Comparison of a 44 mag, 454, and 460 s&w.

skimmer said:
Any tips for recoil management in those large guns? You said you absorb it with your body.

I have a 9mm but I'm interested in a hand cannon. What should I know first? I don't want to end up like your uncle with broken wrists.

Not meaning to derail/hijack, but you seem like someone who might have some information.
Click to expand...

I might get corrected on this, but this is what I have developed over the years. Never really been taught the "proper" way, just what works for me. I shoot with a modified Weaver style (If I had to give it a name), not the isosceles style (which absorbs recoil in the elbows to the body). I lock out my elbow and wrist on my shooting hand. I let my arm become an extension of the gun. When the muzzle flip occurs, I let my whole arm go up with it, which surprisingly lessens the return. I let the recoil push my arm back to my shoulder allowing the recoil to be absorbed by my body . I let my hips bend with the recoil and my shoulder bend with the muzzle flip. Other than that I have everything locked out. Not sure if that is the best way, but that is the way I do it. Here is a little polymer 357 which has lots of muzzle flip. You can see what I am talking about a little better. The gun is a Taurus Protector Poly with a 2" barrel shooting full juiced 357s.

I am shooting single action for fun, but when I shot double action with this little gun, I can get back on target pretty quick. This, along with a Ruger LCR poly 357 (among others) is my conceal carry gun.
 
Last edited:
I shot the Smith 629 one handed and that's how I managed the recoil, even before I knew how it was going to hit me: I lock my arm and engage my lat muscle to help with stability. When the gun flips it must just act on the arm like a lever with the shoulder the fulcrum. My elbow is locked and I let it break a little in the latter part of the recoil movement.

I think if you don't keep your elbow solid when firing, less solidly built individuals especially run the risk of gun to face.
 
^ hmmm, .44 not so much. 460 and 500 magnums yes, gun in face is a reality if you're inexperienced with these guns even if you're large framed type of individual.

Petite people should not shoot these guns unless supervised by experienced shooters IMHO{and perhaps not at all} (flame suit on). I'm to understand that a petite girl in the states double tapped a round of 500 mag under her chin accidentally on a range (and yes, she's deceased). The S&W in question was a short barrel 500 mag, and her boy friend fully loaded the cylinder (5rds) and handed her the gun.

My advise for those that own these big bores and allow novices (of any size) shoot them is to only load 1 into the cylinder and let them have at it. Gun in the face is one thing, putting into motion an accident that results in a novice shooting themselves though the head is another.

*edit* to be clear, the double tap occurred when firing the first round on target the recoil forced the revolver back towards her head/face. The natural reaction for her was to grip the gun(again) as it was recoiling. Her trigger finger still on the trigger, and recoil resetting it caused the double tap. Not an incident where the gun"just went off" as the gun was passed from boyfriend to girlfriend.
 
Last edited:
...and then I see a posting "A Video of my wife shooting Full House loads with my 460V". Watch the video, although she seems to be handling the recoil, there is cause for caution. Guys, I'm no Fudd, but these biggin's aren't toys to just hand to the inexperienced for a laugh.
 
plinker 777 said:
^ hmmm, .44 not so much. 460 and 500 magnums yes, gun in face is a reality if you're inexperienced with these guns even if you're large framed type of individual.

Petite people should not shoot these guns unless supervised by experienced shooters IMHO{and perhaps not at all} (flame suit on). I'm to understand that a petite girl in the states double tapped a round of 500 mag under her chin accidentally on a range (and yes, she's deceased). The S&W in question was a short barrel 500 mag, and her boy friend fully loaded the cylinder (5rds) and handed her the gun.

My advise for those that own these big bores and allow novices (of any size) shoot them is to only load 1 into the cylinder and let them have at it. Gun in the face is one thing, putting into motion an accident that results in a novice shooting themselves though the head is another.

*edit* to be clear, the double tap occurred when firing the first round on target the recoil forced the revolver back towards her head/face. The natural reaction for her was to grip the gun(again) as it was recoiling. Her trigger finger still on the trigger, and recoil resetting it caused the double tap. Not an incident where the gun"just went off" as the gun was passed from boyfriend to girlfriend.
Click to expand...
I agree. I see youtube videos where some "dude" hands his little girlfriend a large revolver, usually a 44mag or 50 DE and tells her pull the trigger. Then laugh their butts off when it launches back at her or jumps out of her hand. My wife and daughters have been shooting all kinds of handguns, for years, and the largest gun they will shoot is a SAA 45 Colt. And that is just with cowboy loads and standard loads. They are not ready, and might not ever be ready for my 44 mags or larger. One good things with the X frames and BFRs is that they are huge. Most inexperienced shooters do not want to shoot them. My youngest daughter says she has trouble holding an X frame. :)
IMG_20140321_190232_814_zps069ca35f.jpg
 
Last edited:
plinker 777 said:
...and then I see a posting "A Video of my wife shooting Full House loads with my 460V". Watch the video, although she seems to be handling the recoil, there is cause for caution. Guys, I'm no Fudd, but these biggin's aren't toys to just hand to the inexperienced for a laugh.
Click to expand...

