Big Magnum Revolver, what is just right?

[Old Man with Gun]

I've been wanting a big boom revolver for a bit and keep gravitating to the 454 Casul or similar, but wonder if I will miss going bigger.

This will mainly be a range toy, but something I could carry in the woods if I wanted. This is for shooting standing, I have a bunch of Contenders for bench and supported shooting.

I can handle recoil just fine, I've shot 500 S&W one handed and encore pistols in magnum rifle cartridges. I want something big, but must be enjoyable and accurate, not simply a double dog dare to try it.

What pushes me away from the X frame revolver is the size and weight. Simply not fun to shoot once the novelty wears off. I am a big guy, but supporting a 4.5 lb pistol sucks.

So finally getting to my question, what is the Goldie Locks perfect ballance, bigger than 44Mag, but not too big.

I reload, and would like the option of different power levels like 45 Colt / 454 Casul, 44 Mag, 454 Super, etc. I mostly like S&W and double action, but open to any high quality single or double revolver. What is your favorite?

 

[pmclaine]

Smith 27-2 with 3 inch barrel

Registered magnum if you have the wallet.

Shoot the shit out of .38s but have the ability to “up” at will.

 

[stanley_white]

For me, anything in the Ruger Super Redhawk line (or GP100 or SP101 as they are mechanically the same) is superior to Smith and Wesson as the more simple Ruger mechanism can be smoothed out / worked on / parts swapped by even the most ignorant Kitchen Table Gunsmith (ask me how I know).



And, I say all of the above as someone raised in a Smith and Wesson family.

-Stan

 

[Old Man with Gun]

Smith 27-2 with 3 inch barrel

Registered magnum if you have the wallet.

Shoot the shit out of .38s but have the ability to “up” at will.

I had a 28 4" as a kid and loved it, I have A 66 4" now that I like even better. But for this one I'm looking for more power than 44 Mag.

 

[Csafisher]

460 smith and Wesson. Can also shoot 454 casull I believe

 

[Old Man with Gun]

For me, anything in the Ruger Super Redhawk line (or GP100 or SP101 as they are mechanically the same) is superior to Smith and Wesson as the more simple Ruger mechanism can be smoothed out / worked on / parts swapped by even the most ignorant Kitchen Table Gunsmith (ask me how I know).



And, I say all of the above as someone raised in a Smith and Wesson family.

-Stan

The Super Redhawk has my attention, especially the target grey finish. Add an ultra dot and should be sweet!

 

[Old Man with Gun]

460 smith and Wesson. Can also shoot 454 casull I believe

It can, but the X frame guns just seem awkward to shoot, they are about 1.5 lbs heavier than the 454 Casuls.

I wish S&W had a 454 N frame.

 

[chevy_man]

I like the 357 for all around, but I'm trying to enjoy myself, not murder the nerves in my hands.

For that same reason if I go any bigger I have Ruger Blackhawks in 41 mag.

 

[FieldGaugeFailure]

Don't overthink it, Python 44 mag. Classic and classy.

 

[powdahound76]

Magnum Research or Freedom Arms in .475 Linebaugh for a big one.
So fun to shoot.
For sure a tad rowdy and not as bad as you might think.

Blued Smith Mtn Gun in .44 Mag for more tame.

And a 4” model 19 for easy to handle and load of fun with mild .38 special loads and a 158 LSWC.


For lots of trail time and little shooting, I really love a Ruger LCR in .357.

 

[diggler1833]

I have a Freedom Arms 83 Premier Grade in .454 Casull. To me, there isn't a whole lot of enjoyment in shooting full-house loads in it. I've shot a S&W 500, and I still have a .30-30 barrel for my Contender.

I've yet to personally shoot - or be around anyone who has shot - a large bore magnum handgun that we can make as accurate of fire with as we can with lesser cartridges. Yeah, you can thump your manly chest about the "powah" of your hand cannon...but that buckshot-looking target, or watching you dance around steel at 100 yards isn't as impressive.

^ That isn’t to insult anyone, but to transition into the opinion that if someone does want a hand cannon, that getting one where you can chamber a lesser cartridge is probably a good idea (.460 / .454 so you can shoot .45 Colt etc...). My guess is that if you buy/reload a few boxes of light and heavy loads, that I have a sneaking suspicion the light ones will be finished first.

Either way, have fun.

 

[diggler1833]

Don't overthink it, Python 44 mag. Classic and classy.

You mean Anaconda?

 

[stanley_white]

The Super Redhawk has my attention, especially the target grey finish. Add an ultra dot and should be sweet!

