I don't mind running loads near max but I don't go over and often I'm a grain or two below max, not because the gun won't handle it but that's where the best accuracy is. A chrono helps too if you're working up a load. A lot of times an extra two or three grains has very little effect on velocity. I have stretched one T/C frame by loading in the winter and shooting those in the summer. Depending on where you live you do have to watch out for big temp swings. The thicker air of cold weather will affect POI too.

Dont take this wrong but it doesnt surprise me in the least as theres a huge difference in what a fa, a ruger or a bfr will take. Remember dick casulls origimal fa loads were a 260 gr bullet at over 2300 fps and a 400 gr bullet just over 1600 fps. His guns digested lots of these loads. The ruger is just a bit down the strength curve imho bc of the whole 6 shot issue and the blackhawks dont have the meat on the frame the fa do. The bfr is bigger still. Theyre all good and will last forever if ya care forthe gun.

Rod. I love the fa actions and ive had the trigger jobs on most of mine and really itd be nice if they came that way factory but all my customs amd rugers and bfrs and fa all pale compared to my smiths. The 460 i have has the finest trigger on any gun ive ever seen. Unreal

I do believe "Model 29" is the issue here. Load your 300 gr. bullet with H110 and don't look back. It'll do you right.

Yeah the "problem" with the FA's is that if you even have one of them that has a trigger job, and if you have one FA you'll have more sooner or later, then all of them will "need" one. It does make a difference though and all of mine have trigger jobs and I don't worry about it. If you buy it new then order it with an action job. They are about 8-9 months out right now though.

The model 29 isn't even in the same universe as the FA, BFR or Ruger but as I said the Ruger will take anything you can throw at it otherwise you couldn't convert the max frame to 475 and 500 Max.

That ...

Im going to try and respond to most of you in one post and then be done with this conversation. I joined up a few days ago and did nothing but give honest advice from my experiences of being a long time hunter & shooter and all I have gotten is ridiculed by Wapitirod & AP as if this is some boys club and any new guy to the club should be harrased and ran off if possible and to be questioned on being a real hunter or handgun hunter is crazy! So what's with the titles below our name? How long do I remain a stranger and how does one get a better title? Gary your reply is intelligent and the reason I joined up to listen to experts like you give good information and totally agree to what you said. Rlb, yep a 300grain works great but it's slower than what I like and my 454 can push it much faster for my liking which is why I like the 240 or 265 in my 29 or custom super blackhawk. Yes I honestly do own a custom super blackhawk straight out of Wyoming if you two want to question me on that also. I'm very familar with FA and the 454 I live in Montana not far from FA which is in Wyoming for those who don't know and back in the early-mid 80's Cassul samples and testing samples would show up in the store I worked at back then because they were in the process of getting the word out about this new cartridge so I got the scoop in it's raw form before most had ever heard of such a cartridge. Most of us know the 29 is not as strong as the ruger, bfr, fa, dragoon etc. but as far as a beautful extremely accurate piece of work I will take it over my other guns any day. This gun is from the 1970's nikel plated 8 3/8" and when it got tied up I had S&W custom shop do everything possible to it which was rebuilding it in the custom shop from the ground up. Some of it is new the rest was just finished and rebuilt as good as there custom shop can do and it's wonderful, but it will be babied from here on out.

John Linebaugh is the one who did all the work on that custom super blackhawk and is in Wyoming too.

Relax, step back, take a deep breath......there, that's better. No need to get defensive. Your posts were a bit contradictory and confusing (with regards to tieing up a revolver -- was it the Model 29 or the Ruger?)and a few wanted some clarification. It's all good.

The titles change with post count and have nothing to do with favoritism or "club membership." I don't know at what point someone ceases to be a "stranger," but it may be as little as 25 posts or 50, I don't recall, it's been a while.

Now, let's all play nicely and carryon with the pursuit that we all mutually love -- handgun hunting.

Now can I get an "amen?"

AMEN

Thank you!

You're welcome, I'm sure

Zeb,

Was that M29 new to you from the factory? If it had a washer at the front of the cylinder, this sounds like you are describing a cylinder shim. Smith's do not come from the factory shimmed, as this is usually a "fix" for endshake problems on guns that have been shot a little loose. Maybe it was a case of the gun already being overworked, and you just did not have the normal margins to work with.

Craig

I think I've been thread-jacked

Sorry!

No biggie

Zeb, in forums like this you really have to take things with a grain of salt until you get to know the other members more. I don't think anyone was trying to insult you, or play "rank" with you. There's an emotional detachment that happens when communicating strictly through text and misunderstandings are bound to happen if you take things to literally.

Nope, just a Billy Goat and a Troll.


I will let you decide who is who... LOL

OMG, hee, hee.