I have been looking at in both 357and 44 mag.revolvers and was wondering what yall thought was the best brand to get. I have looked at Smith and Wesson, Rugar, andTaurus so far. I am Trying to keep the price somewhere around $500 so if i get a used one thats cool, but was wondering what you thought about the different brands, pros and cons.And which caliber one should choose for deer or a back up gun?

Thanks a bunch,
Pines

I would put them in the order you mentioned.
1) S&W
2) Ruger
3) I am not a fan of them at all

I've owned Colt, S&W, Ruger, and Taurus revolvers. Don't let anyone tell you that the TOP OF THE LINE Taurus's aren't as good as the others, because they are! The Taurus Raging Bull is an excellent weapon!!

For deer hunting and backup, a .44 Mag. is excellent, as is a hot-loaded .45 COLT. Better yet is the .454 Casull. It'd be hard to beat a .460 or .500 S&W, but they're much more expensive than your quoted price limit, and I doubt if there are any USED ones yet.

"If" you aren't going to practise, practise, practise, and practise some more, then NONE of the above!

Get a shotgun for backup for now, and a 22lr handgun to learn on!

Drilling Man

I'm not familar with using any revolvers... but the Academy website lists a Rossi R97 (6 inch barreled .357 Magnum) for $297.

RUGER either GP-100 357 or Super Redhawk 44 I have both and they are excellent guns I have always been told the Ruger revolvers are stronger then S&W . i hope this helps chad

If I were to look at a S&W, it would have to be an older "pre-lock" model which is all that I own. I also own a couple of Rugers which are quite nice in my opinion. I have only handled a few Tauruses, but they sure felt like quality guns. I would not be afraid to bet my life on any of those three.

I have a ScopedRuger SRH .44 w/7-1/2" barrel for deer and hogs and a RugerGP 101 .357 for self defence w/ 3-1/16"" barrel.

Like eldeguello mentioned, don't underestimate the Taurus.

My vote goes to Ruger. I had Smiths and Rugersbefore and feel the Ruger is made a little stronger. The Smith is good,I just feel the Ruger will hold up better especiallyif you use HOT handloads. I've had .44 Mag. and .357's. I enjoy shooting the .357 a little more. I liked shooting the cheaper .38 Specials through the .357. I get more Bang for the Buck that way. I have to admit, the .44Mag. would be better for hunting deer size game though.

When you add the word Magnum, I would only consider Ruger and Taurus.