The 454 Casull version, which can run light recoiling 45 Colt cowboy loads all the way to 454 Casull Buffalo Bore rounds, would give you a lot of maneuver room.

Add some shims, swap the springs, file down the hammer step if necessary, and you will have one smooth shooting revolver.

-Stan

 

[powdahound76]

Well said Diggler

Hand cannons have a purpose.
Become good with them with reduced loads.

Im 5’8” and while fat for me at 170, a small guy.

I can shoot a 44 fine, but really love it in a mellow 44 special and a couple cylinders of full power loads occasionally.
Same with a light .357

That said, when I got turned on to the .475 for a serious big bear country gun, my friend in AK shot and hit pieces of busted clays at 35 yds with his.
Decades of revolver practice and skill makes it easy for him.


All said, I have a G20 and 200 gr cast for my bear country gun these days.

 

[Rocketvapor]

In big hand cannons, the 44 MAG is a Girl Gun

 

[sparky702]

I have 6 inch raging bull chambered in 480 ruger and have killed several Deer with it but it really is to much gun for deer . The 325 grain hollow point makes a mess . I still pack it when I am out wondering around my property since feral hog's , black bear and apparently the occasional mountain lion wonder around these part's . the Debbie downer is it only holds 5 rounds . I'm thinking of picking up a 10mm of some sort .

 

[moosemeat]

454 and 480 are kind of the line before you have to step into X frames and other cartoon guns(cause the look like cartoon bull$%/+). I also wish smith would make a N frame 454 or 475/480.

 

[tekmann2377]

Get a Super Redhawk in 454 Casull. A pure pussycat to shoot with 45 colt loads, and enough stomp for legitimate big game hunting with full power 454 loads.

I have a Magnum Research BFR in 460 S&W as well. It is really a different class of weapon than the Ruger. Both are similarly accurate, have good single action triggers, and good ergonomics for heavy recoil. The Ruger is lighter and faster handling though.

Also no one really shoots heavy loads for fun. They are either for showing off your boomer, or killing something.

 

[264win]

If being packable ( ish ) matters, you are right to look past the X frame. Great to shoot but not made to pack.
The 480 ruger would fit the bill nicely but with the scarcity of ammo and components I would be reluctant to buy one.
At this point I would probably look for a freedom arms in 454 or a Bowen converted Ruger.

 

[Bender]

Revolvers are just awesome. I can shoot up to .44mag very well. Actually haven’t shot anything bigger. The revolver that hurt the most to shoot was a titanium snub .357, with full house loads the recoil would pull bullets out of the cases and lock it up. As for feel, put your hand in the door jamb of your truck and slam it shut.

 

[Old Man with Gun]

Well said Diggler

Hand cannons have a purpose.
Become good with them with reduced loads.

Im 5’8” and while fat for me at 170, a small guy.

I can shoot a 44 fine, but really love it in a mellow 44 special and a couple cylinders of full power loads occasionally.
Same with a light .357

That said, when I got turned on to the .475 for a serious big bear country gun, my friend in AK shot and hit pieces of busted clays at 35 yds with his.
Decades of revolver practice and skill makes it easy for him.


All said, I have a G20 and 200 gr cast for my bear country gun these days.

All good advice, I have too many guns, this is my latest excuse to buy another. I have a 357 S&W 4", Glock 10mm model 20 and a 40 with compensator and RDS, Contenders in 41 mag RDS and scoped 6.5 Grendel. I just have an itch for a big revolver. I had a S&W 629 6" a long time ago and loved it in both 44 Mag and Spl.

I think my ideal would be a S&W N frame in either 454 Casul or 445 Super Magnum. Unfortunately they stop at 44 Mag in the N frame and you have to go X frame for bigger. Best option I'm finding now is Super Redhawk.

 

[Old Man with Gun]

Revolvers are just awesome. I can shoot up to .44mag very well. Actually haven’t shot anything bigger. The revolver that hurt the most to shoot was a titanium snub .357, with full house loads the recoil would pull bullets out of the cases and lock it up. As for feel, put your hand in the door jamb of your truck and slam it shut.

I always liked the light weight J frames, but thought 357 in them was for marketing to people who didn't know better. My wife carries a model 432PD in 32 H&R mag, my reloads get a 100g HP to 1,100 and even that is snappy.

 

[Keeper22]

You said you wanted to stay away from the x frame but look at the x frame in 350 legend, it is actually fun to shoot and the ammo is relatively cheap.

