Taurus Judge 3" Chamber: Practical? Reliable?

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Huntolive

Huntolive

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Considering Judge w/ 3" chamber. Mostly for trail gun and self defense against black bear/snakes and bad humans. Potential CCary.
Seems like a good value at $400 new.
At least a fun toy. But, can it ward off an angry bear, or put a large man down quick w/ either 3" 410 buck shot or 45 LC?

What problems should I anticipate?
Advice on concealed carry at that size?
Experience with it? Best rounds? Thumbs up? Down?

I may also be getting Super Redhawk in 454/45LC, so 45LC ammo would be compatable.
Can the Judge handle hot 45LC loads?
I am also up in the air about 454 SRH versus potential purchase of 44MAG SRH? Mostly intended for deer hunting and occasional black bear/hogs?

Thanks!
 
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welcome to THR, Huntolive
it's a gun forum, and we all have opinions about most everything that mostly goes bang

"Advice on concealed carry at that size?"
maybe if you consider a Redhawk an EDC gun, otherwise 'tis a tad bulky

"Can the Judge handle hot 45LC loads?"
depends on how brave you are, mostly
a SRH it ain't (amongst the many others it ain't)

"can it ward off an angry bear, or put a large man down quick w/ either 3" 410 buck shot or 45 LC?"
45 LC will put down pretty much anything, if you hit it in just the right places
410 buckshot is best used on watermelons and pumpkins
410 buckshot best not used on sleeping brer bear or brer boar, big or small, not unless you have a SRH in your other hand

"454 SRH versus potential purchase of 44MAG SRH? Mostly intended for deer hunting and occasional black bear/hogs?"
inclined to think there never was yet a bambi or blackie or mr. piggie that would shrug off a 44 mag, but fall over dead at the noise of a 454, but depends on how big your pig, I suppose

"Experience with it?"
nope,but I know a guy who knows a guy who said on some other gun forum...
(lost the link though, dagnabbit.. try the search function here, but it may take a while to sort through all the hits)

PS
I dunno, but I been told, a SRH 44 mag throws 44 special lead well, along with 44 mag lead, at your option, could be a whole lot of fun
and a shot shell out of any 40-something will do better on a rabid snake than so few pellets of buckshot will
(but then so will a garden hoe)

good luck and best wishes
 
Dad owns a Judge. I've shot a lot of different ammo thru it and did a lot of patterning. I've found its effective range to be about 20 feet or accross the room. Lots of new more effective ammo such as the new PDX, a mixture buck and shot.

I think it would be devestating and painful for a perp to take a frontal shot, but, that doesn't mean it would be effective. I wouldn't even try it on an angry animal. I'd stay with a good centerfire, but I do believe these 410 handguns are better than pepper spray.
 
The 45/.410 Judge shot load will definately discourage a wimpy cowardly bear. But unfortunately will NOT discourage a determined Black bear intent on chewing up your butt. If you are serious about Black Bears with an intent, get a .44 Rem Mag or .45Colt with 255 grain bullet at 1000 fps. A 12 gauge slug load is maybe better. More lead is better. Sometimes you can scare away a charging Black bear sow with a loud bell, sometimes it requries 500 grains of hot lead.
 
The 45/.410 Judge shot load will definately discourage a wimpy cowardly bear. But unfortunately will NOT discourage a determined Black bear intent on chewing up your butt. If you are serious about Black Bears with an intent, get a .44 Rem Mag or .45Colt with 255 grain bullet at 1000 fps. A 12 gauge slug load is maybe better. More lead is better. Sometimes you can scare away a charging Black bear sow with a loud bell, sometimes it requries 500 grains of hot lead.
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These bear threads crack me up. I've seen bear in the wild, hiked many a mile in bear country and never had one try to "eat me up". They are like big racoons. They can hurt ya, but there's little likelihood of that unless they're rabid. I don't think bears tend to rabies, haven't heard of it, anyway.

