Ruger's Big-Bore Revolvers: A Maker's Rundown

Ruger's Big-Bore Revolvers: A Maker's Rundown

If there's one company that put a big-bore revolver in the hand of every hunter, rancher, and backcountry traveler who wanted one, it's Ruger. They've never been the fanciest guns on the shelf — that's not the point. They're built stout, priced so a working man can own one, and tough enough to carry into rough country and trust when it counts. That's exactly why I build so much leather for them.

And I'm not talking theory here — I run a stable of these myself: two .44 Magnum Super Redhawks (a 7.5" and a 9.5"), a 9.5" Super Redhawk in .454 Casull, a short 3.75" Lipsey's Super Blackhawk in .44 Mag, and a .44 Magnum Toklat. When I tell you how one of these carries, it's from wearing it, not reading about it.

Ruger's big-bores split into two camps: the single-action Blackhawks and the double-action Redhawks. Here's how the lineup shakes out, and which one fits what you're doing.

The Double-Actions: Redhawk & Super Redhawk

Super Redhawk

The Super Redhawk is Ruger's big-bore double-action workhorse, and probably the one I build the most Ruger rigs for — it's also the one I own the most of. It's a heavy, over-built revolver made to digest the hard-kicking stuff — chambered in .44 Magnum, .454 Casull, .480 Ruger, and 10mm Auto (with a .22 Hornet version too). It's got an extended frame with built-in scope mounts, which makes it a natural for handgun hunters. You'll see it in 7.5" and 9.5" barrels, with shorter lengths in some chamberings — the longer tubes for wringing every bit of accuracy out of it in the field.

Super Redhawk Alaskan

The Alaskan is the one everybody thinks of for bear country. It was Ruger's first short-barreled big-bore — same beefy Super Redhawk frame, but with the barrel chopped to 2.5 inches, ending right at the front of the frame. Same big cartridges — .44 Magnum, .454 Casull/.45 Colt, and .480 Ruger — in a package you can actually pack all day. If you want serious stopping power on your chest while you fish, hunt, or hike through griz country, this is the gun, and it's one of the most popular rigs I build.

Super Redhawk Toklat

The Toklat is a distributor-exclusive (TALO) Super Redhawk with a short, slab-sided 5-inch barrel, scope rails, and Hogue grips. It's offered in .454 Casull and .44 Magnum — mine's a .44 Mag. Think of it as the middle ground between the full-size Super Redhawk and the snub Alaskan — a hard-hitting, packable big-bore. I've built plenty of leather for these and keep the fit dialed in.

Redhawk

The original Redhawk is the standard-frame double-action that started it all back in 1979 — a stout, no-nonsense .44 Magnum (also offered in .45 Colt, .41 Magnum, and an 8-shot .357). It doesn't have the Super Redhawk's extended frame or scope mounts, but it's a proven, tough sixgun that's ridden a lot of hips and chests over the years.

The Single-Actions: Super Blackhawk

Super Blackhawk

If you like your big-bore in a classic cowboy single-action, the Super Blackhawk is the .44 Magnum. It's Ruger's purpose-built .44 Mag single-action — the same big Blackhawk frame, but with the longer Dragoon-style grip and square-back trigger guard made to soak up full-house .44 loads. You'll find it in 4.62", 5.5", 7.5", and a big 10.5" bull barrel — and distributors like Lipsey's have done shorter runs too (mine's a handy 3.75"). Simple, rugged, and a favorite of handgun hunters who grew up on single-actions.

Super Blackhawk Hunter

The Hunter is the Super Blackhawk built for glass. It wears a 7.5" heavy barrel with integral scope mounts, an adjustable rear sight and orange-ramp front, all in stainless — a purpose-built handgun-hunting .44 Magnum right out of the box.

Super Blackhawk Bisley

The Bisley isn't a different gun so much as a different grip and hammer — a shape a lot of handgun hunters swear by for soaking up heavy recoil. The Super Blackhawk Bisley Hunter is offered in the big-bore chamberings you'd want for hunting — .44 Magnum, .454 Casull/.45 Colt, and .480 Ruger — scope-ready and built for the big stuff.

So Which Ruger Do You Carry?

Quick and dirty: for bear defense and packing light, the Alaskan. For handgun hunting with a scope, the Super Redhawk or a Super Blackhawk Hunter. For a classic single-action .44 to ride the hip, the Super Blackhawk. And the Toklat if you want a short, hard-hitting big-bore that splits the difference.

Why a Big Ruger Wants a Chest Holster

Here's where I come in. Any of these guns is a handful to carry the old way — a heavy revolver on your hip beats your leg up, drags on a pack belt, and swings around when you're working. A chest holster carries the weight up high, out of the way of your pack, and keeps the gun right where your hand falls. For a backcountry Ruger, that's the way to carry.

I build a lot of Ruger rigs — the Alaskan, the Super Redhawk, the Toklat, the Super Blackhawk — and I've got the molds to fit them right. My Kodiak Leather Chest Holster is the one most folks run; if you'd rather carry on the hip, the Outdoorsman Hip Holster is cut for big wheelguns too. I even keep a few of the popular Ruger chest rigs built and ready to ship. Either way it's wet-molded to your exact gun and barrel length.

Running a scope, a red dot, or an odd barrel length? Reach out to me directly first — those take a little extra to get right, and I want it to fit perfectly.

Bottom Line

Ruger's big-bores are honest, hard-working guns — whether you carry a snub Alaskan for bear country, a scoped Super Redhawk for hunting, or a classic Super Blackhawk just because it's right. Whatever you run, I'll build the leather to carry it.