Ruger Redhawk Questions

[Dylan596]

I recently obtained a 2023 Ruger Redhawk .44 Magnum. I have two questions about the gun that I'm struggling to find a straightforward answer on.

1. How should I be lining up the factory sights? The front sight on my model is taller than the rear sights, and most of the shooter side of the "fin" is painted red. Am I meant to aim with the top of the front sight lined flush with the top of the rear sight, or should the top of the rear sights be lined up with the bottom of the red on the front sight? I've honestly heard both are correct from various people.

2. How can I attach a red dot to the gun? I tend to shoot much better with a red dot on handguns, so I will eventually like to add one to the Redhawk, but I'm not sure how to attach a rail to the gun. The rear sight appears to be removable, but the front sight does not. I do not want to drill into the gun to mount one either.

Thanks in advance!

 

[hittman]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[thor's daddy]

Yes, top of the front sight flush with the top of the rear. Equal amounts of light on either side of the front sight in the rear notch. I prefer to have my bullets land on the plane that cuts across the target by my front sight at the distance I am sighted in for.

For red dot mount, try https://griffonhill.com

I believe EGW may also have a mount for the GP100/Redhawk.

 

[thor's daddy]

Also, as with all handguns, focus on the front sight. The target and rear sight will be slightly fuzzy.

 

[Dylan596]

Thank you very much!

 

[NC FNS]

I suppose each revolver is different, and things can change with different ammo. I had one revolver (not a Redhawk) where I ended up having different colors on the top and bottom half of the front sight. What worked best was lining up the border of the 2 colors with the top of the rear sight, for the ammo I generally used.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

I do not want to drill into the gun to mount one either.

EGW as mentioned does have non drill and drill/tap mounts. I have both, on GP100s though. They fit the same. On my steel shooting GP I just used the rear sight replacement mount. I shoot light loads. On my hunting GP I used the drill/tap mount. I use pretty stout loads.

If you are shooting mag through you Redhawk I would seriously consider the drill/tap mount.

 

[s4s4u]

I prefer to focus on the front sight, and let the rear be "fuzzy". Some like to float the bull on top of the sights, but that really only works at a specific distance, such as 25 yards or 50 yards. The 50/50 sight picture works best for me, overall.

 

[contender]

Welcome to the Forum!

As a firearm instructor,, and USPSA competitor,, the focus of open sights is to be on the front sight. Your eyes can not focus on (3) things at ones. (Target, front & rear) The front is the focal point, with the rear blade being a little fuzzy. The target,, will be the item of least focus due to sizes & different distances.
You mentioned your Redhawk having the "fin" being mostly red. I'm assuming you mean the rearward portion of the front sight blade. Coloring that area allows many people's eyes to pick up the contrasting color when aligning sights.
But as noted above,, you should always use the sight ALIGNMENT shown in s4s4u's picture. But in his picture,, the front blade is fuzzy while the rear sight is in sharp focus. That's backwards. Also,, in his picture,, 1/2 of the bullseye is covered up with the front blade. Most often,, it's taught to put the entire bullseye dot in alignment to where it appears to "sit" on top of the front sight. Or as I say; "Sit the ball on top if the front sight line, while having the rear sight aligned with that same line. Equal spacing on the sides of the front in relation to the rear."

To add a dot,, you can use several options to mount one. If you drill & tap the frame,, it's an irreversible modification, that if you go to sell the gun will detract from it's value. I recommend using a form of mount system that doesn't use the D&T method.

I will agree that a "dot" can make shooting easier. Good marksmanship skills have to be learned, and open sights require more work in learning them over a dot. Plus dot sizes, advertised as MOA size,, makes a big difference in longer distance shooting.

 

[thor's daddy]

Thoughts on a Red Dot mount, and screws -

If you look at this image, you'll note there is a portion of the mount that fits in the mortise where the rearmost portion of the rear site rides when installed. That portion of the mount, fit tightly to the frame, is what keeps the sight and mount from sheering off as the gun recoils backward. Some mounts require a bit of shimming to fit tightly, others are file-to-fit. A single screw is enough to keep the entire assembly held down on the gun. That rear ledge is what stops the sight and mount from sheeing off, not the screw. Every mount I've seen for the Ruger Redhawk/Blackhawk/GP-100 has that feature, so there's no need to drill and tap a second hole in the frame of the gun. Getting a gunsmith to add a second screw isn't terribly expensive, but it is a bit unnecessary in my experience.

The mount by itself, with the ledge on the righ-hand side -

 

[Bad Barlow]

The "Allchin" dot mounts deserve a look before you buy.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

Every mount I've seen for the Ruger Redhawk/Blackhawk/GP-100 has that feature, so there's no need to drill and tap a second hole in the frame of the gun. Getting a gunsmith to add a second screw isn't terribly expensive, but it is a bit unnecessary in my experience.

Depends on the mount and red dot being used. I have the mount pictured on a 4" GP, and have had no issues. However, the red dot optic I have on my 6" GP would not be able to use that mount. That is why I drilled/tapped that GP for a longer mount....also a EGW.

 

[thor's daddy]

The "Allchin" dot mounts deserve a look before you buy.

This. The Alchin mounts have far nicer lines than almost anything else you're going to find. At least in my opinion...

Depends on the mount and red dot being used. I have the mount pictured on a 4" GP, and have had no issues. However, the red dot optic I have on my 6" GP would not be able to use that mount. That is why I drilled/tapped that GP for a longer mount....also a EGW.

Understood. There are a lot of trade-offs with using certain optics. With a tube-style red dot, such as the UltraDot, you're pretty much going to mount it with a rail. At that point, the gun almost ceases to be a sidearm. My scoped BFR cannot ride on my hip, but with a smaller sized red dot it would probably be just fine...

 

[XUSNORDIE]

With a tube-style red dot, such as the UltraDot, you're pretty much going to mount it with a rail. At that point, the gun almost ceases to be a sidearm. My scoped BFR cannot ride on my hip, but with a smaller sized red dot it would probably be just fine...

UltraDot is exactly what is mounted on my hunting GP....I prefer a chest rig over a holster on a hip when hunting with a handgun.

 

[Butterfield]

Weigand machine and design also offer options for mounting optics.
Some rails and some small ones for red dots. I have one of the minis
on a Redhawk. It has been working good for me