Hello all.
I've just purchased MY OWN Ruger SBH 44Mag w/ Bisley grip. I've shot Rugers in the past, open sight, but I've chosen to start hunting with the pistol for the first time.

I'm looking for a scope recommendation. I have my eye on the Bushnell E3200 Firefly model. Does anyone have other considerations, with low light situations in mind also? Thanks for your time.

On my SBH Hunter I have a Simmons 2x6. It works great at the range. On my first morning hunt, I discovered it picks up no light at all.

i have not used that scope but i do have some bushnell
scopes and like them, they work well for me and would
buy that one if i needed a new scope.
my two cent
larry

i have tried simmons,and bushnell scopes on revolvers.on my 44 magnum i now have a tasco red dot and would not swap it for a regular scope!if you are looking to shoot distance(75 plus yards)go with some magnification,but for revolver to horn combat,take a look at a red dot sight!

Take a look at the Leupold M8 2x models as well. I use one on my Desert Eagle .50AE for deer hunting mainly in a heavily wooded area full of ravines. It doesn't have an illuminated reticle, but it picks up a lot of light and the reticle is clearly visible long before I can clearly see deer or other game. The 2x magnification is just about right for a short range handgun where running shots might be encountered. I've had the same luck as mentioned previously with the Simmons 2-7x models in that they don't pick up much light. The Bushnell holosight is also another good option for low light short range use if you can find mounts to fit your Ruger.

I use Leupold, Burris, and Bushnell elites but for the 44 I would say the Leupold fixed 2x would be hard to beat, target aquisition is good and with the 44 your probably not going to be shooting past a 100yds with most shots half that. my second choice would be the bushnell (because of cost-the leupold is much brighter) and then the burris 2-7x which is also brighter and clearer than the bushnell. just my opinion

I hunt only with a hand gun and it just happens to be a Ruger Super Blackhawk. I have a "Claw" mount that goes right on the top strap no drilling or tapping and use a Red Dot scope. I have never experienced a "not enough light" condition and I'm able to shoot out to 200 yards with very good accuracy. On deer sized game, it's almost like cheating.

Small 6 point taken opening day, at about 75 yards.

The firefly has very thick crosshairs and it has been my experience that once the light is too low to see the crosshairs it will be very difficult to find the target in the scope as well. I don't think the firefly buys you much in a handgun scope and the center portion of the crosshairs don't illuminate. I do like the standard Elite 3200 2x6 on the SBH. It gives some magnification when needed and is a better all-around option than the Leupold 2x. The Leupold does balance better on the gun because it is lighter and if you're primarily hunting open country then the 2x is fine.

2x Leupold or Burris

I would take a long hard look at the Leupold 2x scope. It seems about perfect for what you want to do. The Burris 2x is a fine choice also, just a little longer than the Leupold.

The various dot scopes work well also. I have 2 on my various S&Ws and they work great. The issue is having a mounting system that holds the scope securely.

I have the Leupold M8 2X scope on my Super Blackhawk Hunter in .45 Colt. The main reason why I settled for the 2X scope is that it FITS the pistol perfectly. What I mean by "fits" is that I can place it on my pistol without messing with my iron sights due to a scope that is too long. As the gun is setup now, if something happens to the scope in the field, I can quickly take the scope off and use my open sights.
The scope itself is excellent, but don't expect the same low light performance of even a cheap rifle scope...must be due to the long eye relief. If you want to be able to see well until the last second of shooting hours on a dark evening, go with a red dot.

Jim

Hey Lucky, what is a "Claw" scope mount?

Like you, I use a Red Dot. My old eyes find the single plane sighting allows me to get on the target and track it with both eyes open. Here in my neck of the woods, there's a lot of secondary growth to get in the way of a clear shot. I find I can look for a suitable opening ahead of the deer and I couldn't do that with any of the telescopic sights I tried. While they did work great on the range, I couldn't hunt with them. The 6 moa dot Red Dot for deer gives me "Point Blank" with a 240 gr. bullet in .44 mag out to just passed 150 yds. I usually can't get a clear shot that far away, but if I ever do, I'm not afraid to take it.

Thank you to everyone for their replies. The more I think about it, most shots, if not all of the shots will be less than 100yds. The terrain where I'm hunting (Eastern Shore, Maryland) is dense with some hardwood clearings.

Is it more beneficial to have a red dot? I like the idea of faster acquisition, but I'm used to cross-hairs and light-gathering abilities of regular scopes. I have a feeling that finding mounts for red dot scopes are tough to find.

a red dot will give you faster target aquisition, and although I've got 8 scoped handguns now, I did use a red dot for a while on my BFR and my 629, most red dots come with a set of weaver rings but if it is 30mm tube you can get rings for ruger or dual dovetail style mounts.

most red dots come with rings compatible for weaver bases of which there are mounts for everything so i wouldn't worry about that. if most of your shots will be less than 100, then red dots are a valid option. the thing i like about red dots are: speed on target, not having to have your head in the exact position to see the reticle like in a regular scope, better ability to use with both eyes open, and ability to see the dot long after an unlit reticle would disappear at dusk. just make sure you get one that the intensity of the dot is adjustable. the lower the intensity, the better in low light. that said i do also have normal scopes and wouldn't part with them either. i just prefer a red dot where shots are close and fast. by the way, where on the eastern shore are you hunting? i live near salisbury and hunt several different counties near here...somerset, wicomico, worcester, caroline, and queen annes.

I hunt in Worcester County, b/w Snow Hill and Salisbury, near Pocomoke State Park. My fiancee's father purchased some property for hunting. I got a big doe this past Monday with my Rem .280 @ 65yds. He bought it last year and we started scouting around since this past spring. The hunting club that leases some property behind his has seen multiple 10 pointers running around. We discovered some huge scrapes and rubs on the north side of his property this past Sunday which we never had a chance to scout until last weekend.

Are there mounts other than the 30mm rings that are compatible with Ruger integral mounting system? If not, then I'm limited to a red dot w/ 30mm tube. I noticed one of the members has a "clamp mount" which I presume is rock solid.

the only ones I know of are 1" and 30mm, you can however get a weaver base that mounts on the existing ruger "grooves" so you could use any red dot that comes with its own rings which I think is just about all of them.

rod is correct. burris makes a ruger-to-weaver set of bases. they clamp on each of the ruger grooves and have the weaver slots on top so you can mount any ring you like. i bought mine from natchez, www.natchezss.com and are available in 2 styles. one for the hunter super blackhawks and redhawks and one for the super redhawks. the one for the sbhh and redhawks are the same height. the one for the super redhawks are different heights to accomodate for the two different heights of the grooves on the frame of those guns. good luck this year chasing those 10's