Ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter

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  • O'Shark

    Marksman
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    0   0   0
    Mar 2, 2011
    264
    18
    Ladoga, IN
    I've been itching to get back into big bore handgun calibers again. I was comfortable shooting the TC Contender chambered for .45LC using my handloads assembled from Contender data. I also enjoyed shooting my Redhawk in .44 magnum as well as .44 specials. I've since sold/traded my .45/.410 barrel and the Redhawk some 25 or so years ago and now I wish I had them back. I was skimming through Hickok45 videos and ran across his review of the Super Blackhawk Hunter in .44 mag. It looks like it has everything I'm missing....tremendous strength of a 44 mag Ruger and the nearly the size and weight of my 45LC Contender.

    Do any Ingo-ers have firsthand experience with this revolver (either regular or Bisley)? How is the trigger and balance? How is the felt recoil of full power 44mag in a Blackhawk? How's the accuracy off sandbags using both a scope and irons? I know that someone will ask what the intended use of this gun would be. I don't deer hunt today but I won't say never. I used to hunt with a handgun but this one will mainly be used for load and skills development at the range.

    Thanks
     

    Mgderf

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    43   0   0
    May 30, 2009
    17,877
    113
    Lafayette
    I just gave my brother a Ruger New Model Super Blackhawk in .44mag w/ 7-1/2" barrel.
    I recently picked up the same hand-cannon with a 10-1/2" barrel.
    Balance? About what you would expect trying to hold a chunk of steel out in front of you.
    Trigger? Not match grade, but NOTHING to complain about. A good crisp trigger with a medium weight.
    Felt recoil? You probably got more recoil from you Thompson Contender than you will from the same barrel length Blackhawk.
    Accuracy? I've not taken a deer with either the 7.5" or the 10.5", but I wouldn't hesitate to take a 75 yard shot with iron sights.
     

    confused89

    Sharpshooter
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    6   0   0
    Aug 31, 2009
    607
    18
    IN
    Seancass has one. I think that I have shot it. He may chime in on here. I had a normal Ruger Super Blackhawk with a 7.5 inch barrel. It was nice but I sold it to fund a shorter barrel version.
     

    O'Shark

    Marksman
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    0   0   0
    Mar 2, 2011
    264
    18
    Ladoga, IN
    Thanks all for the info. It sounds pretty much like what I've heard and expected. I should've never gotten rid of my 7.5" Redhawk! Lesson learned and now it's gonna cost me :D
     

    Hookeye

    Grandmaster
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    4   0   0
    Dec 19, 2011
    15,039
    77
    armpit of the midwest
    I grew up shooting Rugers, and detest the Bisley frames.
    Also don't care for the looks of the Hunter model.
    For me, just a regular Dragoon trigger guard 7.5" is where it's at.
    I get even lower on the frame, so up to 240 gr loads my hand doesn't move. It takes a thumpin' but thumbing left I can shoot at least 3 before my grip needs adjusted.
    The more I practice the less likely my hand is to move after a few. 180 and 200's are no move.

    Shot Redhawks and Super Redhawks (scoped and iron sighted).................find the SRH to be a little better overall, but very ugly. Think a Redhawk with Anaconda bbl to look nice, but hate the grip (Bowen Classic Arms). IIRC they do mod Alaskans so one could get the Colt bbl on the more refined (Ruger LOL) trigger of the SRH. Dunno price.

    Thought about it, handled a couple in my LGS (RH and SRH) and quickly changed my mind.

    So for me...........in a Ruger, there's only one............it's a 3 screw 7.5".

    Any DA .44 mag, even if only shooting SA...................it's Smith.

    If you need optics...............probably have to go with the Hunter or RH/SRH stuff.

    8bRQtWf.jpg
     
    Last edited:

    cyprant

    Master
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    21   0   0
    Dec 13, 2011
    2,012
    38
    North Georgia
    I took a deer with one this year then sold it... I didn't care for the recoil, but in the hands of better shooters it was amazing... 3 shots at 25 yard and a quarter touched all holes... I didn't have the same results, but it was good enough to kill my deer..
     

    Sniper 79

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    19   0   0
    Oct 7, 2012
    2,939
    48
    Just sold 10.5 inch. Recoil sucked,expensive to shoot and power didn't impress me.

    Overall my 20ga pump gun trumps it in all areas. Made a buck on it and picked up a new Glock. Will be a lot more useful.

    Let the feeling pass. I always wanted one too. Glad to be onto other things.

    On a side note my Vaquero 357 is a gem.
     

    ru44mag

    Master
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    3   0   0
    Feb 6, 2013
    2,369
    48
    I have taken 4 or 5 deer with the 7 1/2 in. barrel and a grouse in Colorado with the 5 1/2 in barrel. 25 years ago, my buddy shot a groundhog with my 7 1/2 in barrel at 118 yards! He is a little better shot than I am. I usually carry one while deer hunting these days, but harvest the deer with a 20 in. barrel lever gun in 44 mag. I like having the same caliber in rifle and handgun.
     

    Contender

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Mar 11, 2014
    211
    18
    Lawrence County
    The Bisley grip is the only gun I have ever had that required me wearing gloves to enjoy shooting it. That grip just did not fit my hand. It was a 41 mag, not a real hard kicker.
     

    jamesb

    Plinker
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Jun 5, 2013
    138
    18
    Indianapolis
    I have a Ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter in 45 colt. I like the balance, trigger is fine, not the best but far from the worst. I mostly shoot it with cowboy loads just plinking but this year I sighted it in for deer season. With the cowboy loads and hornady 45 colt leverevolution it shot low at 25 yards. If I was going to do anything farther than 25 or 35 yards I would work up some hotter loads for it or change out the front sight. When comparing it to my contender it weighs a little bit more than my contender with the same length barrel and the trigger is not as good. It seems to weigh about the same as my encore with the same length barrel and the trigger is comparable to the encore one. I have not mounted optics on it but am toying with the idea. Over all I really like it but most of my handguns are of the SAA type so I may be biased. The ruger is on top.
    View attachment 33629
     
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