I’m in the market for a new revolver but having a hard time figuring out what I need/want. Let me hit you with some criteria and y’all can steer me in the direction I should be looking.

Preferably a SA. I’d like to use the revolver to take a deer/ hog with, but I’d also like to carry it while out woodsbumming. So I don’t want a real long barrel as it’s not a “hunting gun” but I do want a little bit of length to help with sight radius. Rig would most likely ride in some sort of chest or shoulder holster....

I was looking at Blackhawks and bisley blackhawks, and I really prefer the look of the bisley......but am not sold on any one thing. I do handload but have zero interest in loading for this gun.

What say y’all?

Take a hard look at the BFR with a 5 1/2 or 6” barrel.

Blackhawk with 5.5”barrel in 357 or 45 colt.

45 colt in a Ruger, keep it simple.

My pick would be one of the following available at Buds Gunshop Lexington: A 5 1/2 inch Ruger Stainless Bisley Blackhawk in 41 mag for $650, or a blued Ruger blackhawk 4 5/8 inch in 41 mag for $550.

Good hunting loads are available. But for plinking and target use, it is actually a handloader's cartridge.

Lots of revolvers out there will fill the bill especially if you are willing to look at used guns. I've owned lots of Blackhawks and several Bisley Blackhawks. Still own a Bisley Blackhawk and at least one Blackhawk that I can think of offhand. As Viking says, a Ruger 45 Colt in either frame type will do. If you want to keep the cost manageable, an Uberti or Cimarron imported Uberti SAA knockoff will be lighter and trimmer than the Rugers and still do the job. If cost doesn't factor as much and you want classic, a real Colt SAA in 45 Colt, 44-40 or 38-40 will also do the job.

I'm partial to the Ruger Bisley, usually with a 4 5/8" barrel.

.500JRH and .44Mag.


.41Mag


Sent this .45 down the road last year...


....in favor of this one.


Another .44Mag.

Or, if you can deal with a double action. There is the GP 100 now available in 10 MM.

Good high power 10 mm loads are available for hunting. Lots of inexpensive 40 S&W ammo available for practice. And I assume, speed loading available via moon clips.

Craig- I’m really digging the .41 in the 2nd pic down. That’s nice!


Personally I much prefer the look of the blackhawks with the 4.62” bbl.....that is the route that I was mostly leaning. But looks comes second to function.....

For those that have them, how much of a difference in the barrel length between 4.62 and 5.5?

Does the increased sight radius of the 5.5” barrel really make that much of a difference over the 4.6?

5.5” Blackhawk has better balance in the larger guns like the 45.

I like the 4 & 5/8” in the single six though.

^^^This^^^

Bisley in 5.5” bbl length in 45 Colt would be my first choice.
But if your not going to handload, there is a bigger variety of factory ammo available in .44 mag.

SBH .44 magnum in 5.5, 4.62 or 3.75" barrels. Shoots .44 Specials and magnums up to ~310 gr cast.

Bisley in .480 Ruger in 4.62 or 6.5" barrels. 330gr cast to 400gr or more. Replace the grips with ChigGrips and thank me later.

^^^^^^^THESE^^^^^^^^^^^ I like the 5.5" in the blackhawk and Super Blackhawk. Pick a 41 mag, 44 Mag, or 45 Colt.
Any of these will serve you well for years.

I guess a single action is fine if you just like that, but I just don't quite understand the preference for such over a double action. I have owned two single actions in the past, my first handgun as a teenager being a copy of a Colt in .22, and later a Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 Mag. The quality of the Blackhawk was excellent in my opinion - no argument there from me. It's just the mechanical differences between a single action and a double action. If it is just a better trigger pull that you desire, then you still can thumb cock a double action and you can obviously reload a swing out cylinder much faster and cleaning and inspections are easier. I, personally, like the feel better of a S&W K, L, or N frame better in my hand and they have better "pointability" to me over a Blackhawk or SAA style. To each his own preference I guess, but I just don't quite get it. Either way, enjoy what you choose to shoot. I've got my eye on a new S&W M-69 .44 Mag. to complement my J frame and K frame Smiths. Maybe it's a nostalgia thing for the single actions? Nothing wrong with that.

If you are planning on hunting with this revolver and don't have a lot of handgun exxperience you are going to have to do a bit of practice before heading out for the field...and with anything in .the .41 Magnum class and up that is going to be expensive....and so why if you already reload, don't you want to load for this gun....

Practice ammo for these guns start at $0.60 each up to $2.00+ for hunting grade ammo....

As to the guns/calibers themselves, if you are not going to reload, as much as I love the .41 Magnum, would go .44 Magnum. Good quality ammo can be found in most any gun shop where .41 Magnum would be spotty at best and hunting grade .45 Colt really needs to be bought from the smaller makers most of which has to be purchased online...

Can't go wrong with a Ruger if you don't want to spend a lot of money... Most of my .41s and .44s are 4.5/8-5.5". To me there isn't a great deal of shootability difference between the two lengths but as said above, if you want a Bisley grip the balance is better with the 5.5"...