 

[sparky702]

If being packable ( ish ) matters, you are right to look past the X frame. Great to shoot but not made to pack.
The 480 ruger would fit the bill nicely but with the scarcity of ammo and components I would be reluctant to buy one.
At this point I would probably look for a freedom arms in 454 or a Bowen converted Ruger.

Yeah ammo is a big deal . I stacked them deep . .

 

[stanley_white]

All good advice, I have too many guns, this is my latest excuse to buy another. I have a 357 S&W 4", Glock 10mm model 20 and a 40 with compensator and RDS, Contenders in 41 mag RDS and scoped 6.5 Grendel. I just have an itch for a big revolver. I had a S&W 629 6" a long time ago and loved it in both 44 Mag and Spl.

I think my ideal would be a S&W N frame in either 454 Casul or 445 Super Magnum. Unfortunately they stop at 44 Mag in the N frame and you have to go X frame for bigger. Best option I'm finding now is Super Redhawk.

If you hand load, a S&W N-frame in 45 Colt, along with the wisdom of these articles, might work.

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-Stan

 

[Herb Stoner]

I have a Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan in .454 Casull. Great gun and compact with a 2 1/2” barrel. I mainly only carry it when fly fishing in heavy brown bear areas but it’s a fun range toy as well. It’s a handfull but with a little range time you’ll get used to it - kind of…

 

[david walter]

Stan,

I was looking for that article when you posted it.

John had the ability and the choices to carry whatever he wanted. His advocacy of the 45 Colt in a S&W revolver speaks volumes about how versatile and deadly that combination is.

 

[moosemeat]

Also no one really shoots heavy loads for fun. They are either for showing off your boomer, or killing sosomething.

Disagree. I shoot full power loads every time I'm out shooting a big gun. Even if I'm by my self. You have to. Training to handle recoil requires recoil. And I do find it fun.

The least fun hand gun I have ever shot is a 454 ruger super blackhawk hunter. The trigger guard smashed my middle finger on every shot. The X frames have never done that.

 

[stanley_white]

Stan,

I was looking for that article when you posted it.

John had the ability and the choices to carry whatever he wanted. His advocacy of the 45 Colt in a S&W revolver speaks volumes about how versatile and deadly that combination is.

Agreed!

And, if the OP wanted to drop some coin, he could possibly have a S&W N-Frame made with a five shot cylinder and offset cylinder stop notches for extra strength.

-Stan

 

[stanley_white]

A better website for the OPs question:

Home | Single-Actions

Visit our forum at: singleactions.proboards.com

singleactions.proboards.com

-Stan

 

[FieldGaugeFailure]

You mean Anaconda?

I should have thought about it a bit more. Yes, Anaconda.

 

[Hairball]

If you are looking for a “big boom revolver”, the top two (500 and 460) would do it. The next two (44 and 357) are fine but may not be what you have in mind. The 22 WMR is a fun plinker but not much boom. If you go with the 460, you can shoot 460, 454, and 45 Colt.

 

[Hoser]

I have a Freedom Arms 454 and it is perfect.

Beautifully built, accurate and it will also shoot 45 Colt much like shooting 38 Special in a 357. The smooth "Bisley" grip allows it to rotate slightly in your hand so you dont soak up all the recoil.

Several years ago I shot a Smith revo in 460 and 500 side by side. The 460 kicked more. Really harsh.

I bought a BigHorn lever action in 500 S&W. I am really glad I dont own a 500 in a pistol.

 

[Old Man with Gun]

If you hand load, a S&W N-frame in 45 Colt, along with the wisdom of these articles, might work.

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-Stan

I hadn't thought of that, I load for the 32 H&R Mag, same thing, SAMI is low, but you can upload it nicely for modern firearms. Thanks.

 

[lash]

Having read through the posts and having shot a few, here’s my take. I like the .454 for many if the same reasons that have been mentioned above. It’s available in a frame size that isn’t ridiculous and can be loaded in a variety of ways.

Personally, I’d forgo the magnaporting as the part I hate about the redhawk with ports is the muzzle blast is like a big slap in the face every time. I’ll take the recoil instead. If I had the coin and wanted the most fun out of the caliber, I’d use a Linebaugh conversion to .454, as I prefer the recoil of a single action frame in big boomers. Plus they are a nice size to carry.

As it is, when I want more fun than my Super Blackhawk in .44, I take out my Ruger .45 Bisley, which has a solid cylinder and can handle the heavy loads that make it stand up and shoot.

