Ruger Redhawk

[Dusty44]

It has become time to buy a Ruger Redhawk in 44 Remington Mag  and I cannot find one.  What is this?  My primary gunshop drew a blank looking for one with a 4" barrel,  then CTD,  and I have not heard back from Cabella's.  A year ago the display cases were full of these.  Now,  nothing??

The purpose for this revolver is for backup in hunting.  It would be too easy to talk about angry or wounded prairie dogs or squirrels so I will not do that.  The game in question is Feral Pigs by any of the many common names given them.

I am interested in a Redhawk because the grips fit my hands. The Super Redhawk grip is just large enough that I have trouble reaching the trigger.  I would note that I do not like the Ruger revolver triggers because they are too rounded and feel like my finger is always trying to slip off. 

The ammo will be handloads borrowed from my lever gun,  a Marlin 1894.  The bullets I am using are 300 grain Cast Performance bullets (WFNGC) with powder loaded to whatever gives maximum accuracy in the lever gun.  I am still working on that.  I have a load for IMR 4227 and am now trying H-110 to see if the groups will pull in.  I also shoot some Remington 240 grain JSP.  The groups for this are noticeably larger than the lead bullets.  A new scope on the lever gun--  sorry,  to the purists.  My old eyes demand a scope--  eliminated the fliers and greatly improved the groups with both bullets.

This relatively hot ammo would seem to demand a strong gun.  I am looking at the Ruger Redhawk mostly for its strength.  Any information or ideas would be appreciated.  My primary source of ideas and information currently is the articles published about the Ruger 44 Mag on RealGuns.com. 

I have seen some S&W 44's in the display cases at the gun shops  and have also seen comments in some forums that make me wonder if the S&W will stand up to the ammo I want to shoot?

[survivalshop]

I have been hunting with a 44 mag & hand loading for it ,for over twenty years and one thing I can tell you is the loads for your lever gun may not work in your Revolver . I would check loading data & compare the two differant firearms.

I stopped loading lead bullets for Revolvers about the same time I started loading for them . The Jacketed bullets can just deliver more energy & velocity down range . Take it from me & I have put down a lot of animals with the 44mag. ,lead works but today's jacketed bullets out perform them by leaps & bounds.

I presently have a Colt Anaconda with a 4x32 scope on her & she will print a group two inch's off a rest @ 100yrds with 240 gr. Honady XTP bullets.

I have loaded every thing from 200 gr. -300 gr. jacketed  to 250 gr. lead & the jacketed bullets just flat out perform the lead in all the 44mags I have owned .

I have used the older type of Blue Dot (I still have a couple of pounds of the org. Herculie's brand ) but I have settled on 2400 with 6" - 8" bbls.. If you have a shorter bbl. the slow burning 2400 may not be the best .

I use 17 grs of 2400 with the XTP bullet & very comfortable to shoot.

H110 , I have heard good things about ,but have never tried it .

Now where did all the org. Red Hawks go ,I would check a gun shows. I have owned a couple of them & sold them because I could not get good accuracy from any of them . Not sure about the new ones , never had a Super .

[imschur]

I have one. Its the only gun thats recoil is enough to bother me.

[Dusty44]

Thank both of you for your thoughts.  I will keep all of this in mind as this project progresses.  Before I can try to see how ammo does in the revolver,  I have to find one!

[SWshooter]

I have been hearing about how those S&W's won't hold up for years, but I have never heard from anyone who has actually shot one loose. I prefer the Smith, it is lighter and has a better trigger. The new ones have a couple upgrades to make them even better. I shoot the Hornady 265 gr flat nose, made for the 444 Marlin, with a full load of H-110. Shoot in both my pistol and a Ruger 44 Deerstalker carbine, does 1630 fps out of the carbine and 1400 fps out of the 4" Smith. Drops deer like the hammer of Thor, if you hit them at all well.

[Dusty44]

Friday night.  SWshooter,  you are a bad influence :).  See what you kicked me off the fence to do!

Here in the Republic Of Tejas the normal waiting period when buying a gun is however long it takes the FBI (or whoever that is on the other end of the phone) to answer and add the length of time required for the cash register to clear.  This time it was two or three days,  depending on how you count.  I bought my new S&W 4 inch 44 Mag on Wednesday and the mailman delivered it to the gunshop about noon;  I picked it up this evening just before the shop closed. 

Now I need a holster.  I bought one,  "Hunter" brand leather,  for my 6 inch S&W 'L' frame 357 a few weeks ago and last night I modified it with a gusset to fit properly around the trigger guard so the barrel would fit properly to the bottom instead of the gun hanging halfway out.  I expect to buy another similar holster (for a 4" barrel of course!) for this new revolver.  These holsters will not get a lot of use so a low-price product will serve fine.  Maybe the holster will fit a new production gun,  maybe it will need work?  I have given some thought to finding an "Indiana Jones" British Webley military holster?  Mainly I am thinking maybe the cover flap would be good for dust,  dirt,  water protection?  What do you think?