You are so right there. people get hurt, and scared for life. the same goes with new shooters shooting rifles with a scopes. I have been loading for years but when I load my bore cleaners I still load single stage.
 
Smcx;10069786]11gr of unique is not exactly a heavy 44 load. Try 24.5gr of h110.
Click to expand...
No its not, but it is a load this gun likes. I am getting 1300 fps. I have yet to find an h110 load that it likes. I have a mod 29 that loves 24 grains H110 under 240 grain bullet. i get 1500 fps with that load. One powder i refuse to use is lil gun. Ive seen too much cone erosion.
 
Last edited:
plinker 777 said:
...and then I see a posting "A Video of my wife shooting Full House loads with my 460V". Watch the video, although she seems to be handling the recoil, there is cause for caution. Guys, I'm no Fudd, but these biggin's aren't toys to just hand to the inexperienced for a laugh.
Click to expand...


Really? The laughing and fun made you think I took that video of my wife lightly. She is an excellent, experienced shooter and a super athlete. Don't jump to conclusions my friend. She is a top level athlete. Wow. I feel insulted.
 
Sorry for hijacking your thread Booger. Just tired of know it alls who love to make comments without knowing exactly what the situation is. There was ZERO I repeat ZERO cause for concern with my wife in that video. OK I am done now. :D
 
Booger said:
No its not, but it is a load this gun likes. I am getting 1300 fps. I have yet to find an h110 load that it likes. I have a mod 29 that loves 24 grains H110 under 240 grain bullet. i get 1500 fps with that load. One powder i refuse to use is lil gun. Ive seen too much cone erosion.
Click to expand...


Could you elaborate? I was going to try lil gun as a substitute for H110 in my 30m1 Blackhawk. Reason being h110 leaks like a sieve out of my Lee Auto disk measure and from what I can see lil gun is somewhat larger in grain size and hopefully would not

I know that imr4227 meters lovely, but the whole point to this pistol is the muzzle flash and report, and that means ball powder ;)
 
plinker 777 said:
...and then I see a posting "A Video of my wife shooting Full House loads with my 460V". Watch the video, although she seems to be handling the recoil, there is cause for caution. Guys, I'm no Fudd, but these biggin's aren't toys to just hand to the inexperienced for a laugh.
Click to expand...

So you just see a woman shooting and automatically assume she can't handle a bigger gun or is inexperienced? I watched the video, I've also seen others shooting those and she handled the recoil and follow ups better than bigger guys I've seen shooting it. It's not about size, it's about technique and knowing what you're doing.
 
...@ the mental midget's. I wasn't taking any assumptions with my comments, to the contrary, I stated that she seemed to be handling the recoil. Try reading...then comprehension, it's marvellous, it really, really is!?

My point and cautions stand!

@cbabes, you're telling us that your video wasn't the first time your wife shot your 460? You giggle and carry on like that at every range session?:bsFlag: My point is that a girl was killed on a range in the states doing exactly what you and your wife were doing...the major difference is that you're wife was handling the recoil...the girl couldn't. Again, my words of warning against handing an inexperienced shooter, or one of a petite frame one of these guns with houseloads+ is stupid, it is not funny, and it can be fatal to either the shooter or others at the range. Your wife can handle the gun and load, and you had no concern, great, fine! That is not the case with everyone...why not start with 1 in the cylinder and KNOW that the individual can handle the gun+ it's load rather than assuming everything will be fine?
 
Last edited:
cbabes said:
Sorry for hijacking your thread Booger. Just tired of know it alls who love to make comments without knowing exactly what the situation is. There was ZERO I repeat ZERO cause for concern with my wife in that video. OK I am done now. :D
Click to expand...
No problems. You are a lucky man. Back in my youth i dated a gymnast built like your wife.
 
Last edited:
Mark-II said:
Could you elaborate? I was going to try lil gun as a substitute for H110 in my 30m1 Blackhawk. Reason being h110 leaks like a sieve out of my Lee Auto disk measure and from what I can see lil gun is somewhat larger in grain size and hopefully would not

I know that imr4227 meters lovely, but the whole point to this pistol is the muzzle flash and report, and that means ball powder ;)
Click to expand...
I have never used it and do not plan on it. I have a couple friends who were using it with their mag loads. All their guns were showing excessive flame cutting and cone erosion. I reamed a few of their revolvers cones to 11 degrees to clean up the cone erosion. Everyone of them had been loading with lil gun. Coincidence? You make the call. I asked what kind of crimp, and they said a pretty tight crimp.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom