Ruger 44 mag BlackHawk
I have a scope mount for my 44 mag SS 7 1/2 barrel and was wondering what would be the best type glass/scope power to put on it? Would a red dot work ok or a scope be better? Also how far out would the rifled Black Hawk be accurate? Where I live there are getting to be a lot of wild hogs, some bear, a lot of deer and elk are being reestablished. For a pistol would the 44 mag be okay for these? Thanks for any information in advance.
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I prefer the Millett red dot on my .44's. I can get on target quicker. The longest shot I've taken on a deer so far is 80yds. 0 -
Your questions are very broad based, and cover a lot of ground, but I will make an effort to answer them all for you.
quote:Where I live there are getting to be a lot of wild hogs, some bear, a lot of deer and elk are being reestablished. For a pistol would the 44 mag be okay for these?
Yes, the 44 Magnum will handle all of the above, within its limitations, and using the right ammunition. For hunting any of the above, I would stick with a 250-300(prefferable)grain bullet, of hardcast construction. The range will be the most limiting factor, and I would say with the Elk, keep it 100 yards maximum, and the rest, to the distance where you can effectively put it into the vitals, every shot.
quote:was wondering what would be the best type glass/scope power to put on it? Would a red dot work ok or a scope be better?
Well, it all depends on what type of terrain you hunt in, and your personal prefference. I do not care for anything I have to put batteries in, that is going to align my bullet's path. Therefor, that rules out most red dot sights. I like higher power variables, and just dropped a 2.5-8 Leupold on a Ruger Redhawk SS in 41 Magnum...it is a great shooter, with groups well under two inches at 50 yards. But by any means, if you go with the conventional scope, there are only two names in pistol scopes...Burris would be my first choice, and then Leupold...only if I have to(it is what was readily available in a hurry when I was looking for my 41). If I were goung to go with a red dot, it would most likely be a Burris Fast fire also.
Hope this clears up the train of thought for you.
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quote:Originally posted by jltrent
I have a scope mount for my 44 mag SS 7 1/2 barrel and was wondering what would be the best type glass/scope power to put on it?
Depends mostly on the range you expect to be shooting at it.
Red dot is fine, so long as you like using one and you get a quality one that can handle .44 magnum recoil.
With magnification and pistol scopes, my personal opinion is that "less is more". I think most shooters/hunters can get away with something 2, 3, or 4x, and really don't need more. Personally, I prefer a fixed 2 or 3x.
The problem is that field of view becomes very narrow with the long eye relief pistol scopes at high magnification, and also "wobble" increases tremendously.
Also, with ANY handgun, the overwhelming majority of the time you're really looking at shots at under 100 yards. You really shouldn't need more than 4x magnification there.
quote: Would a red dot work ok or a scope be better?
"Better" is largely a question of personal preference. The one you LIKE better is better.
biggest advantages of scope is that it gives you some magnification, obviously.
Yes, its true that red dot batteries can fail, but that said, the batteries in new generation red-dots (eg the Aimpoints) last a **LONG** time. They literally last so long you can leave the sights on ALL THE TIME, and just change the batteries once per year to keep them fresh!
Advantages of red dot are that they may work a bit better with both eyes open and in particular the reticle (ie dot) can be easier to see.
As mentioned, top two brands in optical pistol scopes would be Leupold and Burris. Nikon is probably also worth a look.
quote:Also how far out would the rifled Black Hawk be accurate?
Since the gun doesn't shoot itself, I think the more relevant question is how far out can **YOU** be accurate.
Again, the vast majority of pistol shooters, including experienced hunters, usually won't take shots at game past about 75 yards. I'd say that's a practical maximum hunting distance for most shooters, and 50 yards might be more reasonable for novices.
Hitting further than 100 yards is *possible* but I'd relegate it to experienced shooters who have spent a tremendous amount of time developing their skill past that distance (eg shooting metallic silhouettes, etc). These are people who KNOW they can do it, because they've ALREADY put thousands of rounds downrange shooting metallic silhouettes and so forth.
If you have to ask the question of whether or not you should, the answer is "no, you shouldn't be shooting that far!".
Its not just that its hard to hit anything that far out with a pistol, but also that blunt-nosed slow-moving pistol bullets tend to have a good amount of drop past that distance, and they also lose energy. Because of the trajectories, with guns zeroed at normal pistol distances, SMALL differences in range estimation can translate into LARGE differences in drop distances at ranges past 100 yards.
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Where I live there are getting to be a lot of wild hogs, some bear, a lot of deer and elk are being reestablished. For a pistol would the 44 mag be okay for these? Thanks for any information in advance.
Yes.
Assuming the shooter is skilled enough to take advantage of it, .44 magnum should be adequate power-wise for all of the above, plus the Super-Blackhawk is a good platform to shoot it from.
For elk and for bear, you'd want to make absolutely sure you choose your shots carefully, and not from terribly far away. Also, hard cast lead bullets might be appropriate to ensure maximum penetration.0 -
GRIZZCLAW has it right... i would go with a good quality red dot. i am thinking(going to do it) about taking my 2-6 off my 45/70 and replace it with a millet or adco red dot. i have taken alot of deer with a handgun and the best thing about the red dot is this... your head does not have to be in the center of the devise like you would have to be with a scope. also, my mistake... i left one of my red dots turned on for a week and it was still working. it was an adco.
that in itself, taught me that i can go sit in my blind, per say for 4 hrs and not have to worry about my battery. but i have an extra incase!! good luck. handgun hunting is awsome and practice ,practice ,practice. 2600 -
I'd keep it for deer and pigs only under 50yds.
seems foolish to shoot further, and also would a elk which are much tougher.
Very few handgunners should be shooting further than that
There is also a difference b/w steel targets and live game0 -
quote:Originally posted by 260
the best thing about the red dot is this... your head does not have to be in the center of the devise like you would have to be with a scope.
Excellent point.
Dot sights usually also give you unlimited eye relief (ie your eye can be any distance from the scope), too, which is potentially another plus.0 -
Thanks for the info. The red dot sounds good. 0 -
On my super redhawk I have a bushnell 2x6 scope. I find anything above 3 power is worthless because of the wobble unless u use sticks than 6x works great. So my question is if you are shotting at only 50 yards do you need anything? On a bore you should be able to hit that thing at 50 yards with iron sights. My scope I use for the 100 yard+ shots. You can make those with fast ammo and a bit of practice. 0 -
I use a 2 or 4 power only because the field of view is so small, anything higher and you can't find your target. Both are Leupolds. 0
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