[SWshooter]

Flap holsters are good for keeping a handgun clean and dry. I prefer a shoulder holster worn under the jacket to protect the gun. Most of our big game hunting is in the worst winter weather however. For discreet carry I prefer an inside the waistband holster. Alessi leather, near Buffalo NY, make a good holster for the N frames. Any Safariland holster I've ever had have been good too. A couple custom makers use horse hide for their holsters and it is the best, it doesn't absorb sweat and get damp. If you have friends that carry ask if you can wear their rig for a while, you will save alot on leather that way. It usually takes me about three tries to find a holster I like. A WARNING too, buying S&W's can become an expensive habit, and ruin you for any other brand of revolver. A 240 gr Keith style cast bullet and 9-10 grs of Unique make a great practice load for your 4" gun.

[Dusty44]

I picked up a 200 bullet box of "lead SWC 240 gr"  bullets from MidwayUSA.  They turned out to be Hornady.  These are smooth cylinders with the SWC tapered nose.  The body looks like they were stippled and there is a crust of a clear something that the Hornady website says is lube. 

I loaded 25 rounds of 8 gr Unique (antique? My scratched note on the container is 11/10/85)  with a CCI LP primer.  The COL is a nominal 1.610 (1.602 to 1.618.  Die adjustment seemed flaky and I just had to keep fiddling with it a little.).  This is intended as an equivalent to a 44 Special load for first experience with this gun.

Here is "The Devil Made Me Do It!!" 

I was reading in other forums about Black Powder.  I have had unreasonable ignition problems with the BP substitutes in my Hawken percussion.  The #209 primer in the in-line is another world.  I am trying to find what other folk are doing about BP ignition when using #11 caps and if my problem seems to be just me?  Anyway,  I came across mention of using Triple Seven in the 44 Magnum.  The rule is:  ANY black Powder (or BP equivalent powder) load MUST NOT have ANY air space between the powder and the projectile. (Emphasis for benefit of casual readers not familiar with BP.)  Special rule for Triple Seven attributed to Hodgdon by the individual making the post that Triple Seven does better if not compressed;  therefore the projectile should 'just touch' the powder.  I will not tell what my load is,  but I think it is 'hot.'  I think it will feel just like a hot magnum smokeless max load based on the commentary in that BP forum.  When I got done the COL measures at 1.600 plus or minus 0.003.  I loaded 12 rounds for the experiment and experience.  I think I will coat the front of the bullets with a lump of Bore Butter (much like the Crisco and the Dragoon) when I get ready to shoot,  too.  Smokeless lube apparently does not do well with black powder?

A flap holster will probably be best for me.  I am digesting your post (SWshooter);  I have given some thought to the "Sportsmans Guide" bandoleer holster to keep the revolver safe,  clean,  out of the way and maybe easier carry?

I am still thinking about a carry permit  but have no intention of actually doing CCW unless the whole world turns into chaos.  I want this 44 mag only for backup pig hunting.  My primary weapon will be one of my 308 Win bolt guns and if I can shoot from a blind maybe the LR-308. 

I understand your thought about S&W addiction.  It was too easy to get pushed off the fence and buy this N frame because of the pretty S&W L frame 357 6" that is almost my first love!

It has been raining here everyday for more than a week and forecast for more than a week ahead.  I am not up to shooting in the heat with scuba gear so I can breathe and with a bag of ice on each shoulder to keep from melting.  Time enough when the humidity drops a little.  I can handle 102 degrees if the humidity is below 50 percent.

[SWshooter]

The original 45 Colt load was 40 grs of FFFg and a 246 grain bulllet, about 900-950 fps. This is not a load to sneeze at. It was the most potent handgun load up to the 357 mag came along. Triple seven is nice stuff, I use it in my 50 cal traditional rifle.

[Dusty44]

Mostly for SWshooter:  A second opinion came by yesterday that strongly agrees with your shoulder holster for the N frame.  That is what I will do when I have a little money again.  This third party also said someone he knows has modified the shoulder holster rig to also carry a hunting knife.  Same benefits as having the pistol tucked there.

[imschur]

The holster I used for my scoped Redhawk was considered a shoulder holster. However it mostly was across my chest as a large gun like that doesnt fit well under the arm imo.

[survivalshop]

I use the Uncle Mikes bandoleer type holster with the flap ( flap can be removed if you want ) for my scoped Anaconda & it works quite well keeping the elements out .

I spent almost an entire day in the rain last year & the holster kept the scope & revolver nice & dry.

I hunt in Ohio ,so it can go from nice to  wet & cold to snow & colder in the same day .

[SWshooter]

I've also found that a scoped handgun is too awkward to carry under a coat. The bandolier type seem to work best for a scoped gun. I usually carry a revolver as a backup to a rifle, so the shoulder holster works best for me. I also don't like leaving a handgun in my vehicle during hunting season, some people key on hunters and like to break into their vehicles. I prefer to carry my handgun on my person at all times. Even in the woods it can be handy to have a weapon that isn't visible to the casual observer, and not easily separated from your body if you take a fall or slide down a steep slope. It can even be handy if your caught with your pants down and that big buck shows up!

