Hey guys. I am thinking about a ruger single action. Blackhawk hunter in 44 mag. Handgun scope a Leupold X4 scope. What do you guys think. HSM loads a 305 gr hard cast bullet. Thinking about hunting elk with this handgun. Or a freedom arm 475 or 500 wyoming. What would be better?

The Hunter is an AWESOME gun.....have two (.44 Mag and .45LC), both wearing Weaver fixed power scope (2X and 4X respectively). Most on here will tell you a 4X is too much on a wheelgun but I'm not one of them. I'd dump all my 2X's in a heartbeat for 4X optics (or a 2-7X variable)!

When you bring in the FA guns as a choice, that's an entirely different world of revolver in terms of quality and entirely different class of cartridges. If you can afford the FA chambered in the .475 or .500 cartridges, then by all means.....get it!!

Gregg has a very nice 500WE for sale in the classifieds.

The Hunter is a good gun, especially if you invest in an action job. The scope choice is a good one. I'll often recommend beginners start with a 2X only because it's easier to get used to but if you've shot a handgun scope or have the patience and time to work at it the 4x isn't bad to get used to.

Your choices are kinda...apples and oranges.

the hunter in 44 is a great choice and a good shooter. If you're used to the big boomers, I'd definently suggest The FA's! Either that you've mentioned are worthy...it's just....apples and oranges.

I have one in 45lc. If u wanna go scope, its hard to beat a hunter.....

Specially if ya wanna go back and forth without having to re sight it in every time.

I've handled a freedom, and they are AWSOME, but the hunter is also a beautifully crafted hunk of steel.

For me, in hunting situations, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference in accuracy either. On a bench, the groups MIGHT be smaller with a FA, but I've never hunted from a bench.

Really comes down to what u want to spend, as both guns should do everything u ask of them.

Another thing to think about is that a FA is a 4 shot, while the Ruger is a 6.

Can't go wrong either way.

Happy hunting.

MN

I agree with the above 100%!

While there are the occassions that I do kind of hunt from a bench, it is to shoot distances that ANY FA wheelgun would never be able to reach!

So within the reach of about any wheelgun chambering I don't think that accuracy is the absolute excuse to need a FA.

IMO, the only reason for a FA is either because you have the money (which I don't) OR you need a cartridge that the single action ruger can't handle. Other than that, the Ruger will handle all my needs just fine.

Actually the single action Ruger will handle anything the FA will it just means overhauling the gun. The 500WE is about the only thing I can't chamber a Ruger in because FA is holding on to it's proprietary rights and since the WE has it's own brass with no parent cartridge it can't be duplicated like most cartridges but under a different name. The WE won't do anything the Linebaugh or .500X1.40 can't do just as well. The cost of a custom will normally be less than or equal to an FA but you have to have the patience to wait since you can buy them off the shelf like the FA's.

Another option if you feel the need for more gun than a 44 mag for elk would be a BFR in .475 Linebaugh. I have one and it is a great shooter and they can be had for quite a bit less than an FA or a custom Ruger.

Well, it is true that the .429 magnum is no 7-30 Waters now, but...... ;-)

Get the FA. You will sink more in a custom usually and you are starting with a flawed product trying to make it what a FA already is. I have had many built and still have a good number of them but I prefer the FA deep down.

There is nothing you can't do with a FA in 454. It's the last gun I'll ever sell. My custom 475s and such are nice but the 454 is one versatile gun. Having said that, if you want a blued gun then the FA is out. Also, the customs can be made any way you want them in the end pretty much.

Nice to have choices isn't it?

DOH!! HAhahaha!

(Inside joke for those wondering if we are nuts......)

All are great guns...but, I can't believe that no one beat me to this...GET BOTH! (Or all three!)

So, that being said, if the purchase is limited to one or the other, I would opt for the 475/500. I have a Linebaugh in a 6" barrel and a 500WE in 4 3/4" - fantastic guns.

Only reason I don't currently have a Blackhawk hunter in 44 is that I have my Redhawk. And my new-to-me M83 in 44 Mag

LOVE my bisley 44mag hunter! wasn't sure i needed it, since i already had a redhawk. YEP....i needed it....lol



that pretty much explains my thoughts on the ruger vs freedom arms debate!

.......if ya got the "$" and the "want" factors....sure....get a FA. whatever cartridge you choose, just work within it's limitations for whatever you are after.

Kyode , which one of the rugers do you say is the better shooter?
The Redhawk or Bisley Hunter?

