i want to get myself a handgun. i may also be getting into arizona javelina as well. i have been wanting a S&W 44 mag with 6-7 inch barrel. is this too much gun or is it a good choice. also i may be opening a can of worms with this next question. what are the differencwes between the S&W and the RUGER SBH or the SRH in 44. mag. also how about the 454 casul will this cartridge fit into this discussion. thanks for the good info, i know you guys can point me in the right direction.
- Thread starter frpguy
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Well for hunting I have a Freedom Arms .454 Casull, Colt Anaconda .44 mag, S&W 629 .44 mag, and a Contender with 7-30 waters and .223 barrels.
Since a javelina weights about 30-40# I would use my .223 contender. A .44 mag or .357 mag would be fine, but a .454 would be a little overkill if you have a smaller caliber availiable.
S&W's 629's are excellent guns as long as you don't shoot a lot of heavy loads in them. The Ruger Redhawk, Super Redhawk, and Super Blackhawk are also excellent guns that can handle some very heavy loads. Either of the 3 are fine, just depends if you like single action, or double action. And the SRH gives you the added benefit of a excellent scope mounting system.
Another excellent consideration is the Super Blackhawk Hunter. Heavier barrel, scope mounting system, and bisley grip.
The .44 magnun has killed every big game animal in the world, including elephants. You can move up to a .454 Casull, .480 Ruger, .475 Linebaugh, etc, but they take a whole lot of getting use to. They are not comfortable guns to shoot. On the range you'll suffer. When your hearts pumping and you draw down on a animal you won't notice the 1 or 2 shots you take. But it's the range work that will get you consistantly on target.
If your use to shooting heavy .44 magnum handloads, then by all means go for the .454. Shooting a .357 is nothing like shooting a .44 mag. And shooting a .44 mag. is nothing like shooting a .454.
But if your not going to shoot anything bigger then javelina, a good .357 mag is fine.
Since a javelina weights about 30-40# I would use my .223 contender. A .44 mag or .357 mag would be fine, but a .454 would be a little overkill if you have a smaller caliber availiable.
S&W's 629's are excellent guns as long as you don't shoot a lot of heavy loads in them. The Ruger Redhawk, Super Redhawk, and Super Blackhawk are also excellent guns that can handle some very heavy loads. Either of the 3 are fine, just depends if you like single action, or double action. And the SRH gives you the added benefit of a excellent scope mounting system.
Another excellent consideration is the Super Blackhawk Hunter. Heavier barrel, scope mounting system, and bisley grip.
The .44 magnun has killed every big game animal in the world, including elephants. You can move up to a .454 Casull, .480 Ruger, .475 Linebaugh, etc, but they take a whole lot of getting use to. They are not comfortable guns to shoot. On the range you'll suffer. When your hearts pumping and you draw down on a animal you won't notice the 1 or 2 shots you take. But it's the range work that will get you consistantly on target.
If your use to shooting heavy .44 magnum handloads, then by all means go for the .454. Shooting a .357 is nothing like shooting a .44 mag. And shooting a .44 mag. is nothing like shooting a .454.
But if your not going to shoot anything bigger then javelina, a good .357 mag is fine.
thanks bishop, that gives me some good info to start with. i do respect your knowledge.
now i was looking through the consignment guns on the turners site. is a used gun worth buying? obviously i need to see the gun and hold it. are there any other things to look for when buying a used gun. i am not too overly concerned about exterior apperances. scratches are just beauty marks on a "hunting gun".
now i was looking through the consignment guns on the turners site. is a used gun worth buying? obviously i need to see the gun and hold it. are there any other things to look for when buying a used gun. i am not too overly concerned about exterior apperances. scratches are just beauty marks on a "hunting gun".
A .44 mag. is .429 caliber, and a .45 LC is .451 caliber as is a .454 Casull . You can shoot 45 LC in a .454 Casull, but not .44 specials or .44 mags.
I don't know how S&W is going to make a gun that shoots all 4 cartridges. The .454 and .45 LC case is of larger diameter then the .44 mag case. Since DA revolvers usually don't have interchangeble cylinders, I don't know how it can be accomplised. If they did have interchangeble cylinders, then you would have a .429 calliber bullets coming out of a .451 caliber barrel. Accuracy has to suffer in this combination.
As to buying used handguns, I've bought many. Good guns (FA, Ruger, Colt, S&W) last much longer then their owners. If the gun is in good condition, and the price is right go for it.
I'm not a real expert on how to judge the internal condition of a handgun. But you can probably tell if the bore is good, and the lockwork is tight, and the trigger action feels right.
When S&W makes modifications and improvements to it's guns it adds a "series" number to the model number. Example mdl 629, 629-2, 629-3, etc. My 629-5 is much stronger then the 629-2 I had before. The series 629-2 I owned had to have all the lockwork, trigger, and hammer replaced. It's not just my opinion, but the early mdl 29's and 629's were known to "shoot lose" if fed a steady diet of hot loads.
So if your going to get a S&W, get one that's a series 629-5 or later. These guns are stronger and have improved lockwork. They are also drilled and tapped (under the rear sight) for scope mounts.
Shot one in 36C with a Ruger Redhawk in 357 Mag back in 1992. Range was about 40 yards instant death. I made the mistake of using hollowpoints and meat damage was pretty bad on about a 35-40 lb pig. In other words plenty of gun.
