Great buy on SBH Hunter 44 mag....! BUT.....disappointing.
- Thread starter Heliman
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Well, must be something not right.... Went to the range today to test the Hunter and other guns. The Hunter was disappointing in its accuracy. At 10 yards, I shot about a 10" group. I was firing off-hand with Winchester white box 240gr JSP's. I fired 2 cylinders full. I have no patience for this kind of performance, but am willing to listen to suggestions.... For now it goes down the highway.
Dave
Dave
Send it back to Ruger. I don't think I'd give up on it that easy. I know accuracy is everything in a gun like that, but they can bring it back to like new.
Bear Paw Jack said:
BPJ, as I said, I don't have patience or funds to deal with this issue. Not going to Ruger, just down the road.
Dave
DA_TriggR4Ruger
Hunter
Heliman said:
PM sent.
David Bradshaw
Blackhawk
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2012
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- 933
Heliman said:This past weekend at the show I purchased for what I thought was great price a Super Blackhawk 44 Mag Hunter. It also included a bunch of extras.....
150 rounds of handloads.....
150 or so 180 and 240 gr Hornady JHP bullets......
Hornady die set........
A few hundred rounds of dirty brass......
2 nylon holsters.....
ALL this for $550!
The gun was a little dirty and looked to be in good condition. When I was able to take it down and clean it I found some disturbing, to me, issues with the cylinder and forcing cone of the gun. Looked to be some erosion around the front face of the cylinder bores and the forcing cone. The guy did say he had fired "hundreds of rounds" through the gun. It also had an after market base pin installed. I installed the original base pin and it shows axial movement of the base pin of about 3/16" or so.....
I am not looking to sell this gun, but to use it in the field. My question is it capable of being accurate and reliable based on the wear? It locks up tight and their are no other issues that I can see. I have yet to range test it. Any thoughts of the knowledgeable members here??
Thanks! Dave
Dave, aka Heliman .... thanks for supplying good photos to illustrate your inquiry, pic are welcome and necessary.
Subject: SBH Hunter .44 Mag
1) Cylinder face erosion. Photo supplied.
2) Forcing cone erosion. Photo supplied.
3) Ammunition----assertion 180 JHP over unstated charge Hodgdon Lil Gun.
4) Group----offhand----10-shots=10" @ 10 yards.
Answer
1) Cylinder face erosion
Dramatic and real. This erosion appears centered at 12 o'clock chamber exit on cylinder face. Utterly unrealistic from traditional mag powders with a great many more rounds then this revolver has fired. (As an addendum, erosion suggests very slight chamber offset @ 12 o 'clock.)
2) Forcing cone erosion. Photo supplied.
Erosion commonly referred to as "forcing cone" usually means "barrel face," not into the forcing cone itself. Indeed, your photo shows erosion inside the forcing cone. I believe this, along with erosion of cylinder face, comes from extreme combustion heat, with, perhaps, a long dwell time. Appearance and location distinct from the much slower sand blasting effect of ball powder such as 296/H110.
3) Lil Gun powder. Unstated volume of Lil Gun over unnamed .44 @80 JHP. Important to pull bullet, weigh charge. The charge may or may not exceed listed load. Important to know. Personal experience with Lil Gun is limited. As velocity and accuracy failed to surpass powders with which my experience covers decades and extremes of temperature, and mindful of erosion reports on Lil Gun from sources I respect, and looking closely at your photos, I recommend against Lil Gun for magnums revolvers.
I have fired multiple thousands of rounds of .44 Mag 180 JHP over 296, H110, H e Hercules and Alliant 2400, with IMR and Hodgdon 4227 thrown in----without a trace among Rugers, S&W's, and Freedom Arms of the erosion you picture.
4) Group. Offhand not withstanding, erosion cannot account for a 10" group @ 10 yards! Nor will a compression ring staged by over-tightening the barrel spray shots this badly.
