DaveC,
The Bowen sounds nice. Heard good reports on them.

As for the 500, I can understand that. Admittedly I am a little larger than average and typically carry it by itself when hunting with it. I also have some more conventional size hunting handguns, including a couple of .44's and a .357. I usually carry one of those with a rifle.

Jason

Axeman,
I didn't notice that you were in Brazil. That changes things somewhat. Too bad. As for the failure of you M-29, hopefully it was a freak flaw from manufacturing or assembly. I have not had any problems with either of my M-29-2's. My normal load was always a 241 gr keith with 20 grains of 2400. For your info, my Anaconda did not like factory Federal 300 grain cast core loads. I think that the bullets are undersized for my gun. I size all of my cast loads to .431" and accuracy is very good.

JT Ammons,
I guess that since a revolver of that size would not work for the way I hunt, I automatically discount it. The Redhawk is around 43 ounces when finished and carries easily on the left side, crossdraw style with a back pack, binos in front and rifle slung on the right shoulder.
Bowen has the original barrel rebored and rifled to .510" so there is good weight savings there. My barrel has some tooling marks in the bore, but I was warned that that might happen, however, they do not appear to cause any issues with accuracy or leading. If I have another one converted, Bowen offers a custom barrel that has a full length underlug that would be very nice. It would add a few more ounces to the muzzle, but would help in recoil. As it is now, it balances nicely with the 5.5" bbl and is easy to shoot. With loads in the 1100 to 1200 fps range, it is easily controlled, but gets to be a handful when above those numbers. The only difficulty that I have had is finding ammo loops or pouches that fit the ammo.

Dave,
The loads I alluded to are 300-grain hard-cast bullets ahead of 20 grains of 2400, and I fire them in my Ruger Redhawk. They do kick somewhat. I would certainly like to move up to the powerhouses you mentioned. Unfortunately, this country is on the trail to become a socialist republic, and the terrorists in charge are intent on implementing a ban on all firearms, to be followed by confiscation. I have to limit myself to the guns I already have. It is nigh on impossible to obtain an import license for a piece such as a Bowen. Keep up your democracy, and the right to keep and bear arms.
As for the Smith: My out-of-the-box Smith M-29 had its cylinder pin severed after two shots of Federal 240 gr ammo were fired. Maybe this is what prompted me to label S&Ws as weaker pieces compared to Rugers. Please don't get me wrong: I love the gun, its finish is so good it seems black liquid, and accuracy is tops. I polished the moving parts using an old-fashioned razor strop, and the trigger is a dream. Still, I keep it away from the unholy concoctions I shoot in my Rugers.Many thanks for your attention.

RH typically means "Redhawk" in this context - as they are the most durable of the bunch, they are the benchmark by which others are measured. Some sources have loading data marked "For Rugers Only," - they are capable of safely handling higher pressure loads without shooting loose.

As for the Model 500, I don't see any portability problems. With DeSantis' Terminator rig I can hike, ride a horse or ATV, drive a vehicle, even ride a bike with no problems.
I'll admit its not a concealment weapon, but I think it gets a bad rap as a "freak" gun. It allows people who may not be able to afford a custom or a Freedom Arms handgun access to a good high power hunting revolver.

Hows that Bowen shoot?

Jason

Thank you, GatoGordo, I'll test the Anaconda this coming Sunday under the duress of a post-reveillon celebration and will keep you posted.
AM

You heard wrong, MOST Anacondas will outshoot MOST 29s by a fraction. I'd buy it if the price is right. They are excellent guns.

Gentlemen,
I was offered a .44 mag Colt Anaconda. The price is attractive. Does anybody have any experience with this hardware? I've heard its accuracy does not compare to a Smith's, nor to a Ruger's.