Light weight .44mags

[MidRoad]

Just inquiring about the light weight 44 mags. Like the taurus trackers and Smith model 69. Not scanduim super light weight kind. They seem like they would be a handy side arm for hunting.Any do and don't? Recommendations? Things to avoid. Don't really know much about the big bores,and hot loads. Seen a few for sale locally. Could pick up a tracker for under 400 bucks. Just not sure how they hold up. Don't reload so would only shoot what's available commercially. thanks.

And yea I know I inquire about different guns and don't end up buying them. But I learn alot from asking you guys,and appreciate it.

 

[The Evangelist Cowboy]

Both will work fine for the intended purpose if you buy a bigbore revolver reloading is almost necessary to avoid being bent over by retail store prices on good hunting loads in either .44 or .45 caliber cartridges, though there are some online stores that sell semi reasonable prices like Georgia arms. Both I would treat as .44 spl revolvers with occasional magnum capability. They will both eat an "unlimited"amount of specials. Do not go crazy on 300 plus grain slugs 240-255 gr work well for most game in the lower 48 and possibly even the kodiaks. I'd buy either one but I'd lean towards the tracker with the already built in porting . Hope I was of at least some help.

 

[MidRoad]

Both will work fine for the intended purpose if you buy a bigbore revolver reloading is almost necessary to avoid being bent over by retail store prices on good hunting loads in either .44 or .45 caliber cartridges, though there are some online stores that sell semi reasonable prices like Georgia arms. Both I would treat as .44 spl revolvers with occasional magnum capability. They will both eat an "unlimited"amount of specials. Do not go crazy on 300 plus grain slugs 240-255 gr work well for most game in the lower 48 and possibly even the kodiaks. I'd buy either one but I'd lean towards the tracker with the already built in porting . Hope I was of at least some help.

Makes sense. Practice with the specials,but carry normal magnums in the woods. That's what I do with my sp101. Practice with .38's mainly,shoot some .357 to know where they hit and how they feel,and carry it with .357s

 

[If1HitU]

I have the S&W 69,never fired any magnum rounds in it, just some 240 gr.specials.I have a hard time finding anything less then 240 gr. at my LGS or walmart . I only shot it in a indoor range a couple times.

 

[The Evangelist Cowboy]

I have the S&W 69,never fired any magnum rounds in it, just some 240 gr.specials.I have a hard time finding anything less then 240 gr. at my LGS or walmart . I only shot it in a indoor range a couple times.

Don't know if your here in the south but there is a load by remington 180 gr soft points , they are hitting over 1500 fps from a 3.75 inch ruger barrel. They will kill anything you need it to down here. Shouldve mentioned that the load is found in alot of places but here academy sports is a Godsend.

 

[MidRoad]

Don't know if your here in the south but there is a load by remington 180 gr soft points , they are hitting over 1500 fps from a 3.75 inch ruger barrel. They will kill anything you need it to down here. Shouldve mentioned that the load is found in alot of places but here academy sports is a Godsend.

Nope, up in NY about 3-4 hours north of the big crapple. Never heard of academy befero I joined this forum . Deer up here are 150-180lbs for mature does and up t 250 for a nice buck. But wouldn't hesitate to shoot them with my gp100. So a 44 is a hammer compared to that.

 

[The Evangelist Cowboy]

Here our deer aint crazy big either , I hunt primarily with slugs and buckshot, also hunted pronghorns in west Texas with a .270, if your in upstate new York do y'all get any elk or moose?

 

[Charliefrank]

My trail gun is a full size N frame model 29. It's not all that pleasant to shoot with full throttle magnums. I carry it with what would be considered a hot 44 special. Pleasant to shoot, accurate and still enough power to take white tails at moderate ranges. I can't imagine a lightweight frame with full magnums would be any fun

 

[MidRoad]

Here our deer aint crazy big either , I hunt primarily with slugs and buckshot, also hunted pronghorns in west Texas with a .270, if your in upstate new York do y'all get any elk or moose?

No elk. There are some moose,estimated 800-1000 of them. Can't hunt them though. Most of the moose are up in the Adirondack park. But there some around here mainly in the higher elevations towards the Eastern boarders of mass and vermont., Where I grew up,but they seem to start appearing there about 20 years ago when I was a kid.

