Big D*** Revolvers

[eddielasvegas]

IMHO, and especially since I own one, the ultimate BD pistol is the one in this picture. It's a S&W 500 Mag with an 8 3/8" barrel with compensator. I bought this used 18 months ago.

I shoot 10-20 rounds every time I am in the desert shooting. I can hit a silhouette at 100 yards 3 out of 5 times with open sights. I am no great shot and only mentioning that as it is a very manageable pistol to shoot in spite of it being 50 cal. The fpe on some rounds is 2,800. My son shoots it also with no problem.

The only downside is the pistol is expensive at around $$1,200 +/- $200 and the ammo is very pricey at $2.50-$4.00 per round. The revolver weighs about 6lbs loaded. This weight does help control the recoil. I have a Leupold M8 2x20 scope that I'll be mounting soon. Then I'll use it for a HAM hunt if I happen to draw.

I also have a Ruger Redhawk Alaskan in 44 Mag that I have had for about four years. It is a fun gun also, but if you want BD, then go with the biggest BD.

Good luck,

Eddie


P.S. There was a 500 Mag (no compensator model) listed for sale here for $900, which is an excellent price, but I no longer see the ad, which is no surprise given the low price.

 

[MattB]

Are these big **** or little **** revolvers? Shooting a handgun that weighs near as much as some rifles and has a built-in “compensator” calls that into question.

 

[Clarktar]

I have shot a black hawk 44 mag quite a bit. Pleasant to shoot even with hot loads. I've hunted with it and enjoy it. Great option on my opinion

I have not hunted with the 460 xvr but I have shot them a fair amount. Did not find the recoil bad at all. It was nice to shoot.

No experience with lightweight big revolvers
All of the above were the long barrel options

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[Austin Kaufman]

I bought a Taurus 44 this year. Very easy to shoot, 4 inch barrel ported out the top and it reduces jump. My wife can shoot off a cylinder of bear loads with great accuracy out of it. Very impressed with the gun.


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[DJL2]

I had a Ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter in .44 Rem Mag that I really enjoyed shooting. Sold it because I moved somewhere enlightened enough to allowing hunting with bottle-necked rifle cartridges and the giggle factor has been reduced somewhat by the cost of ammo over the years.

 

[pacoalcracker]

I have several stainless stretched frame SA custom revolvers in 500 S&W w/ 4" barrels. Certainly a handful, but handled properly not terribly abusive. For most people, a normal 44 mag is the top end. One of the easiest shooting big bore revolvers I have is a Ruger Alaskan in 480 Ruger. If you want smaller and potent for size but still not abusive go with the Ruger Blackhawk in 44mag with the 4-5/8 barrel and shoot standard 240gr factory loadings. Wear the padded shooting gloves during practice if you must.

 

[insanelupus]

There are a myriad of .44 Magnum loads available on the market, when you include .44 Special, well, you get to choose your own adventure. You can go all the way from pussycat to Siberian tiger and anything in between. After many .44s, I've yet to find one that I didn't enjoy.

That said, most folks these days tend to whine about the weight of a revolver. If you don't like the heft of one in a chest harness or on your hip, you might consider the plethora of 10mm options on the market.

Every .44 I've owned has/had a purpose and loaded accordingly. Buffalo Bore type loads in uber lightweight .44s aren't my cup of tea and border on the foolish and highly impractical, but that's only my opinion.

Buy one just to buy one, if you must. But I'd highly suggest a contemplation of what the purpose would be and buy accordingly.

One last piece of advice from a middle aged been there done that. Never let your manhood or manlyness be conflated with the caliber you are shooting. The often direct result is you look like a fool to those around you and the respect you might be seeking from such misadventures is directly input into a moron quotient.

 

[roosiebull]

Are these big **** or little **** revolvers? Shooting a handgun that weighs near as much as some rifles and has a built-in “compensator” calls that into question.

I don’t know the exact breakdown, but I know the big wheel guns are fun to shoot I don’t care for heavy recoil in rifles shooting prone… but big revolvers are really fun to shoot to me.

In all honesty, the s&w 500 is not that bad with most loads, and is one of the few guns that I miss.

 

[MattB]

I don’t know the exact breakdown, but I know the big wheel guns are fun to shoot I don’t care for heavy recoil in rifles shooting prone… but big revolvers are really fun to shoot to me.

In all honesty, the s&w 500 is not that bad with most loads, and is one of the few guns that I miss.

