My question for all you hangun shooters and gun gurus.I am thinking about buying a new hand gun for hunting and carry in the woods,this gun would be used for deer and black bear.
I was leaning towards the Taurus Tracker in 45 LC,or my 2nd choice the 41 mag.(I'm not a fan of the .357 for hunting.)
My question is I was wondering if the frame of the Trackes would hold up to the +P loads from Buffalo Bore and Cor-Bon.I would like to use the 300 gr loads from Cor-Bon.
Should I just go Ruger Black Hawk or the Red Hawk,or should I go 44 mag or bigger like the 480.
I was hoping to go with tracker cause it is a nice little package.
Thanks BBJ

I recently purchased a 44mag ruger super-redhawk, its a nice shooting gun that lest you know it has some power but doesnt make it uncontrollable, i have also shot a 44mag ruger redhawk and it is also a nice pistol but if you are thinking of putting on a scope i would suggest the super redhawk. All around ruger makes a fine pistol

BBJ, Go with a Ruger either a RH or SRH.They are a much stronger gun then the Taurus's are.They will hold up to full house loads much better.If you decide you would like a single action the Ruger Blackhawks or Super Blackhawks are the way to go.Granted Taurus has a lifetime warranty. I've heard on other sites where Taurus's Customer Service leaves allot to be desired.Ruger CS is second to none.I've never paid for any Ruger Repair.The Redhawk is available W or W/O scope rings. The SRH scope rings are standard.The RH are available in 44mag or 45 Colt.The SRH's in 454 Casull (will shoot 45 Colt) 44mag or the 480 Ruger.For Whitetails I put a 41 Mag as a min caliber.I'm sure it would be enough for Black Bears.I would personally go with a 44 mag.
Ruger Redhawk

I can't comment about the Tracker, never handled one and don't know if they're rated for +P.

I have handled quite a few other wheel guns, and if you're really going to go after bear EVERY YEAR, I'd recommend a Ruger Super Redhawk in .454Cassul. I'm a huge Ruger revolver fan, a die hard single action shooter, and love the .44mag more than my dog, it's hard to beat the Ruger Super Blackhawk or Super Blackhawk hunter .44mags, great deer hunting rigs, but since you're in Montana, where you might happen to hunt bigger things like Elk, moose, or heavy bruins/brownies, and might have to fend off a mt. lion-do yall have wolves up there?-I'd recommend the .454cassul Super Redhawk in 5.5 or 7.5", I've had three SRH's now, two .454's and one .480....

It's DA so it'd be fast enough and simple enough for defending yourself with (best done with .45colt loads), and the 7.5" bbl is plenty long enough to offer superb hunting accuracy.

I recommend the .454cassul over the .480Ruger, even though I like the .480 more because you get three pistols in one, I've got enough I don't have to worry about that, but with a .454 SRH you get a plinker with cheap .45colt ammo, a deer hunter with stout .45colt ammo, or a powerhouse kill-anything-er with the .454cassul...the .480Ruger costs the same and kicks the same whether you're shooting for fun or to put down a buffalo.

If you're only going to hunt a few bear with it occasionally, maybe to back up your rifle and will mostly only be hunting deer with it, then I'd get a Ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter in 7.5" bbl, I've got two SBH's and one SBH hunter, all in 7.5" awesome shooters I'd take a 100yrd shot on a deer and feel confident with them. If you're mostly going to stick to lighter stuff, but occasionally step up to the heavy bears, then a .44mag or .45colt in a Ruger would be a great choice, if you're going to be hunting bears as often as you hunt deer with it, I'd be looking at a Ruger Superblackhawk in .454C.

Nomercy,A couple small corrections to your comments. The SRH's are only available in 7.5" and 9.5".The Redhawk is available with either a 5.5" or 7.5"bbls.Another correction. The 454 Casull is only available in the Super Redhawk and not in the Redhawk or Super Blackhawk. I would like to see the Casull chambered in a S Blackhawk.I don't think it's likely to happen. Ruger would have already did it if they had plans to chamber it for the Casull..

BBJ if you can handle the recoil of the Casull that would be the way to go. If the Casull is to much for your comfort the 45Colt can be loaded to suit your taste.I have both a RH in 44mag and a SRH in the Casull.I like them both. You do have to hang on to the Casull. It's not a caliber for an inexperienced handgunner.If you get a 44mag you can practice shooting with the milder 44 Spl.

Ruger Redhawk

RSRH .44 mag would be my choice for hunting. I have one and love it but the 3 deer I shot with it sure didnt. It is one though pistol , I have run every brand of rounds and hand loads never had any trouble at all. I also have a leuplod eer x4 on it , that one good combo.

I would go with a .44 Rem. Mag. up with a 7.5" barrel at min. Good luck.

BBJ, as everyone else has agreed, the Ruger is the one to go with. I've got nothing against the Taurus, but the Ruger has withstood the test of time. As for caliber, the 454 will certainly be enough for deer and bear, but it does have a lot of bite to go along with its bark. If you're new to handgunning, go with the 454, but start out with 45LC loads and work your way up to the Casull. Another thing to keep in mind, if you plan on scoping it, don't waste your money on a cheaper scope, the 454 will shake the guts out of them. Leupold, Nikon and Burris all make great pistol scopes that will stand up to that kind of recoil. Go with a 4X or Nikon has a variable 1.5-5 that is very nice and won't break the bank. Do your research and go with what fits your needs and go from there.

If you are new to big handguns, stay away from anything bigger than a .44 magnum!
The .44 will take down just about anything that you point it at, at reasonable ranges and good shot placement! IMHO, for most shooters, anything larger than the .44 is just too much to handle!
Any gun, handgun, or long gun, that you can't handle well, is not as good as any lesser gun, that you can handle and learn to shoot well with!
BTW, I'd agree that the Ruger SRH is about the best bang for the buck in revolvers!

I have had several handguns for hunting,2 SBH in 44 mag and 1 BH in 41 mag.
I was wanting to go with a DA instead of a single,I don't like the bulk of the SRH,wich I have shot both the 480 and the 454 in the Super RH.Nice accracy but heavy.
Now if Ruger comes out with the Super Blackhawk hunter in 454,I will be all over it.
Now back to Taurus,can I get a 4 5/8 in barrell in the Raging Bull in 454, 6 inch would be fine also.