So, I've got a 629 Mountain Gun that shoots great groups with moderate and heavy loads. That being said, it only takes a couple of cylinders to make my hand feel it. It came with the factory Hogue rubber grips and those came off quickly and were replaced with Ahrends finger groves. These didn't help with recoil either but they sure looked good. So, now I've got the Hogue X-Frame grips on there with the pad behind the back-strap but they still don't tame the full house loads very well. I'm convinced that it's these narrower grips that don't do anything for recoil and that I need wider grips that fill my hands better. My question is, do the original target grips help with felt recoil on .44s the weight of the Mountain Gun? I like traditional wood anyway and wonder about the original design as well as the Ahrend's Retro Target grips. Any advice is welcomed. Thanks!
.44 mag recoil with target grips
- Thread starter pdcrig
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There is no pain-free way to shoot a .44 Magnum revolver, but some grips are better than others.
Any grip that spreads the recoil over a larger area in your hand will tend to have less felt recoil. However anything that constrains your hand or thumb, like a ridge, may smack you around more than necessary, causing discomfort or blistering.
I prefer Ahrends grips over Hogue because they are wider across the back. The uncheckered wood slides just in your hand (especially compared to rubber) to reduce the felt recoil. Finger grooves and a two-handed stance make repositioning after firing unnecessary.
I prefer round-butt grips, because they seem to give more contact (and better concealment). I use a boot grips on a 3" barrel, which are no more or less hard on my hand than full-length grips, but with a little more twist due to reaction of a heavy bullet in rifling.
The ridge behind the trigger guard on Ahrends combat grips rubs on my middle finger under recoil, and has raised a blister after 10 rounds or so. It's much better after sanding it down a bit, and refinishing with tung oil.
Any grip that spreads the recoil over a larger area in your hand will tend to have less felt recoil. However anything that constrains your hand or thumb, like a ridge, may smack you around more than necessary, causing discomfort or blistering.
I prefer Ahrends grips over Hogue because they are wider across the back. The uncheckered wood slides just in your hand (especially compared to rubber) to reduce the felt recoil. Finger grooves and a two-handed stance make repositioning after firing unnecessary.
I prefer round-butt grips, because they seem to give more contact (and better concealment). I use a boot grips on a 3" barrel, which are no more or less hard on my hand than full-length grips, but with a little more twist due to reaction of a heavy bullet in rifling.
The ridge behind the trigger guard on Ahrends combat grips rubs on my middle finger under recoil, and has raised a blister after 10 rounds or so. It's much better after sanding it down a bit, and refinishing with tung oil.
AveragEd
Member
While factory target stocks do a poor job at fitting most people's hands, they do offer a wider back area to spread out the felt recoil somewhat. And the nicely figured ones sure are purty!
But I have to ask why you shoot that many full-house loads. Surely it isn't for target practice and no hunting season I've ever enjoyed has called for that many shots to be fired. I handload 240-grain lead semi-wadcutters over 10.0 grains of SR4756 for target shooting and that recipe shoots to the same 25-yard point of impact as the Hornady XTP 240-grain JHP factory load I use for hunting. I can't see readjusting my Dillon 650 to load the few rounds I need for hunting each year so I just use factory ammo.
I'm not being critical, just curious.
Ed
But I have to ask why you shoot that many full-house loads. Surely it isn't for target practice and no hunting season I've ever enjoyed has called for that many shots to be fired. I handload 240-grain lead semi-wadcutters over 10.0 grains of SR4756 for target shooting and that recipe shoots to the same 25-yard point of impact as the Hornady XTP 240-grain JHP factory load I use for hunting. I can't see readjusting my Dillon 650 to load the few rounds I need for hunting each year so I just use factory ammo.
I'm not being critical, just curious.
Ed
Alk8944
US Veteran
If the X-frame cushioned stocks aren't getting the job done there is nothing that will do better. The only way is to reduce recoil is to reduce velocity to reasonable levels by taking up re-loading! Getting below 1000 FPS is where .44 Magnum starts getting into the painful range, unless you are a masochist!
Thanks for the responses so far.
I realize I can't shoot a .44 pain free. I don't want to. I just want to lessen some of the felt recoil.
