Hey everyone, I'm new to the site and have tried to search this topic with no luck. I've shot handguns of all types and am getting into the sport of handgun hunting for deer and hogs.
I am very familiar with the S&W 629 .44 mag model and would like to know how it compares with the Ruger sbh in either frame and grip. Any opinions will be greatly appreciated or point me in the right direction if this topic has been beat to death already. Thanks

The grip frame & feel are very different. As you are aware, the 629 is a double action while the SBH is a single action. The regular SB has the "plow handle" grip, but you can also get it with the Bisley grip frame. Opinions vary on which of those is best. You need to try them before you buy.

That's been my dilemma on running out and buying one. I haven't found anyone that I know with the Ruger to try. I've handled both SBH's at the local gun shop but I wish I knew how they compared shooting.

Which ever one feels better in your hand is the one you should choose. I am sure that when you hunt with a DA revolver you will more than likely shoot it single action.

i'd choose a super blackhawk hunter over the S&W by far. but, i'm just not a smith fan, never was.
i have a ruger redhawk(double action of course), and the super bh hunter in bisley grip form. love em both!, n they shoot plenty good for me. have had the redhawk for a LONG time, since 1986, i think. killed my first handgun deer with it.

as far as shooting.....a double action has an advantage of the swing out cylinder for easier loading/unloading. kinnda handy at the range, but not so big a deal for hunting imo.

Wish we were not so far away, here in Texas. I would be glad to lend you some of mine. Some years ago, I was acquainted with the fellow that owned the pawn shop in Hewitt. He seemed like a very nice fellow (of course I was spending money with him --- LOL) If he is still there, he might be of some help to you.

You are not that far from Gary. He also might be able to identify someone down that way that could help.

Hey Red, welcome to the forum!
You will find that you will get very educated opinions on this subjest here, but for the most part they boil down to personal preference
While I have a Blackhawk or two & have owned quite a few BHs & SBHs, I have always prefered the feel of double actions. That said I have never shot a Bisley griped Ruger & that might change things.
I have a mod 29-4 that I have shot harder than most folks recomend (a fairly steady diet (maybe close to 1000 rds) of 320s at 1320fps - 1350 fps along with thousands of REALLY HOT 240s that the previous owner had put through it. My 320s @1340 were more comfortable to shoot!) & it is still accurate & tight. Its 8&3/8 with the light barrel & I really wish it had the tapered custom shop barrel or a full lugged barrel both for looks & a touch of additional weight. It has a Wieigand scope base & Hogue grips.
It has been replaced as primary hunting gun (still has a place of honor in the cabinet) by my 7.5" Super Redhawk in 480. I LOVE that gun & the feel of the grip rame with Hogue Tamer grips.

Personal preference for me... Between the two you mentiuon it would be the S&W. If I ever shot a Bisley it might sway me but just handeling them in the store didn't sell me.

Thanks everyone for the info so far. My dad has a smith 29 (nickel) that I have shot a lot and love it. Recoil on it is very manageable and fun to shoot. As far as hunting purposes it will be all in fired single action of course. I'm always wanting to try something new though. I generally bow hunt all year and shoot a traditional muzzleloader. I really like the looks and feel of both ruger sb grips styles and have yet to see a negative review on one.

Hey Red,
If you have shot and like the s/w you might want to stick with that. I've both, but just got the sbh. The "plow handle" kinda rolls in your hand a bit and finding the 'right' spot to hold it is a little less obvious than the s/w. It ain't wrong, just different. As far as kick or performance, they will both be fine. On the other hand, if you don't have a big single action, you might want to give it a try. Any help? Get both? If you find yourself in north Georgia, holler, you are welcome to try mine.
Dogsbreath

Ive got a sbhh in 44 that I like real well its a sweet shooting accurate gun,I bought a S&W 629 classic and it sure was a sweet gun but didnt shoot well ,when I measured the throats they were only .427 and the sporting goods store refunded my money,Im sure it was just a fluk but they sure feel good in the hand.

Hey Red,
I a Super Redhawk out of the question for you? It's a double action and personally, I like it alot more than my super blackhawk. Just a thought...

I have had both--still have the 629's and the SBHH is gone--now that is not to say that I do not have a couple SBH Bisley's with scopes--Just did not like the Hunter model.

If I had to pick I would the 629 Classic DX in a 8 3/8-- Leupold base and a 2x Leupold S&W Round SQ conversion grip.

Load you some 240 XTP's over 18.5 of 2400 w/a CCI350

Let the thumpin begin

Thanks everyone. I can see an extensive collection in my future of hunting hangun configurations.

And all God's people said "AMEN!"

BUT, the 629 would do it all...

