I want the .44 version of the RUGER ALASKAN SuperRedhawk.
Are these really used by hunters for sidearms, or is it mostly an advertising gimmick?

They make great fire starters.

Not so much as primary hunting tools, but more as SHTF or heavy kit-guns for hiking, fishing and hunting.

Sure would have been nice if they would have made those with another inch and a half out front; what a good general purpose utility weapon that would have been -44, 454, and 480.

Too heavy for my taste. Like Klikitarik said. Need more barrel.

For me the 629 Mountain is better with 300gr Hard cast.

The Ruger sure is rugged though. Not a poor choice.

No, but my wife's classmate was named Michael Hunt...

I have the 44 and the 454 however I much prefer Ruger's Alaskan with 4 inches of barrel as done by Hamilton Bowen, in 500 Linebaugh. But that's just me.

A 6" SRH can be a little awkward to use from inside a sleeping bag.

I'm sure there are more than a few being toted around for bear protection. Note that most people that pack a "bear gun" rarely put in sufficient practice at the range to master those guns, and of those that do go to the range only a small percentage could shoot well enough to do much good.

That said, I'd much rather they offered the Toklat in 480 Ruger, that would be a bear gun!

Too true. My sidearm is a .357 Python. How much practice does it take to stick a stub-gun in a bear's mouth? About the only use I see for the thing...

Other than chit-people, of course.

Last time I fired it a few years ago I put 3 into a 7" group rapid fire at 20 feet.

Figured that was good enough for people- bears I might want closer..

On the other hand, in my other residence, I don't worry about bears. Got me a 10 shot clip loaded Hi-Standard pistoly with .22 hollowpoints there. If needed, I'm going until it "clicks"....

This x10. If you aren't a regular pistol shooter then expect to only use it to fire a warning shot when the bear is a good ways away and then use it again for a contact shot to the CNS when he's already on you.

Watched a chap at our gun club shoot his brannie new snub nosed Ruger (I believe it was chambered for the .480 cartridge.) in preparation for an Alaskan bear hunt. His bear rifle was a Weatherby in .375 Weatherby. I couldn't figure out what he was going to do with that stub gun if the .3745 Weatherby didn't do the deed but it didn't matter. He fired three rounds, one, the first I believe, hit the target at 30 feet, the others missed. The following weekend the revolver, with ammo, was for sale in the club gun shop. I believe it has been bought and sold three or four times since. The same box of ammo is right next to it in the case.

My "bear protection gun" is a 12 gauge, 18 inch barreled, Italian made and gorgeous side-by-side with rifle sights and always loaded with two Brennekes that stay inside a three inch circle at 40 yards. *I might be wrong but it feels as though it weighs about the same as the Ruger.


Terry

A friend from Alaska carried one everyday when we were Caribou hunting. 454 Casull.

There are no flies on the Redhawk. In that configuration would make for an ok tent gun or a carry piece when fishing. As stated above, would be more to my liking in a 4 or 5 inch piece.

If I'm walking in I do not carry a hog leg. If I fly in or boat in a pistol always goes with...but not to be carried as a suppliment to my rifle-it stays in camp.

Have put 50 or so rounds through one of these and it shot fine. It was not difficult to hit an 8" gong at 50 yards, though a 5 1/2" Redhawk could do that at 100 regularly.

I suspect more 4 1/2 " to 5 1/2" pistols are used by Alaskans than their shorter brethren are. As to gimicks, I suggest all advertising qualifies, does it not?

Give me a 329pd any day. I like the Ruger, but they are heavy and the 329 has. 4" barrel.

I have both the 44 and 454 though I load that one with 45 Colt Buffalo Bore ammo. Both hold Hard casts. Good tent gun, hiking gun etc. Forget the name of the guy in Soldotna that killed the bear with his while walking his dog. Friend of mine used his while bear baiting. They shoot if you can. I've carried several guns over the years. The one I carried the most and longest was a 5-1/2" Super Blackhawk. It's not the gun it's the shooter and the bullet. I favor any gun you are actually going to carry. Wish I still had my 480 Alaskan. Sold it to buy a 475 Linbaugh/480 Ruger BFR.

I remember that one. I wish I had known. I have the big BFR as well as the SRH in a shortened, 5" form. Neither is exactly how I want the 480, a cartridge I do think had more merit that it ever got credit for.

my cousin got one in 454 Casull.... I suspect he is a big Dwayne Johnson fan. haha

those things were a hot ticket when that movie came out, some idiot fans were throwing down over $2k for an $800 gun

Greg Brush... a single shot and the bear skidded past him, very dead...

I thought Greg was using a 4" 500S&W

I prefer the Redhawk to the Super Redhawk. I have the Redhawk 4 inch 45 Colt. I keep it loaded with 300 grain cast bullets at 1100-1200 fps. Shootable and still hard hitting. I rarely carry it though when I have a rifle with me.

Mart

wish my hunting pard would get one of those


he always gives me a hard look when I use his .375 to pound in tent stakes

Note to self: Don't pizz Randy off while in camp!

Pretty sure it was a 454Casull... I have probably told you of the dirty trick I pulled on him right after the encounter...

This is how we run AK since 2003 IIRC date wise. 329 PD, wife may change to a Glock in 10mm in the future possibly.

http://peninsulaclarion.com/stories/080709/out_478669517.shtml

It was a 454. But the link is worth reposting.

Art, I had also heard he had been using ammo from a commercial reloader down there and one of the bullets ended up pulling and locking up his gun. Have you heard that?