I'm shooting 240gr Sierra JHPs over 11grs of Unique. I haven't crono'd it yet but I'm guessing that's giving me about 1000fps.
I don't shoot but about 20 to 30 rounds of this before it gets uncomfortable.
I was just curious of the Targets work better than the Hogue as the look better and I'm kind of a traditionalist.
Anybody got a beater set I can borrow and try out?
I realize I can't shoot a .44 pain free. I don't want to. I just want to lessen some of the felt recoil.
I'm shooting 240gr Sierra JHPs over 11grs of Unique. I haven't crono'd it yet but I'm guessing that's giving me about 1000fps.
I don't shoot but about 20 to 30 rounds of this before it gets uncomfortable.
I was just curious of the Targets work better than the Hogue as the look better and I'm kind of a traditionalist.
Anybody got a beater set I can borrow and try out?
Try some cast lead bullets and back it down to 9-10 gr of unique.Theres no point in pounding your joints,it will come back to haunt you later.
3rdgeargrndrr
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if you reload, there are many options to go with a lighter recoiling/ load.
or just make a switch to 44sp which is much more pleasant.
I understand the power junkie formula as well but it generally leads to poor fundamentals if youre feeling pain after a cylinder or two.
you can try shooting off a rest, getting a longer barreled gun or use gloves.
I wasnt aware the xframe grips fit an N frame, they fit K and L AFAIK
or just make a switch to 44sp which is much more pleasant.
I understand the power junkie formula as well but it generally leads to poor fundamentals if youre feeling pain after a cylinder or two.
you can try shooting off a rest, getting a longer barreled gun or use gloves.
I wasnt aware the xframe grips fit an N frame, they fit K and L AFAIK
samnev
Member
Thanks for the responses so far.
I realize I can't shoot a .44 pain free. I don't want to. I just want to lessen some of the felt recoil.
I'm shooting 240gr Sierra JHPs over 11grs of Unique. I haven't crono'd it yet but I'm guessing that's giving me about 1000fps.
I don't shoot but about 20 to 30 rounds of this before it gets uncomfortable.
I was just curious of the Targets work better than the Hogue as the look better and I'm kind of a traditionalist.
Anybody got a beater set I can borrow and try out?
That's the same load I shot in my 29-2 but with hard cast lead bullets. I've got target grips on mine and have no problem shooting 100 or so rounds.
oger
Member
I have found the original grips to be the best for the Mountain gun. You might try a std 629 4in it is easier on you because of the heavier barrel.
The Mountain Gun is a relatively light weight revolver and will probably never be comfortable with real magnum loads. As recommended, I experiment with loads in the 1000fps range or less for general target shooting.
Other than that, you might want to consider a beefier gun like the 629.
Other than that, you might want to consider a beefier gun like the 629.
shooter1911
Member
Thanks for the responses so far.
I realize I can't shoot a .44 pain free. I don't want to. I just want to lessen some of the felt recoil.
I'm shooting 240gr Sierra JHPs over 11grs of Unique. I haven't crono'd it yet but I'm guessing that's giving me about 1000fps.
I don't shoot but about 20 to 30 rounds of this before it gets uncomfortable.
I was just curious of the Targets work better than the Hogue as the look better and I'm kind of a traditionalist.
Anybody got a beater set I can borrow and try out?
I've tried several grips on my 629-5 Mountain Gun, and have settled on the Pachmayr Decelerators. They do not remove pain, but they fit my hand better than the larger grips. I tried the X grip which I really liked, but my fingers are too short to shoot double action with these grips. I have standardized on a 250gr Hard Cast Keith bullet over a healthy dose of Unique for about 1,000FPS in 44 Special brass, or the same bullet over an almost max load of 296/H110 in magnum brass. There is no way I can comfortably shoot 20-30 rounds of either of these loads without wearing gloves.
My recommendation to you is to get a pair of shooting gloves for your practice sessions. They will make all the difference in the world. Then you can concentrate on finding the most comfortable grip for your hand and not worry about pain.
Vanilla Gorilla
Member
Everybody's hands are different, but I found the recoil to be best managed with a set of Kuracs smooth target grips. They worked well for the Keith loads I shot out of my 629, which are some fairly stout loads.
