First Range Session With New 629 Stealth Hunter
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michaelnel
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Thanks Nick. I had done my homework and ordered them from the SW store a few days ago. I got an order ack, but no tracking and nothing has shown up.
I guess I'm not dealing with Amazon here. ;-)
I guess I'm not dealing with Amazon here. ;-)
Yah, I'm not sure why S&W hasn't cut the 629s for 1913 spec rail slots as they are doing on the 686 Competitors. Lots more flexibility in mounting optics than the three slot deal that's been used since the early '90s.
But that Aimpoint is teeny compared to what's on this foul weather deer hunting Stealth:
But it's spent most of it's time wearing only the iron sights.
But that Aimpoint is teeny compared to what's on this foul weather deer hunting Stealth:
But it's spent most of it's time wearing only the iron sights.
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michaelnel
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Does having all that extra mass out there on the barrel have any effect you can notice, ie: maybe less recoil, less muzzle flip?
Holds steadier for me. Recoil certainly isn't a problem with these heavy-weight .44 Magnums! And that's coming from someone who doesn't like getting beat up. With good hearing protection some of the .44 PCs get very long range sessions at 50 and 100 yards.
As far as muzzle flip goes, it's there, but not objectionable. At least for target and hunting purposes. Not ideal if you are doing double taps, but far better than a standard 4 or 6" .44.
Can't say that the porting makes any difference at all.
Not ported but with weights.
You'd think the sight would make a huge difference, but these two fairly similar revolvers have only about 7oz difference in muzzle weight:
1 lb. 15 oz.
1 lb. 8 oz. (8.6oz. actually, but that's probably not repeatable.)
Not hugely scientific, just a curiousity check done some months back.
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michaelnel
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I did load testing with mine last weekend using my Ransom Rest. I think I am kind of hard to please because of the tack driver accuracy of my Les Baer 1911. The Stealth Hunter shot some terrific groups (best was about 5/8" for five rounds at 25 yards).
Problem was, the Stealth Hunter or something about our setup was not right in spite of our going over everything carefully several times. But although we had several sub-1" groups, nothing except one load we tested was very consistent, some loads had lots of gross fliers.
The best load was with 18 grains of N105 under a Hornady 200 grain XTP, CCI 300 primers, PMC brass, chronoed at about 1400 FPS.
The absolute worst powder we tested was Alliant Power Pro 300MP, which is a pretty new powder supposedly designed for magnum revolvers. It is so fluffy that it fills the case right on up. Tested 27, 28, and 29 grains of that stuff and had fliers sometimes of 10-12". Worst performance I have personally witnessed on the Ransom Rest with any gun we have tested. Nasty stuff. I think it will make good fertilizer though.
We also had great fun shooting at 100 yards, both paper and steel targets (an MGM 4 paddle dueling tree of AR500 steel plate). After we got the Aimpoint sighted in, we could hit those 6" plates probably 90% of the time. We were shooting from a crappy plastic Caldwell WobbleRest.
I am REALLY liking this gun. I got a set of the S&W 500 grips for it, and I am at the point where I don't feel the need for them. I am comfortably shooting hot loads with it using some nice Hogue cocobolo Monogrips. And they sure LOOK purty!
The 500 grip is really designed for the X frame, and this Stealth Hunter is an N frame. They fit (kinda), but after firing a couple rounds it develops a pretty good gap between the top of the backstrap/frame and the rubber. The frames are enough different I think that the grip doesn't really fit correctly. I did note when I ordered it that 629s and 29s are not on the list of guns they are supposed to fit anyway, so I'm not all that surprised they don't fit right.
They do add some girth that I liked (I have kind of large hands), but I am liking the smooth wood more, so the woodies are staying on it for the near future.
My buddy and I also did some gunsmithing on it. We followed JM's Trigger Job video and that really helped. We also used a Power Customs stoning jig with the adapter for the K/L/N frames. Makes it easy to keep the angles straight and square.
Before the work we did, my DA pull was about 12lbs, and rough on both pull and return. After the work, it is 8.5lbs and very smooth. Way easier to keep the sights aligned during the long DA pull.
The SA pull stock (Lyman Digital) was about 3.8lbs. Not bad, but I wouldn't mind it being lighter as long as it's still reliable. To that end I installed the Wolff spring kit with a lighter mainspring and a selection of 3 lighter return springs. I installed the lightest of the return springs.