I have a Freedom Arms .475 Linebaugh that I bought many moons ago when I was bow hunting Kodiak more regularly. It is about 3#, not compensated, and not what I would call fun to shoot.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

Watch for a ruger toklat. I had an Alaskan and hated it but the toklat is perfect, slightly heavy is the only downside. I also have a s&w mountain gun in 45 colt but don’t want to shoot anything too crazy in it like I can the toklat

A Mountain Gun in that chambering may be worth some coin. Don't think they made too many

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

I bought my dad and I a pair of S&W 460’s with the 8 3/8” barrels. I’m loading 300 grain XTP mags right to 1900fps. They are not unpleasant to shoot. We typically put 3-400 rounds through them each summer. As others have mentioned 45 colt rounds in them are like shooting a 22lr. I am sure the weight of the 8 3/8” and the brake help take the recoil, even my wife enjoys shooting it (outshooting me I should say).

Lemhi County?

 

[roosiebull]

I have a .Freedom Arms 475 Linebaugh that I bought many moons ago when I was bow hunting Kodiak more regularly. It is about 3#, not compensated, and not what I would call fun to shoot.

I bet not, I have shot a non compensated 454 casull and I would not want to shoot it enough to be good with it, but my compensated 500 was plenty pleasant, bigger push but no more uncomfortable than my 629 with a 5” barrel

 

[gman82001]

@Jesse Jaymes


It was one of my grail guns for the longest time so even though I paid probably a bit too much I was glad to get it. I’ve seen a couple since but they have the lock. This is pre lock and firing pin on the hammer.

 

[MikeDeltaFoxtrot]

I tend to think the big bores are the place where revolvers really shine these days. There is little point to a .357 magnum wheel gun when you can carry a Glock 20. I have several and, and they rarely leave my safe.

I have a 4" S&W 629 from the early 80's that I had Magnaported. It is very pleasant to shoot. .44 Rem Mag is an amazing cartridge if you hand load. You can shoot loads a whole range of loads depending on your application. I would not have one of the new 629's with the hole in the side and the two-piece barrel, but there are plenty of vintage ones available.

I also have a Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 Rem Mag. It is a joy to shoot, and has less felt recoil than the 629 due to the plow handle single action frame. It just sort of rolls up in your hand. I don't think the single action design is quite as practical as a double action for defensive purposes, and it is obviously slow to reload, but I carry my mine in the woods sometimes.

I also have a Ruger SRH Alaskan in .454 Casull. It has significantly more recoil than either of the .44's mentioned above when fired with full house loads, but it is quite manageable. I don't really care about recoil other than the time it takes to get the next shot off, and on a timer there wasn't much difference between the Alaskan, the 629, and my Glock 20, at least with me shooting. Split times at seven yards were about .25 seconds while making hits on an 8" paper plate.

You can also shoot 45 Colt in it, which is quite mild.

I've spent a decent amount of time on load development for the Alaskan gun, and I have concluded that the 2.5" barrel is a real hindrance. 454 Casull does not do well out of such a short barrel. I can get more velocity from the same bullet weight out of my 4" 629, which weighs less.

I usually take the 629 if I am out in brown bear country and load it with 300 grain hard cast hand loads.

 

[Huckleberry Hound]

I have a .460xvr. If your friend wants to try shooting it, sneak a couple .45lc rounds in, show him the gun doesnt kick bad by casually one hand shooting a couple .45lc, then when you hand it to him its on the .460 cartridges.
I have everything i need to load up a lot of ammo for it. Need to practice more. Want to take a bear with it. But it will need to be the right situation so i can get hearing protection in before the shot. Its an outrageously loud gun

 

[MikeDeltaFoxtrot]

I should add that if I were going to buy a new revolver for use in the outdoors, I'd choose a Ruger Redhawk in .44 Remington Magnum with a 4" barrel.

 

[Lemhi]

Lemhi County?

Real close to it yeah. Spend a LOT of time up there

 

[Wildhorse]

I have two super Redhawks in 44 mag and a dan wesson 44 mag all three are great to shoot my wife shoots all three of them one handed and can put a cylinder into a fist at 25 yards just fine and shes not a seasoned shooter by any means Blackhawks and standard Redhawks are not my cup of tea but a super redhawk is completely different and certainly worth getting. The alaskan is the only size I'm missing to complete the set.

 

[4090Sharps]

One of the easiest shooting big bore revolvers I have is a Ruger Alaskan in 480 Ruger.

I’ve shot and owned a handful of large bore revolvers, and this was my experience as well. The Ruger Alaskan and Ruger Super Redhawk in 480 Ruger are fun guns, especially if you cast and hand load.

 

[eddielasvegas]

@EvanG17

No affiliation with this seller and if you can work out the deets between you both and if you want the biggest of BD revolvers, THIS 500 Mag is a good deal even before negotiating.

Good luck,

Eddie