Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Which do you prefer for a hunting revolver

I grew up on S&W revolvers and I find that they're easy to shoot well without too much thought. I can also shoot a Ruger single action well but the technique is different so I have to really concentrate.

Three things can really help.

1. You have to learn how to shoot a Ruger trigger. If you've spent much time with a Glock, then you know that there's a way to roll through that horrible trigger like it was a DA revolver and get good groups. You can shoot an unmodified Ruger single-action trigger the same way, just with a shorter stroke. The other option is to get a trigger job done by a good smith. S&W triggers are pretty much perfect right out of the box, which makes them easy to shoot well, while Ruger triggers tend to be long and creepy. A good smith can make the Ruger trigger just like a S&W trigger. Just tell him to make it crisp and leave the weight alone.

2. Add an extra-power main spring. Rugers have the lock time of a door knob and this speeds that up. Lighter spring kits lengthen lock time and increase the perception of trigger travel. Same with the "poor man's trigger job" where you unhook one leg of the trigger return spring. For me, that's a move in the wrong direction.

3. Learn the heel index. Basically, you index a S&W on the web of your hand and build your grip from there. On a Ruger, index on the bottom of the grip frame. David Bradshaw has posted about this on another forum and it's definitely worth a look. It gets you a more consistent grip, and that's the key to accuracy.


Okie John

Wow, that's a large area to cover.
The revolver should be the one you shoot best. One that you are confident in.

I have killed white tail and mule deer, antelope, bear, elk and buffalo with handguns as well a fair number of horses and cattle.
My first big game kills were when I was a young teen and I have done it many times since. Over 1/2 a century now.

I have used 45 Colt from a 1st generation Colt SAA and a S&W M25-5,
Ruger Old Army Cap and ball.
44mag from Ruger Super Black Hawk, four S&W M-29s in 4", 6", 6.5" and 8-3/8" and also from two Ruger Redhawks in both 5" and 7.5" barrels.
357 magnums from S&W M28 and M27, both with 6" barrels.
45 Auto from a Colt1911, a Taurus 24/7 a Springfield XD and one from a Kahr PM sub compact.
45 Auto Rim in S&W M25-Mountain gun, 4"
454 Casull from Freedom Arms with a 6" barrel.

So I have used SA, DA and Autos. I have had some guns that didn't feel right to me in every category and so I didn't hunt with them. To me the 1875 Remington squirms in my hand. In DAs the old Colt New Service never felt right, and in autos, I can't make my hand feel good with many DA/SA autos and also the Glocks. A lot of the guns that don't feel right to me are truly great guns. Just not for me.

One thing I can tell you is this:
Of the 3 types listed above, the SA is by far the easiest to change grips on and give the most options to fit different hands. I have always done fine with standard grips on the Colt SAA and the Ruger SBH and the one of the Freedom Arms 454 is good too. The very best in my hand is the Ruger Bisley
Custom grips can make a lot of difference to many shooters and with some modification to the grip frame, you can go both larger AND smaller on SAs easier then on DAs. Autos you can't "shrink" at all.

Some good points, okie john.

There is a very small amount of creep on my SBHs that I really never paid attention to until you mentioned it.

When you say to add an extra-power spring, what in your opinion are you recommending?

Heel indexing is a good concept. I always try to have custom grips that are oversized and extend slightly from all areas of the grip frame, even the bottom.

In the type of broad statement that causes trouble on the internet, S&W revolvers have the advantage of a fast lock time that can be an advantage from field or makeshift positions. From a bench rest the advantage is minimized, so if you're shooting off railing in a deer stand maybe you won't notice. If you're shooting offhand maybe you will.

Similarly, I've fired single actions with reduced springs and then after swapping for heavier springs and there's a difference - the faster hammer is more accurate despite a slightly heavier pull.

I appreciate the replies. I worded the original question poorly. It everyone has helped me despite that.
I had purchased a Ruger Bisley Hunter in 44 Magnum when I first started the handgun hunting quest. I just could not shoot decent groups with it. I’m not the best handgun shot but have shot mostly S&W DA revolvers since the early 1990s. I competed in PPC competition and actually won my states championship twice. That 38 wadcutters gun is a different animal than harnessing a 44/460 for sure. I sorely want to try another SA handgun for hunting. I have been looking at another Ruger hunter in 45colt and the BFR. The 44 Magnum is the limit of what I want to shoot in a “regular” sized handgun. The 460 is different because of the sheer size of it. If I do buy a SA Revolver I agree that the Bisley is a good feeling grip.

