.44 magnum and the 29-3

[Erocksmash]

Howdy,

I would like to know what is the maximum allowable cartridge/grain of bullet (please forgive my vernacular) FACTORY AMMO, (I do not reload!) that can be shot before significant wear starts to show on a 29-3 6inch .44 magnum, is there any one round that is best suited or the most consistent out of the above platform???

Sorry as I know some about .357, but nothing about. 44mag

Would be used for woods walk/hunting(Deer) out west, target shooting...


Thanks
Erik

 

[29aholic]

I have shot 300gr bullets out of mine, but I reload. Check with Buffalo Bore. There will be loads you can shoot through anything, then there will be Ruger/TC specific loads

 

[Erocksmash]

I have shot 300gr bullets out of mine, but I reload. Check with Buffalo Bore. There will be loads you can shoot through anything, then there will be Ruger/TC specific loads

I know some loads are ruger spfic.... I'll have to look and see... haven't had good luck with BB 180gr hard cast, little under half a box of FTF...

 

[Pisgah]

I have never gotten the best results with the lightweight 180 gr. bullets or the heavyweight 300's. Although your results may vary, I have always gotten the most satisfaction out of the more-or-less-standard 240 gr. loads, both jacketed and cast.

 

[M29since14]

In the older S&W .44s I generally stick with 240-250 gr loads that have a muzzle velocity close to 1200 FPS. If the gun is kept clean, you can shoot those regularly and, in my experience, shouldn’t need a tuneup until after 2500 rounds or so. Every gun is different. In the -3 and earlier guns, my experience is that bullets heavier than 250 are likely to cause problems. Too much of a good thing.

 

[cowboy4evr]

Remember , your gun does not have the endurance pkg so use some common sense . 300 grs bulllets is not a good idea . I would keep it to std weights , 240-250 gr cast / plated / jacketed etc . Factory ammo is not as hot as the past , but it's still pretty warm . I would not shoot a steady diet of full magnum factory loads . Since you don't reload I would check with Georgia-arms for 44 magnum mid range ammo using the std 240 gr bullet . I personally have never been a fan of light weight bullets , nothing lighter than 215gr in the 44 mag . Elmer Keith did not just shoot magnum loads . In fact he shot his magnum load very very sparingly . His everyday , carry load ( the one he shot the most ) was a mid range load approximately 1000 fps using his 245gr swc . Regards, Paul

 

[stansdds]

Treat the Model 29-3 the same as you would a 29-2 or earlier Model 29. None of these revolvers have the endurance package that S&W began to phase in with the Model 29-3E. I would limit bullet weight to nothing heavier than 250 grains. Factory loads with 240 grain bullets should be just fine, although hot loads such as Buffalo Bore's 44 Magnum +P Deer Grenade should be avoided.

The suggestion of shooting reduced power loads is a good suggestion as the S&W Model 29's without the full underlug barrel are light weight revolvers. Extensive shooting of full power magnum loads in these revolvers is not just hard on the revolver, it is hard on the shooter's hands as well.

 

[crazyphil]

Buffalo Bore's 4E Low Recoil .44 Magnum is 255-Gr. with a Keith style
bullet. I use them in my S&W 29-3. I use Federal's 300-Gr. Flat Point
in my New Model Super Blackhawk .44 Magnum.

 

[Erocksmash]

Okok thanks guys, so .44 special and standard 240gr...

If anybody could speculate.... what's the round count before these come apart ?

 

[cowboy4evr]

Well , it won't come apart but it will loosen up quite a bit , excessive amount of end shake and a lot of gap between the barrel and the cylinder are the usual symptoms . Brian Pierce in Handloader magazine did a great article about the Smith 29's and the update endurance pkg . You can find it on line . Regards, Paul

 

[rockquarry]

Okok thanks guys, so .44 special and standard 240gr...

If anybody could speculate.... what's the round count before these come apart ?

No one can answer that question. Any estimate would be a guess and not a particularly accurate guess. Depending on your level of seriousness, get several boxes of name brand ammo in the approximate 240 grain- range and shoot groups with them at 25 yards benchrested. Go with the most accurate. Gun wear with all of these will be comparable.

Hollowpoints if you want them for some reason, but I'd stay away from bullets under 200 grains or over 250 - not really much need for any of these unless you try them in with your ammo mix and one proves to be incredibly accurate; but I doubt you'll run into that.

Consider .44 Special as well; often pretty accurate and far more comfortable to shoot than any .44 Magnum round. I shot .44 Magnum in a number of revolvers for decades, up until a few years ago. .44 Special is plenty of cartridge nowadays and easier on me and the gun.

 

[mod29]

...Sorry as I know some about .357, but nothing about. 44mag
Would be used for woods walk/hunting(Deer) out west, target shooting...

You've been given good advice in my opinion, to shoot standard-weight 240-gr ammo in that gun.

For factory .44 Magnum ammo I generally carry and shoot Winchester white box 240-gr JSP. Those have plenty of power for hunting.
It's also been completely reliable for me and quite accurate. It is also reasonably priced and is sold in boxes of 50 rounds each.

Even with that ammo I would limit the amount I shot out of a 29-3.
The gun can handle it to a point, but personally I would use that primarily as woods-walking ammo and just occasional target shooting.

Since you don't reload, buy .44 Specials for extended target shooting. They're accurate and much easier on the shooter and the gun

For my older model 29-2s I reload magnum brass with 240-gr bullets and push them well under magnum velocities.