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Okay I think I have settled on a 44 mag for handgun hunting. Next question is bbl length. I will probably never take a shot beyond 50 yards. Is there really any practical difference between a 4, 5, or 6 inch barrel. I suspect there is some real difference between 4 & 6 but very little difference between 5 & 6. Do you guys find shoulder holsters a practical carry option in the field for a 6 heavy revolver. Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue. What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | ||
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One of Us |
I like a 4" S&W very much. All of my Custom revolvers are 5 1/2 or 6 inch barrels. Take your pick, there is no wrong choice between 4 and 6 inches IMHO Yes a shoulder holster is an excellent caryy option in the field. In fact if I am on a pack in trip I believe that a shoulder holster is the best way to go and not interfer with ther carring of a pack. _____________________________________________________ A 9mm may expand to a larger diameter, but a 45 ain't going to shrink Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened. - Winston Churchill | |||
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Moderator |
Mike, if it is to be a primary hunting tool, I like the 6-inch option best. But that's a personal preference. "Ignorance you can correct, you can't fix stupid." JWP If stupidity hurt, a lot of people would be walking around screaming. Semper Fidelis "Building Carpal Tunnel one round at a time" | |||
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I like shoulder holsters best -- they don't seem to hinder movement much and you can call your piece into action quickly. I do wear a holster on the belt too, sometimes....... "Ignorance you can correct, you can't fix stupid." JWP If stupidity hurt, a lot of people would be walking around screaming. Semper Fidelis "Building Carpal Tunnel one round at a time" | |||
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One of Us |
Some states have a barrel length minimum for hunting, might check that first before buying something too short. My hunting experience with .44's has been with 6"-8"-14" barrels. Longer barrels do present a problem carrying and finding holsters. They can be awkward but extremely effective due to longer sight plain. Longer barrels offer higher velocities. | |||
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I'll third the 6" for a primary hunting revolver. I've used both the shoulder holster and belt holster and have settled on the belt holster, but that is just personal preference. If ignorance is bliss; there are some blissful sonofaguns around here. We know who you are, so no reason to point yourselves out. | |||
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Mike For General use; I carry a 4" S&W 44 Mag all the time when the woods. I have found the De Santis Dual Angle Hunter worn cross draw is the best and most accessable,convient way to carry it. However if I am primarialy hunting with a 44 Mag Revolver I would want at least a 6" bbl. For my 6.5" S&W I have the same De Santis holster and a shoulder holster. I use the De Santis in warm/hot weather. The shoulder holster makes it very easy to draw the revolver while wearing a coat. In fact I am in SLC now on my way to Idaho to bear hunt, I have both my 4" and my 6.5" S&W with me. Get the 6" first, then later you might want to get a 4" to carry when rifle hunting. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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One of Us |
Longer barrels give more velocity and a greater sight radius. At some point long barrels start to get in the way. For me, a 6â€-6 ½†barrel can be carried in a shoulder holster and be completely out of the way. I find it the best compromise | |||
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With proper bullet selection any added velocity of a 6 inch barrel vs a 4 inch barrel will be meaningless to the game when propely hit by both. _____________________________________________________ A 9mm may expand to a larger diameter, but a 45 ain't going to shrink Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened. - Winston Churchill | |||
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I've got both 4" and 6" S&W revolvers. The 6" (you could substitute 7 1/2" if you like Ruger single actions) barrels are a lot easier to shoot accurately and help tame recoil compared to the 4". The 6"-71/2" barrels are about the limit to me where it's still a "handgun" and they probably are best carried in a shoulder/bandolier type holster. The accuracy is there with the shorter barrels it just takes a lot of practice to realize it. I'd second the motion to buy the 6" first and then get a 4" once you decide if you want a general purpose packin' pistol. | |||
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I have a 5,5 red hawk and had 2 7.5 black hawks al 44's the the Red hawk pushed my 315 gr hard cast loads faster by about 50 fps then the black hawks pushed the same load. I find a shorter barrel a bit easier to carry a longer a bit easier to shoot. | |||
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With a SBH 7-1/2" barrel, one click on the rear sight will be 1" at 50 meters. A real short barrel will be WAY more then that and is hard to sight in. You will be over or under but have to be lucky to get right on. That was always why I liked the longer barrels. Another thing is that when hunting, I want the noise a little farther from my ears. I have no problem with a shot at a deer but I can't take one shot at a target without muffs. A short barrel for a finishing shot can make you think twice when your ears hurt. I tried those electronic muffs for hunting and I can't tell what direction sound comes from. With a shoulder holster, they all feel the same anyway. For me the primary hunting tool has at least a 7-1/2" barrel. I would only go for a short barrel if I needed a backup for a rifle or bear protection. Who needs speed or a fast draw if hunting with a handgun? Even a 10" barrel is easier to carry then a rifle. | |||
