Revolver Recommendations

[Daddy]

I've shot alot of big revolvers and done all the research I can stand and narrowed it down to 2 calibers. I'm either gonna buy a 44 mag or a 454 casull and wanted to get a few opinions. Nothing longer than a 5 inch barrel also. Looking to move to Alaska so I have this in mind as a sidearm for bears and also just becasue I like big revolvers. I've heard all the debate about bears and pistols and know I'm underpowered, etc so I don't want to beat that conversation to death. What I want to know- is the extra power of the 454 worth the extra recoil? I want something I can shoot well under pressure and if need be one handed. Any pros or cons about these two calibers would be appreciated. Please no debate over other calibers, I'm set on these two. I've shot the pistols at the range and did well, but that's the range and very very different than in the field. Any help would be great, thanks guys

 

[ODB]

Extra power means nothing when you can’t get the sights back on target. 6 44 mags on target (and that’s hard enough) is better than 3 454s.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Well, first off, everyone's got an opinion right, here's mine. 454 Casull. Obviously much more recoil than the .44 mag but if you can deal with it, and are able to shoot it well, you can't go wrong with more horsepower IMO. As far as how you respond in a very stressful situation, there's only one real way to find out. If you miss under stress, it doesn't matter if it's with a .44 or a .454, but there's a little larger room for error with the heavier caliber. What I mean by this is, if you don't hit the bear exactly where you would have liked to, chances are, you're going to do much more damage with the .454 than the .44, and maybe have a little better chance of derailing the charge.

 

[Bearlodge10]

Here's my .02
I think that the extra recoil is worth it. However, I would find the best fitting/feeling revolver what meets your specs and shoot it A LOT with low recoil loads or go down to 45 colt with stouter loads. The idea being to get so familiar with the revolver that it is second nature. This would include shooting with one hand and practicing with the weak hand as well!!! Then and only then should you verify point of impact with the full power loads. I don't feel that either are under powered but I think there is a lot to practicing with your side arm in both the practiced draw, and shooting.
Best of Luck

 

[FLAK]

My Hot loaded 7.5" Redhawk in .44mag is about all I can handle.

 

[rob86jeep]

If you read the bear attack/defense stories out there you'll see there's been Grizzly attacks thwarted with 9mm more than once (and although I don't remember specifically, I'm sure there's been some bears shot with 44 mag that finished their attack without caring). I would suggest getting something that you want, can't shoot well, and are willing to carry (weight wise). If that's a .454, then great. If it's a Glock 9mm, then great.

Personally, I would choose a Glock 10mm because I feel it's a compromise of both. I did (and still do) have the urge to buy a S&W .460 for some reason. It will also shoot .454 and .45 LC so it's practical in that sense. Problem is it's so heavy I know I'd never carry it in the woods.

 

[Daddy]

Good stuff here, thank you guys for the insight

 

[MNman]

Get what can shoot, or it does not matter. After taking a tactical course I quickly learned that lesson. But I’m with rob86jeep. I have a 10mm that I really enjoy and feel confident I can use it during the moment of truth.

 

[mtnkid85]

I run a Alaskan 454, my brother has the 329pd 44mag. I don’t know if there’s much difference between the two shooting warm loads. Maybe the heavy Ruger has a little less snap. Neither are exactly comfortable. The light weight of the S&W sure makes it a dandy to pack though!

 

[Mighty Mouse]

The gun's weight and barrel length (in addition to caliber) can have a significant impact on felt recoil. In one range trip a few years ago, I shot my S&W 460 Mag (5" barrel, 61oz empty), Taurus 41 Mag (2.5", 30oz) and my brother's S&W Model 69 44 Mag (4.25", 37oz). Recoil from the 460 felt different but no more difficult to manage than the 44 or 41. The smaller/lighter revolvers felt "snappier" and slammed my palm more violently. The 460 was more of a slower but sustained shove absorbed with the entire hand and arm. Hard to describe, but the point is that felt recoil isn't solely a function of caliber.

For brown bear protection, I'd choose 454 Casull over 44 Mag (and 460 Mag over both) and try different loads to see how much recoil I was comfortable with. I'm quite partial to my S&W 460V. It's heavy but versatile (can shoot 460 Mag, 454 Casull and 45 Long Colt).

 

[chinook907]

The 454. You said you can shoot it well, and ammo is easy to come by.

If I was to get a 44 it would be a S&W 69. If a 454, a Ruger Toklat.

Depending on the situation, I carry either a 10mm, a 41mag, or 480 Ruger.

 

[Tx_300wsm]

I went with the Ruger Alaskan in 454 this year to carry in griz country. Recoil isn’t as bad as I expected even with 360gr buffalo bore. If I only have time to get one shot off, I’d want the 454, which was the deciding factor for me.

 

[hayesplow]

The smaller the gun, the bigger the experience to shoot them well! This is the paradox of carry guns versus shooting guns.

If she is going to carry in her purse a, Lady Smith or similar style with steel frame would be suitable, as it has enough weight to tame the little wheel gun, and still compact and easy to carry. The super light Smiths, especially scandium (fancy aluminum) framed guns are very light, easy to carry, but they are harder to control and cost much more.

Again, for purse carry a 3-inch barrel may be better, easier to control, and have a longer sight radius for more accuracy, at least when practicing! The grip size is adjustable via different grips on the market, and her shooting tolerances can be tweaked using various ammunition brands and styles! The short of it ... target loads, which are light on the power range for practice, and full loads for carry. If she is a real tomboy she may be able to shoot +P ammo, more powerful than standard loads, and only carry those after a little familiarization training with them!

