Shot the new to me 629-3 4" for the first time yesterday. I think I'm in love. Very accurate and comfortable to shoot. I have never owned a 44 mag before and was concerned about excessive recoil. I shot a box of Georgia Arms new 240 grain SWC. Ammo was very accurate and grouped well. Recoil was not an issue. I have been a 357 magnum fan all my life but am very impressed with the 44 mag. At 25 yards you can clearly see the holes in the target.

Try some nice target loads of 5.0 grains of Titegroup under a 240-grain cast semi-wadcutter and you'll enjoy shooting it a lot more for less cost. A box of 50 costs me less than $10 to load.

Ed

My 629-2 is a very accurate revolver. I can hit gallon jugs at about 150 yards with it as long as the bullet doesn't decide to curve before it gets to the target. I can see them moving sometimes but usually they fly pretty straight. It's a heavy bullet not traveling all that fast so seeing the bullets fly isn't hard in good light at longer distances. Once it gets past 100 yards they slow down quite a bit.

I'm guessing your 629 will shoot accurately at a lot more than 25 yards. A lot of people seem to think a pistol won't stay true for long distances but they will. I saw a guy on tv shooting balloons at 250 yards with a S&W with a snub nose barrel. I'm sure he was using bullet splatter to bust them (there was a sheet of steel behind the balloons) but still that's pretty good just to hit the target.

long live the 4" SS 44 magnum's and welcome to the club. You have made a great choice...enjoy

I've got a 629-3 and love it. It replaces the one I bought new and let go. This one is not going anywhere until I'm gone and then it's going to my oldest son.
Another good load is 10.0 grains of Unique under a 250 cast lead. It thumps but not bad and is easy on your gun (and you).

Went to the range yesterday to try out some reloads for a recent purchase 629-5 and 4" barrel. 44 Special Light loads of Bullseye 4.5 grs. & 200 gr. RN were super for plinking, moved to the JHP 240s with 8 grs. Bullseye with some recoil but still pleasent to shoot, and to finish up my shooting for the day had a box of the Hornady Critical Defense 240 gr. loads to see what they could do. Glad I had a two hand hold on the 44 with these things. Reckon I'll stay with the lighter loads for range shooting and plinking and Save the Critical Defense Hornady's for emergency use.

Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Ammunition :: Handgun :: Choose by Caliber :: 44 Mag :: 44 Mag 240 gr XTP®

Gentlemen- I am not a reloader. Can you recommend a factory round that approximates the "plinking" rounds you are loading.

THanks

Might try these out.

The Cowboy and Shooters Supply : .44 Special Ammo - Ammunition

can sometimes find Black Hills ammo in gun stores. Mild 44 specials with 200 gr. bullets.

Lighter bullets don't always mean less recoil BTW. I got some 180 gr. PMC ammo with my 629 and that stuff kicked like crazy compared to everything else I've shot. Cartridge and gun characteristics can be funny things. Apparently the higher speed of the PMC made it have more perceived recoil. But the listed speed on the box was lower than other ammo I have shot which had heavier bullets too but the PMC still felt like it had much more recoil. Go figure.

What he said! I recently checked the zero on my 5" 629-4 Classic DX for the upcoming firearms deer season and decided to see which bullet weight was more accurate, 180 or 240 grain, using Hornady XTP factory loads. I was surprised by how much harder the 180s kicked but then, the muzzle velocity is supposed to be about 300fps faster than the 240s.

Coincidentally, the Hornady 240s and my target load with 240-grain lead semi-wadcutters shoot to the same POI at 25 yards.

Ed