

With in the scope of your question I would have to go with a 7.5 in ss 44mag. While I dearly love a shorter barrel 45 colt , if it is one good for everything the 44 mag just gives me more options. If one does not reload the 44 mag is easily available with good strong loads. { example hornady 300 gr XTP factory loads}. I do know magnum level 45 colt loads are out there but they are not as easy to come by on local dealers or big box store shelves as the 44. The longer sight plane makes 50 yard shoots much more doable not to mention the gain in velocity from the longer tube.

[disseminator]

With in the scope of your question I would have to go with a 7.5 in ss 44mag. While I dearly love a shorter barrel 45 colt , if it is one good for everything the 44 mag just gives me more options. If one does not reload the 44 mag is easily available with good strong loads. { example hornady 300 gr XTP factory loads}. I do know magnum level 45 colt loads are out there but they are not as easy to come by on local dealers or big box store shelves as the 44. The longer sight plane makes 50 yard shoots much more doable not to mention the gain in velocity from the longer tube.

Mostly agree with this. I love my 45 Colt, but for me the one gun is my 6.5" Model 29.

[Pathfinder45]

Well, the caliber is not the issue, as for all intents and purposes, I consider the 44 Magnum and 45 Colt to be roughly equal in performance since I am a dedicated reloader. In my case it would be 45 Colt. However, regardless of caliber, the point of my question is whether going from a 4-5/8" barrel to a 7-1/2 inch barrel will make it a reliable 50-yard gun, as the shorter barrel, clearly is not. Within it's limitations, my short-barreled Vaquero is a great handgun. But I can shoot better than the gun can and am wondering if going to the longer barrel will pay off with extended range capability. Honestly, my current Vaquero is a 25 yard gun. I feel that it would be worth it if 7-1/2" would give me 50 yards of good accuracy, but not if it won't.

[black mamba]

There is nothing inherently inaccurate about a 4½" barrel. Elmer did pretty good work with his 4" model 29. I've shot many fine groups at 50 yards with a 4" model 57. Never had a 4" 29, but I do have a 4" 25-5 coming soon. I'll let you know how it shoots.

[arquebus357]

Here's an idea....lets make a more modern, safer copy of the Colt Single Action Army. To make it even better let's make it so that for loading/unloading you have to visually line the cylinder up with the loading gate. Also let's make it much, much more difficult to take apart and put back together again.

I'm sorry, but get a Ruger Redhawk or S&W Model 29.

[BusGunner007]

...but...

[Bob Wright]

As to barrel length, I find that for me, the 7 1/2" Ruger Super Blackhawk the very best for outdoor/hunting use. I've carried mine, using a modified Tom Threepersons holster and 2 1/2" gun belt, all day walking over rolling pasture land without any discomfort. And that extra sight radius was definitely a boon to me. Sitting on a deer stand the gun sits in my lap comfortably.

Only for urban carry do I find my 4 5/8" Blackhawk better suited, and also for casual plinking doing rapid fire.

Bob Wright

[Pathfinder45]

Thank you Bob.
And to Arquebus: I just like single-action revolvers. I respect the Rehawk, but it's not for me.

[arquebus357]

^^^

I like single action revolvers too, as long as they aren't Rugers.

Here is my only Ruger single action. Large frame (2 digit serial # prefix) .357 Vaquero Birdshead I avoid shooting it because I don't want it to get so dirty that I may have to do a detail cleaning. I just bring it out for BBQ's and such. My handmade grips, barrel billboard erased and Bisley trigger. Hopefully will find a new home soon.

[tallball]

A long-barreled revolver helps us poor shooters hide our weaknesses.

[Pathfinder45]

Well if you point any gun at anything, it's in danger if the hammer falls. But is it gonna be lucky? Luckier with which gun?

[44 AMP]

the point of my question is whether going from a 4-5/8" barrel to a 7-1/2 inch barrel will make it a reliable 50-yard gun, as the shorter barrel, clearly is not. Within it's limitations, my short-barreled Vaquero is a great handgun. But I can shoot better than the gun can and am wondering if going to the longer barrel will pay off with extended range capability. Honestly, my current Vaquero is a 25 yard gun. I feel that it would be worth it if 7-1/2" would give me 50 yards of good accuracy, but not if it won't.

