Whats the deal with S&W 29/629

[Tradmark]

That should be a no brainer. According to you, the N-frames aren't designed for it. #2, the .454, .480 and .475 shoot larger caliber, heavier bullets, which in my experience, is an upgrade in performance. All I've ever seen an increase in pistol bullet velocity do is flatten the trajectory slightly.

I humbly ask u to get out more and explore terminal ballistics. If u dont think theres a difference in wound channel bw a 280gr aframe at 1500 fps out if a 44 mag and a 300gr xtp at 1100fps out if a smith then u may need to do a little more hunting and experimenting. There are gunsmiths that will open up a 45 colt redhawk to a 454 casull and view it as safe. Theres nooooo gunsmith in the world thatll turn a smith 29 into a 454 and thats not because of cylinder length. Its the smith is in no way shape
Or form up to the task. The smith is one of the nicer actioned cheaper guns (i.e. removing FA from the equation) but its just not in the running for the podium in strength. One can easily beat a smith loose and use
Nothing but saami spec cartridges. I havent beat up a ruger enough in srh form to notice cramming whatever powder will fit i to the case thus far. Smiths are nice and rugers are strong and jack huntington can make the rugers just as nice but he, nor can anygunsmith make the smith 629 stronger!

 

[cowboy77845]

The Smiths must be made for folk like me. The factory 44 Mag is about the upper limit in recoil that I can handle in a revolver. I have a 454 FA with 4 cylinders. But after shooting a 454 in a rifle, I decided it was too much to handle. Will stick to 44 and 45 mag rounds. I keep the FA just for looking at. It is pretty and I just like handguns.

 

[hq]

Smiths are nice and rugers are strong and jack huntington can make the rugers just as nice

Depending on the definition of "nice", IMO it's a job for a magician instead of a gunsmith to make any of the Rugers "nice" in my book. Strong, sturdy, built like a tank, utilitarian and having a fantastic reputation, yes, but attempts at nice are a not quite unlike Saddam having his AK gold plated and garnished with exhibition grade furniture. There's a fine line between gaudy and nice and breaking that barrier with a Ruger as a starting point can be tough.

Just IMO. I actively try to avoid buying a Ruger revolver at all costs unless I really, really, REALLY need one. Haven't been there yet nor planning to venture into that category as long as Anacondas and X-frames can be bought with money instead of having to trade in your firstborn in exchange. YMMV and tastes differ quite a bit so don't take this as a universal claim, of course.

 

[cp1969]

I humbly ask u to get out more and explore terminal ballistics.

Thanks for the invite but I have been there already. That's why I said what I said.

 

[CraigC]

Smiths are nice and rugers are strong and jack huntington can make the rugers just as nice but he, nor can anygunsmith make the smith 629 stronger!

Well put!

Depending on the definition of "nice", IMO it's a job for a magician instead of a gunsmith to make any of the Rugers "nice" in my book. Strong, sturdy, built like a tank, utilitarian and having a fantastic reputation, yes, but attempts at nice are a not quite unlike Saddam having his AK gold plated and garnished with exhibition grade furniture. There's a fine line between gaudy and nice and breaking that barrier with a Ruger as a starting point can be tough.

I would heartily disagree with that. Of course, we probably have greater access to skilled gunsmiths in the US so your frame of reference is probably limited. Fact is that Ruger builds the best basis for a custom gun extant. Perhaps the Mauser of the handgun world.

 

[hq]

I would heartily disagree with that. Of course, we probably have greater access to skilled gunsmiths in the US so your frame of reference is probably limited.

Please do. I much prefer using something that's nice to start with as a basis, or having a gunsmith build a "best gun" from scratch, but then again, that's just my opinion and a biased subjective preference. I absolutely love a number of US gun manufacturers and gunsmiths I've paid thousands upon thousands of dollars to build what I've wanted.

As highly as I respect late Bill Ruger as a gun designer and have a safe full of his designs, not based on his products, though.

 

[MaxP]

Depending on the definition of "nice", IMO it's a job for a magician instead of a gunsmith to make any of the Rugers "nice" in my book. Strong, sturdy, built like a tank, utilitarian and having a fantastic reputation, yes, but attempts at nice are a not quite unlike Saddam having his AK gold plated and garnished with exhibition grade furniture. There's a fine line between gaudy and nice and breaking that barrier with a Ruger as a starting point can be tough.

Just IMO. I actively try to avoid buying a Ruger revolver at all costs unless I really, really, REALLY need one. Haven't been there yet nor planning to venture into that category as long as Anacondas and X-frames can be bought with money instead of having to trade in your firstborn in exchange. YMMV and tastes differ quite a bit so don't take this as a universal claim, of course.

I can't attest to your sense of aesthetic, but really?

 

[MaxP]

That should be a no brainer. According to you, the N-frames aren't designed for it. #2, the .454, .480 and .475 shoot larger caliber, heavier bullets, which in my experience, is an upgrade in performance. All I've ever seen an increase in pistol bullet velocity do is flatten the trajectory slightly.