I'm NO fan of the Judge, not easy to carry, can carry my Blackhawk .45 Colt stainless 4 5/8" with a 300 grain hot handload a lot easier. Normally, I go into bear woods with a .38 or .357, though. They ain't armor plate, don't take a cannon, and I'm more likely to get struck by lightening or even win the megamillions lotto than get attacked by a 300 lb black bear. I know there have been those that won the megamillions, but I've had statistics and I don't waste a dollar on lotto tickets. :rolleyes: My mathematician wife has had probabilities, knows all that calculus stuff, scary, and she assures me I am wasting my dollar on a lotto ticket. I think I'm wasting weight on a back pack trip with a judge, too, let alone taking a REAL shotgun. :rolleyes: My little 3" Rossi 5 shot .38 vintage 1981 is a neat gun for back packing and if I ever DID have to shoot a bear, not just fire a shot to run it off, a 158 SWC at over 900 fps would penetrate and at least slow it down for a second shot. I read about a brown bear attack in Alaska being stopped by 9x19 high caps from two guys. I also read about an inland griz stopped by a .45ACP in Denali Park, though there was some argument over whether it was a faux charge or a real attack. Black bear are not Alaskan griz, though, and I walk in nature with FAR more assurance that I'm completely safe even unarmed than I do in downtown Corpus Christi. I don't even worry about snakes if I'm wearing my snake boots in snake country. I have no use for a Judge, put it that way, and don't want one.

Now, for black bear HUNTING, I'd take one of my deer rifles, a Hawken rifle, or perhaps my Hoyt compound bow.
 
but I do believe these 410 handguns are better than pepper spray.
Click to expand...
I'll take a 44 Redhawk over a can of hot sauce any day. I used to pack that stuff on my glacier hikes until I fired that crap (test it out), and the wind shifted........:barf::barf::barf:. Don't get me wrong, it's great on tacos.;)
 
If you carry that thing concealed get ready for " Is That A Banana In Your Pocket Or Are You Just Happy To See Me ? " jokes.....:)
 
Exactly.

Unless you consider the mouse fart Cowboy Action loads now so prevalent standard loads!

I had one bounce off a railroad tie target stop and tear the heel off my boot a few years ago.
Higher up it would have hurt me bad.

My old 8.5 Unique / 250 SWC standard pressure handload has never bounced off anything!

rc
 
I used to own two Judges, now one, that only gets used when I loan it to friends who are curious about maybe acquiring one.

It's shotshell performance is fine for snakes, but so is a .38 CCI shotload. It's accuracy with .45 Colt is marginal. Beyond that, it's an over-hyped but shrewdly-marketed novelty well suited to nothing save the short-lived "gee-whiz" factor. Just my opinion... YMMV.
 
don't know if it helps but I have a s&w governor. I love it and carry it some. I have shot everything in it. It is more money and hard to find but I love it. Bout sold it but once I got it out to sell it I fell for it again. I have a uncle mikes no 16. I use it for the gov a s&w 44 mag an colt 45 defender 357 mag. Oh and the governor holds six rds.
 
Any Love for the Judge?

So far it seems, most of you think the Judge is a joke.
It would seem that at close range for personal defense in a house or on the street within the 10 feet, where most violent altercations occur, that 5 balls of 410 buchshot, or even #4 shot from a 3 " shell, or 45LC would be devastating.
But not enough for a blackbear?
Of coursse if it got w/i 10 feet alive, it would probably land on top of you, dead or alive, quite unpleasantly.
Anything worthy about the Judge 3" chambered cababilities?
 
I'll take a 44 Redhawk over a can of hot sauce any day. I used to pack that stuff on my glacier hikes until I fired that crap (test it out), and the wind shifted......... Don't get me wrong, it's great on tacos.
Click to expand...

Actually, pepper spray is quite effective. Like you, though, I worry, though, about wind direction. I tested a can on my back porch once that blew back on me. MAN, I did NOT get off to that experience. It would deter an animal, but it might interfere with my ability to place a shot if needed. That said, I'd try ANYTHING to avoid having to shoot an animal and risk prison time for it. You'd be treated better in court over killing a man, trust me. Been there, done that, with a dog. Though it was dismissed, was self defense, it cost me quite a bit for legal fees and a night in lock up and it didn't even make it to trial. It was on MY property and was an obvious case of self defense.

Yeah, avoid shooting if at ALL possible. Animals have more rights than humans, even in Texas.
 
So far it seems, most of you think the Judge is a joke.
Click to expand...

Howdy

Add me to the list. Dumbest excuse for a revolver I have ever seen. And the rifle version too. Same goes for the thing that S&W is making. I guess they just had to jump on the bandwagon because the thing is so popular. You couldn't pay me to own one. Well actually, my club is auctioning one off, and I did buy one $25 ticket. But mostly to support the club. If I should happen to win the thing I will probably shoot it once and then just put it away in my safe.

Buy a conventional revolver and learn to shoot it competently.
 
Judge Not

Thanks all,

so what is the legitimate role of the Judge?
If not the judge, what do you rec. for trail gun and on street self defense?
 