"Original base pin... shows axial movement of base pin of about 3/16-inch or so..." Are you sure ? Having handled a few Rugers, I've wit messed nothing remotely Cleo to your assertion. Perhaps a measurement is in order.
Addendum: " I have no patience for this kind of performance, but I am willing to listen to suggestions... Not going to Ruger, just down the road."
Fortunately you had the patience to take good photos. A call to Ruger Customer Service is indicated. Otherwise sell it on the cheap; it's next owner will sent it to Ruger.
David Bradshaw
Pal Val
Buckeye
That gun got rode hard and put away wet. I would sent it to Ruger for repairs. As to the ammo, I reload my own, and can say for sure that shooting some other guy's handloads without knowing exactly what's in them is about as good as wearing some other guy's dirty old underwear. Better to pull those loads and make sure of what you have there. Any idea of how many times that brass has been reloaded?
Biggfoot44
Blackhawk
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- Sep 6, 2009
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Wow , 10in @ 10yd ! Were they keyholing ? What's your usual group sizes with full power .44 ?
Biggfoot44 said:
No key holing. 5" worst case. I am NOT a great off hand revolver shot. I shot 4" groups with a 4" Redhawk 44 mag a month ago.
Dave
I think you just need a good revolver shooter to test this gun...its a long and tedious process to learn to shoot a single action+yours is a little muzzle heavy...that doesn't make it any easier...one thing that will help you is to dry-fire the hell out of it, like 100 times a day minimum...then reduced loads to the minimum will go a long way to advance your oncoming expertise...you bought it learn to shoot it. Good luck...
Chief 101 said:
I use a shooting stick or other means of support to hunt with and have harvested some deer with an Interarms Virginia Dragoon and a 629 Classic. ALL other Supers, Redhawks, Smiths, etc. I have ever shot have never had this bad of a result off hand. I have been shooting big bores for 30 years, so experience isn't the problem. I will try one more time with my shooting stick. I have 44 Special loads too. Will try them. All that being said, I am not optimistic.....
Dave
Biggfoot44
Blackhawk
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For testing a gun/ load per se , eleminate as many variables as possible. Try it off the bench , or two hand braced if you can shoot well that way.
While every gun doesn't "like" every load , a factory load known to be reasonably accurate from other guns is a good starting point for a control load.
While every gun doesn't "like" every load , a factory load known to be reasonably accurate from other guns is a good starting point for a control load.
PriseDeFer
Single-Sixer
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- Apr 22, 2014
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- 450
Just to be sure, you re-installed the aftermarket base pin after you found the 3/16 axial play with the factory pin in place?
PriseDeFer said:
I am going to the range with it again and will re-install the base pin, that is if a buddy of mine doesn't buy it. He has full disclosure on the problems and has more patience than I. :wink:
Dave
I have sold this revolver to a person, fully disclosing the problems as I see them. He is happy and I have my money back, no more, no less.
Dave
Dave
So wait a minute, you reinstalled the loose fitting base pin when you shot it? Sorry, just trying to understand the circumstances here. Also, you shot offhand. I think you should have shot it off the bench (more stability than even sticks can provide), but that's just me.
Does the gentleman who purchased the gun from you belong to this forum? I am curious to see what he comes up with with a little patience. I hope we receive a report here.
Personally I would have sent it to Ruger -- after I ran a number of different loads through it.
Does the gentleman who purchased the gun from you belong to this forum? I am curious to see what he comes up with with a little patience. I hope we receive a report here.
Personally I would have sent it to Ruger -- after I ran a number of different loads through it.
MaxP said:
The party is not a member of this forum. I shot the revolver with and without the original base pin. Frankly, I don't have the patience to nurse along a poor shooter to make it a good shooter. Not lazy or unknowledgeable, just don't want to deal with it. The buyer does have the patience and will return it to Ruger if need be. And by the way he is an excellent revolver shooter and will let me know how things work out. I will pass that on.....
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