Smith & Wesson 329PD for hunting/hiking backup

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Kirk_Ferentz

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Feb 16, 2010
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The gun:

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...57770_757767_757751_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y

As you may have seen, I have been posting on here about choosing a medium/big game hunting rifle. Another item on my long list of guns that I must have is a .44 mag handgun. It is on the list because I want some back up for hunting or hiking trips where I am in danger of running into some tough critters such as mean hogs and bears. And, well, isn't the best way to save money when buying a gun to buy another one and try to leverage a good deal? (that is the logic that I am going to go with)

I want it to be tough and weather resistant, so I started by looking at stainless models. I then ran into the titanium taurus model, and that got me to go back and see if Smith & Wesson had a light weight model (I saw quite a few bad reviews of the Taurus). The Smith & Wesson 329PD seems to be their lightweight big bore revolver, and it is WAY lighter than the stainless models. This is very appealing to me, as I am always looking for ways to make my hunting/outdoor load lighter and more compact.

I should also say that while the shorter-barreled guns out there are appealing due to how compact and light they are, I prefer a 4''-5'' barrel to get more muzzel velocity and accuracy out of it. Seems like a good compromise.

Anyway, anyone have any opinions on this gun? Anyone have one? How is its toughness and accuracy (I expect good things from S & W)? Anyone think that there is a better alternative out there?
Also, does anyone know if the exotic alloys that it is made from are corrosion resistant?

A side concern is that it would be nice to have a gun for back up that I could some day also use to hunt with ... maybe mount a scope on it. Of course, this gun isn't really designed for that, but I wonder if any of those of you who are handgun hunters have any opinions on that.
 
44 mag is probably more than you need as a backup, even for pigs and black bears. Everything is a tradeoff. Lighter weight is easier to pack, but will add to the recoil. Recoil affects shot placement, and shot placement is more important than marginal gains in terminal ballistics over appropriate ranges. If I were in the market for a handgun, which I am not, I would err on the side of smaller caliber, more manageable recoil, and tighter groups...

As a hunter, I really never consider a backup handgun. If I am toting around a rifle, why am I also toting around a pistol? It makes a little more sense while hiking, but then again I am the only person that has never been attacked while hiking...
 
44 mag is great as is, but even better if you handload. 270-300 gr flat nosed lead bullets at around 1050-1100 fps will stop anything with a decently placed shot and have manageable recoil, if you practice.
 
hlee said:
44 mag is probably more than you need as a backup, even for pigs and black bears. Everything is a tradeoff. Lighter weight is easier to pack, but will add to the recoil. Recoil affects shot placement, and shot placement is more important than marginal gains in terminal ballistics over appropriate ranges. If I were in the market for a handgun, which I am not, I would err on the side of smaller caliber, more manageable recoil, and tighter groups...

As a hunter, I really never consider a backup handgun. If I am toting around a rifle, why am I also toting around a pistol? It makes a little more sense while hiking, but then again I am the only person that has never been attacked while hiking...
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Thanks, but not in the market for anything other than a .44. I really, really don't want to turn this into a debate about what bullet to use when shooting attacking animals, so I will just say recoil affects shot placement, but size and depth of cavity affects stopping power, and the size and tenaciousness of the animal affects what power is needed to stop it. The bigger, very tenacious animals are the uncommon exception, but they are also the exception where it is most crucial that your gun to do the job. My approach is go with what is going to make a suitable wound in the biggest, most tenacious animal you might find and practice to become proficient with it, recoil and all. If I imagine the biggest, baddest hog or black bear that I might run into, I definitely don't want to be holding a .357.
 
I went with a 4inch Ruger redhawk, as I found the recoil from th 329 PD to be quite vicious. Also the ruger can handle Garrett's 330 gr hardcast loads, if you want variety.
 
329PD.It's a great gun.When they first came out I was working at a gun range.Everyone at work shot it and I didn't have a problem with the recoil.Some people did.I suspect even the smaller guys with weak hands wouldn't notice the extra recoil if they were in real need of a .44magnum.

Personally,I believe people get it in their head recoil from a certain gun will bother them and what the brain believes the body conceives.I was shooting Mozambique drills with full power loads out of the revolver.I felt it,definitely.I don't have the strongest or biggest hands genetically but do allot of hand strength work which helps shooting and martial art skill in general tremendously.I'd love to own a 329PD.It's a great carry a lot, shoot when needed gun.You can always practice or shoot .44 special with it.
 
I like a Super Blackhawk for shooting heavy loads.Love a single action revolver and you're not going to be shooting double taps with Garretts.But the redhawks are sweet guns.Very HEAVY-duty.
 
