Why I Shoot Raging Hunters - Larry Weishuhn

After spending a week on the FTW Ranch with Taurus’ Bret Vorhees a few years ago I could not

wait to procure my own Taurus’ Raging Hunter double-action revolvers in .357 Mag, .44 Mag,

.454 Casull and .460 S&W Mag. Shooting Bret’s handguns, I fell head over heals for the

handsome unbelievably accurate double-action revolvers he showed me and allowed me to

shoot. Back home, I ordered the full compliment of the exceptional revolvers, then anxiously

awaited their arrival. After filling out the appropriate paperwork at Schubert’s Firearms I

mounted red dot sights on them. After picking up appropriate Hornady ammo for each of the

different calibers and rounds I headed to my home rifle range.

From a solid rest I shot many times, starting with the .357 Mag, using a variety of ammunition.

The two my Raging Hunter liked best, based on group size, were Hornady’s Custom 158-grain

JHP/XTP and Hornady’s Handgun Hunter 130-grain Mono Flex HP loads, the latter a slightly

larger group.

At 50-yards using a 2.5 MOA sight, I consistently grouped all the Taurus’ .357 Mag 7 shot

cylinder in 2 1/2-inches. The 158-grain bullet round’s 460 foot-pounds of retained energy at 50-

yards is sufficient to kill a hog. Were I using the .357 Mag (6.75-inch barrel) with that load to

hunt deer, I would limit my shots to a maximum range of 50-yards, preferably closer.

I intended to and did lend the .357 Mag to Luke Clayton. I have been doing a weekly segment

for Luke’s radio show since 2007. More recently we turned his “Catfish Radio with Luke Clayton

and Friends” into a weekly podcast as well. Luke is also a fellow co-host along with Jeff Rice on

our weekly “A Sportsman’s Life” outdoor television show, on CarbonTV.com. My old friend and

hunting partner had told me he intended to use my .357 Mag on hogs where shots were 35-

yards or less. A few days after I left him my .357 Mag Taurus revolver, he took several feral

hogs using Hornady’s Custom 158-grain JHP/XTP.

A two shot group at 100-yards, .44 Mag, Taurus Raging Hunter, 240-grain Hornady XTP Custom

After sighting-in my .44 Mag Taurus Raging Hunter with Hornady’s 240-grain XTP Custom, a

load that has shot extremely accurately in every .44 Mag I have ever “run it through”, I let

another friend borrow it to use hunting whitetail does. Topped with a 2.5 MOA red dot sight,

from a solid rest, shooting at 50-yards I repeatedly put six-shots into a less than 2-inch groups.

Shooting at 100-yards, I shot the same sized groups as I did at 50-yards. That particular friend

had only recently started shooting handguns. From a “hunter’s rest” he consistently shot 3-inch

groups at 50-yards. I suggested he keep his shots out to that range and less.

Before lending him my .44 Mag, a couple of days later, I shot some truly impressive groups at

100-yards, approaching 1-inch groups. I suspect the barrel had “seasoned” a bit by then, which

tightened the groups. After that I wished I had not told my friend he could use my new Taurus.

Both my .357 Mag and .44 Mag Raging Hunters in the hands of friends, I turned to my attention

to the .454 Casull. Like the .357 and .44 Mags I topped the revolver with a 2.5 MOA red dot

sight. Mounting a red dot sight was made easy because of the Raging Hunter revolver’s integral

Picatinny rail. The rail system made it easy to mount a long-eye relief scope on the same guns

month’s later.

I appreciate the Raging Hunter’s Picatinny rail base for scope or sight mounting being part of

the handgun. With the integral rail I am no longer concerned about finding bases for after-

market sights or scopes, nor concerned about base screws loosening because of recoil.

The Taurus Raging Hunter’s integral rail adds a bit of weight, which is not a bad thing. Sans red

dot sight, scope or ammo, my .357 Mag weighs 53-ounces, my .44 Mag weighs 55-ounces my

.454 Casull with 8.37-inch barrel weighs 57-ounces and my .460 S&W Mag weighs 63.6 ounces.

Raging Hunters are available in three barrel lengths; 5.125, 6.75 and 8.375-inches. Weight of

course varies with barrel length.

