Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Terrible rehawk 44 mag

Bought a used super redhawk, been trying to get it to shoot. today at 25yds off a rest with good ammo, it shot a 10" by 36" 6 shot group, switched to a different ammo 3 in 4" 2 on the board 1 3' low 1' left. 3rd ammo a great 16" 5 shot group with 1 3' low. Anyone have any ideas why it would shoot like this. At 10yds i can not put 6 shots on a 9" paper plate off a rest.

Send it back to Ruger, they will fix it.

Start by looking at the chamber alighment by looking at the distribution of fouling in the forcing cone. If it is even, then the chambers are aligning pretty descently. Then check the chamber throat. If the chamber throats are undersized, then they squeeze the bullet down and an undersized bullet hits the barrel and never recovers. Pin gages are really good for checking chamber throat sizes. They are much better than a dial caliper. Enco sometimes has sales of them for around $40.

There is also a small chance that they may have accidently installed a .45 cal barrel in the .44.

You may have to just send it back to the factory.

I'd check for a loose/stripped rear sight.

A water pipe should shoot better than that at 25-yards. Unless the timing is so bad you have chucks flying out the cylinder gap, it has to be a bore/bullet diameter issue.

Have you let someone else try shooting it. Not taking a shot but I took a new shooter out a few weeks ago that HAD to have a 44 Mag. he shot 3 different guns. Even though it was clear it was one round, one empty, one round, one empty etc. His jerk was apparent every single time. He shot about the same size group as you. I've had several and still have a couple Redhawks and they shoot good. Yours may be the exception but I'd look at other things first. Like Jog said check the rear sight too.

It's a Ruger.

i'll do some measuring. i tried the scope at 15yds off a rest. 4 out of 6 on a 9" paper plate. So i'm faily confident it is not my ability.

Since you got it used, the previous owner could have left the barrel leaded up. An accuracy killer.

bal..,

Welcome to the world of Ruger. Sadly, your experience seems to mirror mine, which I wouldn't wish on anyone. As someone posted, Ruger is very good about fixing their product. They have lots of experience.

O

Car..,

I'm a decent pistol shot and a former cop. I've read many times about giving a shooter a revolver with an empty chamber to judge his reaction. I think that's bogus. Such a practice will cause a good shooter to flinch. It sure does me, even with a .22, and I'm not recoil sensitive.

I shoot lite .357's and 44's,10mm,.45 ACP and .44 mags, all of which I own,with good result. An empty chamber or a dud round causes me to jump like I'm hit with a tazer. I expect heavy recoil, or at least a bang, and when it doesn't happen everything is wrong in my world. Once the problem is fixed, i go back to shooting decent groups. So, I just don't think that technique works for everyone. Just my experience, yours may vary.

O

If you're flinching with an empty chamber, you have a flinch!

I have a flinching problem with handguns, I can't feel it when I'm shooting, but I sure can tell based on the target.

Back to the o/p, even if you are flinching, your 25 yd groups shouldn't be worse than paper plate sized if you are shooting off a rest.

So I'd say at first the gun should be thoroughly cleaned. Then (with an unloaded gun) inspect the crown of the bore for any damage, check the forcing cone, and measure the throats of the cylinder to make sure they are over bore dia, i.e. they should mic out to .430" or .431", and don't use the inside legs of a caliber to measure the bore as you won't get an accurate reading.

In general the super redhawk has been one of the most accurate revolvers Ruger has produced. I've yet to see one that wouldn't group under 2" at 25 yds, and many of them with tailered loads and a good shot will group under 2" at 100 yds.

458..,

Balony. Nothing is universal. For many years the longest shot I ever made on a whitetail was with a 4" Mod 19 at around 70-80yds. Deer flinched, I didn't.

I DO flinch after the hammer falls and nothing happens. I firmly believe it's just a bad practice.

O

ok i solve your problem just tell me where to mail the 50 dollars and i'll take it off your hands and make it a shooter

Another vote for looking at the crown. I have a friend who decided to shorten the barrel on his Super Redhawk but didn't know that it needed to be recrowned. It shot groups like described here until it was recrowned.
There has to be a reason, trick is to find out what it is. Best lf luck!

Cool. Fifty bucks sounds good. What is it you want me to send? At that price it has to be a Ruger!!!!

For the record, I don't own anything I can't shoot.
O

In my estimation the Ruger Super Redhawk is the best revolver ever manufactured.There has to be an explanation.When you get it right you will love it.

Stan in SC

Mine will do 1"50 yard groups off of a rest for 5 of the 6 chambers. It is FAR more accurate tan i am.

Some guns will NOT shoot.

My SBH will shoot 3 loads and the rest of the loads I have tried look like buckshot loads at 25 yards, barely a pattern.
I have noted one thing about this gun, and am going to test to see if it is an ergonomic or accuracy issue!

Bore is .429 cyl 1-6 are .430.432.431.431.430.432. crown looks fine, no obvious dings. forcing cone looks normal, no obvious off center smearing or lead build up. Rifling could be crisper but it is moderately sharp. Trigger pull is great. Sight spring is functional could be stronger. guy shooting it has a few loose nuts but can shoot other pistols faily well.

Funniest thread I've seen in a long time!

Pete

I assume you know why it is funny, enlighten us all on this humor