I am buying a hand cannon

waderow

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Okay, I am going to buy a hand cannon. I have a couple 40's. .22's. But I want one hand cannon. For amusement. For the big bang. For the buck. And for the cool factor :)

I have pretty much decided to get a Taurus Raging Bull, and am deciding on whether to go with a plain ol .44mag, or a .454 Casull.

The 454 fit the hand cannon definition better... but its also more expensive by $300 and a dollar a round over the .44. I will likely start to reload them.

What do you guys think....

I can also get a 500 smith and wesson for $300 over the .454..... just another thought..


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I had a .44 Mag and it was alright, but FAR from a "hand cannon."

Especially if you handload, get the .500 S&W. If not, the .454 is better than nothing... and don't overlook the .460 Remington - it's right up there with (or beyond) the .500 S&W.

-M
 
You'll LIKELY start reloading? BRO! YOU'RE CRAZY LIKE A COYOTE IF YOU DON'T RELOAD! ! ! !

The cost goes down enormously right from the get go. I've got a TC Encore short barrel that is chambered in 500S&W and I can reload for right around a buck per pull vs buying factory at $4 a pull. I swallowed the sticker shock and bought ONE box of factory just to be able to try it out since I hadn't set up for reloading. I've since shot about 5 times that box in reloads for about the same cost as that original one.

And for the gun I vote for the .460. You can then shoot 45Colt, 454 Casull and .460 S&W. What's not to like about that sort of versatility?

The bad part is that I don't know of anyone other than S&W making anything in either .460 or .500. Ruger makes the 454 Redhawk but those aren't cheap either. And then there's the whole issue about what you want to use it for and how often you'll shoot it. There's not many matches that will welcome you when you haul out such a monster hand cannon. But the .44Mag is somehow seen as valid.
 
Even better than the Bull.... THE RAGING JUDGE!!!!

I already posted I want one of these BAD!!!! What can't it do? It'll handle bears, varmints (2 and 4 legged), and small geese! WOO HOO!!! :dancingbanana: :dancingbanana: :dancingbanana:

.45LC / .410 3 Inch / .454 Casull....
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Do not buy Taurus Please. Not that they are bad guns but nightmares to get parts or service.

Ruger and S&W have everything you need. I have just recently purchased a Ruger Redhawk in .44 Mag. I reload and have put some real hot loads through it. Awesome is about all I can say. Not in the same realm of the .460 or .500 though but when you have a huge 8 inch barrel on the .460 or .500 its not so bad.

Get a 4.2 inch Ruger Redhawk and some hot loads and it will satisfy your needs. I went with the 5.5 inch just to tame the recoil a bit more, but an awsome gun.
 
I had a .44 Mag and it was alright, but FAR from a "hand cannon."

Especially if you handload, get the .500 S&W. If not, the .454 is better than nothing... and don't overlook the .460 Remington - it's right up there with (or beyond) the .500 S&W.

-M

The .44 mag 'was' a hand cannon right until zombies came around;)
 
I keep hearing people talk about the Judge or Raging Judge but to be honest the .410 loads I cant see patterning for ####. Why bother?

If you decide on the .454 Casull go with the Ruger Super Redhawk. Far superior to the taurus and will last a lifetime of super hot loads.

If you wanna go bigger Id be going with the .460 as it is the most versatile for someone buying factory ammo. .45 colt, .454 Casull, and .460.

If you handload just go with the S&W 500 if you feel the need, and are planning on reloading. You can load them as hot or light as you like. Components are very expensive though and harder to find.
 
.44mag and .45LC is all the "hand cannon" I need..... I guess if I need more recoil I can shoot 3" slugs one handed with my 12G backpacker.
 
I had a .44mag Raging bull...sold it few years back, still regret it! :( it was a great gun, fun to shoot, accurate and looked amazing! I will get a 5" .454 at some point. (too bad there is no 5" 44mag!)

Get one you'll love it!

ps: don't listen to nay sayers - they obviously never even handled one!
 
Shooting full power .454 is an intimidating experience - anyone can touch off a few and laugh, but actually holding it solid without a rest after the first shot is unlikely. I don't flinch, but I do tremble after the first shot - the body knows that this is going to hurt. Of course this is part of the fun. Wear gloves - it allows some slippage between your hands - holding too tight with left hand over right thumb pulls the thumb out of joint.

At two hundred yards - freestanding, the first shot on target would be a kill on a deer - the second maybe won't hit plywood. On paper at 30 yards, it is not so apparent, but the tremble is there even if the flinch is not.

Buy a box of .454s and try someone else's gun - and save the cases of course - if you need it, then buy it.

Casting for .454 brings the price down - I put gaschecks on and lube with Alox. They are 310 grain with the gas check on.

I shoot Super Redhawk - the Taurus felt cheap and glossy to me.
 
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I am all to familiar with poor service.... I own a Para.
Not sure I want to go down that road again....
 
Nothing wrong with a short 44MAG revolver (4.2"). With the right loads it's a hand cannon for sure.

The S&W 460V is a nice choice too for the ammo selection and Big A** Cannon look :)

If you're set on 454, go with the Ruger Super Redhawk. Build like a tank and all business.
 
I have the 5" S&W 629 in .44mag and love it! Have no desire for anything bigger (or pricier to feed).

OP: What large frame revolvers have you tried yet? Have you shot all these calibers? If not that would go a long way to help you decide which one is for you.
 
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