I use my Taurus revolvers primarily for hunting, thus, like the longer barrels and the slightly

added weight for stability when shooting. The gun’s weight also helps to reduce felt recoil.

Fortunately, I never been “recoil conscious” shooting hunting handguns. But having shot

several .454 Casull single and double-actions revolvers in the past, I know recoil can be a “hand

full”. Thankfully Taurus’ hunting revolvers are “different”.

The Raging Hunter’s barrel assembly is a ported stainless barrel within a barrel shroud. Thanks

to the porting system, the Raging Hunter .454 Casull’s felt recoil is not unpleasant and is

entirely manageable. The company’s signature “recoil absorber grips” also greatly aid in

reducing recoil.

Over the years I have shot numerous whitetails, mule deer, elk, and a sizable Alaskan Brown

Bear with a .454 Casull. It is one of my all-time favorite handgun rounds…but I also really like

the .44 Mag, a VERY close second which I have used to take elk, black bear and a whole lot of

deer. Too, I have taken numerous deer with a .460 S&W Mag.

“From the factory” Raging Hunter revolvers have a fairly heavy trigger pull, shooting single-

action style and even shot double-action. However, after shooting many rounds with a factory

trigger, where there is no creep, I got “used to” my .44 Mag’s trigger.

Knowing I was going to do considerable hunting with my .454 Casull, I had a pistolsmith friend

do a “trigger job” on mine. The trigger pull is now in the neighborhood of 3-pounds, fired single

action. I really like it. I plan on having him do trigger work on my .44 Mag and .460 S&W Mag

Raging Hunters in the future.

At my range I shot Hornady 240-grain XTP MAG, 300-grain XTP Mag and 200-grain Monoflex

Handgun Hunter through my .454 Casull at 50 and 100-yards. I shot numerous 5-shot groups,

the cylinder’s capacity. All three bullet weights and factory loads were nicely accurate,

essentially 3-inch groups and less at 100 yards, tighter groups at 50. My “tightest” groups were

1.5-inches with the 240-grain and 300-grain XTP MAG loads. Remember, a 2.5 MOA red dot

sight’s “dot” covers 2.5-inches at 100-yards. My best groups with the 200-grain Monoflex

Handgun Hunter loads were just over 3-inch groups.

Such 3-inch groups at 100 yards, considering down range energy, makes all three loads lethal

for elk, deer, bear, hogs, javelina and similar sized animals at that distance, and, a little beyond.

Hunting the Brush Country of South Texas, I used Hornady’s 200-grain Handgun Hunter loads

while pursuing javelinas. I stalked within 40-yards of a herd, picked out the biggest then got a

solid rest in the crux of an ancient mesquite. Shot through both shoulders, the javelina

collapsed on the spot. The bullet exited after doing extreme damage to vital organs.

Hunting whitetails in the Brazos River breaks with my long-time friend Craig Archer and his

brother David, we spotted an ancient 3x3 whitetail buck across a canyon. Before we could get

within reasonable range the buck disappeared. We returned to the vehicle, then drove to the

other side of the canyon to try to “rattle” him in. Soon as we stopped the pickup, the ancient

6-point stepped out of the cedars 75-yards away. I got out of the vehicle, found an ancient

mesquite tree to use as a rest, then “planted” the red-dot sight on his quartering-to left

shoulder. I took a deep breath, released it and pulled the trigger on a 240-grain Hornady XTP

cartridge. The old buck dropped in his tracks.

Later, I recovered the spent bullet. It passed through the buck’s onside scapula, ribs, vital lung

tissue, liver and other “innerds”, continued on to break the buck’s off-side femur. I found the

spent bullet just under the skin of the opposite hindquarter. It had “traveled” through 40

inches of tissue and bones.

Hunting whitetail does with my .454 Casull, I used both 240 and 300-grain XTP MAG Hornady

Custom loads. The first stood broadside 50-yards distant. The bullet took her squarely through

the shoulders. My second doe was almost exactly 100 yards away. She dropped in her tracks,

the 300-grain XTP MAG penetrated both shoulders before exiting.