First decision ... how will she carry it? Women/girls do not like guns tucked into their pants, they have small waists, and thin pants and shirts on. This is one advantage of super light guns, they hide easy because they don't pull the pants down, and can be carried in jacket pockets easily as well. If they feel the gun is a burden, they won't carry it, I assure you. I couldn't get female cops to carry either a backup gun on duty, or a real off duty! Girls are concerned with their small frames with the visibility of it, bulging and printing through their clothes, and their physical limitations of their small frames to support big guns, or heavy guns! I have dealt with this issue for years!

Keep it simple, as light as she can handle when shooting, and most of all it must reliable. The other rule IT MUST BE EASY TO CARRY IN LIMITED SPACE, WOMEN AND MEN SEE THIS DIFFERENTLY.

REMEMBER, a .32 in her hand, if it comes down to that, is better than a .45 in her glovebox, or worse--at home! Be flexible!

 

[robtattoo]

The smaller the gun, the bigger the experience to shoot them well! This is the paradox of carry guns versus shooting guns.

If she is going to carry in her purse a, Lady Smith or similar style with steel frame would be suitable, as it has enough weight to tame the little wheel gun, and still compact and easy to carry. The super light Smiths, especially scandium (fancy aluminum) framed guns are very light, easy to carry, but they are harder to control and cost much more.

Again, for purse carry a 3-inch barrel may be better, easier to control, and have a longer sight radius for more accuracy, at least when practicing! The grip size is adjustable via different grips on the market, and her shooting tolerances can be tweaked using various ammunition brands and styles! The short of it ... target loads, which are light on the power range for practice, and full loads for carry. If she is a real tomboy she may be able to shoot +P ammo, more powerful than standard loads, and only carry those after a little familiarization training with them!

First decision ... how will she carry it? Women/girls do not like guns tucked into their pants, they have small waists, and thin pants and shirts on. This is one advantage of super light guns, they hide easy because they don't pull the pants down, and can be carried in jacket pockets easily as well. If they feel the gun is a burden, they won't carry it, I assure you. I couldn't get female cops to carry either a backup gun on duty, or a real off duty! Girls are concerned with their small frames with the visibility of it, bulging and printing through their clothes, and their physical limitations of their small frames to support big guns, or heavy guns! I have dealt with this issue for years!

Keep it simple, as light as she can handle when shooting, and most of all it must reliable. The other rule IT MUST BE EASY TO CARRY IN LIMITED SPACE, WOMEN AND MEN SEE THIS DIFFERENTLY.

REMEMBER, a .32 in her hand, if it comes down to that, is better than a .45 in her glovebox, or worse--at home! Be flexible!

Huh???

 

[hayesplow]

Ruger Sp101 is really nice. I would recommend getting it in 357, that way she could shoot the 38's, and still have the capability of shooting a 357 as well.

 

[X-file]

Ruger Sp101 is really nice. I would recommend getting it in 357, that way she could shoot the 38's, and still have the capability of shooting a 357 as well.

My wife has an sp101. We had to get an action job done to it so that she could easily handle the double action if necessary

Recently just picked her up a Springfield xdm 10mm. She loves it and is very comfortable with it. More so than the revolver


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dla]

I've shot alot of big revolvers and done all the research I can stand and narrowed it down to 2 calibers. I'm either gonna buy a 44 mag or a 454 casull and wanted to get a few opinions. Nothing longer than a 5 inch barrel also. Looking to move to Alaska so I have this in mind as a sidearm for bears and also just becasue I like big revolvers. I've heard all the debate about bears and pistols and know I'm underpowered, etc so I don't want to beat that conversation to death. What I want to know- is the extra power of the 454 worth the extra recoil? I want something I can shoot well under pressure and if need be one handed. Any pros or cons about these two calibers would be appreciated. Please no debate over other calibers, I'm set on these two. I've shot the pistols at the range and did well, but that's the range and very very different than in the field. Any help would be great, thanks guys

The 454 is a great cartridge, but it is not chambered in a revolver I'd want to pack all day. If someone else carried it for me, I'd definitely go with the 454. But since I have to carry my own stuff, I carry the S&W329pd in 44mag.

 

[howl]

Who wants to carry more than a S&W 69 around every day? Not me. Anything bigger than a GP100 is a range toy with me.

I know you said just those two, but a Redhawk in 45 Colt you can shoot cheap 45 ACP in is very handy. I have read about but not experienced 454 revolvers being used with that same cheap ACP after some gunsmithing.

 

[Beendare]

As guys are pointing out...Shooting it well is critical.

I would go with .44 over 454. Hardhats bullets are a game changer mitigating the need for a hand cannon. When guys are getting 3 feet on penetration with a lowly 9mm....5 feet with a .44, that just tells you bullet design makes a difference.

I have a 5" SW 629 classic that shoots well, amazing trigger....just not the followup shot speed of a semi auto.

If you are doing a lot of hiking with it the SW329PD Scanadium version is noticeably lighter...and not that bad to shoot. A little slower on followup shots is all...with the more recoil.

....

 

[elkguide]

Ruger RedHawk in .44 Mag. I love shooting the .460 but to carry one all day is not in my plan. I can run 50 rounds through my RedHawk but the .460.... well let's just say that the gain twist makes me stop after a dozen or so.