I’ve been told for some time that a revolver is the way to go for many reasons. One of them being that the response time is quicker because there are fewer steps involved when the need arrives in what could be a life-threatening situation. Another reason being they are practically fail safe. Supposedly, fewer malfunctions are reported with a revolver than any other handgun. I decided I was finally going to listen, and I began my search. I came across the Ruger Redhawk .357 Magnum and regardless of how many others I looked at, I kept coming back to the Redhawk. It is a beautiful piece, and I couldn’t see any better place for it than in my hands.
The Ruger Redhawk is available in .357 Magnum, .44 Rem Mag or .45 Auto. It also comes in these barrel lengths: 2.75-, 4.2- and 5.5-inch options. I chose the .357 Magnum with the 5.5-inch barrel. I’ve shot a .357 before, though I couldn’t quite remember the make and model, I do remember it being a great shooter. You could say I chose it because familiarity is comfortable. Keep in mind my experience with revolvers and handguns alone is very limited, but that is about to change.
When carrying a revolver there are two accessories that are a must: a holster and a speed loader. I found the Redhawk Triple K Belt Holster (MSRP $63.95) and the Redhawk 8-round Speed Loader (MSRP $32.95) and decided those two things will make carrying and loading safer and easier.
I wouldn’t say I did all my research as I should have. I looked at it, I liked the caliber, chose the barrel length, loved the chrome finish and the dark mahogany grip. Where I went wrong was that I didn’t thoroughly read through the specs. I should have taken into consideration the total weight. When I removed it from the hard case, I thought, “Yikes. This might be too much gun for me.” Although my husband stood by, ready to claim it for his own, I held onto hope.
I’m not giving up yet; we’re going to the range first. He insisted that he shoot it first and I agreed. At the same time, I made clear, just because you get to shoot it first doesn’t mean it’s yours. We loaded up the ammo, our shooting gear, and headed to Live Fire Training Academy.
I brought 11 types of bullets to test, but before testing the ammo, I needed to get accustomed to the revolver. The first thing I did was watch my husband shoot it to get his reaction and opinion. As I usually do, I placed all the ammo in order from the lightest to the heaviest and that’s the order we shot them in.
Norma 80 Grain .38 Special NXD (MSRP $22.99)
Hornady Critical Defense 110 Grain .38 Special (MSRP $34.99)
Speer 125 Grain .357 Magnum Gold Dot (MSRP $44.99)
Barnes 125 Grain TAC-XPD Defense 357 Magnum (MSRP $33.99)
Hornady 130 Grain MonoFlex Handgun Hunter .357 Magnum ($45.99)
Barnes 140 Grain VOR-TX .357 Magnum (MSRP $34.99)
Fiocchi 158 Grain Defense Dynamic .357 Magnum (MSRP $38.99)
Hornady 158 Grain Custom .357 Magnum (MSRP 35.99)
Norma 158 Grain Range & Training .38 Special (MSRP $33.99)
Norma 158 Grain Range & Training .357 Magnum (MSRP 33.99)
Remington 180 Grain Core-Lokt .357 Magnum (MSRP $35.99)
The Ruger Redhawk makes it a little difficult to decide which ammo are its favorites; it seems to like most of them. If they all shoot well, I make my choice by volume, what do I have the most of for some quality range time? I chose the Fiocchi Defense Dynamic and the Remington Core-Lokt.
I knew I could use improvement on my shooting form and knowledge of a revolver so I gave Kevin Hanebrink a call to ask if he would work with me and my new Redhawk. He is the owner of the Live Fire Training Academy and also is a qualified shooting instructor. What better person to teach me the basics of a revolver? He agreed to and I was excited because there’s nothing like having the constructive criticism or encouragement from an expert.
After inspecting and admiring the Redhawk, I asked if he could watch me shoot to see where I can improve. Before I got the chance to take the first shot, he was quick to correct my grip, I had my thumbs parallel like I would with a pistol. I had no idea gripping a revolver was any different than a handgun.
After watching, Kevin didn’t just tell me the correct way, he showed me. With his right hand on the grip, he brought his left hand to a similar position of a handgun grip, but he crossed his left thumb over top of the right thumb. He said this protects you from the risk of injury from the cylinder gap and gives you the ability to better manage the concentrated recoil. I couldn’t wait to feel the difference now knowing the correct hold.
After shooting correctly a few times and realizing the difference with the proper hold and instruction, I was pleased with the Ruger Redhawk’s performance as well as mine. There was on last thing to do, a little competition between teacher and student. Does the performance reflect on the teacher, the student, or both?
We each took three shots, and the ones closes to the bullseye wins. With three separate bullseyes I took one shot at each of them and Kevin stuck with three shots at the same one. I only had one shot close to a bull, while all three of Kevin’s were altogether better. Win goes to the teacher.
I asked Kevin to give me all the dirty details on my shooting form and the execution. The only correction he had for me other than my grip, is to slow down and refrain from rushing the shot. Some habits are tougher to break than others, that is a correction I’ve heard many times over.
How am I going to break my bad habit of rushing the shots? I recently learned at a Ladies’ Adventure Weekend, hosted by Lanny Barnes in Colorado, sometimes the best way to break or start a habit is to talk yourself out of or into it. For example, next time I go to the range with my Ruger Redhawk, (yes mine, my husband can still shoot it of course), I will repeatedly tell myself to relax, talking myself into slowing down when taking a shot. Thanks, Lanny, also known as “Lanny Oakley,” for some great advice.
Learn more about the Ruger Redhawk .357 Magnum (MSRP $1,399)
I am a wife and a mother who loves the outdoors, I also review and test airguns and shooting products for various manufacturers. As Airgun Angie, I get to spend a fair amount of time outdoors hunting and shooting! I love what I do, I get the opportunity to test many different types of shooting and hunting gear. My current adventures can be found on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC764VE4T-i2XihiyISmkJKA You can also follow me on Facebook, @leadlife17 "Airgun Angie." View all posts by Angie Perry