I just picked up a Old Model Super Blackhawk .44 Magnum that had the 7.5" barrel replaced with a 4 5/8" one... I prefer the original Dragoon grip over the Blackhawk XR3-RED, Bisley or Flat Top XR3 when it comes to Ruger SA grip frames...

https://www.ruger.com/products/newModelSuperBlackhawkStandard/specSheets/0811.html

https://www.ruger.com/products/newModelSuperBlackhawkStandard/specSheets/0814.html



Bob

I'll second the 44 Magnum in the revolver of your choice.

I didn’t expect to see so many championing the 45LC....however, it is the cartridge I was most interested in.

I expected to see more votes going to the 44mag......I also thought the 41 would be a good choice but 41 ammo around here is almost nonexistent.

RJM...... the reason I don’t wanna load for this gun is simple lol. I’m lazy.... I don’t mind loading for my hunting rifles, but handgun loading aggravates me to no end. I use to load for my g19, my .357, and a 44mag I had briefly.

Can't imagine something more perfecter for what you are wanting to do.

Your practice ammo will cost peanuts. You don't need the extra cylinder but if you are so inclined you can buy some boutique LC hunting loads.

https://www.ruger.com/products/newModelBlackhawkConvertible/specSheets/5242.html

I think Travis just hit a home run... .45 Colt for hunting and .45 ACP for target shooting, small game and plinking....

Mackay Sagebrush has one in stainless and loves it....

...and if you wanted the Bisley....

https://www.ruger.com/products/newModelBlackhawkConvertible/specSheets/0472.html

Dang! There are times I wish my horses weren't such money sponges. Nice bunch of revolvers! Every one of em.

This is what I would suggest as well. This is my BFR in .44 Mag with a 4 5/8-inch barrel.

Ky221: I highly recommend a Smith & Wesson Model 66 or 686 with 6" barrel and no lawyer lock.
The double actions do more things well than the single actions - I know I own and have used them both for 50+ years now.
Best of luck to you with whichever you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I've had several BHs, SBHs, and a couple Bisleys. All are a load in a belt holster, even the 5 1/2" ones. Better would be a tanker-style rig or a shoulder holster.

I'd be more inclined to go with a S&W L- or N-frame with a 4" barrel in .357, .41, .44, or .45. Any of those will kill a deer or pig just fine. The .45 with 250gr bullet at 850-1000fps has killed plenty of stuff, and would be quieter if you have to take a quick shot without plugs.

If I could do it all over I'd go ACP over the .44 Special.

Just makes more sense.

Since you don't care to reload, a Ruger 357/9mm convertible might rate some consideration too. Don't have one myself, but I kind of have the itch, given the wallet-friendly price of 9mm FMJ ammo. Then you can always step it up with 357 when you want to.


Here's some more 'help'. Top to bottom: 44 Mag, 22 convertible, 44 Mag, 45 convertible, 357

For the purposes you laid out any of the options offered so far would work well. Personally the 5.5 inch flattop Ruger Bisley in 44 Special seems perfectly suited for deer, hogs and woods bumming. Load a 429421 or H&G503 over 7.5 grains of Unique, go forth and enjoy.

Agree wholeheartedly...

The Ruger Bisley Flat Top in 44 Special is the about the only handgun that I regret letting go (and I have turned quite a few).

The only caveat is that it is a reloaders proposition.

Jerry

I have a long standing affinity for the 44 special , but honestly agree with this

Ditto on the quoted quoted quote.

Bear in mind the Ruger Flattop .45 ACP/Colt is based on a medium frame so if you ever did handload for it don't automatically go to the "Ruger Only" loads section of the handloading manual. But within its limitations (a poor word in this context), it would still do everything you mentioned with the .45 Colt cylinder while the ACP cylinder offers about a brazillion choices for practice or "serious" ammo.

I've gone pretty much 45 ACP exclusively for main battery handguns and one reload for any application where a factory load isn't perceived to be advantageous.

IS - do you know anyone locally who has one for sale?

Just as a general FYI they're making New Model's in the 40/10mm convertibles also.

I didn't want to hijack this thread with a question about the .45 Colt guns with extra .45 ACP cylinders, so I started a new thread. Would appreciate any input from those with experience.

Appreciate all the fine feedback gentleman.

Been reading and thinking bout this most of the day. I think I’m gonna go 45LC/45ACP route in the bisley 5.5”

'Flave's link is where you want to be, if you're looking for a handgun to carry as well as shoot. The Flattops are more portable and a lot lighter than some of the hog legs listed in this thread.

I have not seen any locally. Buds in Lexington has the Match Champion available.

I purchased a Ruger LCP from Bud's a few weeks ago and had it shipped into Mid Star Firearms on Hiway 44. The transaction was quite seamless and I had the revolver in my hand in less than a week.

Wow, I could go for that.

Too bad, that I have already spent about three years worth of "toy allowance" in the last six months.

...think of it as investing in your kids inheritance....(I can rationalize anything)

Momma is getting wise.

It is for the grandkids.

Oh yeah, Which One?

Me too! This and a couple of other threads I started finally put me over the hump. Ordered it yesterday!

Technically, the flat-tops are great sixguns and smaller than the large frame guns but they are not lighter. They're all steel but feel as though there's some depleted uranium hidden somewhere inside. In fact, the lightest the large frame blued Blackhawk 4 5/8" .45 at 36oz.