I do the occasional pig hunt. I've always wanted to use my .44 (Super Redhawk). So, I've worked up a nice hot load that I can shoot well and is accurate in my gun.

I'm quite confident at 25 yards with open sights. If I practice more I suppose could do OK out to 50 yards.

The questions are: Should I use a scope? Is it worth the expense? How far do you handgunner's go with open sights? (no ridiculous stories please <grin> ) (oh yeah the barrel is 7 1/2" so I don't have a 14" sight radius.)

I know my big limit at 50 yards is more an eyeball issue than shooting. I've never used a handgun scope, nor have I handgun hunted. (The idea of being within 25 yards of a wild pig in an open field is not an attractive idea).

I use reddot scope on my super blackhawk and a 3x Burris scope on my super redhawk and they work fine out to a 100yds. The reddot is faster to get aline then the scope. I think a reddot or scope on your handgun is will worth it. With open sights my limit is about 50yds

Thanks Paul,

I heard that the reddot's don't hold up too well on magnums - maybe that's not true anymore.

The super redhawk came with 1" rings. Doesn't anyone have a 1" reddot or make larger rings for the Ruger mount? (Don't like adapters.)

read the post about distance shooting with revolvers...
I can hit a 6"x6" peice of plate steel at 100 yards 7 out of 10 with my SuperBlackhawk-
7 1/2 barrel, 44 mag. I have owned it for about a month and have put 300 rounds of handloaded 200 grain Hornandy XTP's thru it. Just practice as much as possible and use what your comfortable with. If you go with a scope- my choice for close encounters would also be a 1" red-dot. Fast target acquisition can be critical for quick shooting situations.

Sandolamb,I have a Millet red dot scope on my 7-1/2" Ruger Super Redhawk 44mag. It has been on the gun for 5yrs. now and haven't had a problem. It is a 1" scope and the Ruger rings work fine. Just use Med. strength loc-tight on the screws. I have shot 320gr. WFNGC bullets traveling 1300fps. loads with this scope. Mark

Thanks for the info Mark.

The information you gave me on the Millet is very encouraging.

Can I ask if how it works out in Bright/Dim conditions? How about battery life (I'm worried about hunting with something that uses a battery)?

Steve

The red dot has a knob that turns on the scope and it has 0-12 which is 12 the brightest. The brighter your hunting condition is the brighter your scope needs to be. The dimmer your condition is the dimmer your scope needs to be. You adjust it to your need with a simple turn with your finger. I have only changed the battery once sense I had the scope in 5yrs. and I didn't need to but I did. I carry a spare battery in my day pack just in case I need it. Batteries only cost $6.00. When I am hunting I carry the gun in a bandolar holster with the scope on while hunting and turn it off when I get back to camp. As the day goes by you have to adjust the red dot for the light conditions but that is not a hassel. I like this red dot with this gun,because I use it in thick timber elk hunting and it is fast to get on target. I install this red dot on my Ruger MKII 6-7/8" side slab 22lr. in the spring for my annaul ground squirrel hunt. I have taken them out to 80yds. with this combo with ease. So I am very happy with the Millet red dot scope. Here is there website. www.gunaccessories.com/Millet/index.asp

sandolamb,

i would go with a high quality red dot. Shots (i am assuming) are going to need to be taken fast and the dots are really quick. I personally use the scopes but i do not have anything around here that i am trying to shoot that is moving. If you can get a shot at a standing pig, the scopes are great. With a little practice you can learn to keep the scope on them if they are moving slow.

A good quality red dot WILL hold up to recoil!

My $.02

mike

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NRA Life Member

United States of America, Love it or LEAVE IT!

sandolamb, I have a 3x-9xburris on one of my pistols and it has fouled more than one up close and personal shot for me. I think these guys are right on about the dot. Even a slow moving target is a moving target. And the dot should work fine with your gun's effective killing range.But I'm no expert. Good luck... mvm

[This message has been edited by pshooter (edited 02-06-2002).]

I use a 4x simmons on my 454. out to 200 meters for sillhouette. Then I take it off and find that it has helped me do even better with iron sights because my body has learned to be much more steady. This has been the advantage of a scope to me. It makes closer shots without it seem way easier.

I'm going out next week, and I'll hunt scopeless. Shots will probably be less than 50 meters, if I see any pigs.

I use a 2x Leupold on my .44 SRH. It works very well at close range and has never worked loose or lost point of aim with well over a 2000 heavy rounds through the gun.

Sandolamb:

I don't know what kind of pig hunting you are doing, but if it is feral hogs then many if not most of your shots will be in very marginal light conditions where seeing your open sights will be a real problem. Go with a red dot sight and be sure it has adjustable intensity. I like the Optima 2000 but it is not adjustable which I find to be a problem in very low light conditions.

To Sandolamb:
You don't have to spend much to get a decent quality scope and this would greatly reduce eyestrain. As far as range goes, Elmer Keith claimed to have killed a mule deer at several hundred yards with an open sighted .44 mag.

I would go with an Aimpoint 5000. I have one on my 454 and it has held up to thousands of rounds of full power 454 ammo. Ruger makes 30MM rings for the SRH and it's other guns. I have had the dot on, adjusting it for lighting conditions for over a week, 24 hours a day, with lithium batteries. Just bring spares to make sure.

Another option is the 1X Burris scope. It's actually faster on target for me than the Aimpoint. You can use one or both eyes. It uses no batteries. Has nearly unlimited eye relief, on a rifle or handgun. Basically it just puts the black standard crosshairs on the target, IN THE SAME FOCAL DISTANCE as your target, just like the red dots do, only in black. It's the optimum combination of speed and accuracy if you game refuses to stand still and take it.

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I have the Ultra-Dot4 on my 480 ruger but I did have to install the b-square mount.Didn't change the height much and gauranteed for life,even in that caliber