Suz, many moons ago S&W offered a nice model 29 with a 8 3/8" barrel and special cuts on top of that barrel to mount a scope. That's the first handgun I ever bought and I still love it and its caliber (.44 RM) even more.
I use that revolver without optics, with a small (cheap) Tasco red dot or with a 4x Leupold E.E.R.. The only thing I would do otherwise is the size of the Leupold. If I had to buy it again I think I prefer the 2x now.
Now I live in a country where it's not alowed to use a handgun for hunting, but otherwise that model 29 would be my first choise. I even use it sometimes to shoot bowlingpins and then you see the power of a .44 RM. When you shoot straight trough a bowlingpin and still see the sand of the bullet catch stiffing apart. Even when you miss the bowlingpin by 0.5" or so, the shockwave will clear the target

And I can recommend a 8 3/8" barrel. It's a very good length to use without optics + the extra weight is a big aid for a fast next shot. I never tried it, but I can imagine that it will be very difficult to do bowlingpins with a 4" barrel and a decent .44 load.

And after all: it's easier and more fun to make something long shorter again than the other way around

I shoot the same loads in both my .357 wheel gun and my carbine. Fairly hot loads but they are acurate enough for me in both guns.

As far as a new gun goes... so many choices... so little money...

My experience with a handgun scope for hunting was negative. I couldn't see the cross hairs long before it got time to quit for the evening. That's why I went with the red dot, at least I can see it even if I can't see the target. Now I took that same scope I had on the .44 and put it on a .22 Ruger Mk II and it is a ton of fun for plinking, etc.

Aloysius!! Thanks for the advice. As with Pumkinsling I had a problem with seeing through the scope this deer season because the deer was so close, I couldn't find him very quick. I've tried two different, cheap, red-dots only to find the paralax problem was so great I couldn't be very accurate with it. It is a nice concept, especially for the bi-focaled person. I think I need some really freeeekin huge iron sights


squintin-squaw
Suz

About the needing really big freakin' iron sights: I personally think many of us could use them more than some might like to admit!!!!!!!! HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!

Old eyes syndrome sucks!!!!

Yup- sames why I'll double carry. And, practice with the shorty everyweek. Peep's think I'm showing off doing 6 full house rounds as fast as I can into a pie plate at 10y but I aint. It's dead serious practice.

Practice or yer DEAD.... kinda works fer me, least I hope it does.

Suzanne wrote:

I've tried two different, cheap, red-dots only to find the paralax problem was so great I couldn't be very accurate with it.

I thought red dots didn't have any parallax !!! Or was that the halo sights ??? Now I'm confused !!!

Anyone seen the new Freedom Arms Single Shot ??? Me like it !!!
All the talk about the Blackhawks got me thinking about that Casull.....again.

Chambered, that red dot moves all over the place in small increments, when I move my head. It has (for lack of the actual word) forever eye-relief, and at scout-scope distance or say 11, 12 or so inches, it's easy to be off target and have the dot placed wrong. But that's a pair of very cheap ones too, the better ones prob. don't have that problem. It was fun to use at first then after sighting in wasn't going right, I figured it out. I had two of them the same way. Prob. paid $30 or so, no great loss, I wanted to try them out and see what they were all about. I actually like the sights but they have some inherent problems, like dots being too dim, too bright. too small, too large. Better ones probably address this tho. Both mine have variable brightness and 2 colors to choose from, but dot size isn't adjustable. They are only for short range like 50yds or so, much after that the dot obliterates the target.

Suz

Suzanne wrote:

Chambered, that red dot moves all over the place in small increments, when I move my head. It has (for lack of the actual word) forever[Unlimited] eye-relief, and at scout-scope distance or say 11, 12 or so inches, it's easy to be off target and have the dot placed wrong.

I've debated this with some "Sales Experts" recently, who claim that red dots "can't have parallax"

The "less expensive" ones do. Unless the dot is centered in the scope, the shot WILL be off.

Suz, why 2 colours??? You lose half of the adjustment possiblities. I bet that later in the evening they are too bright to have a decent look at your target + when the dot is too bright, it's also too big and with little steps to adjust you loose a lot of accuracy.
Try it next time in 1 color. Also for the normal optics with lighted crosses or dots. I even don't like the red color for these because they are too blinding. I like the blue very much. Blue gives such a soft and respectfull feeling when you're killing an animal...

Suz...I have a Tasco PDP4 Pro Point Red Dot that I was using on my Mod 94 Winchester and it was great. You are right though when you say that the cheap can have problems.

This one was given to me by a very dear friend, an aussie lady who moved to Missouri so she could train for, and shoot, the Bianchi Cup. She had the Tasco sponsorship and they provided her with the scopes. I found that once zeroed, it didn't matter where the dot was in the scope window, so long as it was on the target, then the shot was good. The thing I like about it is being able to shoot with both eyes open...can't do that with a scope, although some do. Unfortunately Rhonda has now passed on, IBC (a form of breast cancer) bought about her demise...very nasty. All I have left is memories and this scope she gave to me just before she died.

Anyway...back on track...have a look around for a quality red dot if that is the way you want to go...or a holographic sight...they are well worth the expense.

Cheers, Vince

wiersy111 wrote:

Old eyes syndrome sucks!!!!

That it does! I'd love to be able to use iron sights with something even close to the accuracy I can get from a scope. The rifles are lighter and much less susceptible to breakage. Ghost ring sights and aperture type peep sights are marginally better for older eyes.
Don

I love my red dot sight on my .22 pistol. Shooting with both eyes open really helps with the old eyes and reduces tunnel vision. However, then the distance gets much past 50 yards, the scope really helps with precision shooting. I tried using buckhorn open sights on my 1868 Remington Rolling Block and wasn't confident that I was shooting accurate groups. So I rigged a weaver base on top of the barrel and have been using a scout scope. Works great! Not sure I'll go back to iron sights even on a gun from two centruies ago.