How do you actually enjoy a Magnum caliber revolver?

I second the remark about revolver mass. I would much rather shoot my 6 inch Anaconda with a 255 grain Lyman 429421 going 1475, than my M69 shoving a 240 at 1100.

I have 172 grain Lyman SWCs going nearly 1400 in my old 6 inch 686. It’s surprising how mild the recoil is with that combo. But a six inch 686 is a big heavy gun.

9M seem like pop guns. There again, heavy guns, tho.
I have no delusions of grandure . Time will take its tole on me, just like everyone else. But for now, I’m going to enjoy the 357 and 44M.
 
CCI used to sell a lovely medium velocity Blazer 240 gr LSWC @ 1,000 fps (IIRC) .44 Mag load for $14 a box! Between .44 Special and .44 Mag in power and recoil.
My teenage daughter preferred the more common 240gr @ 1180 fps stuff. In her words, "you knew something happened when you pulled the trigger!"
Hot 300gr loads made me appreciate the soft Hogue Monogrip.
 
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I have medium size hands full of arthritis which has decreased my grip strength so I stopped shooting and sold my 44 magnum revolver, 6" Super Blackhawk, because even with a set of Hogue grips it became too difficult and uncomfortable to hold on to and replaced it with a 4" S&W 586-8 which was uncomfortable to shoot at first because the factory grips slipped in my hands but after replacing them with a set of Hogue grips like those I had on the Ruger I'm able to hang on to it much better and it's quite comfortable to shoot even with full power loads.
My last revolver day at the range I put 100 rounds through it along with a 100 round through my 45acp Colt 1917 service revolver and another 100 rounds through my 38spl S&W model 10-10.
My hands were hurting by the time I was done but no more than they were after using my Dillon Square D press to load up the 300 rounds I used that day.
So if magnums are uncomfortable to shoot for whatever reason just drop down to whatever caliber is comfortable to shoot and practice, practice, practice. ;)
 
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I used to load for and shoot my share of .41 and .44 Magnum, but truth be told they were always a handful. The I got a Freedom Arms .454, and learned what handgun recoil really was. No more! The .357 and 10mm are the hardest recoiling revolvers I shoot now days. Mass maters. Recoil with my 4" 686 Mountain Gun (34.7 oz.) is noticeably more harsh than the same ammo in my standard 4" 686 (39 oz.). No, I don't enjoy Magnum recoil, if I ever did;)
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I like to shoot medium and large frame revolvers. My experience mirrors that of others. Weight, the grip itself on heavier calibers or lighter guns, and the grip design make a difference.

  • I do prefer hogue grips on anything 44 magnum or heavier.
  • For 357s, it's more about overall grip size. I find the rubber hogue grips tend to be larger than wood ones, and they fit my hands better in many cases.
  • I'm also not a fan of the older Ruger Super Blackhawk grip design. My hands just don't position properly on my older 44 mag variant. It's never fun to shoot. I haven't tried the newer variants too see if the extra hand space makes a difference.
I like to primarily shoot full power 357 loads. With my guns, and my recoil tolerance, it's a real joy. Very soft shooting guns when going with my 686+, GP100, or my TRR8. My Ruger Super Redhawks, 7.5" 44 mag and 5" 454 Casull, are fun guns to shoot as well. Although, I don't shoot nearly as many rounds through them as with the 357s.

The 454 has enough oomph where I know it's the caliber to stop with for me.
 
maxxer2 said:
I tried 357 Magnum and didn't enjoy it. I also tried 44 Magnum and didn't enjoy it either. I had some fascination with 41 Mag and was seriously thinking about getting a 6" model 57 but luckily I tried out a 6" 629 and realized that I totally didn't enjoy 44 Magnum so I canceled my order of model 57 because I read that recoil for 41 Mag is not much better than 44 Mag. I have read some quoted no difference at all (.410 vs .429) whereas others claim about 15% less recoil which is just not quantifiable mentally.

So my question is how do people enjoy those Magnum revolvers? I know shooting 44 special is way more comfortable in a 44 Magnum revolver (same with 38 out of 357) but it just feels weird to buy a heavy revolver and only shoot the other cartridge. I know if I reload, I can download the load but that also means that shooting factory magnum is just not fun? I mean there are people who seem to enjoy those guns/calibers but how?

I know that even shooting 44 special out of my Bulldog can be hard in my hand (I've replaced factory grip with Pachmayr and Hogue and they help a little) but shooting 10mm out of S&W 610 is actually fun.

