Dumb Barrel Length Question?

I sold my buddy a DPMS Prairie Snow Panther AR15 that I had for years. He kept it for years and sold it back to me. Then I traded a guy on a predator hunting website straight across for this. It hasn't even been fired yet. I'm pretty stoked. I was able to buy some good 44 mag ammo for it. Then a guy on 24 Hour sold me a couple hundred rounds of 44 special. I'm just waiting for the doctor to give me the all clear so I can head to the range or the mountains and shoot it.
Hope that you are all healed up. Most of us know about being in a medical condition. If you are going to just shoot it, use 44 special target. For hunting there are hundreds of loads so with that barrel size you can get opinions from others on this forum. I used Core Lokt 275gr or Winchester Platinum 250 gr for deer/bear in my Model 29 6".
 

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When I was much younger I shot a doe at about 75 yds with a 4" S&W 629. I practiced all summer beforehand shooting it sitting braced between my knees. It was hard on my jeans. I wasn't all that impressed with the effectiveness compared to rifle damage but I hit the doe in the spine and dropped it with the first shot. I don't shoot the 629 much any more because of the muzzle blast. I don't think I could work up the nerve to try a short barrel 44 braced between my knees which limit me to very short range.
 
That depends on what range you can reliably produce hunting accuracy with it. I suspect you will have a hard time hitting an 8" plate at 20 yards with it. Let us know what you come up with in practice. As an aside shot placement is extremely important with a marginal big game round like a 44mag from a short barrel. Your going to be hard pressed to get 800 ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle with that snub nose even with a 300 grain bullet.
 
Your maximum effective range is entirely up to you. Albeit your greatly handicapped by the chosen weapon. The load you select, your choice of sighting system and how many rounds you put thru it in each shooting position all count. I killed a mature cow elk in 2020 at ~110 yards with my 6" M629 stoked with Elmer Keith's pet load sighted thru a Leupold 4X on top. But that was after shooting all summer at up to 125 yards.
 

LUCKYDOG
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I just traded for a Ruger Redhawk 44 Mag with a 2 3/4" barrel. If I really wanted to hunt a big game animal with it(for whatever dumb reason) What kind of range would I have?
If you are hunting bear, bait it in to you. Reach out and pinch the bears nostrils. When he opens his mouth, insert the hand gun and pull the trigger. That was my father's instructions to me.
 
I have an Anaconda with a 6" barrel and there is no way I'd one shorter to hunt with. I bet a guy would only limp wrist that little stubby sucker one time. LOL
 
I have a 445 ultralite Taurus that I can hit a 6" circle out to about 40 yards with if I really concentrate. That's a loooong poke for that gun. The front sight Completely covers a deer shoulder at that distance. I use it on livestock that doesn't want to load up, and carry it a lot in bear season, mostly because it weighs about the same as my cellphone so rides on a belt like nothing.

That Redhawk is gorgeous. Never sell it. But it's not legal in some states for hunting due to barrel length so be careful about reciprocity on carry permit.

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I have always had a weakness for short barrel big bore pistols.
That Ruger looks like a good bear country backup.
I tore my right wrist up shooting a 4" S&W29 I had with some Garrett 300 grain loads. The pistol had Pachmayer grips on it and the first shot with those hot loads felt someone had stabbed me with a knife. Later found i had detached the tendon. So, I tamed down what I allow myself to shoot in handguns. If I had had wood grips on the 29, I would never have had that problem. Those rubber grips work to well at times.
Anyway, nice pistol.
 

LUCKYDOG
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Registered: 03/09/06
Posts: 1639
Loc: Huntin' Somewhere In Colorado
I just traded for a Ruger Redhawk 44 Mag with a 2 3/4" barrel. If I really wanted to hunt a big game animal with it(for whatever dumb reason) What kind of range would I have?
Where aggressive bears are concerned at short distances, bullet placement is extremely important. To put a bullet on its skull or neck, I imagine your distance for precise shooting be in that 5-7 yards range, also an acceptable range for wildlife officials, for self defence. Remember unless you are an extremely cool cucumber facing an aggressive bear, you might get a case of the jitters paired with increased heart rate and anal pucker. Shooting with fine accuracy under such conditions, is rather difficult. The short gun is probably a fine adequate defensive weapon at that short range. Shooting a bear out of season at 20 yards, claiming self defence, would invite poaching charges by game officials.
 
Limited range and velocity with the stubby barrel. Have a smith or Ruger put on a 6 to 7" and you will be set. Pic. is my S&W 29 .44mag with adj. front sight, model Classic Hunter. . I shoot 240gr hard cast and they drop white tail bsng flop. When I practice I can put 6 in a pie plate at 100yd off hand. No holdover with the adj. sight.
 

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