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

Yes, but it takes some getting used to.

What a great thread! I've been slowly reading the whole thing from my tree stand while bow hunting over the past couple weeks. I've owned a couple of super blackhawks in 44 magnum, a 7.5" and a 10" one, both of which had longer barrels than I preferred and I ended up selling them. I have a couple of S&W revolvers a 64 in 38spcl and a no dash 657 in 41 Magnum. I was tempted to buy another smith, but I remembered how much I loved the super blackhawks I owned before so I decided to look for another one with a shorter barrel. I posted a WTB ad here in the classifieds, I had a few tempting offers, but ended up winning this one on gunbroker with the Diamond D holster and two boxes of Buffalo Bore ammo.

Thought you guys may enjoy this.

I was out shooting the other day.


Was shooting my commercial .44 Special load, which is a .240 grain hardcast SWC that clocks 900 FPS from a 5" barrel.


was using both my 5" Model 29 Classic .44 Mag, with red dot optic, as well as my 7.5" Ruger Flattop .44 Mag (iron sights).

Pretty notable difference in group sizes.




I also realized that my 1950s era Flattop .44 was obviously zeroed for something else entirely. Probably a 300 grain load, since the point of impact was substantially lower. You can see the group with the Blackhawk is well more than double the size, even without the "flyer", and is really 3x the size of the groups shot with the Model 29 with RDO.

The RDO allowed me to precisely punch tight little groups, versus a large fist size group with the iron sighted Blackhawk. Same ammo, just different sight systems.



This was 25 yards, off the bags that were on the tailgate of my old Land Cruiser.

Micro red (or my preference green) sights have been a total game changer for me. My wife grew up shooting rats with an air pistol on a commercial chicken farm. Her eye sight is 9 years younger than mine and she was starting to pull ahead in our "friendly" . competitions....

Model 69 had an action tune and a Vortex dot. It took awhile to find an optics cut holster but now I can forget I'm carrying it but from a seated position hit a 5" steel target 10 for 10 shots at 70 yards (most of the time).

I just got a Gen 5 Glock 23 with the Holosun dot that mounts low enough to not need suppressor height sights. It has a Timney that breaks just over 3 pounds. I have not shot it much yet but getting it sighted in I managed about a 1 " offhand group at about 15 yards.

FYI the Glock 23 is wider in the frame and does not fit in many Glock holsters. I got a Kydex one off Amazon that is working and have a Hybrid ordered from Vedder. I checked with Sparks and found they are now listing a 40 Week wait time. If I keep liking this pistol as much as i hope I guess I'll place an order but who knows what the World will be like by then?

If anyone has a suggestion for a top quality optics cut IWB holster for a Gen 5 Glock 23 please let me know.

I can't help as far as the slight frame differences between the Gen 3-4 and the Gen 5 when it comes to the Glocks but I do know that they are extremely accurate. I have been shooting a Gen 5 G21 for a bit now and it is a tack driver. Carrying it in a Summer Special cut for an optic. Super comfortable.



I would order the holster you want from Sparks and then just keep using they plastic holster you have until the nice one gets here. Seems reasonable. Gives you something to look forward to.

I finally got around to rust bluing the front sight on the 629 I cut down a while back.
And as much as it pains me I broke down and bought a set of Small Pachmayr Presentations for it. I hate the ugly things but they sure make it more comfortable to shoot.

I hear you, Kid. I have taken the black Pachmayrs off several of my guns that came to me that way and replaced them with Pachmayr camos. They're a lot less offensive to me.

4" Model 657 no dash

I almost sprung for a set of camos, they look like what Lonewolf McQuade would have had on his 629. But as far as I could see they were only offered in the large size and I like the smalls better.

Why bother when the current rubber round to square butt grips with S&W logo are available? These are the ones S&W sells on current revolvers, best combo of comfort recoil management and conselability.

They probably wouldn’t fit worth a schiet on my square butt revolver for one. Never mind all the other bullschit you listed with no experience.

S&W standardized grip size to streamline production. For example, X frame grip should fit L frame and vice versa. If you have older production gun those wonderful modern rubber grips will not fit.

Cool. In my law enforcement career I carried a 45 1911 and practiced with it a lot. We were allowed to carry a revolver as a backup gun, and I often carried a little 5-shot J frame, but... I'd also qualify now and then with my 5" 629 and full power factory JHP ammo. It was a lot of fun, I could shoot good scores with it too. Was a little slower with it of course, due to all that recoil. The toughest part of course were the few stages when shooting one-handed was required, particularly when shooting with the weak side hand only... Ugh. Not too bad with the 1911, more difficult with the 629. Rapid reloads via speedloaders were also required. Good training indeed!



Regards, Guy

There’s no shame in being influenced by Elmer. I always took his side in his feud with JOC.

I have only 2 44 Mag revolvers and 2 44 Mag Rifles.
I shot the 44 Mag a steel silhouettes until 1985 mainly with a Dan Wesson.

My revolvers are SBH and 629. My rifles are 336 and 788.

In my youth I’d shoot full power 320 grain loads in the Super Black Hawk. Today I shoot mainly about 90% power in the SBH and slightly lower power in the 629. I have jacketed loads loaded, but I shoot them in the rifles. I have molds 240 to 250 grain that look a lot like Keith’s and/or Thompson’s. Cast with and without GC’s. But I mostly shoot w/o GC’s.

I got a couple 44 Specials too.

a little late to the show but here's two rugers...

1957 Ruger.....





Using Mac's suggested loads of 8.0 and 10.0 grains of Unique, 930/230 grain LBT and 1150/260 Keith

That is one sexy and functional .44! Wow!
How’s it shoot with that load?

One of my favorites that resides north.

EdM who is the holster maker?

I don't recall and it is not here for me to look but they were out of Alberta or BC and I bought it when I lived in Calgary.

"That is one sexy and functional .44! Wow!
How’s it shoot with that load?"

Have only shot it with the 10 grain load with solid and pentapoaint Keith bullets...Very accurate but this gun is pretty light for full Magnum loads and I can imagine that with the 240 grain/1400 fps factory loads of the 1950s it was NOT pleasant to shoot...

Mac's The Load of a 240/1200 is just right for a gun like this...

Bob