I'm not gonna say a word

i havn't fired any handloads thru the bisley hunter yet, but i shot/sighted in both guns with win. white box 240gr factory loads in a rush for deer season. i was quite amused that both guns shot nearly identical looking groups at 50 yrds with that ammo. which by the way, shot pretty decent for a factory ammo(good nuff fer hunting deer at normal revolver range).

both guns have nearly identical(by feel)trigger pulls. the redhawk has a spring kit, and the bisley a "poor boy trigger job".

the redhawk shoots really good with 21gr 2400 and a 240gr xtp. i look forward to checking it in the bisley hunter, along with h110/296 to see if it has a preference. h110 didn't fair as well as 2400 in a couple previous tries in the redhawk. like to have time to try some other loads in both....just to have more options....n fun trying.

How about another possibility into the mix for which handgun/caliber.

BFR in 500 JRH.

The BFR sort of splits the difference in both price and quality of the Ruger and the FA. The 500 JRH (sort of a 500 S&W special) is nice because it fits into one of the shorter frames, not one of the long ones like its big brother (500 S&W or 45/70) and has more than enough "umph" for anything that walks the earth. If you order the gun directly from Magnum Research they will often slick up the trigger before sending the gun out, saving a couple of bucks of having a gunsmith do it.

BTW, the 500JRH is a stock caliber from Magnum Research even though it is not listed on their website.

As does the BFR .475 Linebaugh.

Heavy .44 Magnum +P+ Ammo - 340 gr. L.F.N. - G.C. (1,478 fps/M.E. 1,649 ft. lbs.) - 20 Round Box

FYI: You can shoot this stuff through a Ruger(redhawk blackhawk, super redhawk, and old model vaquero-not the new ones built on a smaller frame)....and if a 340grn flat nose at nearly 1500fps doesn't have enough snot to get the job done....than Elk are tougher than I thought!

And this is factory ammo!! $38 for 20 round is a little steep, but I'm sure it can be duplicated with hand loads.

I may be mistaken, but this looks like 454 power levels to me.

MN

The old 44 hasn't been demoted to small game just yet.

A 44 will handle an elk but I would choose the 475 over others. I much prefer the 475 to the 500's and personally I like the 2.5x8 Leupold on the FA. The sweet spot of the eye relief is better on that scope than either the 2x or 4x. If you go with the Ruger and a scope then the lighter weight of the Leupold will be appreciated - in that case I would say the 4x; the 2.5x8 is a little big for the forward mount on the Ruger.

I'm kinda new to this stuff, but I love my SBBH in .44 mag! 300gr XTP over 22 grains of H110 has been workin' just fine.

Oh, by the way I'm HOOKED big time! Only carried my rifle one afternoon this season, and I think it is going to be collecting alot of dust in the future!

My long gun hasn't left the safe in 2 decades ;-)

Mine haven't either

Mine still do from time to time because I love all guns but the majority of my hunting now is strictly with handguns.

Long gun? What's a long gun? LOL

How is the Ruger a flawed product? Fit and finish is something any competent gunsmith can address, but the Ruger's transfer bar system is better (definitely safer) than the FA83's system IMO.

Having said that, the hunter series revolvers are excellent -- I have a Bisley Hunter in .44 Mag and it is wonderfully accurate -- as Rod pointed out here (I believe it was here!), the trigger needs work, but that's about it.

But, by no means should that preclude you from getting an FA as well!

I gotta ask that as well. I have a half dozen ruger revolvers and they all shoot good to excellent. They are not all tight as a drum but that doesn't matter when I touch 'em off. I wouldn't turn down a free FA, but my Rugers lack for naught.

Whit's Bisley while playing with dot adjustments. 50 yards from bags.

For me that would be a 15" barrel an my Encore. LOL

It's what I grab when I really want to hit what I'm shooting at. LOL.

Tom

I don't even own any....



Exactly...

I have a lot of rugers also and love them so don't get worked up but in the terms of alignment and such of base pin holes etc when you build a custom from one, the is a bit of work to get them "square". Read Bowens book or talk to any custom gunsmith that makes a living doing these everyday. There is nothing wrong with a ruger and I don't think there is anything you cant do with one.

That is true, when I build one I have to check the frame. With the frames being cast there is a chance for warpage and some of the frames will actually twist. It's rare to get one that is too bad to work over but it does happen, from that point though you can build a revolver that is as tight and accurate as any. FA is the cream of the crop off the shelf and as far as the customs go it depends on who does the work as they are not all equal. I got into this because I saw room for improvement on customs I had bought whereas with the FA being a factory gun they don't vary much from gun to gun.

Have a .44 Super Blackhawk with Bushnell Elite 2-6x. Shoots less than 1/2 groups at 75 yards. Haven't shot elk yet, but have taken several whitetails and haven't had to track one yet. Would LOVE to try elk hunt. Would like to have FA, but can't afford.

I look forward to handling one of your sixguns one day Rod.