When S&W makes modifications and improvements to it's guns it adds a "series" number to the model number. Example mdl 629, 629-2, 629-3, etc. My 629-5 is much stronger then the 629-2 I had before. The series 629-2 I owned had to have all the lockwork, trigger, and hammer replaced. It's not just my opinion, but the early mdl 29's and 629's were known to "shoot lose" if fed a steady diet of hot loads.
So if your going to get a S&W, get one that's a series 629-5 or later. These guns are stronger and have improved lockwork. They are also drilled and tapped (under the rear sight) for scope mounts.
thanks a lot bishop. i never thought about them making improvements to an existing model. what a wealth of knowledge to be had. i almost feel like i can make an informed decision by myself now
this raises an interesting point. hallow points are no good on a smaller animal because of meat damage, huh? are there any other rounds out there that are good for javelina?
hearing from mav puts another twist on it now. i am hearing a lot about the rugers. are they really stronger frames then the later model S&W's. i like the way the S&W looks but i want reliability first and foremost. i think this is where the pissing match starts, who likes what gun. please dont do that . i am still a good 6 or 7 months away from being able to make a purchase so i have plenty more time to do research and look up ads for used guns. thanks again for all the help.
So if your going to get a S&W, get one that's a series 629-5 or later. These guns are stronger and have improved lockwork. They are also drilled and tapped (under the rear sight) for scope mounts.
thanks a lot bishop. i never thought about them making improvements to an existing model. what a wealth of knowledge to be had. i almost feel like i can make an informed decision by myself now
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>
this raises an interesting point. hallow points are no good on a smaller animal because of meat damage, huh? are there any other rounds out there that are good for javelina?
hearing from mav puts another twist on it now. i am hearing a lot about the rugers. are they really stronger frames then the later model S&W's. i like the way the S&W looks but i want reliability first and foremost. i think this is where the pissing match starts, who likes what gun. please dont do that . i am still a good 6 or 7 months away from being able to make a purchase so i have plenty more time to do research and look up ads for used guns. thanks again for all the help.
Most .357 hollow point rounds are designed for self defense, so their made to rapidly expand on thin skinned soft muscled people.Originally posted by frpguy+Nov 20 2005, 05:20 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (frpguy @ Nov 20 2005, 05:20 PM)</div><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>
this raises an interesting point. hallow points are no good on a smaller animal because of meat damage, huh? are there any other rounds out there that are good for javelina?
hearing from mav puts another twist on it now. i am hearing a lot about the rugers. are they really stronger frames then the later model S&W's. i like the way the S&W looks but i want reliability first and foremost. i think this is where the pissing match starts, who likes what gun. please dont do that . i am still a good 6 or 7 months away from being able to make a purchase so i have plenty more time to do research and look up ads for used guns. thanks again for all the help.[/b]
You would probably have less meat damage with a soft point or hardcast SWC bullet.
Rugers are by far stronger handguns then the S&W's. If you take a look at the two you'll see a thicker topstrap on the Ruger's, and thicker cylinder walls on the Ruger's. Some guy's load some outrageous loads for their Ruger's. But if your not into pushing the envelope with your reloads, you'll be fine with a S&W. And the 629 Classic has been beefed up with improved lockwork and a full underlug barrel.
ok last question for now, i think. i have heard people talk about a barrel or bore being "shot out". i asume it means that it was a loved gun and shot a lot and the rifleing has worn down. i have looked down a barrel that was described to me as being "shot out" and i really couldnt tell a difference. was this person yanking my chain or is my untrained eye missing something. what should i look for to tell if the bore and barrel are good?
Well I've heard of barrels being shot out, but I've never encountered one yet. It's suppossed to be because of the excessive wear on the rifling from too many shots.
I would think that if you can't tell from looking at the bore, the only way to find out is to check the accuracy of the handgun.
One thing I have noticed in buying used .44mags and .454's, is that many have been fired very little. Most are sold because the owner just never got use to the recoil. It's very common to find .44 mags and .454 Casull's for sale that have had less then a box of rounds thru the barrel.
bux-n-dux
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I have a Ruger Blackhawk Bisley in .41 Magnum. I find the .41 somewhat easier to shoot than the .44, without compromising much energy. This gun has a 7 1/2 inch barrel, and I can break up clay pigeons stuck in the dirt repeatedly at 100 yards with the factory iron sights. It's not terribly comfortable to shoot......265 grain hard cast Cor-Bon loads are pretty hot, but 175 grain winchesters are a little easier. I would highly reccomend the .41 for Javelina, and with 265 or even 210 grain bullets it will knock a big hog sideways. Winchester platinum tip 240 grains are devastating on deer, but maybe too much bullet for hogs and overkill for Javs. Thing is, with a .41 you can get great, accurate loads for Javs and still get something just as reliable for hogs. I would't trade my .41 for anything. And I have never heard of a Ruger single action being *shot-out*.
I haven't had the ops to hunt pigs with this gun but I wouldn't take anything else in the handgun category.
bux-n-dux
I haven't had the ops to hunt pigs with this gun but I wouldn't take anything else in the handgun category.
bux-n-dux
You're talkin' Peccary when you say Javelina correct? These them native to the Americas mini pigs which max out at 40 lbs. correct? In my oppinion anything bigger than a 357 mag would be overkill with even the 357 being a tad on the heavy side. Maybe a 32 H&R mag in a Ruger Single Six would be more appropriate for these little guys. I have a friend in AZ. who has popped then using a 22 mag pistol. I personally would not feel undergunned in any way with my K-frame in 357 mag , lightweight so easy to carry on the hip on long hikes, very accurate, and more than enough gun for Javelinas.