I love the 629 even though my business is in Rugers. I've had several smiths and they have all shot true and the grip configuration is excellent. I would go as far as saying that out of the box for a factory gun the have consistently had they best triggers and been the most accurate guns I've had.

As far as the cons go when comparing it to a single action Ruger there are only two that come to mind. First is they are more prone to malfunctions, it's basic mechanics. The more moving parts the higher the chance of failure. This is the same reason that although I'm a ford guy I bought a Dodge for the Cummins engine, 40% fewer moving parts means fewer break downs.

The second is the strength of the action. As has been stated here there are people that feed the smith a steady load of heavy loads without ever having a problem, however they do have a reputation (that is earned) for loosening up from full house loads and heavy bullets. It's a crap shoot if your gun would be one that does or not but it's happened enough to be of concern. If your going to be shooting factory loads or even max book loads with standard bullet weights there is little chance of a problem prematurely. I don't know if they still do it or not but I can remember seeing warnings on some of the custom ammo loaded past sammi pressures that said to only use in Ruger Blackhawks and Redhawks. If your going to be pushing this thing full tilt with alot of rounds down range you would be a step ahead to go with either the Redhawk or Blackhawk as they are both built like tanks and can take roughly twice the pressure of the smith before catastrophic failure.

The main con to the Blackhawks is the action, you'll want to have it worked over to get the most out of it. Personally I think the Smith's have better quality control from what I've seen coming through the shop lately and from owning dozens of Blackhawks myself, there is a definite difference in the newer guns.

I'm not trying to steer you one way or the other just give the facts as I've observed. The smith is a great choice but you might want to not go crazy with the loads for issues of longevity and reliability. The Ruger is a tank but may need some tuning on the action when you first get it. You can make a world of difference with 15.00 worth of springs if you want to try it yourself or have a smith do the works. Whichever you pick you'll have an excellent hunting tool.

For all of the above reasons, I would opt for the Ruger. They're just tougher and usually cheaper on the used gun market. I still love my Smiths, but you really can't mistreat them the way you can a Ruger. But, the Smith will also serve you well.

had a Dan Wesson 44 for some dozen years bet i didn't fire 3 cylinders full d.a. but a hole pile s.a. had to sell it, and when it came time to replace it with that in mind i bought sight unseen a " blackhawk". the blackhawk turned out to be a redhawk, shoot that some and swaped it for a sbh. no regrets on the trade, love my sbh, dose all i need or want...but its not my d.w. That might be just fond old times and lost youth talking. get what feels good and you like, you'll shoot it just fine. as for max 44 loads my thoughts are the 44 is the biggest revolver. if you need bigger than the 44 get something bigger, dont try to make it something its not

I agree, but factory .44 ammo ain't what it used to be. They have toned the old girl down quite a bit.

The newer generation S&Ws are much stronger than the earlier models (Not sure but I believe it's the -5 or 6 on blue & -4 on stainless that are the stronger guns.) but definetly not Ruger tuff.
If you want to push it & still have pleasent shooting the Super Redhawk in 480 is the answer. My mod 29 feels like a Caddy or Porche, my SRH feels like a classy F-250 4x4. I vastly prefer the SRH grip over the standard RH.

thats the way i like my guns!

....except in the chevy version.

the regular redhawk factory grip does suck. an aftermarket grip is a must on it. i use an uncle mikes that works well. i vastly prefer the "looks" of the standard redhawk over the super.

actually, i think the super blackhawk bisley hunter was the answer to all my revolver needs. they just did not make it back then.

Yeah but aren't you glad you didn't find that "one" gun right off the bat? I know for me the search has been a LOT of fun!

No doubt!

Well I decided to stick with the smith and ordered a 629 6.5" full underlug today, should be here in a week or so. I'm going to keep an eye out for a used sb though just to add to the collection. hopefully I can run into someone at the range with on to try. Thanks everyone, it seems to be a great community on here.

There are a ton of great guns out there & you just ordered one of them!
I don't think you will be dissapointed.

One of the custom shop Mod 29 series Hunters is still on my short list.

I still want to replace my 629 Classic, when I first became disabled and was waiting for SSDI to pull their heads out I liquidated half of my collection but as bad as that sounds I know I'm fortunate to still have the numbers of guns I do.

You did well. I have both Rugers and Smiths. I like em both. Load it hot with wide meplat bullets and have fun...Jim

I too think you will be very happy with your decision. Congratulations and post up some photos when you get it in your hands!

Yeah I'm pretty anxious to get it in. I have plenty of hogs on my lease to be thinned out so I can't wait. All of my blinds are set up for bow hunting so 40 yard max shots so I think she'll thump them pretty good. Will definitely post pics (if I can figure it out) when I get it and thanks again.