While Rubber Grips may not be pretty, they come standard with a lot of guns these days for a reason, and that's shooting comfort. Sure, it doesn't really matter too much if the firearm is namely used for self-defense and therefore only seldom fired just to stay in practice, but on a firearm you plan on taking out to the range and putting a box or more of ammo through, especially if it's a Magnum Revolver, then you're probably better off leaving the Rubber Grips on.

Folks have a bad habit of underestimating the recoil of .357, .41, and .44 Magnum just because there are bigger, more powerful Magnum cartridges on the market these days.
However, one thing that said Magnum cartridges have in common is that most agree that they aren't fun to shoot unless you hand-load them down or use a smaller, non-Magnum cartridge when taking them out to the range.

There's a reason why it's so easy to find LNiB .44 Magnum Revolvers, and that's because a lot of folks underestimate the recoil or otherwise overestimate themselves thinking that it either won't be so bad or that it won't be so bad for them because they're so tough.
Unfortunately, no matter how much of a tough guy you fancy yourself, you're still flesh & bone, certain firearms are just plain painful to shoot, and they're not even necessarily firing powerful cartridges.

So yeah, next time you're at the range, try firing some lighter loads, maybe even start with .44 Special then work your way up, and save the full power stuff for hikes in Bear country.

They aint the ones with hands that look like hamburger.

I have 3 44 mag hand guns, 4 if I could find my super blackhawk. All 3 wear rubber grips. All three are fun to shoot with magnum loads and cause no discomfort with one exception. The 3" 629 with the Pachmyer compacs allows my middle finger middle knuckle to get pounded by the backside of the trigger guard. That leaves the knuckle sore for at least a week. I need to replace the grips on that gun. My 2.75" 69 has Hogue Bantam Boot Grips and they work very well for me on that gun.

My biggest question about this thread is....What is a HOOPLEHEAD?

Watch the HBO series Deadwood. The show ran for 3 years and is unlike any western you have ever seen.

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So many S&W's, so few funds!!

Personal preference and all... I get what you are saying Narragansett. But I've found nothing carries better in the woods than my 3" N-frames. I have the same gun the OP has and have over 1K round thru it, with the same grips the OP has. I simply do what you do..., shoot her with svelte motorcycle gloves when I shoot full house factory Magnums. I shot 12 cylinders of Mags Saturday and 10 cylinders of Specials to break-in a new to me, pristine Mountain BackPacker 3" with the same grips the OP has that I swapped off of my 3" Talo; It was a hour and 15 minutes of bliss. My brother shot 10 cylinders full as well, same style gloves. Sunday morning the webbing of my hand was a little bit sore but no more than it is when deadlifting/exercising or weed-eating for a hour.

You'd be hard pressed to find anything that carries closer/concealable, more comfortable, hits to point of aim, and has the power to lay a 305grain hard cast "Keith" at 1,150fps into and thru a heavy pelted predator's shoulder. Now it's October, (my favorite month of the year in Appalachia), the rest of the year I out kayaking, fishing, hiking, I'm going to have those same aforementioned gloves on my hands.
Pic of my 3" Lew Horton Special and shooting gloves below.

Pic from Saturday breaking-in/assuring the Mountain BackPacker is "Woods-Gun" worthy.

The BackPacker liked Hornady's 225 grain LeverEvolution ammo the best oddly enough as it's made for carbines though I couldn't resist trying at least a cylinder full.

All targets shot with handguns @ 10 yards; all long guns at 25yards.

I thought that Hoopleheads must be some reference to a show....took the TV out of the house several years ago. Don't miss it. Thanks for the explanation Tom S .

What I call Hoopleheads= people that make comments with no thought or intelligence behind the comments. Usually negative in nature, telling you a hundred reasons why you cant do something, or why something will never work, usually blaming the government for most things, and add absolutely no value to any conversation.

I'm 71, and have arthritis in my thumbs. But I still get a rush from the .44 Magnum.

My 1978 S&W 29-2 with 6 1/2" barrel still has the original grips. But I just can't make myself take them off. But I only shoot it once a year.

When I want to bang some magnums down the range, I get my Ruger Redhawk 4" out. And I yell "God bless ugly rubber Hogues".

After seeing all that blood on your gun, I might wear gloves next time I shoot the 29-2. To protect it, not me.

You sir, are still a bad ***! Thanks for posting as you brought a huge smile to my face, no joke! Thank you!

Shoot 500 rounds of .44 Special loads through it, with a cylinder of .44 Mags every 50 or so rounds. That will "temper" you for the full load .44 Mag rounds.

If you load your own, make progressively hotter loads as you master the .44 Special!