    As for slings, I'm becoming partial to the two point assault sling for woods use. It looks a little odd, but is very comfortable and handy. It allows you to carry the rifle at port arms with the weight of the gun on your shoulder, and transition instantly to strong side off-hand, then you can slide the rifle behind your back and have both hands available for climbing and the muzzle is down so it doesn't catch on limbs and brush. However you may have to reposition the front or rear sling swivel to use one.

[Dusty44]

.

Shooting the new revolver:  I took it to the range today.  First I fired the 44 Special grade loads I had loaded.  That was very nice.  Then I fired some factory 180 grain I had from the day I bought my Marlin  (see post under "Optics,"  "Cheap Scope") and some factory 240 gr JSP.  The recoil gets serious.  Next time I will shoot some of my carbine 300 gr loads for the experience and to see what happens?

The word I came across says that when using a revolver to hunt that is loaded with the very heavy bullets and ultra-slow burning powder you get one-stop-shopping.  That is,  a clean kill and instant BBQ??

OK,  time to experiment.  Did the black powder loads:  dipped the noses in Bore Butter for whatever good that might be,  slipped them into the cylinder and . . .  sure was a lot of smoke.  Classic movies stuff.  Recoil was about midway between the 44 Special equivalent rounds and the factory ammo.

For casual readers:  While a black powder load worked for me,  it is too potent for anything but a strong late-model recent-production 44 Rem Magnum pistol.  Even then,  it may generate more pressure than you gun can handle.  Some of these powders are very touchy and will not tolerate being squeezed too tightly or let be too loose.  Consider that while my experiment worked,  maybe I was just very lucky?  I do not intend to make any more of these loads.  Finally,  cleaning a gun that has fired black powder or one of the subs is a nightmare in and of itself.  Or,  enjoy reading about it but do not try it at home!!

This revolver came with very nice micrometer adjustable sights.  The front blade has a white square shaped dot in it and the rear sight notch is outlined in white.  For me,  at the range,  the white outline vanishes in real shooting.  All I can see is the silhouette against the daylight glare beyond the shadow of the cover above the firing line.  The white square on the front sight blends with the glare and at first I found myself leveling the top of the black silhouetted blade with the tops of the rear sight notch.  Once I realized there was a white dot out there above the visible black part I was able to pick out the slightly different glow of the front dot and try to put that where I wanted it on the target.  The question is,  where do I want to put it?  I am familiar and comfortable with the M1911 (I have two with significantly different sights and do well with either) and have never had a problem with the sights on the S&W 'L' frame but this gun does not seem to follow the same rules.  Windage was easy;  elevation is not going well.  Maybe a bright color dot on the front blade? (if that can be done?) I can tell I am going to have to read the instructions.  (GASP!!!!!!)

[imschur]

<laughs>

[SWshooter]

For serious paper punching a black Patridge sight up front and a black square notch blade for the rear is de rigeuer. A lot of people prefer the same for hunting. I have found that, for me anyway, the all black sights can disappear against a dark target. Tough to see when the light is fading or hunting at night with a light. I'm using a Baughman ramp with flourescent orange insert up front and a white outline rear. This is the best all around sight I have used so far, though I would like to try a fiber optic set for hunting. I use a fiber optic set on a Glock for IDPA and like it very much.

[survivalshop]

I agree, the orange insert in the front & white out line is a good general sight combo .

I would like to try the fiber optics also , would be great for hunting with iron sights.

[Dusty44]

I have been out of the loop for a few weeks.  The last week of July,  a Sunday night,  started off with a belly ache that became an Emergency Appendectomy about 2 AM on that Wednesday morning.  Another untoward possibility crossed off the list?  I only wonder how many more there are that I do not know about or have not considered?

I made a post about the white square insert on the front blade/ramp of my new S&W.  That is not true but is a distinction without a real difference.  The insert is orange.  At the shooting range with bright sunlight on the gun and sunglass shooting glasses,  the little orange square is a white glow that is barely discernable against the glare.

While I was out you have answered my next question about better sights.  Thank you for all the new posts to this thread.  As soon as I am mobile again,  maybe near the end of this month or into September I will have a red fiber-optic front sight blade installed.  That will put,  hopefully,  a red dot inside the black square notch of the rear sight.  The rear blade notch is outlined in white but in practice on the range in those lighting conditions the white line is lost.

I think I will align the sights so that the red dot,  when in that square notch,  covers the intended point of impact at 25 yards.  Please give me your opinions?  This is not my own idea,  mostly it came from an article in "G&A Handguns" for Oct/Nov 2010.

[imschur]

Glad it all worked out for you. I had an intermittent leaker, took a year to diagnose. It was awful. I would feel like I was going to die and three hours later it was fine. Finally in the end the symptoms went classic as it exploded for good. My back hurt more than my stomach.

[Dusty44]

Problems that were most likely related to this event have been happening for several years.  I was lucky that it got taken care of before the thing burst.  My primary doctor was getting ready to do an MRI in the near future to check it out;  push just came to shove before we came around to that.

[SWshooter]

sometimes those red inserts have a smooth shiny surface that can be improved by sand paper. Us lightly just enough to take the shine off.