Ernie and others...

[Guy Miner]

I'm thinking about doing some handgun hunting with my 5" .44 magnum S&W 629. I think that I'd like some sort of better optics. Right now the revolver just has the factory sights. That's fine up close. But.. I'm thinking about a scope or a red dot.

Deer & elk sized game out to 50, 75, maybe even 100 yards.

Recommendations?

Thanks, Guy

 

[diverdown]

I'm thinking about doing some handgun hunting with my 5" .44 magnum S&W 629. I think that I'd like some sort of better optics. Right now the revolver just has the factory sights. That's fine up close. But.. I'm thinking about a scope or a red dot.

Deer & elk sized game out to 50, 75, maybe even 100 yards.

Recommendations?

Thanks, Guy

Great idea Guy. I do a lot of handgun hunting for Deer and on occasion for Elk. I used a Burris 2X7 Pistol scope for many years and was advised by those in the know to try a Red Dot. What a Difference! Of course I don't have the magnification but with the right size Red dot you'll easily cover the bases up to 100 yards.

 

[KinleyWater]

Like I think I wrote in another post, I have a Burris Fastfire 2 on my M69. I, personally, have difficulty picking up the dot, but that's likely a shooter malfunction. It holds zero just fine under recoil with 240 Magtech factory, 200 XTP handloads, and my 260 cast handloads.

 

[xphunter]

For scopes a good one is the Crimson Trace Brushline Pro 2.5-x28 BDC Pistol. https://www.crimsontrace.com/produc...ushline-pro-2.5-8x28-bdc-pistol/01-01600.html
I have a couple of these

Aimpoint Micro H-2-I have one of these

Ultradot 30mm Gen 2 and Matchdot II - I have one of each of these​

Trijicon SRO -A good friend who is an excellent field shooter with a revolver uses this for his primary hunting revolver

Trijicon SRO® Specialized Reflex Optic | Trijicon®

The extra wide field of view provided by the Trijicon SRO™ gives users a red dot they can trust to improve pistol accuracy and speed.

www.trijicon.com

I have preferred a dot scope or a traditional scope more than a reflex sight for hunting-This is personal preference

 

[xphunter]

I'm thinking about doing some handgun hunting with my 5" .44 magnum S&W 629. I think that I'd like some sort of better optics. Right now the revolver just has the factory sights. That's fine up close. But.. I'm thinking about a scope or a red dot.

Deer & elk sized game out to 50, 75, maybe even 100 yards.

Recommendations?

Thanks, Guy

For the size your revolver is, I would probably go with the Ultradot Gen 2 or the Trijicon SRO with the 2.5 MOA dot

Ultradot Gen 2 30mm Red Dot Mount | Handgun Sights

The ideal sight for handgun hunters, the 30mm Ultradot Gen 2 is popular for its weight, durability, and shooting performance while hunting with a handgun.

ultradotusa.com

Trijicon SRO® Red Dot Sight | Trijicon®

2.5 MOA Red Dot, Adjustable LED

www.trijicon.com

 

[Rol-P]

Guy. I had a Trijicon Red Dot on my S&W 29 and the only issue that I had was operator inability to find the red dot when not perfectly aligned behind the Red Dot. I have sold the red dot and now rely on the factory iron sights. My main concern is having the model 29 handy in my chest holster when I may be fly fishing in Montana. I did not get drawn for an elk tag in Montana this year so it is a non issue for a while.
Good luck and enjoy the hunt. Rol

 

[truck driver]

I use red dots a lot on my 1911s. I also have an eye stigmatism where the red to appears as a squiggly line when using my right eye but the left eye the dot is more rounded. I have a small cataract in right eye in the center of the pupil which causes the stigmatism, the left eye also has a cataract but is off to the side and doesn't affect my sight as much.
I have a pair of Burris 1 power pistol scopes with cross hair and 4moa dot that I used when first started shooting competition and they work great for both hunting and target shooting.
A low 2X power pistol scope for hunting is the ticket. All the hype about a variable power scope is just that hype unless you are using a single shot type pistol designed for long range target shooting with one of the hand rifles.

 

[Guy Miner]

Thanks for the input guys. I've been debating between the 2.5x and 4x Leupold handgun scopes, haven't looked at too many others.

Rol-P, yes, I have concerns about putting a scope on it, and thereby making it less useful for short range, fast moving, defensive shooting... Like at a bear.

*Hmmm. Maybe keep my 44 as is, and buy another handgun for hunting, just to scope it! And there I thought I was done buying firearms!

But for hunting... The scope, or a red dot sight, would seem to be an excellent choice. I've shot a lot with the EOTech red-dot on AR-15/M4 rifles and liked them. Also have used low power scopes a lot, but not often on handguns.

Thanks! Guy

 

[truck driver]

Guy try firing 5 rounds in 10 seconds with a 1911 45 with this on the slide.

 

[xphunter]

the Ultradot Gen 2 is the way I would go.
You find your aiming point so fast compared to a reflex sight, and it is not long either

 

[xphunter]

Thanks for the input guys.

*Hmmm. Maybe keep my 44 as is, and buy another handgun for hunting, just to scope it! And there I thought I was done buying firearms!

Buying a dedicated revolver is ALWAYS a good idea...
I have used both the 2x and the 4x on my hunting revolvers, and I always preferred the 4x myself.
This is a preference issue.
I could send you some LER pistol scopes if you want experiment.

 

[truck driver]

Guy That's an Old School Bullseye 1X scope with fine cross hair and 2MOA dot. It is really quite manageable with light target loads. 180gr SWC over 3.7grs of Bullseye powder is just enough to consistently work the slide and eject the fired round. The scope was designed but Gill Hebert and made for him to sell in his shop by Burris. I have 2 of them and wish I had another pair since I have a hard time using red dots which I own 6 of and have them mounted on other 1911s I own.

 

[KinleyWater]

Oh, absolutely buy a dedicated hunting handgun! In fact, buy one for bear, and one for mulie, and one for elk, and one for pronghorn, and one for...

 

[diverdown]

Thanks for the input guys. I've been debating between the 2.5x and 4x Leupold handgun scopes, haven't looked at too many others.

Rol-P, yes, I have concerns about putting a scope on it, and thereby making it less useful for short range, fast moving, defensive shooting... Like at a bear.

*Hmmm. Maybe keep my 44 as is, and buy another handgun for hunting, just to scope it! And there I thought I was done buying firearms!

But for hunting... The scope, or a red dot sight, would seem to be an excellent choice. I've shot a lot with the EOTech red-dot on AR-15/M4 rifles and liked them. Also have used low power scopes a lot, but not often on handguns.

Thanks! Guy

Guy, I think you've probably already thought of this but watch you field of view between the Red Dot and the standard pistol scopes. That was the first thing I picked up on.

 

[xphunter]

field of view between the Red Dot and the standard pistol scopes

This is a very important.
That is why I am recommending the Ultradot, given his distance parameters, and other issues

 

[Ridge_Runner]

I use a 2x on my hunting pistols for hunting in cover, had a 4x on a 30 herret once, a walking deer was hard to get on at 50 yards, and if he stopped you couldn't pick him out due to small field of view due to too much magnification. have taken several deer and a bear with my 375 JDJ with a 2x loopy on top.