It is a rather rare situation when the shooter can shoot better than the gun. Have you considered it might be you, and not the gun??

Or that it might be you, and that particular gun?

Not doubting your word, just saying that if you can't shoot that gun well at 50yds, there is no guarantee that you would do better with a longer barrel. You MIGHT, but I wouldn't put serious money on it, without seeing you shoo, first.

I have a 7.5" Blackhawk .45 Colt, 7.5" SuperBlackhawk .44Mag, a pair of original Vaqueros 4 5/8" stainless .45 Colt, a blued original Vaquero and Vaquero Bisley 5.5" .45 Colt, and a New Vaquero 5.5" .45 Colt, so I am a little familiar with the guns.

I find the stainless guns a bit more difficult to shoot accurately, unless you blacken the sights. I don't find any difference between any of them, between 25 and 50yds, but that's just me.

I will admit to doing my best shooting with the 7.5" Blackhawk, but that could be the result of 35years of practice with that particular gun. I could balance a dime on the front sight (at arms length) and the dime never moved until the hammer hit the frame, I could ring the 200yd gong on the range 5 out of 6, (on a bad day) off hand, one handed, left hand in my left hip pocket.

Longer barrels do have longer sight radii, but my experience is that it is the shooter, at least as much as the gun. A longer barrel (and a shooter who can use it well) might be the difference between a 9 ring hit and an X ring, but when your target is bigger than that, like a gong, or the boiler room of a deer, I've never found the longer sight distance to matter, in MY hands.

I do favor the longer barrels because of the increase in velocity, over the short ones. I'm on the opposite side of the fence from many here, as I will accept the "awkwardness" of packing a longer barrel pistol to get the most performance, from it when I shoot. Never saw the point in a short barrel magnum, but a lot of people apparently do.

A long-barreled revolver helps us poor shooters hide our weaknesses.

I'll see you that, and raise you this...
A long-barreled revolver helps good shooters show off their strengths.

I will admit, it took me a bit to warm up to the 7.5" Super Blackhawk. I had a stainless 7.5" Vaquero in .44 Mag, it was nice, but I traded it for a Super Blackhawk, because I'm one of those odd sorts who wants adjustable sights on a .44 Magnum.

I found the grooved trigger and lower, larger hammer spur of the Super to be a bit "off-putting" after 3 decades of shooting the Blackhawk, but only until about a box of ammo had been shot, then I didn't notice the difference at all.

[Real Gun]

Number 1, the OP hasn't been back, and number 2, the 5.5" barrel would be the obvious compromise.

[44 AMP]

the 5.5" barrel would be the obvious compromise.

True, but only if you find a compromise benefits you, personally. It all depends on your personal priorities.

I've got 5.5" Ruger SAs, hardly ever use them. Spent so many years with the 7.5", its what I keep going to, to shoot for recreation, and also for anything serious, like hunting. When I got interested in pistols, there was only one choice in the Super Blackhawk, 7.5" with the dragoon trigger guard. S&W was the only other real choice, and at the time, they were too rich for my blood.

Wound up getting a 7.5" .45 Colt Blackhawk, convertible, because I the shop had one, I could afford it, and I already had a .45acp. Discovered "Ruger Only' loads when there was only one Ruger .45, and found I didn't NEED a .44 Magnum. Got a .44 Mag some years later, and by that time, was very used to the 7.5" barrels advantages and drawbacks.

SO, I never developed a strong urge for a shorter barrel SA. I have some, but always seem to come back to the long barrel "cannons" for fun, and they're very useful, too.

[Real Gun]

True, but only if you find a compromise benefits you, personally. It all depends on your personal priorities.

But this is about the OP, who did ask for opinions and advice, not yet in a groove. Ruger has seen fit to give SBH buyers a choice of grips and barrel lengths. Once going beyond 5.5" barrel length, I think one is going to be carrying cross draw with that big grip poking out front. It is great for a seated position but maybe not so great for rugged walking.