I believe that the factory spring is 17 pounds. Wolff SKU 17102 (https://www.gunsprings.com/RUGER/SINGLE%20ACTION%20SERIES/cID3/mID52/dID228) has a 24-pound spring that should do the trick.


Okie John

If money was no object all my SA revolvers would be Freedom Arms.

Am now on my third BFR and for all intents and purposes they are just as accurate, if not more so, than the FA's I used to own. 2 out of the 3 BFR's I owned had to be sent off for trigger jobs before they were ready to hunt with. I never had to send off a FA for action work. Since I am not rich the nod has to go to BFR because even after a trigger job they are still less expensive.

Rugers are a distant third. At least half of them I buy have to go back to the factory for work and their triggers are usually horrible out of the box. I dont care how long they will last they are just not of the quality I expect today.

DA revolvers? Easy, S&W wins hands down.

Thanks, okie john.

Their "reference" weight for a SA shows "23lb". Wouldn't a "24" be virtually no change?

Seems the: 17105 RUGER SINGLE ACTION XP VAR HAMMER SPRING PAK 24, 25, 26 would be the way to go...

Some notes on triggers-
My FA .454 Casull was ordered with some custom features, including a trigger job, which resulted in a creep-free, crisp pull at 2.75 lbs., a definite aid to accurate shooting.
On both my Ruger SBH and SRH, the trigger pulls were too heavy for my liking, so I added Wilson Combat trigger springs. On the SRH, the trigger pull was 4 lb. and creep-free, but heavier than I wanted for hunting. The spring reduced the pull to a very acceptable 3 pounds.
The Ruger Super Blackhawk Bisley came from the factory with a trigger a bit over 3.5 pounds, and was a bit creepy. The trigger spring reduced the pull to 2 lbs. Since this is primarily a carry weapon in predator country, the creep is not enough to be objectionable.
Of all my handguns, btw, the trigger on the Freedom Arms is head and shoulders above all in terms of quality.

Could be all of those or any of them. Springs aren't that precise.


Okie John

One revolver does not a legend make, but my son bought a garden variety Ruger Bisley .45 Colt. New out of the box, no tweaking and tuning...the accuracy is outstanding. His customized and tuned Blackhawk gathers cobwebs. His model 58, .41 with 8 3/8" bbl gathers cobwebs (just as accurate, but he loves the Bisley frame).

I use a Freedom Arms Premier in 454 with a 7 1/2" barrel.When I had a scope on it, it would shoot 1 1/2" groups at 100 yards with 260gr loads. I now only use open sights on my handguns...makes it more fun and sporting.

Purchase a BFR with the Bisley grip in 44 mag. With a little shopping around you should be able to find one for $1100-1200. They also come with a scope mount. They are built like a tank, you will never wear one out.

44 magnum - Ruger Redhawk with a 7 3/8" barrel.

These days Im most prone to tote a DA 38,41, 44 or 45 with a barrel under 6 inches.

That's a rare one...

A well tuned Ruger Redhawk makes a fine hunting revolver, for me anyway. They do need to be tuned though. Out of the box, they tend to be a mite rough! My choice for hunting would be my 1981 7.5” carried in my 40 yr old Roy’s Hidden Thunder shoulder holster.

I had a 7.5" bfr in 475 linebaugh I wish I would have kept. It really was a well made gun and shot well. I often shot 400g speers at 1400 fps out of it and it was a bit more than I needed. My goal was to get back into casting and slow down the load a bit in 480 brass because I had a puma 92 in 480 as well.

I don't handgun hunt much but I like to carry one when I bow hunt and rifle hunt. I found the bfr too big and heavy to want to pack while bow hunting. I always ended up just taking my 329 pd, or mtn gun in either 44 mag or 45 colt. I really enjoy my 45 colt mtn gun with a 250g at about 1000fps.

Bb

My hunting revolver is a River Bisley Blackhawk in 45 Colt.

I like my Grover’s Improved No. 5, .44Mag