IDK why the Judge and similar pistols have become popular. I think its really a case of "if we build it they will buy it". Take a look at the size of the thing and you'll really start to wonder why in the heck anyone would want one! Its *NOT* a lot of firepower compared to other pistols that are much less bulky/clumsy looking. The cylinder is just ENORMOUS on them! Its WAY larger than even a .500 S&W cylinder!

A .410 slug weighs 96 grains and will have a muzzle velocity of less than 1500fps out of a revolver. The muzzle energy will be about 480 foot pounds.
http://mcb-homis.com/slug_410/

A .357 bullet weighing 158 grains also attains 1500fps for a muzzle energy of 789 foot pounds.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.357_Magnum

They make a .357 magnum that weighs like 11oz!!
 
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so what is the legitimate role of the Judge?
Click to expand...

There isn't one. It is just a dumb idea in the first place.

If not the judge, what do you rec. for trail gun and on street self defense?
Click to expand...

Good revolvers have been made for well over 150 years. Smith and Wesson, Colt. Ruger makes some darn good ones too. I just shoot pistols for fun, and I have all types, ages, and sizes. If I had to depend on a gun for my life I would carry a K frame 357 Magnum.
 
For a trail gun, there are plenty of choices. I like the medium frame .357 magnum, myself. Nothing wrong with a K frame. I'd choose a 4" barrel to get some ballistics. If you wanna IWB the gun, you might go 3", but I'd go no shorter for performance. A heavy bullet load will give good performance out of a 3" barrel and you can load with .38 or a 140 low flash .357 or something for self defense in the concrete jungle. I'd prefer an adjustable sight, personally. Ruger now offers a 4" SP101 with an adjustable rear sight that is probably as perfect a trail gun as it gets IMHO.

That said, I don't live in Alaska or even Idaho, don't have to worry about Griz. I don't really worry about wildlife on the trail, anyway. I've hiked a many a mile unarmed.
 
"Notice that those who have no Judge experience cannot speak with any authority on the subject."

your range, your rules, our range our rules
last time I looked Qwiks draw was still looking for a few good men

some of us have enough common sense to pay attention to the "don't try this at home" disclaimers that accompany inappropriate choices, and we need not buy every silly over hyped thing that comes along, just because some hypsters want to make a buck
and, yes, we make bad jokes about da' Judge (and close cousins of whatever brand flavor) because it is a bad joke

"so what is the legitimate role of the Judge?"
watermelons and pumpkins

You want devastating, get a 12 gauge and learn to shoot with it; misses do not count with shotguns any more than they count with centerfire. You want a carry piece, any service caliber centerfire handgun that has seen abundant usage by law enforcement in the last 50 years will do, no shortage of good choices to be had. You want a good 45LC, buy a good 45LC designed to be a 45LC, it's a great round. Charmed by the notion of a CCW 410/45 for a car gun, get a Bond Derringer; they will devastate watermelons with shot shells at least as well as da' Judge, if/when you crave juice.

Your gun, your money, your watermelon patch, your range, your rules, your choice.
(you asked for opinions, and you got 'em)

"what do you rec. for trail gun and on street self defense?"
any 38/357 or 45 ACP, or 40S&W or 9MM ought do, all have done just fine for too many thousands to count for too many years
any make/model of your preference that fits your hand well
when you see LEOs commonly carrying 410 revolvers for EDC duty issue, let us know
in the meantime, their reasons for what they do carry are a whole lot like your reasons for whatever you carry

PS
if ye seek authority, talk to God, inner space
for most of the rest, there is cyberspace
 
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Don't own one. Have shot the Judge several times. I like it for a survival gun. Can carry a few shells of bird to buck to take out rabbits, birds etc... Then you always have .45lc slugs that kept many cowboys sleeping soundly for many years at night. I don't think its very good for around town. It would be a little bit heavy for trail/survival carry. However much lighter than a 12 gauge and can be concealed if needed to not alarm the granolas.
 
For bears....a bear minimum (pun intended) would be a 44 mag. I know people have shot them with a 357, but stopping power/energy is crucial when shot placement is not an option. Like I've posted before, the only stories that make it to the itching ears of the "critics" are the ones that are published. The media prefers dead humans and bears. Where I'm from the grapevine tells the real story. Sitting in the break room at the lumber mill for ten years you get the other 95% that doesn't make the headlines. Just the blast, sound, and presence of a cannon has stopped many confrontations. I've had two standoffs while hiking, and both were stopped with the drawing and cocking of a firearm.
 
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