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Well I have a 4" S&W in 41 Mag and a 4 3/4" Freedom 454 and have not found them to be difficult to sight in or to hit with. My favorite length is probably 5 1/2". 6" is ok and I do not like the longer barrels. YMMV, but that is my preference. _____________________________________________________ A 9mm may expand to a larger diameter, but a 45 ain't going to shrink Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened. - Winston Churchill | |||
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You won't have too much choice where I live. The 4 inch and 5 inch are not legal. It must be a barrel 6 inches or longer. I carry my 29 Smith and wesson in a Bianchi 111 crossdraw. It is fine for me and nevr in the way. | |||
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A 6 inch is the way to go in my opinion. If you're going to make a hole, make it a big one. ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ Member of the Delaware Destroyers Member Reeders Misfits NRA Life Member ENDOWMENT MEMBER NAHC Life Member DSA Life Member | |||
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Mike......My 8 3/8 Model 29 is not nearly as cumbersome to carry in the deer woods as one of my pre-64 Model 70 rifles with their 24 or 26 inch barrels. And the big Smith is easy on the ears, and very comfortable to shoot well. When I am walking to my stand, I carry it in my hand, just like any gun. No need for a drag-your-pants-down holster, or some kind of restricting shoulder strap affair. And when it comes time to take that, perhaps, only shot of the season, I don't want a wiggly, short-barrelled ear buster in my hands...... 6 inch minimum, 8 3/8, or 10 even better.... Don't worry about "carry ability". You probably ain't gonna carry it that far anyhow... Grant | |||
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One of Us |
Mike, I've been carrying my S&W 57 .41 Mag., 6" barrel in a shoulder holster when out in the boonies, for years. That is my preference. Doesn't get in the way, nor snag on bushes, etc. For an all around general packin' pistol, I think that a 4" (or 4 5/8" type) is a bit more convenient, but that's just my selection. Good luck. L.W. "A 9mm bullet may expand but a .45 bullet sure ain't gonna shrink." | |||
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I would personally pick the barrel length that balances the best for you in the pistol make of your choice. For example I really like a 6" S&W 44 but find that a 4 5/8" is my preference in a ruger. Although in a Ruger Bisley the five inch is my favorite in 45LC A lot of shots will have to be taken standing upright shooting without a rest so balance in your hands is very important in my opinion. Barrel length for sight radius or velocity come next. (When I was a kid my father used to tell me that God hated a coward, I finally realized he has even less use for a fool.) | |||
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+1 with 657 classic hunter w/ 6.5 barrel. | |||
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Moderator |
What matters most is balance, as it does have an effect on your ability to hit when shooting off hand. While I love packing the 4" da's and 4 5/8" sa's, the have a neutral balance in my hand, and that makes it more difficult to hold steady when shooting off hand. The 5 1/2" and 6" are just a tad muzzle heavy, and hence perfectly balanced for offhand shooting. The 7 1/2" guns are notedly muzzle heavy and pretty much need a shoulder rick to pack. I carry a ruger srh 480 in a shoulder rig for at least a month a year. One of these days I'll get another 480, cut it down to 5", and pack it in a chest rig. Hip holsters are just too low for me, as I spend alot of time around the water, and don't like dipping my guns into it. __________________________________________________ The AR series of rounds, ridding the world of 7mm rem mags, one gun at a time. | |||
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One of Us |
I use them in about every barrel length available and this one is my favorite 44 without question. It is great to carry and hunting accurate to well beyond 50 yards. So I would lean towards the shorter barrel and spend the time to learn how to shoot it. | |||
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That's a nice piece, Boxhead! "Ignorance you can correct, you can't fix stupid." JWP If stupidity hurt, a lot of people would be walking around screaming. Semper Fidelis "Building Carpal Tunnel one round at a time" | |||
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One of Us |
Of your barrel length choices, I'd get the 6". I usually hunt with a 7.5" length. I typically hip carry (more comfortable at the end of the day), but use a shoulder holster if it is raining or I am backpacking. I find the longer barrels easier to shoot well with open sights. dvnv | |||
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Boxhead I have the sweetest old flattop 44 like yours only still with the 6.5 barrel and have agonized over putting it to the saw for some time. I don't really like the balance of the length but have hesitated for some reason. Seeing yours has convinced me. Thanks (When I was a kid my father used to tell me that God hated a coward, I finally realized he has even less use for a fool.) | |||
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One of Us |
Boxhead, That is a cool looking holster.... can you post a pic with the gun in it? Custom made? DRSS & Bolt Action Trash | |||
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Looks like a holster made by simply rugged. If you're going to make a hole, make it a big one. ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ Member of the Delaware Destroyers Member Reeders Misfits NRA Life Member ENDOWMENT MEMBER NAHC Life Member DSA Life Member | |||