Deer properly cared for, I headed to the range where I replaced .454 Casull ammo with .45 Colt

which can also be shot in a .454 Casull chamber and barrel. Shooting at 25-yards, I placed 5-

shots easily within a 2-inch circle. I will be using my Casull loaded .45 Colt on wild hogs or

possibly a close-range whitetail doe in the future.

The .460 S&W Magnum a fabulous big game hunting handgun round. Were I to again hunt

Alaskan Brown bear or dangerous game in Africa, my choice would be the .460 S&W Mag. But, I

would still be tempted to use my .454 Casull because of the confidence I have in it. Another

consideration would be Taurus’s .500 S&W Mag Raging Hunter. I used that round on a

monstrous American bison a few years ago, shot with a handgun. I know it performs well on

1,000-pound plus animals.

Maybe it is simply me, but shooting the .460 S&W Mag is a “double hand full” in terms of recoil.

Felt recoil is more substantial than the .500 S&W Mag; a “crack” as opposed to a “push”.

However, with Taurus’ ported barrel and recoil absorbing grips I can shoot three cylinders full,

or 15 rounds, before I need to set it aside for a while. I have not been able to do the same with

any other manufacturer’s gun chambered for the .460 S&W Mag.

I like hunting with my .460 S&W Mag Taurus Raging Hunter. However, it is not a round I would

recommend to someone new to handgun hunting. However…on second thought the great

thing about the .460 S&W Mag Raging Hunter is the same chamber/barrel also shoots .454

Casull and .45 Colt. Starting with a revolver chambered for .460 S&W Mag may not be such a

bad idea after all! You can start shooting the handgun using .45 Colt, with its mild recoil, then

step up to the .454 Casull with a bit more recoil but also a whole lot more down range energy

and other good ballistics. When you have conquered the Casull you can move up to the .460

S&W Mag.

At the bench I wanted to shoot all three rounds from the same gun, my .460 S&W Raging

Hunter using .45 Colt, .454 Casull and .460 S&W Mag, the latter sighted-in dead-on at 100 yards

with 240-grain .454 Casull Hornady XTP MAG ammo. At 50-yards, I shot two rounds each of

Hornady’s LEVERevolution 225-grain FTX .45 Colt, Hornady 300-grain XTP MAG and Hornady

Handgun Hunter .460 S&W Mag 200-grain Monoflex holding on the target’s center diamond.

Interestingly, my .45 Colt rounds hit 1 ½-inches immediately above the center diamond,

creating essentially one ragged hole. The .454 Casull 300-grain XTP struck the target just to the

top right of the center diamond and the second very slightly left. The 200-grain Monoflex

bullets struck the target nearly 2-inches low, directly under the center diamond. The second

shot cut the hole of the first. From this, I would have no qualms of using either of the three

rounds, without any sight adjustments out to 50-yards on whitetail deer. The 4-inch vertical in-

line “grouping”, of all 6-shots would have struck nicely within a deer’s 8-inch vital zone of heart

and lungs.

One of the numerous things I really like about the Raging Hunter revolvers, beyond their real

world price $700 to $800, and their accuracy is the gun’s non-glare matte finish. I can

appreciate a “shiny” revolver, but, when it comes to hunting Taurus’ non-glare matte finish is

ideal and perfect. As an entire package it is easily understood why the Taurus Raging Hunter

was presented the “American Hunter’s” 2019 Handgun of the Year Golden Bullseye Award.

Nothing has changed since that award was bestowed. The current crop of revolvers is every bit

as good, if not better, than the ones back in 2019!

I have numerous fall hunts planned for my Taurus Raging Hunters, starting with black bear in

Maine with Randy Flannery’s Wilderness Escape Lodge using my .454 Casull topped with a new

Stealth Vision 3-MOA red dot sight, shooting Hornady ammo, still deciding which to use. After

several whitetail deer and hog hunts, I will finish the fall and winter hunting seasons looking to

shoot a bison on the Choctaw Hunting Lodge in Oklahoma. I plan on using my same Taurus

Raging Hunter .454 Casull as I did throughout the Fall hunting seasons. It is going to be a great

handgun hunting “year”!