.50 Special Bowen Redhawk... Update ll

[bushog]

Just went and picked up my new to me .50 Special Bowen Alpine. Can't wait to get it out and shoot it! I wouldn't have magna-ported it but to have it i hand I can overlook it. It may actually be a nice thing?

It looks like an older gun, before he used the DX front sight and the stenciled barrel designation. Single and double action are really smooth and I'm diggin' the overtravel stop.

[mike454]

Slick gun! Funny that someone would magnaport such a low performance round. At least with the lower pressures the holes in the barrel won't be so obnoxious.

[bushog]

I have a new blued Redhawk barrel if I really can't stand it. But the time for the re-bore...

[jordanb]

Bushog,

Glad it got there ok! Finally got to the fed ex office today to send the rest of the stuff your way...

Hope you can make it here for the Linebaugh seminar; I will keep you posted re: time/date...

Thank you,

Jordan

[whitworth]

Jul 30, 2012 20:36:19 GMT -5 mike454 said:

Slick gun! Funny that someone would magnaport such a low performance round. At least with the lower pressures the holes in the barrel won't be so obnoxious.

I too find that odd......

But that is one slick piece and a great score! Congratulations!

[bushog]

We all know what recoilphobes there are. It's almost a psychotic thing. Well it is a psychotic thing.

Rifle recoilphobes are the worst. Oh, the beautiful rifles I've seen and then there's the "end" of the barrel.

What I don't understand is why some folks will hotrod a .44 magnum but are scared to death of a .50. I find the bigger bores much less rude.

Yeah, I know...I need to shoot one of the Maximums or Alaskans before I chime in but........

[Lee Martin]

Beautiful piece and it should be a fun shooter. Let us know how it does at the range. Also, what load are you planning to use?

-Lee
www.singleactions.com
"Building carpal tunnel one round at a time"

[steveb]

A very practical custom. I like it. Now wish I'd have kept the SS Redhawk I had. Phooey. steve b

[bushog]

Planning on:

25.3 gns 2400 for about 1100fps
or
27gns of H110 for about 1100 both with a 350gn LBT

Both loads are from Handloader #155

[bushog]

OK... so I went and shot my new Redhawk. I was talking smack about recoil and...well...that darned thing is a web buster. I was was shooting the loads I listed above and let me tell you.

It DOES NOT roll at all with the recoil. I don't know if the magna-porting makes it worse or not but it comes STRAIGHT back.

It shot about 2.5" groups off the bench which is not what I expected but I got a little jumpy after about 25 rounds. I'm going to see if I can find a load for a bigger bullet and slow it down some,

I may be glad I didn't send my SR and Anaconda barrel off to Hamilton for a .500 Linebaugh.

More later....Comments or suggestions???

[98redline]

I "suggest" that you do the web of your hand a favor.

Pack the gun up and send it to me. I will ensure that it no longer inflicts pain on your hand again

[hammerdown77]

The Magna-porting on my SRH 454 makes it come straight back more and really pound the hand. I've gotten used to it, though. Even without it, I think you're going to have the same problem with that Redhawk grip. I've shot a 44 mag Redhawk and I kinda had to change up my hand position with the stock grips to take some of the sting out of it.

I'd suggest a grip change. Either something with a gel insert in the backstrap, or Nill grips that cover the top of the backstrap (which some here have said works really well on the Redhawk).

[mike454]

I doubt you're running enough pressure to really make the magnaport do it's job. I've only run redhawks with the stock grips and the do seem to hit the hand harder than even S&Ws running similar loads even though the smiths are lighter. If it were me I'd run a 350 @ 800 for fun and wear shooting gloves for the bigger stuff. Rubber grips wont do the lines on that gun any favors. I've been tempted to try a set of Herrett Roper grips and see if they help. They're some of the more attractive grips for the RH that I've seen.

[AxeHandle]

Load that thing up with plain base cast bullets and a full case of Trail Boss and party down! Consider a good set of custom grips and a shooting glove for that H110 stuff.

[Snyd]

First off, congrats on the Bowen Redhawk. I fondled a 475 here a your or so ago. What piece of work.

My 4" Redhawk, 454 Conversion had tremendous muzzle flip/torque. I had it mag-na-ported (4 port) and it made a huge difference. I can't say for sure if I feel more recoil in my hand or not. But, I didn't magnaport it for recoil reduction but rather for muzzle flip and I have no regrets. For me it seems more manageable.

I've tried several grips. Factory installed hogue (no rubber on backstrap), Ruger Factory Redhawk wood grips like yours, Pachmeyer Grippers, and now Nill Griffe's wood. None of them really fit my hand very good except the Nill Griffes. I then sanded em down and smoothed out some sharp edges making them fit a little better and they don't poke me in the side carrying in strongside pancake holster. They're not quite as purdy as they were but.... form follows function. Nill Griffe pics here...
singleactions.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=sas&action=display&thread=8220

One grip I'd like to try are the Uncle Mikes/Butler Creek rubbers that Numrich carries. They have a little rubber on the backstrap but supposedly aren't as bulky as the Pachmeyer Grippers. Cheap too I think. Like 15 bucks.

Uncle Mikes/Butler Creek rubbers