Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns HSM "bear load" 44 mag

These safe to shoot in an old flattop Ruger (not the super Blackhawk)?

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/24..._-shippingconf-_-ProductShippedTodayLink

Yes but it's gonna be a handful with the XR3 grip frame!

Can anyone recommend shooting gloves........

No doubt!

The bear loads in my dragoon gripped Blackhawk in 45 are a handful. Thank goodness they are so expensive. I can't shoot very many.

MV is 1260 fps

They were a handful in my scoped SBH hunter

Shot the HSM bear load with the 305gr cast bullets. Recoil was not all that bad, but stout with the xr3 frame. I was able to shoot less than 2" groups at 17 yards. That is good for me! My eyes ain't what they used to be. This is a 1959 flattop that is all stock. It has a lot of potential. Didn't have to adjust the sights either. Going to keep the 6 1/2" barrel intact for now. A more visible front sight is going to be the first modification. The price of the HSM loads for 50 rounds can't be beat.

I worked up a load for my Old Vaquero Bisley stainless in .44mag with a 5.5" barrel that puts a hard cast 300g bullet over the chronograph at 1377 fps using H110. The gun is very accurate but that load loses a lot of fun after around 4-5 rounds and I don't shoot that Vaquero much with that load. The Bisley frame helps to handle that recoil which is a handful. I would think a flattop frame would handle the pressure but as mentioned the grip would be a fun ride.

My load should handle most dangerous critters that I find here in Idaho but wouldn't be my choice for a Grizzly that we see once in a while.

They will be safe to shoot, but as everyone else has said, a handful.

Keep in mind, the ejector rod housing has a reputation for coming off on the old flattops with really heavy loads. You won't spring the frame or blow the cylinder...but you might find you have to have it repaired when the stud at the front of the ejector rod lets go.

Yep. Had my Blackhawk 45 colt rod housing screw sleeved when it departed the gun

Like this? Not a Flattop, but the same thing happened.

Yepper. I had that screw sleeved. I am sure Ruger will repair it but they will do a safety conversion on 3 screw models if you send it in. No thanks. I will get my flattop done after hunting season. No a pretty sight when it happens.

I had the dame thing happen to me with full house gold dot 240 gr. loads.

Mine was with 300 grain hardcasts.

I had it repaired locally.

Only 300 grain loads I've shot in .44 mag were some 300 grain XTP's I loaded according to a recipe Brian Pearce had (among others) in an article he did several years ago on +P .44 magnum loads. They were actually very mild to shoot out of my 7 1/2" Redhawk and quite accurate out to 100 yards or so (as far as I shot them.)

I use a 44 mag load similar to the one the OP is asking about. I'm using a 310 gr. gas checked bullet from a Lee mold over enough H110 to clock 1,200 fps from my 7 1/2" Redhawk. Recoil is definitely there, but it's not as an obnoxious a load as a 200 gr. JHP over a max charge of H110. The blast from that load is bordering on unpleasant.