My favorite is a S&W 4" 44 Mag. My wife and I always carry one while hunting. I even took one to Africa. [Did not take one to Canada though ]
While I have had excellent results with Elmer Keith's loads[250 cast SWC with @ 10 grains on Unique or 21 to 22.5 gr of 2400], lately I have just been to busy and lazy to reload, and used mostly factory loads. I carry 2 Speer shotshells followed by 4 of the Speer 270 Gold Dot at the deer lease, When in Grizzly Bear country I use Garretts Hammerheads, or Federal Cast Core. In Africa I usually loaded 2 Speer 270's followed by 4 Garretts.
Posts: 16134 | Location: Texas | Registered: 06 April 2002
Right now I have a 629 custom deluxe smith with an 8inch barrel in 44mag. Ive taken javelina ,bobcat ,wildebeast ,blesbok and springbok with mine. I hope to get a 500mag next just need to find a good deal on one.
41 Magnum S&W Model 57 with 8 3/8" barrel. Most accurate factory revolver that I have ever personally seen (mine would do 1.5" to 2.5" at 100 yards on my better days back when I could still see the iron sights clearly, and was shooting metallic silhouette matches).
Jim
Posts: 1206 | Location: Georgia | Registered: 21 July 2000
I'm with George S, The best for the least is a Ruger Bisley in .45 (long) Colt with a pring set and a trigger job. Feed it your choice of heavy, hard cast, heat treated bullet. Great for shooting a treed mountain lion, a sick cow, a pissed off bison, or a target of opportunity like a coyote that jumps out of the weeds when you are pheasant hunting. JCN
Posts: 7158 | Location: Snake River | Registered: 02 February 2004
Quote: I have never shot a 41 magnum, what does it feel most like?
Recoil is noticeably less than a 44 mag, but a little more than a 357 mag. It is a great compromise round for deer size game, shoots pretty flat for a revolver round, and seems to be accurate in most revolvers and single shots so chambered. As BlackHawk1 says, you can't have just one. I also bought an 7.5" Ruger Redhawk stainless with scope rings, and a Redhawk 5 1/2" stainless when they were being closed out for $259 and $239 . Both are extremely accurate as well. The 7.5" with scope will stay in 1-1.5" at 50 yards anytime (even with lead bullet loads).
As a side note for the Model 57, it is the only revolver that I ever worked with that I couldn't improve on the accuracy of it's favorite factory load by reloading. I could equal, but never improve on the accuracy of Winchester 210 grain soft points (not hollow points). This was some years ago, maybe I will try some of the newer powders and bullets to see if they would make a difference since I have been hoarding my last box of the old Winchester ammo (but I really can't complain if they don't).
It's a shame that it never became more popular, but it does have a dedicated following among the small group of people who discovered it's accuracy and versatility.
Jim
Posts: 1206 | Location: Georgia | Registered: 21 July 2000
Damn, Dude, you need a caisson to carry that thing around don't you? I absolutely love my 475 Linebaugh in an FA 83 w/ 7 1/2" barrel. Next is my new Ruger stainless Bisley 45 Colt with a 5 1/2" barrel.
That's a nice piece. Would you have Huntington's link? I lost it when I upgraded my software a couple of month's back. I was thinking of converting an old model Ruger in 357 to 44 Sp. and talked to him quite some time ago.
I had my Afrcian model engrved with a lion on the 5 shot cylinder and my Back Up 2 with a bear. Gary will swap the engraving around to your prefrance and they come with your choice of finnish for no addtional charge I like the two tone myself.
DPhillips, Beautiful! Looks a little intimidating to shoot with full house loads though. I sometimes wish I had a .500 Lin., but my .454 level colt loads are as much blast/recoil as I need (no desire at all to touch off a 500 S&W). How does Bowen's double action pull feel? Thanks for the pic.
Wes
Posts: 213 | Location: Missouri | Registered: 15 October 2003
The Redhawk isn't bad with full house loads, surprisingly enough. Very little rise or muzzle flip, but it does come straight back pretty hard. I actually prefer this type of recoil much more than the Bisley framed roll. Re-acquiring the target takes much less time for me.
Proper shooting form is demanded when shooting it though.
