Taurus Raging Bull .44 Magnum

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ThePerfectOne

New member
hi, I'm new here. I'm considering to buy a taurus raging bull .44 magnum next summer, but I have a few questions which remain unanswered.

I know most of you guys will probably advice me to buy a .357 magnum (especially since I'm only 19 years old), but I shot the .357 magnum of my dad like a hundred times, and altough it's a great round, it's just no mammoth, and that's what I'm looking for. .454 casull is an option, but it's just too expensive (€1.5/round!!!).

I was hoping that any of you guys can help me with these questions. here they are:

- price of the gun in Europe ('cause prices in USA are a lot lower than in Europe)

- quality of the gun (is ruger or S&W better?)

- is the .44 magnum a lot more powerfull than the .357 magnum (recoil) or does the average shooter doesn't feel a big difference?

- should I go for the 6.5" barrel or the 8.375" barrel?

- I already own a CZ 122 (.22LR) and a Glock 17 (9mm para), is the raging bull .44 magnum a good choice for a third gun?

- other toughts?

thanks by advance

ThePerfectOne
 
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tomthel

New member
Thoughts

The longer barrel is easier to shoot accurately due to longer sight radius. The .44 mag is definitely a lot more powerful in full house loadings than a .357 mag. The recoil will depend upon what load you are shooting and how heavy the gun is. A S&W Mountain Gun weighs about 39.5 oz whereas a 6" Anaconda weighs 53 oz. My personal preference is that one is laying out a fair amount of money anyhow so one may as well get the best they can (my opinion only, others may differ) and get the Smith & Wesson or Ruger. Two others to consider in .44 mag are the Dan Wesson and Colt Anaconda (don't know how available these are in Europe).
 
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Pigshooter

New member
The taurus has all the good features at the lowest price. Unfortunately, it is not exactly the best. If you are going to add a scope, don't get the taurus. If not, it is a great choice. The 454 will be even better and more versatile. But for either cartridge, you should reload.
 
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Bob G.

New member
Full house 44mag loads have lots more recoil than full house 357mag. 44 can be loaded to a wide range of power levels and there are many choices for bullets available. I have both and for just fun, I prefer the 44. For defense I prefer the 357.
I would urge you to not overlook the single action revolvers. They are simple, very strong, and handle recoil differently than a double action. I have a Ruger Super Blackhawk with a 4 5/8" barrel that I have been very happy with. Buy something you won't outgrow and you can continue to experiment with loads, grips, etc.
What's the political climate like for shooting sports in Belgium? We seem to face continuing efforts by the socialist politicians to make shooting more difficult. :mad:
Bob
 
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rock_jock

New member
Cost: Colts are going to be the most expensive, then S&W, then Ruger, then Taurus.

Quality: Colt/S&W are the best, Ruger is a close second and would be equal to a Smith if not for aesthetics and the trigger, far behind is the Taurus.

Tomthel is right. The recoil is siginficantly greater, but will depend on the weight of the gun. I recommend against any .44 under 50 ozs.

For target shooting, the longer barrel will help. There is also more weight with the longer barrel, but for flexibility, I would personally opt for a 6" barrel.

Would a Taurus be good addition? That's up to you. I personally don't like Taurus guns, I would much rather have a Smith or Ruger. But if you are satisfied with it, that is all that matters.
 
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ThePerfectOne

New member
these days the € has about the same value as the $, so € 650 is $ 650.
lso I'm still doubting about the barrel length. should I go for 6.5" or 8.375"? I'm a little bit afraid that the 8.375" barrel makes the gun too heavy (63 oz), altough I'm a big guy (6.4", 185lbs). should I be worried about this?
 
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rock_jock

New member
No, two inch difference in barrel lengths will not significantly change the handling characteristics of the gun.

And, $650 for a taurus is outrageous. In the US, that same gun would probably go for $400-$450.
 
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PugetSound5

New member
And, $650 for a taurus is outrageous. In the US, that same gun would probably go for $400-$450.
Click to expand...

Actually it ain't that bad of a markup. Euro's pay something like 20% VAT (value-added tax) right off the bat at retail. Plus import duties etc that have been factored into the price.... So if you remove the cost of all taxes, it sounds like the Euro dealer is not taking that much of a markup after all.
 
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ThePerfectOne

New member
thanks guys. I'm only questioning myself one more thing: is the Raging Bull .44 magnum also available in matte stainless finish? I know the .454 and .480 are, but so far I've only seen .44's in bright stainless finish, which I like less than the matte finish.
 
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Herb Leventhal

New member
44magnum

Perfectone:
You need the Perfectgun:
Purchase either the S&W 44 magnum 629 Claasic Dx. If you cannot afford the the Dx buy the Classic.
I shoot the S&W 629 Classic Dx. I use either a 240 gr flat top hard lead alloy Carroll or copper clad Ranier bullet sitting on top of 22.8 gr of Winchester 296 powder. Tis a blast. My shooting associates compliment me on both the blast: sound and muzzle flash (at least 6 feet) and accuracy. Life is good with S&W
Herb Leventhal
 
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ThePerfectOne

New member
well, S&W may have a better reputation, but it's also a lot more expensive. and of course, the Raging Bull is an overall bigger gun, and that's what I'm looking for: a real mammoth!

but my question remains: is the Raging Bull .44 magnum available in matte (NOT bright, just looks cheap to me) stainles?
 
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yotehunter

New member
Yes the Taurus Raging Bull 44 is available in Matte Stainless. I own the Raging Bull 454 in both the 6 1/2 and 5in barrels, I love these revolvers. I have owned many other 44 mags and as of now I would pick the 454 if you could load your own. You can shoot the 45 colts, and if you handload these can be tailored to do anything the 44 can do. Then you always have the option for the big boys in 454.
Either way I feel the Taurus has come alongways in the past few years and they are top quaility handguns. You wont be disappointed with them. Good Luck
 
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ThePerfectOne

New member
thanks man. unfortunately I do not reload, so .454 is not an option for me (too expensive :( price here in Belgium: $ 1.5/round :eek: ) but I didn't know the RB came in 5" barrels :confused: well, it doesn't matter, 'cause I'm going for the 8.375", I say: if you gonna go big, than why not go for the biggest, they even come at the same price!
 
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ScottsGT

New member
Pigshooter,
Why not scope the Taurus? I've got the Raging Bull with the
8 3/8 barrel with the Taurus Scope mount. I got the mount free from Taurus, but that's another story. I'm about to purchase a scope for the Bull, but do you have any insight as to why I should not scope it?

PerfectOne:
Right now the .44 Raging Bull with the 8 3/8 barrel in matte stainless is selling for $550 in US, New price. I've been real happy with mine, but one word of advise, if your going to use it for hunting (as with any handgun) I'd buy a set of electronic muffs. I almost sold my Bull last month because I didn't enjoy hunting wiht earplugs in, and I could not bring myself to pulling the trigger without them in. something like 190db.
 
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