Ruger Super Redhawk 44 Magnum. 7-1/2" barrel.
And here's what I've done:
Wilson Combat trigger return spring
Wilson Combat main spring
Hogue "Tamer" grips
Original Ruger 1" Rings
UltraDot 1" red dot
Speedloader
Uncle Mikes Bandolier Holster
....and WAY too much money on 44 Mag ammo for practice!
I think I've got it where I want it now, but that's what I said about my truck, and that was last year and a lot of dollars ago!
It came to me gently used, in the original box with all the papers and the scope rings. My first impression was wow - this thing is HUGE (not something I hear very often). This is a massive pistol. And I do mean massive. In this case, massive means not only heavy, but strong. The next thing I noticed was what a HORRIBLE trigger it had. Granted, it hadn't been shot much, if at all, but still this was one of the worst triggers I'd ever seen. Being a single action (1911) guy, the single action pull on this was way too hard, creepy, scratchy, and just plain ridiculous - again, consider I'm used to custom triggers on 1911's.
As soon as I got it home, I had to shoot it. First shot, I'll admit, was a surprise. Being used to 45ACP, this thing had a LOT more recoil. Not so harsh as to be uncomfortable, but definitely more, and a different "feel". Recoil was more up and back, and I can't hold it like a 1911 to keep the muzzle down. Once I learned to have a good solid grip and to "roll" with it, I started to shoot somewhat of a group.
Group sizes were NOT what I expected, and honestly I wasn't real happy with my purchase. As a trapshooter, I've learned to make excuses and blame it on the gun, but I just wasn't happy with making excuses this time!
First off, my middle finger was getting smacked by the trigger guard - bad. Big bruise later on that day, which I'm sure caused a flinch. Something had to be done immediately, so I went to a glove. That seemed to help.
Next, I got a taste of my own medicine. While coaching or instructing, I always tell a shooter that if he is having a bad day/round/etc., go BACK TO THE BASICS - stance, grip, sight picture, breathing, trigger squeeze. Amazing. I started to get decent groups! It was almost like learning to shoot again.
Stance - I found out that my modified Weaver stance just doesn't work well for this revolver. I can't get my hands positioned correctly, and it's a HEAVY pistol. So I went to isosceles stance.
Grip - as mentioned, the semi-auto 1911 grip just doesn't work. you have to wrap your hands around this beast.
Sight Picture - I guess I really was NOT focusing on the front sight. That may have been due to the pounding my middle finger was taking, or the new-ness of the heavy recoil. Either way, when I truly focused on the front sight - instant gratification.
Breath Control - Funny how it is so easy to forget this one!
Trigger Squeeze - This turned out to be one of the two most important with this gun. Even though it was a horrible trigger, if I truly concentrated my groups improved.
Overall, if I consciously focused on front sight, breath, and squeeze, my groups got really small - really fast.
Now that I had the basics down, it was time to focus on the pistol. First stop - Amazon.com. For those of you who don't know, Amazon has a lot of "gun stuff" hidden away, you just have to search for it. And, if you get Amazon Prime, it's free two-day shipping. No more long waits for the Brown Truck of Happiness!
First was the grips. I ordered the Hogue "tamer" style grips. This grip has a sort of "gel" insert running down the inside of the "back strap". This was not only a significant improvement on feel, but my middle finger is very happy now that it's not getting beat like a red-headed step-child. Installation was fairly easy - remove old grip (don't lose the pin!), install the little bracket, slip on the grip, install screw into bottom of grip to the bracket. These really helped - not only in felt recoil, but just overall comfort.
Next was to fix the horrible trigger. Brownell's has a Wilson Combat "kit" that includes a number of different strength springs for the hammer and trigger return. I went with the stock strength on the main, and a 10# on the trigger return. I did this because I really don't plan on shooting it double action. Installation was VERY easy with only a screwdriver and the Ruger-supplied "pin" in the original grips. All you have to do is take the pistol apart following Rugers directions. Remove grip, cock hammer, inset pin into hammer spring, remove hammer spring. Remove trigger group as per Ruger's instruction. Remove stock trigger return spring, replace with new spring, replace trigger group.
Now for the hammer spring - using a standard kitchen fork, release the pressure on the pin, keeping it under control so it doesn't hit you in the face (you have safety glasses on, right?) or fly across the room. Remove spring, re-install new spring in reverse. Put everything back together and test fire.
I have read that the lighter hammer spring can cause light primer strikes, so I highly recommend testing with the brand/type of ammo that you will be using. I have not encountered this problem, but did not install a lighter hammer spring.
Overall, I'm very happy with the spring kit. It cost less than $20, and took less than a half hour to install. Now the trigger is really nice. It's still not a S&W Model 29, but it's a LOT better than it was.
On sight picture, one of my biggest concerns was the time it took me to really concentrate on the sights to get a good group. I thought about scopes, but have never been a big fan of handgun scopes. I have a cheap red-dot on my "late night kill a coon in the chicken coop" pistol, but never considered a magnified scope. For my use - primarily hog and deer hunting - I can't see a benefit to a magnified scope. Deer hunting in Indiana is typically less than 50 yards, and hitting a moving target (hog) with a scope has to be very difficult. I haven't done it, but I just feel the red dot with both eyes open makes a lot more sense for me, YMMV.
I researched the internet experts pages as much as possible, and found the UltraDot to be the one that everyone liked the most. Ordered it from Natchez, installed it the next week. I won't look back now! All of the need to focus on the sight picture is gone. Now I just put the dot where I want it, and focus on the trigger. What I've done, is basically eliminated one of the basic steps, allowing me to concentrate on the other basics.
My groups went from around 6-8" at 25 yards to 3-4" at 25 yards on paper targets. I'm shooting even better at "objects". Swing-type targets at 25-75 yards are now just plain easy. Tin cans at 75-100 have no chance against me! I really want to try at 100-200 yards, but for now I'll practice at the 25 yard line for the upcoming hunt. As a side note, I've always shot better at "real" targets than paper targets. I can't explain it other than I don't focus on sight picture enough with a paper target. I've always been that way, even back as a kid shooting competition muzzleloader. I did ok on paper, but really did well at the primitive type shoots...
With all the work, I've put about $700 total in this pistol, and it really should be a hunting BEAST. I now absolutely love to shoot it, and have over 500 rounds through it in just a couple of weeks. It's just plain fun to shoot now.
Next project - buy 44 mag/special dies for my press. Local price for a box of 50, cheap Winchester, is $44!!!
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