I have not heard, but will try to remember to ask the next time I talk to him...

Great choice and much easier to pack. I had Bowen build me one. He does a slab sided barrel & a round butt grip frame to lighten it up, and than adds a lanyard ring. Then he does an action job and installs his Bowen Rough Country Sights. Mine is loaded with a 300gr hard cast WFN LBT bullets at 1200 fps. Real handy to shoot, and I can hit an 8" gong at my 100 yard range 4 out of 5 shots, when I practice regularly. It makes a dandy fly fishing weapon for Grizz Country. I wear mine in an El Paso Saddlery Tanker Holster while wade fishing. Also makes a great little "Tent" or sleeping bag gun.
But if I'm packing a .375 H&H Magnum for hunting, it's gonna stay in the tent all day while I'm carrying a rifle.

lol, one of these days I swear I'm gonna hollow out a hole for where the tent peg goes and put his .375 in there barrel first and tell him I was short a tent peg

that's what he's always telling me my lh rifles are good for


course he gives as good as he gets, few years ago we floated the Wood with an old compadre and my pard reaches in his pack and pulls out a pack of tampons and tosses em to me! da rotten bastid he's lucky (or perhaps unlucky) that I associate with him

Nope Art, haven't heard that story.
Do tell, though maybe its best in person.

Don't have an Alaskan but do have a 3" 629. Of course the recoil is stout and it is heavier than a J frame but it isnt THAT bad! I carry mine hiking and backpacking in a Simply Rugged holster. It is a great shooter, too. I carry with either 265 Hornady's or 270 Speer's in front of stout charges of 296 or Lil Gun.

I wonder how many people who mock guns like this have any actual extended experience with them.

No, it's ok for any company... Scott Haugen called to tell me about Greg's event and so I called Greg right away to express my relief he had survived the experience and to thank him for whacking a Kenai P bear...

But I got his voice mail instead. So I deliberately put on my soothing voice and told him what I wanted to say...

But suddenly I screamed into the phone "Look out! There is a bear RIGHT THERE BEHIND YOU!" Or something like that anyway.

Shortly thereafter I saw him at a show and as I walked toward him he saw me and started wagging his finger at me. Said the charge had shaken him so badly he could not sleep (and it lasted for weeks) and the fact it had been him but could have been one of his daughters or his wife really bothered him...

Said when I started screaming into the phone he screamed like a girl and tossed his phone clear across the room...

Kinda made me feel bad for doing it to him...

From that link:


Hey, Bearhunter! Is this the incident I'm thinking it is?

I carry a .480 Super Red Hawk, but the 9.5" version. It's much handier than a shotgun and shoots well. I load my own hard cast 400gr over 21gr of H110, sealed primers and practice a lot with it. I put the crimp dead solid at the back edge of the cannelure to avoid bullet creep. It is an EXTREMELY accurate pistol and I'm pretty good with it, even at reasonably quick double action firing. If you get a good rest, it'd be a fine moose hunting pistol out to 100 yards easy. I put Williams Fire Sights and a Hogue grip on it. If it were stolen or lost, I'd have to build another just like it. I like having it on my chest when I'm gutting moose. More than one hunter has been found mauled with his rifle resting nearby. With a pistol on you, you still have a fighting chance to fill your hands. A chest holster lets you curl up and protect yourself while still having access to your pistol. (my line of reasoning)

I have a friend who bought an Alaskan Casull. Oh man is it a handful with the Buffalo Bore 300 grainers but still doable. I'm not as fond of shooting the beast as I am my .480 for sure. He practices a lot with .45 Long Colts in it. It truly is a sweet shooting pistol with those rounds. Works well, more accurate than you'd think.

I was just at the Palmer gun show last weekend and found a shortened .480 Ruger Super Red Hawk. My buddy bought it. It's shortened to about 4" barrel. Ugly as Chelsea Clinton but it's just a fantastic tool. I believe that Ruger should make a factory run of 4" barreled Alaskans. No ear splitting compensator blast and plenty accurate and powerful enough to get the job done.

I've another friend with a 9.5" barreled Super Redhawk in Casull. Great shooter. Have to be sure to get a good crimp, the Casull likes to loosen bullets!

And lastly, my brother-in-law carries a .480 Ruger SRH 7.5". Again, extremely accurate ugly pistol. With practice, good double action firing is more than possible, just learn pulling the trigger on the timing of the barrel coming back through the target after recoil. At 15 yards, a 2' group almost rapid fire is not hard. In bear terms, this is a lot better than a rifle leaning on a tree or while you're taking a dump or skinning a moose!

Just one guy's take: Although I've never shot the .44 mag, it should be no big deal. The pistol is heavy. It should be as accurate as you can practice. Heck, work it up with .44 Specials and enjoy the pistol at the range, load it with full power loads for when you want it for that. I'm betting you'd REALLY like shooting it that way.

Nope. The one you are thinking about was neither young or male...and a couple years earlier.

Thanks. I remember now.

Don't know how many carry Ruger Alaskan but I carry a 4" 500. I do handload for the gun and have taken quite a few hogs, some armadillos, and a coon. No bears...

...but t'would work...

judging by its performance on large hogs, indeed, it would.

These are 420 grain 480s. The one on the left has withstood approximate 50 recoil cycles without moving enough to cause cylinder movement issues. Gotta make/use good ammo in these guns.

here is my ruger 454 Alaskan. It has a 4.25" barrel and is housed in a guides choice holster. No bears here to really worry about other than the rare blackie, but it is strapped on for hog defense.