Gotta get some .44 special!! Took the 629 3" to the range and .....

[SIGWolf]

... left my right wrist on the shooting bench. It's a newly acquired 629-5 Lew Horton, product code 103658, dated around 2000. So, it was at the end of the 1997 to 2000 run for these guns. It came with rosewood combats, which I replaced with the Hogues. I''m wondering if some Packmayr Decelerator grips would tame the recoil a bit with the magnums.

I was shooting American Eagle JHP .44 magnum. The first couple of cylinders were brutal. I switched to some Blazer JHP .44 magnum in the steel or aluminum casing and they seemed not to be loaded as hot.

On the plus side, it was wicked accurate at the 7 yard bench, even with the brutality of the recoil. It does wake up the other shooters and earned some "thumbs up" for bad assness!

 

[Vulcan Bob]

Yup, those short barrel .44 Mag's sure are a handful are they not! I think I gave myself a case of the flinch's last week by firing 100 rounds of full house loads out of my four inch 29 to get some empty cases to reload some of my new home cast bullets. It is amazing how much difference another two inch's can change things. Normally I only shoot a hot .44 Special out of the shorty's and leave the full house stuff for the longer barrel's. Enjoy that hand cannon!

 

[M29since14]

I don't care for Hogues at all so naturally I would say give the Pachmayrs a try. I haven't used the Decelerator versions but I do use the standard type (Presentations) and they are much better than Hogues for me.

But you're right. In that gun you may as well shoot .44 Specials and be done with it - or at least drop back to the Blazer 200-gr. JHP load, which is not too unpleasant.

 

[jaymoore]

I think the 180gr .44 Mag loads are worse than the 240gn. Can't tell much difference between the 3" and 4" versions, though. But I'm like Vulcan Bob in that much of the factory fodder is (or was!) used to generate brass for doing loads tailored for the occasion. IHMSA, bullseye, hunting, etc.

 

[Nightowl]

You might try the Hogue grips for the .500. Shooting single action, they really tame recoil. They are too big for shooting double action in my short fingers.

 

[GJS]

I have the 3 inch that is magnaported. Shoots lite mags OK but 44 Specials are much more enjoyable. I happen to load my own and 8 grains of Unique with 240LSWCs in the magnum are a real nice trade off. Great gun.

 

[Snapping Twig]

IMO, it's all about the grips.

Grips that fit right.

Here's mine. It's Mag-Na-Ported (my choice) and has Hogues.

I shoot a 265g cast over 22g W296, and that's a handfull, but it's no obstacle and while I find them stout, they are not harsh or debilitating.

Could be the porting, could be the grip, could even be the combination, but in any event, you can harness the recoil and work your way into a comfortable situation.

 

[mcnee229]

Grips definitely change the way it shoots. My 5" classic wears Ahrends tactical square w/ grooves or retro combats and it got my hand positioned so it doesn't hurt to shoot. The rubber ones that came with it had it recoiling and trying to bend my wrist in ways it didn't want to go, the Ahrends which don't cover the back strap rotated my hand around a bit.

Buffalo Bore .44 Rem Mag +P still aren't pleasant to shoot, but its not debilitating. Factory magnum loads are just fine.

Scott

 

[STCM(SW)]

And now you know why I like the .44 SPL loads!
205 gr WC with 5 gr of BE is nice & up that to 10-12 gr of 2400 is more then enough to stop anything at close range.....

 

[rwsmith]

Pachmayr

The Pachmayrs will definitely help.

 

[mc5aw]

The Hogues have a semi-open backstrap which won't blunt much (if any) of the recoil. The Pachs are fully enclosed, and do a much better job. Ultimately, with the big bore revolvers, if the recoil prevents you from firing an accurate first or follow-up shot, it's nothing more than a nice paperweight. I've used the Pach Decelerator grip on a 6" 29 and 6" 629, and it tames a Magnum load quite a bit. You'll still have a handful of recoil, but it won't be at nerve damage level. The best bet might be to go with the Specials; still punch a big hole without nearly the recoil of Mags.

 

[junglefighter]

I bought a 629-6 PC with a 2 5/8 inch bbl.I do not plan on shooting mags.through this,probably only 44 spl.I ordered a set of VZ grips,should be here Monday.I also have a 340PD in 357 mag. and I also do not plan on shooting mags.I bought magnums because of ammo restrictions that might come to pass.If things happen to ammo supply again,I can at least have choices in an emergency.I do not trust this administration and elections are too far off.Paranoid-probably,just trying to cover my bases.

 

[S&W45Colt]

The Tamer grips on the S&W website do the best job of any grips I've tried. I've tried the Pachs, Hogue etc the Tamers are far superior. JMO.

 

[Gunhacker]

+1 on the Hogue Tamer grips used on the 500, I bought a set from my 629-4 Classic... very civilized.

Not my first .44 Magnum, I've been shooting them since I bought a new 29-2 in 1975, but now I've become more recoil sensitive with arthritis starting to creep into my hands and the tamer grips have really helped me stay in the game.

 

[qrachel]

629 Classic 5"

I am very happy I opted for the Classic 5"; extremely manageable with a nice pair of Ahrends Retro Combats. I shoot 44mags with it and they do require paying attention, but the 5" seems to eat a lot energy. When shooting 44spcls, it's very tame and accurate just like the 44mags.

I've wondered about the shorter barreled 44mags; just looks like they are part of a family of tools to torture the hand, wrist and arm. If ya got'em, then shoot'em . . . but count me out.

TTFN,

Rachel

 

[BLUEDOT37]

Weight is your friend

I've wondered about the shorter barreled 44mags; just looks like they are part of a family of tools to torture the hand, wrist and arm. If ya got'em, then shoot'em . . . but count me out. TTFN, Rachel

The muzzle blast is worse with short bbl. magnums but the reduced weight, especially with a 329NG or PD is what's the worse.

 

[SIGWolf]

The Hogues have a semi-open backstrap which won't blunt much (if any) of the recoil. The Pachs are fully enclosed, and do a much better job. Ultimately, with the big bore revolvers, if the recoil prevents you from firing an accurate first or follow-up shot, it's nothing more than a nice paperweight. I've used the Pach Decelerator grip on a 6" 29 and 6" 629, and it tames a Magnum load quite a bit. You'll still have a handful of recoil, but it won't be at nerve damage level. The best bet might be to go with the Specials; still punch a big hole without nearly the recoil of Mags.

I was able to shoot fairly well, especially with the lighter Blazer magnums without flinching. However, it wasn't a particularly pleasant experience. I'm not particularly recoil sensitive. I've shot .357 magnum and 10mm "without so much as a never mind". However, .44 magnum i just a whole other animal especially in a short barrel!

How do the Hogue Impact grips fit on the N-frame since they are made for the 500?

 

[33jayman]

I used .44 Ruger Bisleys for Cowboy Action Shooting for a couple of years. What I found was the 185 grain CRN bullet over 4 grains of titegroup was a very pleasant load in .44 Special.

YMMV

Jay

 

[SIGWolf]

Even Dirty Harry shoots .44 Specials!!

I guess I can take some comfort in the fact that even Dirty Harry shot .44 Specials!! If it's good enough for Harry Callahan, it's good enough for me!

 

[thomasinaz]

The Pachs do help a lot in recoil management, without adding a lot of bulk to the grip. I use them on my ported 3" and regular 4" 629s. They really help make full blast 44s a painless experience. For me the Hogues are too thin in the upper back strap area for comfortable shooting.