My goal is to work my way up to a .44 magnum for use in hunting whitetail deer.

I'm a rank beginner as a hand gunner (waiting for a permit to buy one). Conventional wisdom seems to be to buy a .22 for learning and practice, but it looks like the recoil and muzzle blast from light .38 special loads would be easy to bear; and I can buy many rounds of .38 special for the cost of good .22.

My selection for a .38 special/.357 Magnum is Ruger's GP100. A similar .22 would be the Smith and Wesson 617, but that would cost more than the big gun. Then later I want to spring for a .44 magnum.

Any thoughts on just skipping the .22 and beginning with light .38 special loads. And also I'm a reloader.

Yo will never regret owning a 22, any trigger time is valuable time. I like the Ruger Bisleys, and also have a 22 Bisley that feels just like the big boys. I also have a GP100 which is dear to my heart but you can buy 1,000 22LR's for the price of 100 38's. To me that is a no brainer, and I load my own.

Buy a .22 and shoot thousands of rounds to master the basics.

Buy both!

There is no substitute for practice. When I started a long time ago I bought a 44 mag which was my first handgun. It didn't take long for me to realize the economy of the .22 and I bought another barrel for my T/C. You definitely want a 22 for practice and shooting squirrels and such. A 44 can be downloaded and the recoil will be not too much more than a full-power 357. Given how difficult it is for you to own guns in NY I think I'd forgo the 357's and pick up a Ruger SBH Bisley.

Get a good quality .22 and start burning through bricks of ammo!
.22 is still the cheapest practice to get good fundamentals and is plain fun. I handload, too, and buy components reasonably cheap but .22's let you go through 500 or 1000 rounds in a session without feeling guilty. You never have too many .22's. Good luck with your pick and post a picksher, will ya?

OK ... The consensus is buy a .22 and shoot it a lot, but again I could by the GP100 and buy over 2,000 rounds with the money I would spend on the S&W .22 I'm considering.

thank you all for your quick response.

LEP
Canandaigua, New York

I have 2 .22 revolvers....the 617 and a Ruger single six. I have a .38 and 2 .357's. I use the 22's ALOT. It is nice to shoot between groups with the big boomers and keep from developing a flinch.....I think you would be best served with a .22 similar to the .44 mag you intend to buy. It would make a very economical understudy. You wont be sorry with the .22. If you change your mind later you could sell the .22 with little economic loss. But, I bet you wouldn't want to get rid of it.

Not to be a horse's patootie, but pick a different 22… You can get a fine Ruger for 300.00 to 400.00 that will last you the rest of your life. Something else to consider, you may not be happy until you just save up and get the S&W you want… Just food for thought…

When I was 19 I was a decent rifle shot but couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn with a handgun. It was then that decided to start running threw a brick of 22 LR’s every month for a year. All I can say is it more than made a noticeable difference…

Is there any bias here toward Ruger? Is a Ruger single action at a clear advantage regarding durability? I have enjoyed Ruger products, currently owning two Hawkeye bolt action rifles and did have a 10/22.

On saving up for a S&W, perhaps now that I'm older I'm more inclined to wait to buy something that really turns me on. The DA S&Ws do. And I find them more comfortable to hold than the Ruger SAs. I do have large hands.

IMO Trigger time with a 22 is better than centerfires cause you don't have to deal with the noise or recoil. The main thing is to get the fundamentals down.

If you want to get the feel for your centerfire, dry firing is great practice.

I like to practice with what I play with. For me a S&W 22 wouldn't be the ideal practice piece cause it has nothing in common with my hunting pieces, which are Rugers. But, any time on the trigger is time well enjoyed.

You'll find Rugers to be the most common of factory made guns because of price and strength. There are also the aesthetics for those of who are cowboys at heart. There is nothing wrong with the Smith 629 in 44 and in fact I've found it to be one of the most accurate out of the box revolvers on the market and the action is normally good too. The downside is you can just about buy two Ruger SA's for the price of a 629 Classic.

LEP,
I do not think I am biased towards the Ruger line. I have two S&W 44 mags and one Ruger in that caliber...the bisley super balckhawk hunter. As far as the 44 mag goes get the one you like best and feels "right" in your hand. To me retty is as pretty does....in other words I like what I shoot more accurately.
As for the .22 I would get the one that is most similar to the big gun I was going to get. The 617 is more like the mod 29(629). I picked up the Ruger single six 22lr/mag convertible new from a guy for 300.....the 617 was double that. I feel comfortable with either one.

Is there a bias toward Ruger? You betcha! And very well earned and deserved.

I completely enjoy 22's. I gave my Ruger MKIII Hunter to my wife and am in the process of building another one... as soon as I can find a lower. Anyway, GET A .22!!!! Doesn't have to be an MKIII, but get a 22! You won't regret it! Big game seasons are still a little ways off, and you can pick up the .357 or .44 before the season starts, and everything you learn from your 22 will carry over to them.

Most fun you can have chasing small game is with a good beagle and a .22 handgun! I'm telling ya, its adictive. And like these guys have said, any trigger time is trigger time. Doesn't matter what you are shooting. I shoot a pellet pistol in the basement during the winter on bad snow days just to keep shooting.

I can't argue with anything said prior to me, that's for sure. Alot of these guys here have way more trigger time than I, and it's all good advice.

The only thing that I would add to the discussion is that a good 38/357 you can dry fire the snot out of it with snap caps. That's one thing that I try to do several times a week, not just with my hunting guns. The Glocks get a work out 4 to 5 times a week, but that's also job related, and related to a neighbor who I can't trust at all. (Long story but it has something to do pedophelia, but I will get back onto the subject)

I have had a good experience with the new SP101 Rugers, so don't overlook them if you are set on a DA revolver.

Good Luck and practice well.

PH