After all the surface smoothing work we did and the spring kit, single action is consistently 2lbs 8oz, very very nice. I also adjusted the mainspring tensioner screw so it was bottomed out and then backed off 1 1/2 turns. That resulted in about a 7 1/2lb DA pull. Felt great but lots of failure to fire both factory and my handloads. So we tightened it a bit more and measured 8 1/2lbs, now it is 100% reliable for about 400 rounds fired since the adjustment. I pulled the screw back out and put a drop of Loctite 242 on it and screwed it back in to the same 8 1/2lb pull.
Fortunately the monogrip is so easy to put on and take off, and it clears the little bit the tension screw is protruding above the frame without interference.
It did not appear as if any gunsmith who cared about his craft had ever touched the inside of the Stealth Hunter. It was pretty sloppily done. I think they just get it where the SA pull is between 3.5 and 4.5lbs and ship it. Every surface that should be smooth was pitted and / or rough with machining marks left over. Engagement surfaces that should have been rectangular/square were trapezoidal, and the gun was completely dry with no evidence of lubrication when we first opened it. Really kind of shoddy workmanship considering they pass these Performance Center guns off at high prices because they have supposedly been breathed on by S&W's Master Gunsmiths. What a joke.
Problem was, the Stealth Hunter or something about our setup was not right in spite of our going over everything carefully several times. But although we had several sub-1" groups, nothing except one load we tested was very consistent, some loads had lots of gross fliers.
The best load was with 18 grains of N105 under a Hornady 200 grain XTP, CCI 300 primers, PMC brass, chronoed at about 1400 FPS.
The absolute worst powder we tested was Alliant Power Pro 300MP, which is a pretty new powder supposedly designed for magnum revolvers. It is so fluffy that it fills the case right on up. Tested 27, 28, and 29 grains of that stuff and had fliers sometimes of 10-12". Worst performance I have personally witnessed on the Ransom Rest with any gun we have tested. Nasty stuff. I think it will make good fertilizer though.
We also had great fun shooting at 100 yards, both paper and steel targets (an MGM 4 paddle dueling tree of AR500 steel plate). After we got the Aimpoint sighted in, we could hit those 6" plates probably 90% of the time. We were shooting from a crappy plastic Caldwell WobbleRest.
I am REALLY liking this gun. I got a set of the S&W 500 grips for it, and I am at the point where I don't feel the need for them. I am comfortably shooting hot loads with it using some nice Hogue cocobolo Monogrips. And they sure LOOK purty!
The 500 grip is really designed for the X frame, and this Stealth Hunter is an N frame. They fit (kinda), but after firing a couple rounds it develops a pretty good gap between the top of the backstrap/frame and the rubber. The frames are enough different I think that the grip doesn't really fit correctly. I did note when I ordered it that 629s and 29s are not on the list of guns they are supposed to fit anyway, so I'm not all that surprised they don't fit right.
They do add some girth that I liked (I have kind of large hands), but I am liking the smooth wood more, so the woodies are staying on it for the near future.
My buddy and I also did some gunsmithing on it. We followed JM's Trigger Job video and that really helped. We also used a Power Customs stoning jig with the adapter for the K/L/N frames. Makes it easy to keep the angles straight and square.
Before the work we did, my DA pull was about 12lbs, and rough on both pull and return. After the work, it is 8.5lbs and very smooth. Way easier to keep the sights aligned during the long DA pull.
The SA pull stock (Lyman Digital) was about 3.8lbs. Not bad, but I wouldn't mind it being lighter as long as it's still reliable. To that end I installed the Wolff spring kit with a lighter mainspring and a selection of 3 lighter return springs. I installed the lightest of the return springs.
After all the surface smoothing work we did and the spring kit, single action is consistently 2lbs 8oz, very very nice. I also adjusted the mainspring tensioner screw so it was bottomed out and then backed off 1 1/2 turns. That resulted in about a 7 1/2lb DA pull. Felt great but lots of failure to fire both factory and my handloads. So we tightened it a bit more and measured 8 1/2lbs, now it is 100% reliable for about 400 rounds fired since the adjustment. I pulled the screw back out and put a drop of Loctite 242 on it and screwed it back in to the same 8 1/2lb pull.
Fortunately the monogrip is so easy to put on and take off, and it clears the little bit the tension screw is protruding above the frame without interference.