I'm torn between getting possibly a 586 L-Comp (supposedly better recoil?) or a 57 but I'm just worried I won't enjoy either? I guess I can "man" it up? Note that I'm a 6' guy but the bulk of the felt recoil is in my right hand so my height or weight doesn't help.
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OK, let's face reality here. Heavy recoil is not fun, and despite the grin and bear it of some macho types as soon as they are out of sight of others they try to shake off the effects of recoil. Magnum revolvers are designed as work weapons, not fun things to take to the range and shoot a box of 50 for practice. My dad, a state police officer purchased a S&W model 19 and with tacit approval from the higher up carried it as his duty firearm. Early on, he decided that full blown 357 magnums were not something to take to the range for practice. Standard 38 special ball and target ammo were for the range, a few full 357s to check the zero and then carry on duty. Although he personally never had to use his firearm on duty, others did. They all followed using the 38 special and 38 target loads for practice but carried full 357 mag loads on duty. One of the officers he served with was in fact involved in a shooting incident in the Chicago area. When asked how the 357 recoil affected his shooting, his comment was, "I never noticed the recoil."

For those of you that carry 357 and 44 mags or better for self protection, there is a very good chance that when you are staring at that big ole Grizz charging you that recoil is the last thing on your mind and everything reverts to the fundamentals you practiced on the range with target ammo.

For you hunters out there shooting heavy rifle cartridges, while the recoil pounded you on the range, out in the woods with a deer, elk, moose or bear in the crosshairs, did you even feel the recoil?
 
A full size 10mm pistol can offer .357 Mag ballistics with less shock for recoil sensitive shooters.
Light, almost .40 S&W level loads are common and feel similar to a Govt. 1911 in .45 ACP. It does, however, take a bit of research to source full power 10mm stuff unfortunately.
 
I too am attempting to become a “ big-bore- boy”. Here’s the result of my first 30 rounds of 240g Federal mag loads at 1200 fps with a 629 with a 2.6 inch barrel and the factory secret service-style skinny grips.

I’ll nurse my injury while waiting for fatter boot grips to arrive in the mail. Lol.

Will be shooting specials for a bit while getting used to the recoil and finding out what works for me, and what doesn’t. I had to go through the same process when I bought my first Scandium .357 Mag. I was SHOCKED the first time I put mags through it. Holy Moly!

I don’t know if I can actually enjoy .44 mag yet. Hot BB specials seem to be the most I can shoot and actually hit anything outside of 15 yards.

IMG_2886.jpeg
 
Come to it naturally. It’s been said in ways but when you reload your own you may find that you eventually climb the ladder. Going straight to the heavy weights before building strength isn’t the most constructive route.

The opposite can also happen, you build up or exceed factory magnum loads only to eventually go back down to the parent case or light loads.

I’m not an authority on this but it has been working for me. I got “bored” of 357 loads so I’m back into 38sp +p focusing on group size and distance. When that hits a plateau I’ll probably want to climb again to magnums.
 
FivePews said:
I too am attempting to become a “ big-bore- boy”. Here’s the result of my first 30 rounds of 240g Federal mag loads at 1200 fps with a 629 with a 2.6 inch barrel and the factory secret service-style skinny grips.

I’ll nurse my injury while waiting for fatter boot grips to arrive in the mail. Lol.

Will be shooting specials for a bit while getting used to the recoil and finding out what works for me, and what doesn’t. I had to go through the same process when I bought my first Scandium .357 Mag. I was SHOCKED the first time I put mags through it. Holy Moly!

I don’t know if I can actually enjoy .44 mag yet. Hot BB specials seem to be the most I can shoot and actually hit anything outside of 15 yards.

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That's pretty much where I get nailed when shooting full-power .44 Magnum out of a 629 5" Classic. The joint at the thumb base takes a beating. No wounds, just pain. I've tried different stocks but haven't found the "magic" combination yet. When the pain gets too uncomfortable,, I stop. When fatigue sets in, I stop. I can do maybe 25-30 rounds. I'm on the hunt for a pair of gloves. It's too bad PAST is defunct. The Remington 180 grain superblasters are fun until the joint pain gets bad. Then, out comes the Model 34!
 
