# SRH recoil



## 12ptdroptine (Feb 20, 2011)

I should have asked this before I bought... Pick it up on this Friday. .44 mag 9.5 barrel. How bad is this thing going to recoil? dealer says 1 hand with that barrel with about 12 inches of rise when i shoot it. I have heard of people getting bopped between the eyes. How real is this?.. Oh lordy what may I have gotten myself into this time:smt071:smt071


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

That entirely depends on the ammunition you load it with.

If you can find any factory .44 Special ammo, it will be very mild and the gun will hardly jump at all when it fires. Most .44 Special ammunition is fairly expensive, as it is designed for defense or other special uses. If you can find some Cowboy Action loads, they might be less expensive and fairly accurate, as they are intended for Cowboy Action shooting competitions.

Next level would be the 3/4 magnum; something like the Winchester Silvertip 210 grain JHP .44 Magnum self-defense load. It is about a 75%-80% load, so it can be more easily controlled in short-barreled revolvers often carried for defense. In a 9.5" SRH, it will cause some muzzle flip and recoil, but won't be too bad at all; less nasty than a full-power .357 in a light .357 revolver. This is an expensive load, and sometimes hard to find. It comes in 20-round boxes, and costs about $25-$30 a box.

If you can find CCI Blazer .44 magnum or American Eagle .44 magnum ammo (240 grain JHP), they are about 90% to 95% loads (1100-1200 FPS (Feet-Per-Second)). They cost about the same as the below full-power loads.

Full magnums come in several "flavors", with the most common one being a 240 grain Jacketed Hollow Point (JHP). These are available from many manufacturers, and are capable of taking deer and other medium/large game animals. The speed of these loads will be between 1300 and 1400 FPS. The recoil will be spirited, but should not hurt your hand unless you shoot a lot of them in one range session. Cost will be around $34-$45 per box of 50. You might also find 200 grain JHPs at 1400-1500 FPS, for about the same recoil and cost.

There a few hot-loaded 180 JHPs or JSPs (Jacketed Soft Points) on the market. They are very fast (probably 1650 - 1700+ FPS out of your gun), and will expand aggressively in anything soft and squishy, making it much softer and squishier. I've used them for deer hunting, and never had a deer run more than 20 yards after a good hit; most sat/fell down and died on the spot. If you shoot a watermelon with one at 25 yards, you'll be picking seeds out of your hair for the next few minutes. Recoil is a step up from the 240s, and your hand might start hurting if you shoot more than a 4-5 cylinder-fulls. Cost is about the same as the 240s. There are also a few lighter-loaded 180s out there; if it says 1400-1500 FPS on the box, it's not really full-power.

There are a few 250-270 grain hunting loads, designed for deeper penetration without objectionable recoil. They are expensive, and are usually sold 20-25 rounds to the box.

Heavy-bullet magnums are for hunting large or (potentially) dangerous game animals. These have hard-cast lead bullets that weight 290-320 grains, loaded over a maximum powder charge. They are designed to penetrate -- deeply. The 320 grain load I used when I went to Alaska would go through two 14" telephone poles, back-to-back. After six shots, I had a streak of black rubber on my palm from the grips. After two cylinder-fulls (12 shots), I was pretty much done for the day, lest I begin to close my eyes and/or jerk the trigger due to the recoil smack I knew was coming. They are also expensive, being semi-custom ammunition, and cannot be safely used in some guns due to pressure, recoil, or overall length (some revolver cylinders are actually too short for these locomotive-length bruisers).

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Starting at about the 240 grain full-power loads, recoil is getting serious. If you hold the weapon with a weak grip, it may come back a little too fast and close for comfort. Grip the weapon with a very firm handshake-type grip, and it will jump upward when it fires, but should not get close your face/head. The full-power 180s are about the same.

The really heavy hunting loads may hurt you if you are sloppy with your technique. Bent elbows or a weak grip won't keep the weapon under control during recoil.


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## DanP_from_AZ (May 8, 2009)

DJ Niner said:


> That entirely depends on the ammunition you load it with . . .
> 
> . . . Starting at about the 240 grain full-power loads, recoil is getting serious. If you hold the weapon with a weak grip, it may come back a little too fast and close for comfort. Grip the weapon with a very firm handshake-type grip, and it will jump upward when it fires, but should not get close your face/head. The full-power 180s are about the same.
> 
> The really heavy hunting loads may hurt you if you are sloppy with your technique. Bent elbows or a weak grip won't keep the weapon under control during recoil.


LOTS of good info from DJ Niner. :mrgreen:

Especially his advice I've repeated.
I don't have a .44 Magnum. But, I do have a .454 Casull Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan (2 1/2" barrel).

Full power loads in it are "a little bit" more than a .44 Mag. 
But not "dangerous to your face" recoil if you pay attention to DJ's tips above.

I think we would agree you most likely won't be putting 50 full power rounds through 'em on range day. :anim_lol:

P.S.
I forgot the best part. 
Congratulations !
You are going to have A LOT of fun !