It did not appear as if any gunsmith who cared about his craft had ever touched the inside of the Stealth Hunter. It was pretty sloppily done. I think they just get it where the SA pull is between 3.5 and 4.5lbs and ship it. Every surface that should be smooth was pitted and / or rough with machining marks left over. Engagement surfaces that should have been rectangular/square were trapezoidal, and the gun was completely dry with no evidence of lubrication when we first opened it. Really kind of shoddy workmanship considering they pass these Performance Center guns off at high prices because they have supposedly been breathed on by S&W's Master Gunsmiths. What a joke.
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michaelnel
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I gave mine to a guy at the range.
Caldwell does have a few nice rests.. For handgun shooting off a bench l use Caldwell's Rock front rifle rest and a leather bag under the butt...l learned the 'HARD' way long ago not to use a rabbit ear leather bag for shooting a revolver benched... Those hot cyl gap gasses will open a leather bag pretti quick.. Ever tried to clean glass beads out of a Model 29 ??
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michaelnel
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I don't use the Aimpoint very often, so have not gotten a holster that accepts it.
I have the same gun in the Birdsong finish like Jaymoore posted. I bought it from a guy walking around a small local gun show. At the time he didn't know much about it and neither did I. As a result I beat him up horribly on the price and it came home with me for $630. Shortly there after Midway had Aimpoint 9000SCs in camo on sale for a mere $225 so I grabbed one and bolted it on. What a combo! I don't name my vehicles or guns but after the first trip to the range I named this combo Big Ugly. I load a 240gr. Keith over 7.5gr. Of Tightgroup and it's not too much effort to shoot an 1 1/2" group off hand at 20 yards. I love my old Smiths and think it's impossible to beat the beauty of a p&r high polished blue revolver but these "new" guns really shoot. Just for reference every one of these Performance Center guns I've measured have .4285 cylinder throats.
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I have done some nice groups with mine too. These three were shot off hand, iron sights, 7 yards.
The green dots on the target are 1" in diameter and these are all six shot groups. I think these were factory PMC 180 grain JSP @ 1750 FPS.
The green dots on the target are 1" in diameter and these are all six shot groups. I think these were factory PMC 180 grain JSP @ 1750 FPS.
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michaelnel
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I received them. They don't really fit the N frame correctly (and S&W does not claim they do). They mount OK, but after firing a few rounds the area around the top of the backstrap has pulled away about 1/8". I think the X frames must be bigger in that area. Still works OK but looks lousy.
I have actually switched over to Hogue Cocobolo wood Monogrips. They are smooth, fit my hand great, and I don't notice any lack of control or worse punishment using the wood grips, and they look really great.
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Here it is with a Bushnell Elite 3200 2-6x 32mm scope mounted. I bought this scope for a Ruger Bisley Hunter Super Blackhawk I have on order but decided to try it out on this gun. Should be fun!
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michaelnel
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We tested out the scope yesterday. Fired about 300 rounds. Once we got it zeroed in, we were able to nail 1 pint water bottles (full) about 95% of the time from 100 yards, shooting from sandbags. We were shooting a phenomenally accurate load that my gun really likes, Starline brass, CCI300 primers, 23 grains of 2400 under a 200gr Speer Gold Dot JHP.
Unfortunately, the blast from the Manaports marked up the underside of the front bell a lot, and I can't remove the deposits with Hoppe's, although the Hoppe's did manage to remove the gold lettering on the underside.
I don't think I will use this scope on this gun any more, the blast from the Magnaports is going to tear it up. I bought it to use on a non-ported Ruger Bisley Hunter, and it will fare better there. We did determine though that at 100 yards, 2X magnification seemed great, 4X and 6X were too hard to hold steady, and we actually shot consistently better at 2X. I probably should have bought a 2X fixed for what I want to use it for (100 yards of less, target and fun shooting, not hunting).
I'll continue using the Aimpoint on this gun.
Unfortunately, the blast from the Manaports marked up the underside of the front bell a lot, and I can't remove the deposits with Hoppe's, although the Hoppe's did manage to remove the gold lettering on the underside.
I don't think I will use this scope on this gun any more, the blast from the Magnaports is going to tear it up. I bought it to use on a non-ported Ruger Bisley Hunter, and it will fare better there. We did determine though that at 100 yards, 2X magnification seemed great, 4X and 6X were too hard to hold steady, and we actually shot consistently better at 2X. I probably should have bought a 2X fixed for what I want to use it for (100 yards of less, target and fun shooting, not hunting).
I'll continue using the Aimpoint on this gun.
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