Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 44 Magnum pic and discussion thread.

My 629-1.

edit: I have 5 other .44 Magnums, but this is my favorite. It has been with me on many adventures.

My dad and I both filled our cow tags the first two days. Weather was cold and nasty.

We were fortunate on the first day to meet some great guys who saw us coming out with my elk quartered up in my plastic sled, being pushed and pulled by us. They came over to us on 4 wheelers and saved our bacon, as it would have been hours after dark before we would have made it back to my truck and temps were dropping fast. Two days later an eastern Idaho radio station said wind chills were 25-40 below zero.

I would not be surprised if they were members here. Good men.

I was all tuned up for a long range shot but the wind was howling so I left the LR rig at the cabin and took my short barrel .308. There was no way any long range shooting was going to be taking place.

My dad and I were looking at a once in a hunting lifetime moment. Two big herd bulls stepped out at about 100 yards. With us on a ridgeline and the sun to our backs, they were broadside to us and the wind was blowing straight at us, hard. For a full 10 seconds they stood staring at us while we looked at them. Never during elk season have I had two bulls do that, ever. Too bad we had cow tags. No matter, it was a sight to remember.

They took off down the steep hillside as we watched. My dad said, "You know, they just covered in 30 seconds what it would take us 20 minutes to cover,and they made it look easy".

As soon as he said that, he said "There!" off to our right was a cow poking her face around the corner of the ridge we were on. All I could see of her was from just behind her front shoulder, neck and head as she stared at us.

She looked like she was going to bolt so I snap shot her. A whopping 75 ish yards. She piled up. The little .308 Tikka did the job.

The next day my dad popped his a 300 yards with his .300 Win Tikka. She was on a dead run. We were standing 20 feet away from the 4 wheelers discussing the ever important subject of lunch when she bolted. He ran to the wheeler, used it as a rest and plowed a Nosler into her shoulder. Great shot.

She did not know she was dead though. She had piled up. She then got up and ran down the hill 500 yards with a destroyed shoulder where he finished her off. On the way down there, I kicked out a big Bullwinkle.

We quartered his cow up and headed for the cabin. The next day we headed for the local hot springs and soaked our chilled bones.

Overall it was a great time.

Backdrop:

Great story, Mac. Some aspects remind me of my own Dad - pulling off the shot-to-be-remembered, and the hot springs. Although, with hot springs available my Dad would be easy to find, but it wouldn't be on top of some frozen-azz mountain.

Mackay,


Bizarre story. I was in Great Falls today and stopped to pick up another gun I had on layaway. I was going to check and see if that 29 was still there. Apparently the owner of the gun shop died, and I can't even get the rifle I had on layaway much less check on that Smith.

I left my info with the fella minding the shop. Apparently they are having to sort through some legal issues to get everybody the stuff they have on layaway. The license was only for the gentleman that died.

Who knows how it will work out in the end.

Been a very strange week...


Travis

Although in the past few weeks I have secured a Model 14, 19, 48 and a 66.

I think I have a Smith problem.


Travis

I feel your pain deflave. I ordered a Ruger 1911 6 months ago and was expecting it any day now. I called my dealer a couple weeks ago and his wife answered and told me he had died. The FFL was in his name so everything closed. I ave another dealer but his suppliers won't even take orders for a Ruger 1911 now.

That was a great story...and I wish you and dad had the "stag" permits to have taken those bulls.

And that is a great pic of the mountains....

Bob

Big Lost side or Little Lost? Great story!

Big Lost.

The wind coming down over Willow Creek Summit had a bit of a bite to it. To be honest a December hunt in that part of the country is not a hunt I would suggest, unless you enjoy frostbite and windburn.

Truck engines don't like to start sometimes, cameras don't work (fingers don't either when you are quartering up animals), pull start chainsaws and generators give you a workout, etc, etc

Lots of critters out though. We probably saw a hundred speed goats over towards Challis. Bunch of elk hanging out in the hay fields around Challis, as well as deer in town. Couple of nice bucks along with a couple of smaller 3 pointers across from the hardware/grocery store.


Pictured below is the "old" man and I. He still trucks up mountains, leaving most gasping for breath. It helps that he lives in the mountains and walks daily throughout the area. I could only hope to be half as active as he is when I turn 70, which he will in a couple of months.



My wife took this picture when she came up. She also had a tag.

The weather turned nice, with little wind to speak of. Great for long range shooting, hence why my dad has his Sako TRG42 cradled in his arms. We intended to get my wife set up for a long shot.

Sadly it warmed up and the warmer weather coupled with the full moon we had last week killed the hunting. They decided to seek their entertainment elsewhere I guess.

Thought it might be the Big, I need to spend some time over there. We mostly hunt the Little Lost and it does look similar, flat valley floors and tall mountains. Nice story and congratulations!

Beautiful country, but it looks rather chilly.

My .44 Mag.

I really like that short Anaconda. I have the longer 8" version, but would not mind picking up a 4" version if I was flush with cash at the time.
They are pretty heavily built guns. It is a shame they did not catch on, as they are well built, at least the ones I have examined have been.

A friend has a few in .45 and .44 and I really should try to talk him out of at least one of them.

Have you put many rounds through yours?

That's a very nice-looking Colt. I like the grips.

Mack,

I have run 200 rounds max through the gun. Yes it is a well built, heavy revolver. I like a little weight in a .44 mag. unless it is going to be carried more than shot. (329 time)

It had rubber grips on it as did 99% of them.

I stumbled on the wood grips, new in the package at a gunshow at the Iowa State Fairgrounds and almost spilled my coffee grabbing for my wallet and some cash. Their about as easy to find as Hen's teeth, and if someone is selling, it's like buying Python grips, $200 on up!!

I've owned a Superblackhawk 10 1/2", 7 1/2", 5 1/2" (everyones first), Redhawk 7 1/2", 5 1/2", Dan Wesson 6" and 8", Smith & Wesson 629 in 6", 5", (My favorite Smith)4", 2 5/8", and a Smith 329. I have to say I like this one the most.

That is a nice revolver!

I would be doing my best to wear that beauty out! You did well finding those grips.

Mackay:

Nice. But I'm not going to scroll back.

Is this one new?

That's proper reading material, BTW.

Not new,

A while back I had SDM fabricating take my old 8 & 3/8ths" 29-2 and turn it into a 5"er for me. He then took the wide target trigger and narrowed and polished out the serrrations.

I had him set the front sight up like the Classic/DX versions with quick change front sights. It is my idea of a perfect practical Model 29. I can switch from fiber optic to gold bead or whatever.

That is an OLD copy of the book!