 

[The Evangelist Cowboy]

View attachment 769205 My trail gun is a full size N frame model 29. It's not all that pleasant to shoot with full throttle magnums. I carry it with what would be considered a hot 44 special. Pleasant to shoot, accurate and still enough power to take white tails at moderate ranges. I can't imagine a lightweight frame with full magnums would be any fun

I love putting in mags through my n frames. Even funner in a bisley gripped single action ala ruger or magnum research.

 

[Charliefrank]

I tend to put my magnums through my 8 3/8" model 29 or my old model super Blackhawk with 7 1/2" barrel

 

[The Evangelist Cowboy]

No elk. There are some moose,estimated 800-1000 of them. Can't hunt them though. Most of the moose are up in the Adirondack park. But there some around here mainly in the higher elevations towards the Eastern boarders of mass and vermont., Where I grew up,but they seem to start appearing there about 20 years ago when I was a kid.

Thatd be a great hunt and in a 6 inch plus barrel with a .44 or .45 I'd love to take that shot

 

[jamesjames]

I have a Smith model 69 and a Smith model 629 Trailboss (3 inch bbl ). Shot side by side, the model 69 handles recoil better than the 629. I can't explain it. Maybe its a balance thing. Maybe it transfers more recoil impulse into muzzle flip instead of straight back into the web of the hand. The Model 69 handles magnum loads better for me.

I've owned a Smith 329 in the past and fed it Buffalo Bore reduced recoil 44 magnums. I would recommend the Buff Bore RRs for the m69 too.

 

[If1HitU]

I also have a Redhawk .44 Magnum..Here's both of mine.

 

[MidRoad]

I also have a Redhawk .44 Magnum..Here's both of mine.

How does the Redhawk compare size /weight Wise side by side with the 69?

 

[The Evangelist Cowboy]

How does the Redhawk compare size /weight Wise side by side with the 69?

Uhhh put it this way, you got an all wheel drive vehicle, great daily driver and can handle some offroading , the redhawk is 4x4 and made for the trail. The thing is a tank.

 

[The Evangelist Cowboy]

I have a Smith model 69 and a Smith model 629 Trailboss (3 inch bbl ). Shot side by side, the model 69 handles recoil better than the 629. I can't explain it. Maybe its a balance thing. Maybe it transfers more recoil impulse into muzzle flip instead of straight back into the web of the hand. The Model 69 handles magnum loads better for me.

I've owned a Smith 329 in the past and fed it Buffalo Bore reduced recoil 44 magnums. I would recommend the Buff Bore RRs for the m69 too.

Ive used hsm and got good results on deer and pigs they also sell by the 50 as well as opposed to bb.

 

[cfullgraf]

I load 240 SWC at 950-1000 fps in magnum cases for my Model 69. Shoots well and enough power for my needs. I also use these loads in my S&W 629. Hotter than 44 Special loads but not near 44 Magnum maximums.

If I want wrist snapping recoil, I drag out my 460XVR.

 

[paul105]

Don’t have any personal experience with Taurus. Those that have good ones like them. Those that have problems don’t seem to have good luck with their customer service.

I do have a fair amount of experience with S&W and their customer service. If you have a problem, they will fix it at no expense to you.

Acquired my first M69 right after they came out (early 2014). More recently acquired the newly introduced a 2 ¾” M69. All three guns are equipped with the Hogue S&W 500 X Frame grips. I Have shot these guns quite a bit with .44 Mag equiv power level loads. My impression is that the recoil of the M69 is less than that of equivalent length N Frames. Brian Pearce made the same observation and attributed it to the lower bore to grip axis of the M69.

Over the last 45 + years, I’ve had a number of .44 Mags varying in size and weight from a 7 ½” Super Redhawk to a 4” S&W M329. The M329 was my all day everyday carry gun for the better part of a decade. The 4 ¼” M69 has replaced the M329 as my go to 44 Mag.

For me the L Frame is the perfect sized handgun platform and for my use the .44 Magnum is the perfect handgun caliber. If I could have only one handgun, it would be a 4 ¼” M69. Everyone is different, so, as they say, your mileage may vary.

FWIW,

Paul

 

[Jim NE]

Don't know what the OP's intended use is, but I have a couple of smaller .44 Specials that have potential as an alternative to a lightweight .44 mag.