I cast lead bullets and reload ammo to the power levels I enjoy . Not only good for 38 spcl / 357 mag. but very handy for the 41 Special / 41 magnum ... you can't buy 41 Special ammo easily .
Reloading allow's me to adjust my ammo from Light - poder-puff loads to Heavy - rock'em - Sock'em hunting loads .
Then it's out to the range / woods to enjoy the Fruit's of My Labor . I do the same thing with both Handguns and Rifles !
Reloading is a Cool Hobby !
Gary
 
My Ruger Blackhawk in .44 mag isn’t pleasant unless gripped much more tightly than normal. Then it’s tolerable but 24 rounds is tops in one session. I’ve shot my buddies Model 29 and it’s admittedly a little more tolerable recoil but the grips are a better design.
Whereas I can shoot my Colt SAA and Ruger Vaquero in .45 Colt all day long and never suffer from the recoil. Those .44 mags are tough on older gentleman…
 
I bought a S&W model 69 because I felt like my modest collection needed a .44 Mag. I shot it, in both mag. and spl. and I did not enjoy it at all. I will shoot a Mosin carbine all day, 30.06 doesn't bother me, .357 mag. doesn't bother me, but that LW .44 mag. was absurd. It was one of those guns that I traded off and smiled all day about it. As far as I am concerned, shooting the large bore magnums is like eating the hottest pepper you can find, it might make you appear to be tough, but you have to ask yourself, "Is the pain worth it? Well is it punk? (Sorry Harry)
 
maxxer2 said:
I tried 357 Magnum and didn't enjoy it. I also tried 44 Magnum and didn't enjoy it either. I had some fascination with 41 Mag and was seriously thinking about getting a 6" model 57 but luckily I tried out a 6" 629 and realized that I totally didn't enjoy 44 Magnum so I canceled my order of model 57 because I read that recoil for 41 Mag is not much better than 44 Mag. I have read some quoted no difference at all (.410 vs .429) whereas others claim about 15% less recoil which is just not quantifiable mentally.

So my question is how do people enjoy those Magnum revolvers? I know shooting 44 special is way more comfortable in a 44 Magnum revolver (same with 38 out of 357) but it just feels weird to buy a heavy revolver and only shoot the other cartridge. I know if I reload, I can download the load but that also means that shooting factory magnum is just not fun? I mean there are people who seem to enjoy those guns/calibers but how?

I know that even shooting 44 special out of my Bulldog can be hard in my hand (I've replaced factory grip with Pachmayr and Hogue and they help a little) but shooting 10mm out of S&W 610 is actually fun.

I'm torn between getting possibly a 586 L-Comp (supposedly better recoil?) or a 57 but I'm just worried I won't enjoy either? I guess I can "man" it up? Note that I'm a 6' guy but the bulk of the felt recoil is in my right hand so my height or weight doesn't help.
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My EDC is a model 640 PRO Series. I carry it loaded with factory .357 110 g JHPs. I'm 74 and the recoil doesn't bother me, and I can hit what I shoot at. Now, I have fired 158g .357 rounds through it and that is a long way from fun. I have smooth banana grip on it. Back in the mid 70's I shot a lot on factory loaded 44 mag rounds through a M29 6½" and checkered grips tore up my hands. so just about every gun I shot has smooth grips. I will admit with the 640, my time back on target with .357 rounds is twice that with .38 special rounds. I tried some .357 rounds marked reduced recoil. THEY LIED!!! As long as I can hit a man center mass at 15' or so, I'm loaded with .357 rounds.
 
If you are young and inexperienced you want all the recoil you can get. Later in life you learn that a gun is a machine and the more wear and tear you put on it the sooner it needs repaired or replaced and recoil is not as pleasant when you are older. Does a piece of paper (a target) or even a live Deer know the difference between a bullet traveling at full velocity or lower velocity? Dead is dead not deader.

Yes a few handguns like the Ruger Super Redhawk will last longer than other handguns but even they wear out or need repaired eventually if only hot loads are shot out of them.

I am quite happy to shoot .38's out of my .357's and reduced loads out of my .41 Mag and 44 specials out of my 44 mag's. Using less powder means less money spent, less recoil, and usually better accuracy because of way less recoil.
 
I used to shoot a lot of 44 mag and hot 45 colt loads when i was younger. Hunted deer with a handgun thpught i needed the hottest load i could cram in. Practiced a lot. Then as i got in my mid 40's my buddy and i toned things down. More plesant to shoot. Kills deer the same.
 
Federal 158 grain .357 Mag HP’s are my favorite handgun self-defense round. It’s what is in my L & K frame revolvers for home protection. I rarely shoot them; I mostly shoot .38’s at the range. 357 Mag recoil isn’t a problem with my L & K frames, its just that they were expensive to shoot prior to taking up reloading. I still don’t reload many and I use factory ammo for any firearm serving as self defense.

I’ve owned many L, K and N frames in .357. I don’t notice much difference in the recoil between any of them.

When I was a cop, we still had revolvers. So, I really like them. But I don’t carry them, I carry M&P’s in .40S&W. I carry a Shield, Compact, or Full size, depending on how I’m dressed and where I’m going. I just don’t have any reason to carry a revolver or a 1911 anymore.
 
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