Scoping a RUGER 5.5" RedHawk, this could be interesting

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Have owned a .44 RedHawk for years and the go to load has been a 310gr Wide Flat Nose LBT (Lead Bullet Technology) bullet ahead of 19gr of AA #9 for right at 1300fps from the 5.5" barrel.

Haven't shot it a lot the last few years, it being not as much fun to shoot with the ageing body, hands, wrists etc.

However, a few months ago, I took a Leupold 2X scope off a RUGER Slab Side target pistol, replacing it with a Leupold Red Dot for use on 50' slow, timed and rapid target competition.

Some time back, I read about the Weigand Machine and Design no drill mounts, one of which is made for the RedHawk.

So I sent off an order, bought a set of Vortex rings and the 2X is now installed on the RedHawk.

If everything goes as planned, I'll get out Wed. for some tests, shooting some of the 310gr along with some 275/280gr. WFN I cast for my son's triple 4 and have been using in my RUGER 77/44. Took two dead where they stood deer last Fall with the little rifle and the triple 4 bullet, so I'll see what it does in the RedHawk.

The added weight of the mount, rings and scope should make an already heavy handgun a bit more pleasant to shoot as would a possible decrease in velocity.

Anyway, will be interesting to see how this no drill mount works out.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[hpdrifter]

I'm considering ordering one for my 7 1/2 barrel; Weigand base that is.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Mine showed a high level of quality machining! Fit like a glove.

Of course I use Acetone before the Loctite!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wish I could up load images, but haven't been able to do that for ages!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CDOC

[Three44s]

CDOC,

The Weigand mounts are excellent.

For me a handgun scope on a revolver is not great. A 30mm tube is better and a low magnification scope as you have chosen is fair.

What I like however is a hologram sight. Mine happen to be a pair of Bushnell holosights. The EOtechs are the upgraded model. I believe the smaller units from other manufacturers would be even better but they have smaller glass of course.

The other way I like sights since my eyes “fell off the bus” is with the peep sight rear blade conversion. I add a Ruger front gold bead from Ruger but paint it black with a laundry pen every now and then. I had this combination on a SRH 9.5” 44 Mag and it was surprising how good it was. I would not hesitate trying it on a 5” either.

My .02 worth anyway

Best regards

Three44s

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Thanks 3-44s.

Did get out to shoot the combination this past Wed., and after I got it hitting on the 25yd paper and then moved to 50yds. it shows the ability to clearly take a 50yd. + deer.

This without doing a load development work up for the RedHawk. I just shot a verity of loads taken from years past and some more recent and ended up shooting a 6 shot 3 1/2" and a 12 shot 4 1/2" group. This is NOTHING to write home about, but as said a result that can do the job at 50yds. This with a 240gr WFN at .432 dia.

Slightly different topic, while out I also fired a 4 group load work up with my RUGER 77/44 That I use successfully to take two deer last Fall.

Last Winter/Spring I bought and used a new Wide Flat Nose 240gr mold hoping that the little rifle would give me better then the 3" groups it was shooting with a 275/280gr cast WFN. I also tried going from .431 to .432 and the 77/44 simply would not group the lighter bullet. Too random to even call them shotgun patterns. No powder or load gave me any worthy results with that bullet

In a sight in session in the weeks before this past Wed., the 280gr did seem to shoot some better at .432 then it did at the SLIGHTLY smaller size. That earlier/last Fall load was with 23.3gr of Lil"Gun with the .431 dia. 280gr. bullet.

So, for this past Wed. I loaded the 280gr/.432 bullet at 22.5gr., 23gr., 23.5 and 24gr. With this slightly larger bullet, the 22.5gr. load was the clear winner going 1 5/8" for 5 shots at 100yds. OR, almost half of the approximately 3" groups I had seen in previous tests. Each load above the 22.5gr was progressively larger.

BACK to the RedHawk and the Weigand no drill mount ----------- Everything seems to be positive at this point. I have a reasonable 50yd. load in hand and with the general season opening in less then a week, my testing is pretty much over for this year.

Talk about rock and roll, that 5.5" RedHawk is anything but a ***** cat, and having not shot it much or any for the last several years, I was reminded why it is not as much fun now as in years past with a much younger body.

Also had the opportunity to shoot a friend's super RedHawk during the range session this past Wed., and found it is MUCH more pleasant to shoot with the longer and heavier barrel then the 5.5" RedHawk.

I cleaned with Acetone - mount/screws/screw holes/ and handgun - before assembly of the no drill mount, and used Red Loctite for assembly. And yes I know all about the cautions to NOT use the Red product, but as a mechanic in years past, I used a lot of it and found that it never took anything more then a bit of heat to dis-assemble equipment on which the stronger product was used.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Bookworm]

I've got both a 5.5" Redhawk, and a 9.5" Super Redhawk. The SRH is heavy enough to absorb much of the recoil that makes the RH jump around.

I noticed that real quick.

[Three44s]

When I want to tone things down a bit, actually it tones things down by a considerable bit .... I turn to HS6 at around 12 gr with an RCBS 250k boolit (11.8 gr.)

For a moderate up tick I have ran 2400 with the same slug at around 17 something grs. and magnum primers in either case. By the time I get around the mid 18 gr. range I have switched back to standard primers.

My Redhawk is a 7.5” and for my hand I found an Uncle Mikes rubber grip while they still made them. It is not a soft one but it is a hand filler for me.

Best regards

Three44s

[MT Gianni]

I scoped a super BH and found my groups shrunk and my target acquisition time suffered greatly. It increased my hunting range to 125 yards but prevent it from being an option where I hunted. No longer own either though all my contenders are scoped.

[Three44s]

I scoped a super BH and found my groups shrunk and my target acquisition time suffered greatly. It increased my hunting range to 125 yards but prevent it from being an option where I hunted. No longer own either though all my contenders are scoped.

I scope Contenders also. The Hologram on a wheel gun improved accuracy and is still quick however.

Three44s