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## 12ptdroptine (Feb 20, 2011)

Wow what an informative post! I plan on buying a few boxes to shoot and get a "feel" for the gun. It definately wont be a plinker .But I do plan on shooting it mor than any other handgun I have ever had.It will most likely be my first attempt at reloading also.. I have had a reloading setup for a handful of year's..never set up. But now is the time.When I bought this thing I sold it to myself as an investment.. I guess it is in some sort's. I plan on keeping it regardless... I have found that after about 5 years my guns have regained thier retail price and then begin to rise. So Now I try to just keep them and not trade them off. But then if it sit's there in the safe and never get's used... I find myself already thinking about another handgun.. I wonder why this is? I have a nice Ruger super single six SS and cant hit the broadside of a barn with it? But it is fun. I have never even sighted it in..LOL didnt know if it was me or the sight's. Makes me feel like the "Duke" when I take it out. My son just went on vacation..He just bought a new Kimber Target II and wanted me to keep it in my safe for him while he is gone... Wish I hadnt seen that thing either... Layaway plan? I am sure I will Love this SRH and hope to turn it into an heirloom for my son someday..I really appreciate all the help here and look forward sharing with others like you have here. Thanks and Safe shooting
drop


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## 12ptdroptine (Feb 20, 2011)

I called them today to see if possibly it was in.. They informed me it is on backorder.... Aw shuck's...Had me thinking about going with the .41 though.. But I dont think I will.
drop


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## 12ptdroptine (Feb 20, 2011)

They found one..Here Frifay or Monday...


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## Packard (Aug 24, 2010)

I had a S & W model 29 with a 6" barrel. The recoil was significant and it caused my arms to raise up (just like Dirty Harry in the movies). I did not find it unpleasant even with full house loads.

I traded it in on a stainless steel limited edition model with a 2-1/2" barrel and a round butt grip. Instead of kicking my arms up as the longer barrel gun did, it kicked the gun up in my hand. My arms raised less, but my wrists were twisted up more. I had to sell the second model 29 because the action of the recoil caused a bone bruise on the base of my thumb in the webbing of my hand. The longer barrel gun did not cause this.

Note: It took about 4 months for the bone bruise to heal during which time I could not shoot comfortably at all.

For me, a long barrel .44 magnum is not a problem at all, but I can't shoot the short barreled versions.


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## 12ptdroptine (Feb 20, 2011)

Monday


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## 12ptdroptine (Feb 20, 2011)

Stopped by Wal world today..Bought a box of 50 WW 240jsp today. I didnt think 33 dollars was a bad price.. I was expecting them to be more. When I get about 10 boxes of brass I will probably look at reloading. Anyone shot the Hornaday sst type yet?


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## 12ptdroptine (Feb 20, 2011)

It's here.. WOOHOO!


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## 12ptdroptine (Feb 20, 2011)

I got to shoot it today... POW!:smt071 She has some kick to her... I shot 5 or maybd 6 cyl through it.. My arms are a little sore tonight?? I am a painter and use a gun all day 10 hrs. But paint guns dont kick lol. My son loves it and can even hit with it . First time out and a blast..But it earned my respect... More soon Drop


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

12ptdroptine said:


> I got to shoot it today... POW!:smt071 She has some kick to her... I shot 5 or maybd 6 cyl through it.. My arms are a little sore tonight?? I am a painter and use a gun all day 10 hrs. But paint guns dont kick lol. My son loves it and can even hit with it . First time out and a blast..But it earned my respect... More soon Drop


Yes, often you will feel the effect of recoil in the wrists or elbows.

What load(s) did you use?


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## 12ptdroptine (Feb 20, 2011)

WW 240gr jsp. I chose those and went back and bought 2 more boxes. That way I have the same brass to start loading with. My old eye's are tired so I think I am going to put a Burris 2x7 on it. I dont see the rear sight well enough to be shooting anything live. I almost bought some Rem 180gr jsp But wanted to keep the brass uniform. I am sure there are lot's of bullet's to choose from to load. More later. drop


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## Packard (Aug 24, 2010)

12ptdroptine said:


> WW 240gr jsp. I chose those and went back and bought 2 more boxes. That way I have the same brass to start loading with. My old eye's are tired so I think I am going to put a Burris 2x7 on it. I dont see the rear sight well enough to be shooting anything live. I almost bought some Rem 180gr jsp But wanted to keep the brass uniform. I am sure there are lot's of bullet's to choose from to load. More later. drop


I wear old reading glasses when I shoot. My current reading glasses focus at about 18" which is too strong because the rear sight is about 27" away. If you don't have a pair, then for about $20.00 you can get reading glasses at the drug store. But get a pair that puts your thumb in focus when your arm is extended.

Alternatively, a shooting aperture that attaches to your glasses will give you good focus over extended distances. It is the best option. They sell suction cup versions that stick onto the lens of your glasses for about $25.00.


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