Big Bore carry/general purpose outdoorsmen revolver pic and discussion thread

Hey all,

I figured we could post pics and discuss our outdoorsmen/woodsbumming revolvers.

Here are a pair of 4" .44s from S&W, a 29-2 and 629-something Can't recall off top of my head) :



http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...project030.jpg



Custom 5" 29-2 and a 4" Redhawk .44, both carried in Milt Sparks leather:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...roop/012-5.jpg

I've found through handloading that the .44s meet my practical needs perfectly for a big bore revolver, being able to shoot mild loads for small game, to heavy loads for elk and such. I've never needed more.

I like the 29's quite a lot. I have a 4"er that I got in the early 80's, it's my favorite and most carried gun. I carry Ruger SA 45's some also. I tore a ligament in my right thumb years ago and found that I could shoot an SA much sooner than a DA (it was years before I could even shoot a 22 right handed). With heavy loads its pretty noticeable how much more comfortable the SA's are. I mostly shoot 9 grs Unique with the Lyman 429421 bullet, or a commercial equivalent. It's very comfortable to shoot, and flattens out trajectory noticeably over a 44 spl level load. It's not too difficult to bang the steel plate @ 300 yards with that load. I use the Keith load for the mountains (22 grs 2400/250 gr Lyman). I load a few 290 gr SWC loads and carry them now and then in a different 44. They run about 1225 fps in a 6" barrel.

I use a variety of loads in the 45's, the low end is a 250 @ 900 fps, the high end is a 325 gr @ about 1250 fps.


The 29. The leather is a Threepersons type I had a friend make for me. I recently had it lined.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...s/IMG_1299.jpg

Vaquero,
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...s/IMG_1064.jpg

Flat topped Blackhawk, (camera had a weird distortion)
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...s/IMG_1057.jpg

My new favorite leather for the Rugers. A Miles City type. With the adjustable sighted gun its perfect, it wont come out if turned upside down, but comes out when needed.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...s/IMG_2434.jpg

That 29 is gorgeous! I have a serious soft spot for N frame 44s, and well used, but not abused finishes. Yours is a shining example of a gun that looks like it has seen years of use in the outdoors, and has many stories to tell.

The NM Bhawk .45 that you Flattopped is a great looking sidearm as well, for the same reason.

Funny you mention the Unique load. I use 8.5 and 10 grains Unique as my light and medium loads. Pounded thousands and thousands of them downrange.

field pics?

Field pics? I don't really have any, other than this a friend took when we were camping up on the mountain.

The Blackhawk was a fun project. Its not quite done as I wanted it. The gunsmith that did the front sight didn't follow my directions, I'll probably end up having another one made. I wanted a basic copy of a Colt Flat Top Target front sight. I also hand polished the action, shortened base pin (for a longer ejector stroke), made one piece rosewood grips, beveled cylinder edge, and it has a crescent ejector rod and cam cut housing. I removed all the junk Ruger stamped on the barrel also. It has a grooved trigger and Super hammer also. I reshaped the hammer to get rid of the chunky blocky look Ruger hammers have when cocked.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...ps23d1b46f.jpg

Great looking field pic. The high country always makes for some good backdrops. While I often carry a glock 21 .45 in the backcountry, for various reasons, I also spend a good amount of time with one of my 44 mags. The addition of wolf packs being prevalent where I recreate and hunt has caused me to carry the glock 21 or a 1911 instead of the N Frames.

I do really enjoy getting out and hunting with the wheelguns though.

Though I have a number, I'm not as big of a fan of the single actions. I simply shoot the DA Smith revolvers better. A nice N frame just has a "feel" to it that is so familiar, it's almost second nature to operate one. 1911s have always been the same. This seems in spite of years of carrying Glocks....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lost River

The addition of wolf packs being prevalent where I recreate and hunt has caused me to carry the glock 21 or a 1911 instead of the N Frames.


Though I have a number, I'm not as big of a fan of the single actions. I simply shoot the DA Smith revolvers better. A nice N frame just has a "feel" to it that is so familiar, it's almost second nature to operate one. 1911s have always been the same. This seems in spite of years of carrying Glocks....

---

Theres a large number of woofs here, as well as being about knee deep in grizzlies. The official numbers are widely ridiculed as being purposefully low for political reasons by people that get out in the hills much or are familiar with the areas they claim to have numbers for. I've not seen many woofs, but their tracks are pretty common in the high country. I hear them now and then, even from home (a neighbor also saw one in his yard in the middle of the night). All that I can gather from the guys in Alaska that have shot them, they tend to scatter at the first shot, even when acting very sneaky and acting in stalking behavior (like laying in ambush on a trail somebody is walking down). I always carry a rifle when out, it's my first choice no matter what, but still feel fine with a sixgun.

I started shooting with single action 22's, then 357 and 44 Rugers, I couldn't make a good guess how many rounds I've shot through the 22's. They feel more natural in hand than anything else, though Smiths are a close second, particularly the K's. I've never shot an auto as well as a revolver in any context, despite shooting 1911's a fair bit years ago. Just never could get the same feel, or warm up to them, especially as a field gun. I'm not as natural out of the leather with SA's as a Smith, just never worked at it. The Smiths seem to be pretty natural for me with the right holster.

Thank both of you gentlemen for the photos. I do appreciate them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Malamute

The 29. The leather is a Threepersons type I had a friend make for me. I recently had it lined.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...s/IMG_1299.jpg

---

I am so madly in love with the gun in that picture that it's not even funny.

You don't sass back to a person carries a gun looks like that.

Why does/did Smith build their 4" 29's with target triggers? Or why did so many buy 'em that way? My 6" 29-2 is a great gun, but that TT sucks for DA work. :mad:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tamara

I am so madly in love with the gun in that picture that it's not even funny.

You don't sass back to a person carries a gun looks like that.

---

That looks like the Elmer Keith Edition.