Alright, I'm 17 and my grandfather has introduced me to pistol shooting. We shoot Bowling pins at approximately seven yards for time, we also shoot jugs at 25 yards with hollow points and eggs at 40 yards (which can be quite a task.) My 18th Birthday is comming up and my grandfather wants to get me a new gun for my birthday, he wants to get rid of a few of the ones he doesn't shoot anymore and buy me one. At the moment im shooting my grandfathers S&W Double-action .44 magnum, 6 shot, 8 3/8" barrel, it also has a good aftermarket grip. I've gotten used to the kick and can handle it very well, it also knocks down bowling pins quickely and it hits jugs and eggs at distance. I'm looking into a few guns but would like any input. I need a good, reliable gun for quick shooting at pins, enough power to blow apart jugs and the accuracy to hit eggs at 40 yards. It needs to be DA, 6 shots and i would rather not go down much from a .44 magnum. I was looking into a .41 or .44 magnum Raging Bull or a S&W model 629 PP. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Greg

Get a S+W, Ruger, basically anything NOT Taurus!

if you are shooting the model 29 alright, you'll love the Ruger super redhawk! :D

Any reason why not a Taurus? I shot a .357 Tracker and it was a wonderful gun.

Any reason why not a Taurus? I shot a .357 Tracker and it was a wonderful gun.

Yeah....my first gun was a PT99. Still have it. Never had a problem with it. If I could only have one gun, it would be the one. I've shot all kinds of stuff in it including some weird reloads. I've also got a Raging Bull 454Casull. Love it too. BIG boom. :)
I had a Ruger P89...now THERES a pistol I'd never have again. I could never get through 2 mags without a jam...no matter what ammo I was using.

My #2 gun is my Ruger New Model Blackhawk in .41Mag. VERY accurate. Golf balls at 75yards anyone???

The DE version of the 41Mag is almost as accurate. The DE 44Mag is about the same.

Of what you listed....I'd go 41Mag.....but thats just my opinion. :)

Ok well i've got down to these:
Ruger Super Redhawk
and
Taurus Raging Bull

a DE .41 Mag? as in the Auto pistol or the BFR? I like the BFR but i need a double action and they're too **** expesive (at least for my use.) If you mean a .41 DE auto pistol, any idea were i can find one and how much it would run me? I'd love to get my hands on one, i thought about trying to find a used .357 magnum DE but i would rather stay up in big bore (.41 and up)

44SandW You are already used to the S&W, stay with that. The S&W is what most Comp. Target shooters use. The actions are the best to get tuned and will stay that way once you get them the way you like it. Take your new S&W to a pistolsmith that can do a trigger job to it and smooth up the action. Set S.A. to about 3 to 3.5lbs. pull and D.A. to about 11lbs. pull. Once it is done this last many thousand of rounds. The Ruger and and Tarus will not give you the kind trigger pull and action work that a S&W will.The trigger work and smooth action are necessary to accurate shooting. I have worked on all of these handguns and I build all of my custom handguns on S&W frames. As far as Cal. you pick what is best for you to shoot. Bobby

alright, my grandfather does all the trigger and action things himself, i think his is set to 2.5/10 (SA/DA). i think im going to stick to .44 magnum for caliber.

Why not get the best pin gun ever made?

S&W Model 625.

44SandW, I guess your grandpa knows his stuff. 2.5/10 is a real good pull, but not for everyone just starting out. You were lucky to have a firearm set up already like this, you will know the difference in the triggers and actions in a S&W and lesser hand guns. Good Shooting Bobby

a DE .41 Mag? as in the Auto pistol or the BFR? I like the BFR but i need a double action and they're too **** expesive (at least for my use.) If you mean a .41 DE auto pistol, any idea were i can find one and how much it would run me? I'd love to get my hands on one, i thought about trying to find a used .357 magnum DE but i would rather stay up in big bore (.41 and up)

Desert Eagle in .41Mag. I, personally, like my DEs. I think I picked up my .41Mag for about $600. Can't remember. Ordered it, through the local gun shop, from a place advertised in Shotgun News. If you're interested, I will get the info for you.

:)

You said:
I need a good, reliable gun for quick shooting at pins, enough power to blow apart jugs and the accuracy to hit eggs at 40 yards. It needs to be DA, 6 shots and i would rather not go down much from a .44 magnum. I was looking into a .41 or .44 magnum Raging Bull or a S&W model 629 PP. Any suggestions?

I recently purchased a 6" Taurus Raging Bull .44 and have fired light .44 Spcl through 300 Gr. Corbon loads, all with great pleasure. The special Taurus grips, weight and heft of the revolver, and magnaports all make shooting much easier than I have experienced with other .44 Mags - an excellent gun, which accepts a large gamut of hunting, defense, target and plinking loads. I own several handguns, including an excellent old 6" Python (old manufacture); but the .44 is my absolute favorite. If you can handle it, you can't go wrong!

- John de Fresno

What would you suggest for barrel length? the 5, 6 or 8 3/8?

For shooting I'd get the 8 3/8", it makes it easier to hit egg sized objects at 40 yards. For hunting and general use I would look at the 5 or 6" for ease of carry. The longer, heavier barrelled revolvers are much more pleasant for shooting and are better, in my opinion, for longer range hunting when open sights are the aiming device of choice.

What would you suggest for barrel length? the 5, 6 or 8 3/8?

You have some good answers, here. Excluding the factor of concealment (since the 44 Mag is not really a belly gun), the five inch tube is handy for heavy brush, I suppose; but the massive handguns made for the .44 Mag don't carry much differently by adding another inch; and you get more sight radius, less recoil, and a modest increase in velocity.

To me, the six inch makes a lot of sense. The 8 3/8 is very impressive and will turn heads; and it helps a bit more in sight radius and is a tad faster (velocity wise). But it gets in the way and is hard to holster comfortably. To me, if I want pinpoint accuracy at 100 yards I will go to the scope, anyway. At scope ranges, the 8 3/8 tube makes a lot more sense, since the scope will make the handgun more difficult to carry on a waist holster, anyway - you'll probably go to some shoulder rig to carry the gun, so the long barrel is a moot point.

So these are the options as I see them. I purchased my .44 Taurus for brush duty while chasing down wild piggies, so I believe the 6" version gives me the most power, sight radius and versatility for a holstered, unscoped handgun.

I suspect that if your choice is for a specialty handgun for long range shooting and silhouettes, you will be happiest with the 8 3/8" barrel. Otherwise, I suspect that you might be happiest with a 6 inch monster like I have.

Note also that many reloading stats are for a 6 inch tube.

- John de Fresno

44SandW, I would agree with most of what has been said,The longer the barrel the more you get out of the cartridge,the longer range you get with more accurcy. I hunt with a S&W .44 mag 629 with a 8 3/8" barrel on Kodiak Island for Black Tail Deer. I have made some kills at 450-500 yrds with this handgun/4X Leupold scope, which lead me to build a 629 with a 11.5" .950" dia. barrel for this kind of shooting. I haven't had the chance to take it to Kodiak yet as It is not yet completed. Bobby