One is a Taurus 445 (no longer made) and one is a Rossi M720 (no longer made.) Both are pretty much fine guns that were very affordable. I mention them instead of the CA stuff because there is some hot .44 Special ammo out there that the CA can't handle on a regular basis (according to the ammo maker.) These two guns certainly wouldn't be ideal grizzly protection, but they might do generally ok on black bear or cougar for defensive purposes. (With the correct ammo, of course.)

Rossi has also marketed a smaller .44 magnum through some retailers in the not so distant past, but I've heard some..."iffy" things about them. And if I were going to buy a .44 magnum, I kind of think I'd go with the Smith 69 over the Taurus Tracker. I'm a Taurus fan (among many other things) and look at lots of reviews of their products, as I know Taurus does some of their designs very well and others...well, maybe not so much. The Tracker may be great, but some folks seem to have a few issues. The S&W 689 has it's detractors, too, but most of the things I read are about fit rather than performance.

 

[jnichols2]

I shot a Taurus Tracker once. I rented it to see if this 70 year old guy could handle a .44 Magnum. I didn't fire any .44 Specials through it.
It wouldn't fire Double Action, only Single Action, but it was a rental. I didn't like the grips, they felt squishy in my hands.
I will admit, the ported barrel did tame the recoil somewhat. But hey, the recoil is part of the fun.

After I had my Ruger Redhawk for a while, I realized that .44 Magnum kind of beats a gun up.
The Taurus just didn't feel like it was made to take that beating. Maybe that's why it's $400.

I own both the Ruger Redhawk and a S&W 29. The Ruger definitely seems beefier, but the S&W seems to also handle the rounds well.
Folks have said the Ruger is over built. I expect it will be around longer than me.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Could pick up a tracker for under 400 bucks.

There's a reason for that.

I'd buy a 629 or a Redhawk personally. If you aren't concealing, there's no real reason not to get a full size gun.

 

[Cycletroll]

I have a 69 as my lightweight powerhouse trail gun. I've had a couple 629 Mtn. guns as well. Totally prefer the 69. It handles better, is lighter, and is far more accurate than either of the 629 Mtn. Guns I had.
Out of the 69 a 240gr XTP @ 1350 is a nice solid load. I've shot 300 and 320 gr WFN hardcast as well.
Just a great overall revolver. It would be the last revolver I would ever sell.


BTW, I've had a 4" Redhawks in .44 as well. Heck for stout but not as refined and kinda chunky.

 

[mnrivrat]

My Taurus Tracker has been one of my favorite revolvers. I would not hesitate to buy another. Accurate and reliable . I have kept the .44 magnum loads to 240 grain slugs at factory loading specs. I have shot mostly .44 Special but have no trouble with moderate magnum loadings. If you want to shoot heavy and hot loads, get a large frame gun. Just because that would make sense.

PS: My brother bought a S&W 69. One trip to the range and back to S&W for repair. They replaced the cylinder, trigger, hammer . When it was returned it has worked fine ever since, but shows that any new gun purchase from any company can be a gamble.

 

[98Redline]

For a hunting revolver it is really hard to beat a Ruger Super Blackhawk, even better in the Bisley Hunter configuration.
Yes it is a 7 1/2" barrel but the heavier gun and bisley grip will help control the the recoil of even the hottest, fire breathing 44 mag loads. Put it in a decent shoulder holster and you can walk around all day and not notice the weight of the gun.
That said, I use mine as my primary hunting firearm, so I am not carrying a rifle as well. With a little practice, 70 yard shots are doable, and with a decent rest, 100 yards is inside the kill zone.

If a backup to your rifle is the order of the day, I really don't think you can go wrong with a Redhawk. It is another big heavy revolver, even in a 4" configuration, but weight = less recoil and will be a bit easier to control for a followup shot. It is built like a tank and you will spend the rest of your life trying to wear that gun out.
The light and medium framed 44mags are decent guns if you aren't planning on shooting it that much, or are very weight conscious however that lower weight comes with a penalty. You mentioned in one of your posts that you have an SP-101. You know what that gun feels like when you shoot a full throttle .357 out of it? A full throttle .44 mag from a medium or light frame 44 mag will feel worse than that.