I have to respectfully disagree. If the bullet can take it, more velocity will do more damage.

 

[hq]

I can't attest to your sense of aesthetic, but really?

Yes, really. That's what subjective, personal preference is all about. Some - many - may love guns like the ones in your pictures to death but unfortunately they don't quite float my boat. On the other hand I never got my Chevy Suburban p*mped either, even though I appreciated it as a rugged tool that I needed but never really wanted.

 

[MaxP]

Yes, really. That's what subjective, personal preference is all about. Some - many - may love guns like the ones in your pictures to death but unfortunately they don't quite float my boat. On the other hand I never got my Chevy Suburban p*mped either, even though I appreciated it as a rugged tool that I needed but never really wanted.

I agree that preferences are just that, single-actions tend to provide a stronger platform. I guess if you are only shooting whitetail it doesn't really matter.

 

[Tradmark]

Thanks for the invite but I have been there already. That's why I said what I said.

Aaaah, now lets get to the nitty gritty. Obviously u havent or u wouldnt have said what u said! What exactly have u shot?

 

[hq]

I agree that preferences are just that, single-actions tend to provide a stronger platform. I guess if you are only shooting whitetail it doesn't really matter.

I still think I'd opt for BFR or X-frame instead of any Ruger if more oomph was called for. Just out of personal preference. Not that regular .44 factory loads hadn't been proven quite efficient for eland and elk sized game so many thousands of times that they wouldn't do their job from any platform for that matter. If my son really wants to overdo something, I'll just gently tap his shoulder and hand him my .460Wby, loaded and ready to go with the meanest handloaded solids the action can handle.

 

[MidRoad]

I can't attest to your sense of aesthetic, but really?

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Excuse my while I clean up my drool.

 

[MaxP]

I still think I'd opt for BFR or X-frame instead of any Ruger if more oomph was called for. Just out of personal preference. Not that regular .44 factory loads hadn't been proven quite efficient for eland and elk sized game so many thousands of times that they wouldn't do their job from any platform for that matter. If my son really wants to overdo something, I'll just gently tap his shoulder and hand him my .460Wby, loaded and ready to go with the meanest handloaded solids the action can handle.

BFRs? I have six of them and they are my favorite single-action revolvers. 240 grain .44 Mag factory loads are wholly unimpressive generally speaking and I wouldn’t personally use them on anything larger than a whitetail. Have you actually used them on eland-sized game? Just asking.

 

[MidRoad]

BFRs? I have six of them and they are my favorite single-action revolvers. 240 grain .44 Mag factory loads are wholly unimpressive generally speaking and I wouldn’t personally use them on anything larger than a whitetail. Have you actually used them on eland-sized game? Just asking.

Max what's the name of your book? I keep meaning to snag a copy.

 

[Tradmark]

I still think I'd opt for BFR or X-frame instead of any Ruger if more oomph was called for. Just out of personal preference. Not that regular .44 factory loads hadn't been proven quite efficient for eland and elk sized game so many thousands of times that they wouldn't do their job from any platform for that matter. If my son really wants to overdo something, I'll just gently tap his shoulder and hand him my .460Wby, loaded and ready to go with the meanest handloaded solids the action can handle.

Ive had a 460 weatherby. Not really anything u need a solid for with barnes and aframes on really anything. Elephant included

 

[MaxP]

Max what's the name of your book? I keep meaning to snag a copy.

My latest book is the Gun Digest Book of Hunting Revolvers. There’s a link in my signature to it. I appreciate it!!

 

[cowboy77845]

I can't attest to your sense of aesthetic, but really?

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Max I got your book. I liked it.

 

[MaxP]

Max I got your book. I liked it.

Thank you!

 

[Tradmark]

Great book. The best ive read this far.

 

[Tradmark]

Though whit id have no probs wringing out a 240 or 280 gr aframe at elk sized critters out of your bfrs but i wouldnt use those loads out of a smith 29

 

[hq]

BFRs? I have six of them and they are my favorite single-action revolvers. 240 grain .44 Mag factory loads are wholly unimpressive generally speaking and I wouldn’t personally use them on anything larger than a whitetail. Have you actually used them on eland-sized game? Just asking.

Not really, just dug out a number of them from whitetail and fallow deer in cases when they haven't gone all the way through, sometimes even lengthwise. It's admittedly a bit marginal for eland but nothing runs very far with a hole through their heart and after up to 10 miles of tracking, even a quarter of a mile more is hardly a dealbreaker.

 

[hq]

Ive had a 460 weatherby. Not really anything u need a solid for with barnes and aframes on really anything. Elephant included

That sums up nicely my choice of the word "overdo".

 

[Tradmark]

Yessir. When appropriate bullet are chose its just a beast. Love it.

 

[cp1969]

Aaaah, now lets get to the nitty gritty. Obviously u havent or u wouldnt have said what u said! What exactly have u shot?

Thanks for the invite, but I don't feel obliged to any cross-examination by you, either. What I said stands. Instead, why don't you tell us about all the failures you've experienced with a SAMMI pressure .44 Mag that were caused by the velocity being too low?