[Rick Edwards]

I am considering this revolver to hunt deer. Unfortunately, I have found limited information regarding this model. This will be my first hand gun. Any reviews on this gun would be helpful.

[Mark F]

This is a tough one. I have several S&W 629 44 mags and each one has its merits. I also have a Ruger Bisley 44 Magnum. The heaviest of my 44 Magnums' is my Performance Center 44 Magnum Hunter Plus.

This particular pistol has a custom-made Walther progressive twist 7.5" barrel, a full underlug & plank side with a scope rail. It's deadly accurate to about 125 yards with a standard 2X pistol scope.

My other Smith & Wesson is a "629 CLASSIC". It has a 6.5" barrel with a full underlug. It has an optional scope mount but I use the iron sights on this one.

This 44 is accurate to about 75 yards if you can see your target with the iron sights. However, it does best at about 50 yards. Because it's considerably lighter than the S&W 44 Mag Hunter Plus, it has a lot more "felt recoil" with maximum loads.

This is my "BAD BOY" 44 Magnum. It's a Ruger BISLEY 44 Magnum. This pistol will shoot super hot loads that no other 44 Magnum can handle, including my S&W Hunter Plus.

It's deadly accurate with iron sights up to about 75 yards and it has about 20% more knockdown power than my Smith & Wesson's. The felt recoil with the Bisley is brutal as it is the lightest of my 44's, and shoots the hottest loads. My typical load is a 330 grain hard cast bullet powered with 25.5 grains of H110 powder, ignited with CCI Magnum primers. My S&W's do best with 240 grain factory loads.

For North American Deer hunting any of these 44' Mags will work well. When I hunt for Feral Pigs, I use my Bisley exclusively. My S&W Hunter Plus is best for long-range shots, but it's also my most expensive 44 Mag as well.

[Mark F]

Originally Posted by Rick Edwards

I am considering this revolver to hunt deer. Unfortunately, I have found limited information regarding this model. This will be my first hand gun. Any reviews on this gun would be helpful.

Rick,

As you can see, I'm a 44 Mag fanatic. The reason you don't see much on the Performance Center 44 Magnum is they are expensive. My Hunter Plus with a custom barrel was about $1600.00 and another 350.00 for the Bushnell Holoscope. That's a lot of money for a 44 Magnum.

For just plain ol' aim and knock em' down power... my Ruger Bisley wins hands down and it was about one third the price of the Performance Center 44.

Don't get me wrong, I love my PC 44 Magnum Hunter Plus! It has a fit & finish that Ruger can only dream about! But if money is a factor, you may want to consider a Ruger.

[Rick Edwards]

This particular pistol has a custom-made Walther progressive twist 7.5" barrel, a full underlug & plank side with a scope rail. It's deadly accurate to about 125 yards with a standard 2X pistol scope.


How much did you spend on your custom 7" barrel? Did you send your gun to the PC for the custom barrel install? It sounds like the longer barrel is the way to go in regards to accuracy. What brand of scope is that? How often do you have to dial it in? I have to say I like the weight and look of this model. Although some of the load specs are new to me, I'm a quick learner. Your insite is really appreciated.

[Rick Edwards]

[QUOTE=Mark F;43303]Rick,

As you can see, I'm a 44 Mag fanatic. The reason you don't see much on the Performance Center 44 Magnum is they are expensive. My Hunter Plus with a custom barrel was about $1600.00 and another 350.00 for the Bushnell Holoscope. That's a lot of money for a 44 Magnum.

It really is an expensive revolver. I found this one new for $999.00. I have to say though, I dig the look and feel and I haven't even shot it yet. It sounds like it is common to upgrade or lengthen the barrel. What type of barrel did you switch to? How much did it cost and where do you get that type of work done.
Do you have any experience with the S&M 460? I'm beginning to become a bit of a fanatic with handguns in general. Thanks for sharing your experience with me!

[Bob Wright]

As Mark F. has point out, you don't really need a specially set-up Smith for deer hunting. Here is my Model 29 set up with a full lug barrel. The barrel was originall 8 3/8" but I had it cut back to 6" to make it a little handier. The gun originall came with a 6" standard barrel, but I had Smith rebarrel it for me. They gave me the 8 3/8" which I later had cut back to 6".



And, as Mark said, a Ruger will do just fine, either as he prefers, the Bisley, or a Super Blackhawk, which I prefer. Just keep your shots within your capabilities and you'll do all right.

Just for brags, here's my Super Blackhawk:




Bob Wright

[Rick Edwards]

Just for brags, here's my Super Blackhawk:




Bob Wright[/QUOTE]

First I've seen of the Super Blackhawk.

[Mark F]

Rick,

44 Magnums in general are well proven and affordable hunting pistols. You don't need the specialty stuff like my PC Hunter Plus. While these custom items probably make a slight difference in accuracy, a rock solid Ruger Super Blackhawk or Super Redhawk will perform great. Ruger makes a Super Blackhawk Hunter with a 7.5" barrel and machined scope lugs in the top strap & rib. It's a shooting machine! You will be able to keep 6 shots on a quarter at 75 yards.

The "scope" on my PC is a Bushnell HOLO Sight Red dot. It has no magnification but utilizes a 2.5 MOA laser dot. Once it's calibrated it never needs adjusting again unless you sight it in at a different distance. It works very good, but I still prefer iron sights! Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I really like the feel and looks of a basic 44 Magnum.


Bob Wright has a fine collection of Super Blackhawks and Model 29's to boot.

You just can't go wrong with a Ruger... one of my favorites is my Ruger Vaquero 44 Mag.

[Mark F]

Rick,

I forgot to mention, all of the custom work to my Hunter Plus was done at Smith & Wesson.

[Bob Wright]

First I've seen of the Super Blackhawk.[/QUOTE]


You're kidding, right?

Bob Wright