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

Desert Mule Deer,

When you pack .44 Magnum, in Idaho, especially in Central Idaho, around Salmon, or Challis, the Pahsimeroi Valley, along the Lost River Range, or what I generally call Elmer Keith Country, especially if it is a S&W Model 29, then you start to feel the synergy of the total experience.

That said, it cannot be complete unless you are packing it in a Milt Sparks rig, which Mr. Keith had a hand in the design.



As far as I am concerned N Framed .44 Magnums and Milt Sparks leather go together like fine women and an evening dresses.


Elmer Keith, the Sparks rig, the Hat, the Cigar, the persona, his whole cowboy upbringing is what made him who and what he was. A little bit of that is in the .44 Magnum.

Agreed on all points with one exception...the high-viz front sight ruins it.

Never been to Idaho, but love.44s. Wore a couple of them out in Eastern NM back in the day and Keith's cowboy roots showed up in the guns then. I like the looks of the Milt Sparks leather, but the Roper style grips are intolerable for me. A cylinder or two of special level loads will make me bleed with those. For me, I like finger grooves and Hogue-type design for recoil control.

Well said Mackay, the spirit of Elmer is strong in your part of Idaho.

I also think of Ross Seyfried when I think of 44 manums, so in the spirit of Ross I submit a Bisley Blackhawk 44 mag.

They work for old guy eyeballs when shooting at fast moving jacks!

They are not so hot for long range work though..


Good thing that 29-2 has a custom front sight base with interchangeable front sights just like the DX series!!!

A guy has got to roll with what works for his hands!

I hear ya on that one!!!

I love my model 69 with a dawson green fiber front. Works very well on the mountain. It's OK for shooting long range also but not as handy as a post front. It's the handiest little revolver I've messed with and I shoot it almost daily with the same old boring 503 at 1200fps. Penta point is my favorite bullet for varmints. Spent a lot of time with 45 colt and heavy bullets but i guess I'm slowing a little.

Truly a Classic there.

So this last week/weekend I was in central Idaho at my cabin, as well as at what is known as the Braun Brothers Reunion, which is a big music festival in Challis Idaho. I had a fair bit of time to do some shooting and roaming of Keith Country and shooting of a couple of .44s.

I took a few pics along the way.


My handgun/leather combo for most of my time.

BTW, RJM had sent the family a care package immediately prior to this trip, and it ended up playing a big part of things..

Speed strips from RJM, which also fit .308/30-06 based cartridges for anyone who may be interested BTW for keeping a few extra rifle cartridges from rattling in your pocket while out roaming.




The handgun is my old 29-2 with a 200AW from the guys at Milt Sparks.





Since Photobucket is doing what they are doing, this is a great chance to get out at re-do some pics and get some big bore shooting in prior to the big game season that is fast approaching.




It was terribly smoky due to forest fires but still I was able to take a few semi decent shots of local scenery, and stuff some may find of interest.

This post is about 40 years in the making.

I hope he won't mind me sharing this.

RJM graduated a police academy 40 years ago. Instead of attending the graduating ceremony, he went to a function where Elmer Keith was at instead. He met and spoke with Mr. Keith and had him sign a copy of his autobiography, addressed to RJM. A true treasure indeed.

I told RJM that I was very honored and humbled when I opened his care package and found among the items, the Elmer Keith autographed book, signed in 1977, now again in Idaho 40 years later.

Here it is 4 decades later, :



I am going to cross post this in the hunter's campfire section since a lot of guys would otherwise miss it.

A true treat as far as I am concerned. For those who don't know, RJM is a real pro with his .41 and I am sure even Keith himself would have respect for RJM's abilities with his N Frame .41 at long distance.


In fact here he is on the famous Pahsimeroi Valley playing the long range game.

Love this last update Mackay!

MacKay
i should'nt admit it but i will. few years ago i acquired a smith29 classic in 4inch. Really didn't pay for it, it was courtesy of cabella's.
Pretty revolver, but it isn't quite as good in some ways as the old ones, but it does have a pinned on front site.
so, I went to the smith website and ordered one of those red fiber optic front sites like come on that model with the nuclear thing on the side,
one of the lightweight smiths, and installed it on the 29. Then got rid of the grips, too thin, the new revolver grips come with and put on a set
of hogues.
Like it a lot better now. I don't think it so much works as a target gun with that optic, but boy is it fast to acquire.

Ted, you're a class act


And I deeply enjoy rims posts as well

...well I didn't miss the graduation ceremony but my wife and I did skip most of the graduation party to see Elmer....it was quite the presentation. Even got to talk to he and his wonderful wife for 15 minutes all by ourselves...

I had planned to be in Idaho right now to do some more shooting and motorcycling but just didn't work out...hoping for next year before I get too old to really enjoy it.

Bob

Great post and pictures.. I always look forward to the show.. Didn't make our usually trip to Idaho this summer, maybe this fall for birds.. Keep up the fine work.. That is some of the most beautiful country on earth.. Have that same book from Elmer.. A real treasure!!!!! On with the show..

That hat is really cool, a prop, or do you wear it?

Great story and pics

I wore that hat all through my college rodeo days, riding bucking horses, and the scars/wear on it is honest.

Now I only wear it only on occasion, as I have a newer custom fitted one made by the Rocky Mountain Hat Company. This one I used for the pics I wore this weekend at the Braun Brothers Reunion Music Festival, as the weather was sketchy and rained/hailed, then was sunny, then lightning, then more rain.

If I trashed a $500-$600 custom hat (I have not checked prices lately) my wife would kill me.

Here is the "new" one:

Awesome! Elmer would approve!!!!! Thanks awesome hats ,guns ,and photos.. Thanks.. I look forward to visiting this country again soon!!