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Mike, I was in the same boat you're in now about a year and a half ago. I shot a few handguns before I found one I liked and decided I wanted a Ruger .44 Mag DA revolver. A guy made me a deal on a 7.5" SS SRH that I couldn't pass up so I took the plunge. Since I was buying this primarily as a hunting arm, I opted to buy one with a longer barrel because they just balance better (in my opinion anyway). From the bench, with open sights and good handloads, I can get a cylinder of ammo almost touching at 30 yards. That's plenty good enough for 90% of the hunting I plan to do with it. My eyes have gotten a little worse since I bought the gun so I recently put a Millet red dot sight on it. I haven't had time to zero the sight yet, but if it works out, this is what I'll be hunting with this year: A 7.5" Ruger .44 is a hell of a lot easier to get around the deer stand with than my 21" 30-06. Adding a scope to an already heavy revolver made it somewhat cumbersome to carry. I bought a $35 Uncle Mikes shoulder holster to carry this around with and it works good for its intended use. As heavy as this revolver is fully loaded, the only way I could carry it is in the shoulder holster. I do not find the shoulder holster a hindrance in any way. I'm not sure which revolver you've settled on yet, but I would recommend a Ruger - either a SBH or SRH. My father turned me on to them a couple years ago and I really like them. They're well built, accurate, and if you ever plan on scoping your hunting revolver they come with factory scope mounts that are rock solid. As an added plus, they'll digest just about any ammunition you can fit in the chamber so you can focus more on load accuracy than worrying about overloading the design of the gun. Lastly, there's a whole bunch of slightly used SRH's on the market at good prices that somebody bought and shot a few times and sold it because he didn't like the recoil. I am not an expert pistolero, but the above is my opinion based on my experience. Given a choice, I'm afraid I'd have to let my Model 19 go before I turned loose of my SRH. I like it that much. Jason "Chance favors the prepared mind." | |||
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Don't get to bogged down with barrel length if 50 yards is max shot. Pick which one feels best for you and shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. Best shooting revolver I ever owned was a Smith model 19 4 inch barrel. At that time it was the only gun I owned so it got a lot of use. The key to any accurate firearm. Doug Enjoy life but remember, we are only practicing for something better. | |||
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I like my hunting guns to have a 4-5 inch barrel. I detest scopes on handguns unless im hunting from a blind and carry my guns in a hip holster. Personally if i cant carry it in a hip holster id just as soon carry a lever gun. But those are just my preferences and not everyones. | |||
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One of Us |
Have settled on 5" for general use but have shot both ele and buff with my old M58 (.41 mag). Now carry a 5" .44 ( my Scandium .44 looks like a new fridge these days ) | |||
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One of Us |
I carry my four inch 629 Mountain Gun in camp when I set aside my rifle for the day. I also carry my revolver in the woods in a shoulder holster, with loops for spare ammo carry on the off sise, under my coat to protect them from the elements. When I travel to town and will be among the 2 legged varmits, an IWB holster goes in the luggage too, as well as a couple of speed loaders and holder. I'm not much to carry my revolver while actively hunting with my rifle, just too much extra to carry, lots of time and money spent finding a 8 pound rig to hunt with, adding four pounds of revolver, ammo and holster seem counter intuitive. All that aside, I handgun hunt with revolvers with 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 inch barrels. I did find one use for a backup handgun, when my guide was unarmed and borrowed my rifle to scramble accross a canyon and find where I tagged an elk in heavy cover. I watched while he crossed, about a half hour, and directed him to the spot. I felt better with some kind of firearm setting alone on the side of a mountain. I guess failure of your rifle might allow a hunt to carry on if you had a handgun, as well as the finisher shot mentioned earlier. I've been lucky enough not to need to shoot an animal while standing over it with a rifle. I have used a revolver to finish a couple of pigs while down after a snap shot in the woods first that was less than perfect. | |||
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One of Us |
i've got a 4" smith 29-2, a ruger super blackhawk stainless 7 5/8, and a blued ruger super blackhawk in 10 1/2... i'd rather have a 6" if i only had 1....and then i'd vote for a dan wesson in full shroud.... go big or go home ........ DSC-- Life Member NRA--Life member DRSS--9.3x74 r Chapuis | |||
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one of us |
Get the barrel length that’s least expensive. That’s about how much difference it makes inside of 50 yards. I like a crossdraw holster because I normally carry some kind of pack and a shoulder holster is just one more set of straps to deal with. But I'm getting old and crotchety these days. Okie John "The 30-06 works. Period." --Finn Aagaard | |||
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One of Us |
Well...FYI...I settle on the 6 1/2 model 29 with integral muzzle port. Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue. What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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One of Us |
I hit better with longer barrels but the four inch N-frame is about as long a pistol as I can wear comfortably in a strong side belt holster. My 10 inch Contender (whether fitted with irons or a scope) and 7-1/2 inch Bisley Blackhawk are in my hand when hunting. I've played with a variety of shoulder rigs over the years and always found them wanting. For a 6-1/2 gun I recommend you try a crossdraw belt holster first. Good hunting! | |||
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Mike You have made a good choice. A 6.5" Mod 29 is a hard 44 Mag to beat. I would still recommend you take a look at the DeSantis Dual Angle Hunter holster. Also, if you are a shoulder holster kind of guy, they work good for the 6.5" Mod 29. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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