Have a 29-2 that Hamilton Bowen built for me. Have some 240gr. and 300gr. Hornady XTP rounds to use in this revolver for my backup hog hunting gun. Was wondering if the metallurgy in a gun of this era can handle that load. Claims 1350 fps at 50 yds. from muzzle. Is a 70's gun and 50 years old, just don't want to overpower it.

It won't last long, unless he also installed the upgrades that Smith & Wesson made to the gun a few years later. I used a 29-2 in IHMSA metallic silhouette shooting when I first started. Within a year, shooting the loads that it took to take down the 200 meter rams, it was a piece of junk! I went to the Ruger Super Blackhawk after that, and have had no trouble since.

Specifically what upgrades?

I don't actually remember the details, but they heat treated some critical parts differently than the regular Model 29's, to give them better reliance. You would have to google that. But, don't think it made much difference, because by then the news was out that the 29's just wouldn't take the constant abuse brought on by silhouette shooting. By then the Dan Wesson .357 Super Mags were out, and dominated revolver class for a couple of years until the Freedom Arms revolvers were certified for IHMSA competition, and they dominate revolver class even today.

S&W did an engineering change consisting of several modifications. These are referred to as the "Endurance package." There may have been other individual changes that combine with the Endurance package to make these revolvers more durable.

Bottom line, a Keith load of 250 Keith, hard cast, at 1,200 fps or whatever he used to load, will do just fine on anything in North America and most things in the rest of the world. Anything in North America includes these pesky hogs that seem to be like doomsday machines, destroying everything in their path. Anyway, it is your gun, but I would not feel undergunned using the 240-250 grain Magnum. If you have to go higher, get the 500 Mag and call it a day.

OP - Your gun will hold up fine with the 240 grain factory Hornady loads. I have shot many hundreds of them (240 XTP bullet loaded at 1300 + fps) in my 29-2's without issue. It is the load the model 29 is designed to shoot. The heavier 300 grain bullets, loaded warm, is what caused problems in the 29-2, and I would probably avoid that load for regular use, though a few fired during a hunt shouldn't hurt anything.

Larry

When I bought my 29-2 in 1976, I was advised to shoot mainly .44 Special loads in it. Was told that full-house .44 Magnum loads would loosen it up. Was told to keep my Super Blackhawk to shoot the heavy loads in it. The analogy was "don't beat up a Cadillac, when you have a Chevy".

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

My 29-2 was shipped @ 1966 ~ 1967. I use it without worry. Had it 40 years now.

My mag load is 22g W296/H110 under a 265g SWC.

Too much is made of the endurance package IMO.

Sure, it's for a reason, but unless you're a competition shooter in silhouette, I don't think it matters, at least not in my case.

Elmer Keith put some pre 29 pistols through serious punishment.
I’d bet a dollar he’d debate the abilities of a 29-2 if he was around today.

Elmer Keith put some pre 29 pistols through serious punishment.
I’d bet a dollar he’d debate the abilities of a 29-2 if he was around today.

If you are not running 500 rounds a week thru it, it will be fine.

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Pine_Worker
Ex-LEO, NRA Life

I also wouldn't run a lot of 300 grain loads through it. You should be fine with shooting the 240s.

I certainly would not shoot a lot of those 300 grain loads in a Model 29-2, I don't care who the custom gunsmith was that worked on it. The Model 29 holds up well enough with bullet weights up to 250 grains. The steel silhouette shooters popularized the 300 grain 44 Magnum loads and these lead to the unmasking of the weaknesses in the original N-frame 44 Magnum design. For these heavy bullets, the best S&W N-frames would would be the Models 29-5 and 629-3 or later variants.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

In my 29-2, the 300 grain loads required so much sight adjustment that I broke the rear sight elevation screw. Nowadays, I use a 250 LSWC at 1200 fps and feel overgunned for nearly everything I might shoot with it including hogs.

Wishing the OP well and thanking him for asking the question about loads for the 44 magnum in his Model 29-2. It seems like such ancient history, but about 50+ years ago Elmer Keith had something to say.

This pre-echoes what other posters have noted about the primacy of 250 grain alloy bullets in 44 magnum. (Admittedly, hogs were not mentioned, as they had not attained regional problem status as currently.). Viz, an article by Elmer that some may not have seen recently.
http://www.elmerkeithshoot.org/GA/19...orite_Load.pdf

May that M29 serve the OP well in the field for many pounds of powder yet unburned!

Appreciate all the responses and will stick to the 240 grain loads.