Double action pull is as good as any I've tried. Of course, I'm much more accurate using it single action mode. Not because of the pull weight, but because of the length of the trigger pull.
Bowen really is a master building these guns. I highly recommend it. The gun weighs 2lbs 13 oz, so is fairly light, with a 3.5" barrel and well balanced.
Posts: 1508 | Location: Alaska | Registered: 09 August 2002
My hat's off to Hamilton Bowen for that beautiful revolver and especially to you for being able to control it in double-action fire .
I have a full 7-1/2 inch regular Redhawk in 500 Linebaugh that was rebored by Labounty and has been double magna-ported. It is a real handful; without a glove it tore all the internal tissue between my thumb and index finger on the third shot. The loads chronoed right at 1600 fps with a 435 gr cast bullet.
Six weeks later I could shoot it again (this time with a Past glove) and six years later I still flinch like a guppy in a shark tank when the feeding bell clangs .
Posts: 11143 | Location: Texas, USA | Registered: 22 September 2003
I also shoot the Blackhawk in 45 Colt 7 1/2" barrel The fastest I can get my 240 gr bullets to go is 1450 FPS. I like the Redhawk in 44 mag 5 1/2 " barrel. This gun will shoot the 240 gr bullets at 1430 FPS But there is no gun like my S&W 500.This gun shoots the 400 gr bullet at 1620 FPS or the 500 gr bullet at 1419 FPS. If I had the Equipment to post pictures I would.
Posts: 2209 | Location: Delaware | Registered: 20 December 2002
Do you use the "push-pull" grip style? Using this with the Redhawk, the gun just isn't too bad to shoot. Push foreward with your grip hand and pull back and down with your support hand. That coupled with the recoil coming straight back with the Redhawk just isn't bad. Good stocks on the gun help a lot too. Had a 45 Colt Redhawk that split the web on shooting hand while shooting hot loads. The grip had a nice sharp edge on it and sliced my hand open.
Posts: 1508 | Location: Alaska | Registered: 09 August 2002
Quote: My favorate handgun is S&W 500 shooting 400 & 500 gr bullets The most powerful handgun in the whole world.
The S&W500 should definatly be a beast, but I think that I can get more out of the 45-70 BFR. 405's at 1750fps is where I stopped due to recoil, but the brass just fell out of the gun when it was tipped up. The gun was still controllable with 50yd open sight groups of around 1.5", but it wasn't fun to shoot anymore. I pushed 500's into the 1500fps range, they all hurt to shoot, but I think my hand was bruised by then.
Posts: 2924 | Location: Arkansas | Registered: 23 December 2002
I noticed the grips right away. Are those Jordans? I will try the push-pull next time out. Frankly, the Past glove sovled most of the problem for me. I would like an alternative, though. It's too awkward to put on and pull off only when hunting so you end up wearing the thing all day.
Posts: 11143 | Location: Texas, USA | Registered: 22 September 2003
Well mine is the Ruger Redhawk in 44Mag i own a 41 mag also which was my favorite untill i started shooting 330gr garrett ammo it's added a special essance to the gun for me.I plan on having a 475 linebaugh built next year i can't wait i'm to the point in my collecting that i'm going alot more custom i own a custom dan wesson 44mag and i had my colt gov't model customized to 45 super which adds alot of fun and brings conversation piece this colt draws a crowd at the ranges [image]my pictures[/image]
Posts: 1026 | Location: UPSTATE NY | Registered: 08 December 2002
Mine's a Ruger Bisley in a 45 Colt. I waited for months for the gun shop in town to get one in. When it finally did they gave me a call and I bought it. Wasn't a week later they got another one in and when I found out about it I went down and bought it also. It's still in the box, never been out and sitting in the top of the closet.
The 45-70 has been around a long time. Someone made a revoler to chamber the 45-70 cartrige. Thats Fine but it is a round orignally made for a rifle. The 500 has a round made for it only. Thats why it is the most powerful handgun made so far in the world. I also have a contender that shoots the 45-70 faster then the most powerful gun in the world.
Posts: 2209 | Location: Delaware | Registered: 20 December 2002
[Did not take one to Canada though 
] 