 

[Old Man with Gun]

I think I'm starting to lean Single Action instead of double, that surprises me. I do like the recoil better on a single action, and I cock the double actions almost always at the range anyway. Hmmm,............

 

[stanley_white]

I think I'm starting to lean Single Action instead of double, that surprises me. I do like the recoil better on a single action, and I cock the double actions almost always at the range anyway. Hmmm,............

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-Stan

 

[TravisLH]

460 smith and Wesson. Can also shoot 454 casull I believe

Same if you want big bore and options it’s hard to beat the 460

 

[ToddM]

Revolvers are just awesome. I can shoot up to .44mag very well. Actually haven’t shot anything bigger. The revolver that hurt the most to shoot was a titanium snub .357, with full house loads the recoil would pull bullets out of the cases and lock it up. As for feel, put your hand in the door jamb of your truck and slam it shut.

Yep if you think the .357 is bad, the 329PD 44 mag is even worse, its' the most painful handgun I've fired bar none, 500 S&W I had was a pussy cat compared to it. It's all about the weight. With 44 special loads it was not bad, but with the rubber grips and full house 44 mags I've had more than one "tough guy" literally rip the skin off their thumb/palm in less than 6 rounds. Wood grips or shooting gloves were key to firing significant rounds in range session. It was another one that if the bullets were not really crimped well, by the time you got to round 3-4 you'd be dislodging the bullets on the ones left and locking up the cylinder.

That said I think of the big boys the .460 is one of the best options from a cartridge performance standpoint.

 

[diggler1833]

Well said Diggler

Hand cannons have a purpose.
Become good with them with reduced loads.

Im 5’8” and while fat for me at 170, a small guy.

I can shoot a 44 fine, but really love it in a mellow 44 special and a couple cylinders of full power loads occasionally.
Same with a light .357

That said, when I got turned on to the .475 for a serious big bear country gun, my friend in AK shot and hit pieces of busted clays at 35 yds with his.
Decades of revolver practice and skill makes it easy for him.


All said, I have a G20 and 200 gr cast for my bear country gun these days.

+1

I have [14] .357s (it's an addiction), and [6] .44 mags. I still have either 240gr or 158gr hard cast bullets loaded to book max to shoot in either...but I bet 90% of the rounds I put through them are either Specials or reduced magnums that are loaded to about 500lb/ft. They still make a good smack on steel, and I'm not somehow drifting low/left by the time I finish a box of ammo.

 

[W54/XM-388]

I'd still say a medium barrel .44 magnum that has a heavy stout frame and barrel is a great all around pick.
You can easily find ammo for it.
You can get from light loads to really hard hitting hunting rounds for it.
The recoil isn't too much to where you won't enjoy shooting it a lot.

Now if you are looking for a "manly" range toy to impress others YMMV

 

[Mike Casselton]

Don't overthink it, Python 44 mag. Classic and classy.

Are you positive about that Python in 44 Magnum?
Python in a 357 cartridge, sure.

Maybe you're thinking Anaconda.

 

[FieldGaugeFailure]

Maybe you're thinking Anaconda.

Too slow. Someone already beat you to it.

You mean Anaconda?

 

[diggler1833]

Too slow. Someone already beat you to it.

In his defense, he probably had me on ignore...I don't blame him .

 

[Mike Casselton]

Too slow. Someone already beat you to it.

Yep, I noticed that after I kept reading.
Think of it this way:
We just wanted to make sure you knew you were wrong.

 

[Mike Casselton]

In his defense, he probably had me on ignore...I don't blame him .

I don't even have Maggot or the DiscounterofDeath on ignore.

 

[FieldGaugeFailure]

Yep, I noticed that after I kept reading.
Think of it this way:
We just wanted to make sure you knew you were wrong.

 

[cornhusker86]

I have a Super Redhawk in 480. Loaded with 400 gr hard cast bullets it's no slouch. I find the combination is very manageable though.

 

[sparky702]

I now officially hate this thread . After mouthing off about my raging bull 480 and ammo availability , somebody suggesting maybe a 10mm would be good . I have been all over the internet looking at 10 mm pistol's . Sooner or later It's gonna cost me money .

 

[Old Man with Gun]

I now officially hate this thread . After mouthing off about my raging bull 480 and ammo availability , somebody suggesting maybe a 10mm would be good . I have been all over the internet looking at 10 mm pistol's . Sooner or later It's gonna cost me money .

I think Glock made too many gen 4 long slides, because they are common to find a good deal on. Mine after I put a dot and KKM barrel and comp on it.
180gr at 1,400fps, 800 ft-lbs, fast, flat shooter!