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Took the big boys to the pistol range, wuss'd out and shot mostly 44 special ammo. The pair up today were the Six Inch Colt Anaconda 44 Mag, and the Four Inch Smith Model 29. Both beautiful guns. The last time I tried to shoot either with magnum ammo, they were mean to me and bit me. So, Special Ammo was on the menu.

Let's see um.


First Up, the Model 29 Smith at 15 yards, Six Rounds double action, center mass on the B27 Steel target. I pulled one, but the group isn't bad.


Next I loaded up the Colt and shot twelve rounds at the head of the B27, she's shooting a little high at 15 yards, so two slipped over the had a tad, missing. Parted his hair though.


Switched back to the Model 29 and shot six rounds rapid center mass from seven yards. Still a tight group.


I was feeling pretty good, so I put six rounds of magnum ammo in the Anaconda. I have no idea what made me think my arthritic hands were ready to shoot full power magnum loads in that beast. Cowboy magnum loads... no problem. The full house 44 magnum loads, NOT a good idea. The first shot stung. The Marine in me said, "Cowboy up, and pull that trigger again." I thought about it, but the evil devil on my shoulder whispered in my ear.... "What are you, a man or a mouse." BOOM... a second shot. Stung worse than the first....

I don't think my hand is supposed to be bleeding.... Never did find those grips to cover the backstrap...

I didn't finish all six... I have work to do in the shop... tomorrow. Next time the big boys come to the range, I'll stick to the specials. If I shoot 44 mag again, it'll be in the single actions. Roll with it.


I'll probably keep these two, but still with Cowboy action loads, or 44 specials.

Nice shooting. I do understand the draw of the magnums and the price sometimes.

I shot them when I was younger, but in Super Blackhawks. Now that I can afford the Anacondas and Model 29s, old hands tell me no.

I'll be 78 in a couple days and I feel your pain Mr. Marine. I carry a .44 mag Mountain Gun in a Galco crossdraw when I'm up in deer camp Xbow hunting. It's wearing Hogue Tamer grips and loaded with 250 gr. cast at 1050 fps. Mighty comforting when I'm up there alone. Can't handle the full throttle stuff anymore.

I am 77 and I can barely hang on to my Model 30 with p+ ammo. usually shoot .38's wc, nice and soft

Oop! model 67. Senior moment

I can still handle the 357s in the larger handguns, but the ultralite Smith M&P 340PD I carry in the Summer... (I call it The Beast) I practice with wadcutters and LSWCs. I do shoot a few magnums to justify carrying them. But it is FAR from pleasant. That scandium framed 357 weighs less than 12 ounces. You can forget you have it. Carry a lot, shoot a little. But I can still put them all in the center of the target so I'm good to go.

nice shooting, this reminds me I need to paint my targets...

I saved the old frying pan set Miss T was tossing, I painted two of those yesterday. They will become "gongs" on the rifle deck in the next couple days. When they are all shot up, there is a stack waiting in the wings.

We aint as good as we once was and Im not even as good once as I ever was. I dont need no 500 44 454 or any of those big boy rounds anymore because they were cool once. Im not cool anymore. Im like Coop Im in the 22 part of life.