Just got back from shooting my S&W 296- WOW!

[artech]

Does it KICK! Holy s$#@! But, then, it stops hurting when you stop shooting, so what the hell. At 19 ounces, it's what I expected, but that factory grip is taking a hike, I already put a pachmayer compac grip on, that'll help.(guess I gotta shoot it some more now )

Accurate little thing, running about 2 inches at 10 yards for the first few groups out of it, before the flinching started(geez, I said the F-word!)and I lost my groups. In point shooting, it's right on for me. The few long shots(50 yds)I took were hits as well.

All in all, I'm favorably impressed, the black front sight is easy to see, and the trigger is smooth. Now, if someone will start making some good leather for it, I'll be in business. Loaded, I could almost carry two of these for the same weight of a loaded 2 1/2" 686 and I like the snag-free profile of the 296 better.

It's a little too big for the name, but it is surely a pocket rocket if the pocket is big enough! Good job, S&W!

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With my shield or on it...

 

[Kodiac]

Flinching can become a problem even with veteran shooters -
Put a Ruger #1 in .338 Win Mag in my hands - And I just might flinch too!

Try down loading those loads, then build up to the MONSTER MOOSE loads. Heavy Calibers take some getting used to - but after a while it will be just like a .22...

Maybe

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"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.
"Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

 

[El Chimango Pete]

More or less by accident I acquired a Taurus Raging Bull 454 Casull - and the 'miracle cure' for any problems handling my 629 classic... 44 is a wimpy .22 after a few 454's

By the way - the Hogue grips on the S&W are pretty good - certainly better than the Taurus invention, with a hard plastic (?) insert up the backstrap that guarantees the full delivery of all the shock from the recoil... loosens up all the old bones just fine.

Peter Knight (aka 'El Chimango Pete')
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"A 454 beats a 44 which beats 4 aces"

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Greetings, Artech! I had a 296 and it shot very well indeed. A favor? See if yours will chamber .44 Magnums. Mine would although I never fired any. Let me know what you find if it's not too much problem or trouble. By the way, while these were chronographed from 3" Taurus M431, I thought you might find the velocities interesting with regard to your "snub." Blazer 200 gr GDHP-829 ft/sec, Glaser Silver-1032 ft/sec,
Triton 165 gr Quik-Shok-1088 ft/sec, PMC 180 gr JHP-827 ft/sec, and a handload: 180 gr Hornady XTP/9.0 gr Unique-1009 ft/sec. Good luck and good shooting. Best.

 

[mchgnmike]

last week I shot a fellow employees pistol that everyone here at our gun shop was affraid to shoot. It was a .45-70 derringer with about 1 inch of barrel past the end of the bullet. The pistol had oversized grips which helped a bunch. The pistol shot well, with the grips the pistol rolled back into your hand from the recoil. The pistol is a recoil monster. I've got pictures of me shooting it. Now I can't wait to shoot my friends .500 Linebaugh. YahhhHooo

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The Night Guy at:
Cheaper Than Dirt Inc.
www.cheaperthandirt.com

 

[artech]

Mine won't take the magnum cartridges, but then I surely wouldn't want to shoot them in there anyway, it already feels like a magnum now! Actually, the recoil is just about like shooting 44 mag Blasers out of my friend's 6 inch 29, you can hold it down, but it's a lot more comfortable if you let it roll back.

I'm thinking the new grip will change things, hopefully I can get out today and try it out. I really do like the little monster, I used to have a S&W 24 with the short barrel and liked everything except the weight, so this one is much better in that respect, I also had a 2.5" 686 and traded it away for the same reason. Both were good shooters, but I just couldn't carry them. This one's a keeper.

 

[artech]

Well, that pachmayer compac grip really did the trick. With 200 gr gold dot HP ammo, it's both accurate and controllable, and that makes it a winner in my book! Great gun!

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Thanks for letting me know that your 296 would not chamber a .44 mag. I appreciate it.

best.