I seriously looked at these but bought a ruger redhawk .44 because it was cheaper. I love carrying it as a side arm in bear country. My buddy bought one of these S&W's like you're looking at. Once I held it, I wish I had spent the extra $ on one. It does kick like a mule, but for a backup weapon, it's insignificant. He doesn't shoot it very often, but it is an absolute joy to carry. I would buy one if I were you. I don't think you'll be disappointed, unless you plan on putting 50+ rounds a day through it at the range. Oh, and by the way, the .44 mag is a great, hard hitting caliber.
 
I have many 44s, both single and double action and the 329 is my first choice for woodsbumming. The recoil with heavy bullets may be a bit much for some shooters. I settled on a load using a 200 gr. bullet that gives me very good accuracy while keeping recoil at a manageable level.
 
You and me both brother! I have a S&W 629 Classic DX with a 6 1/2" barrel that I am actively trading for or selling to get a 329PD. The .44 Mag is a caliber I'll always have to the day I die.

The 629 is great for target shooting but sucks for carrying. It's just too big and heavy.

The 329 is light and since I'm a big guy, carrying it isn't going to be a big deal. I have an older friend that doesn't go into the woods without his 329 and he's several inches and weighs dozens (ok, a hundred or so) pounds less. Shouldn't be a problem.

I need to get moving on selling the 629, the CFO has made clear that the 329 acquisition process better be "budget neutral" or heads will roll (damn Dave Ramsey class!). Actually, "heads" is probably singular... :)

Al
 
Oddly enough I'm about to order a 629 Classic 5". Everything I've read on the 329 says it's a very violent recoil. (compared to other fuill size .44's) I love the looks of the 329 though... it just looks like a "muscle gun"


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Kirk_Ferentz said:
Thanks, but not in the market for anything other than a .44. I really, really don't want to turn this into a debate about what bullet to use when shooting attacking animals, so I will just say recoil affects shot placement, but size and depth of cavity affects stopping power, and the size and tenaciousness of the animal affects what power is needed to stop it. The bigger, very tenacious animals are the uncommon exception, but they are also the exception where it is most crucial that your gun to do the job. My approach is go with what is going to make a suitable wound in the biggest, most tenacious animal you might find and practice to become proficient with it, recoil and all. If I imagine the biggest, baddest hog or black bear that I might run into, I definitely don't want to be holding a .357.
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Me either, I'd rather be holding a rifle...:D


JasonSCarter said:
Oddly enough I'm about to order a 629 Classic 5". Everything I've read on the 329 says it's a very violent recoil. (compared to other fuill size .44's) I love the looks of the 329 though... it just looks like a "muscle gun"


163636_large.jpg
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Action... Reaction. Heavy guns are harder to pack but easier to shoot. If you never plan to shoot it, buy the lightest one you can find. If you plan to shoot it, buy the one that will shoot the best.

We tend to be too tough for our own good. We shoot 300 win mags when a 308 winchester is good enough, 12 ga when 20 ga is more than sufficient, and "the most powerful handgun in the world" when the next most powerful will do perfectly well. Then, for some inexplicable reason, when we've decided on the most ferocious recoil we can find, we pick the lightest gun possible because the standard model is [whiney voice] "too heavy." [/whiney voice].

But then again, when I am out hunting I already have a rifle in my hands. What do I need a pistol for?

Like you said..."My approach is go with what is going to make a suitable wound in the biggest, most tenacious animal you might find and practice to become proficient with it, recoil and all. If I imagine the biggest, baddest hog or black bear that I might run into, I definitely don't want to be holding a [.44 mag].
 
HLee that is exactly why I chose the heavier model... I'll lug some weight to avoid a flinch. Mine is going with me to the boundary waters on a fishing trip next year. loaded with keith loads. The other reason I chose the smith over the 44 mag /45LC 4" Redhawk was the cylinder sits lower then a Redhawks which makes it more "point-able" I shoot alot of "instinctive" fire. and the closer the center of your barrel is to where your actual pointer finger would be, the more accurate you will be from the hip. cause trying to get sight acquisition on a close range charging bear/moose/ rabid zombie vampire bunny might mean your life.

Jason
 
For my fairly large but not gigantic hand an N-frame S&W with Pachmayr rubber grips points more naturally than any other handgun I've ever picked up, and there have been many. I had a 4" .41 mag that I could draw and fire 5 unaimed (point and shoot) rounds into a 6" circle double-action at 25 yds. I did practice a lot (200-300 rounds per week) but this revolver just worked for me.

The answer is to carry a powerful load, but practice with a milder one. If you need to use it in an emergency situation, you won't feel the recoil, and probably won't even hear the gun go off.
 
Black Mamba is right about the effect of an emergency situation on your senses. Years ago I shot a large hog with a 338 WinMag. Despite a boiler room hit, he charged. I had no perception of recoil or report on the succeeding shots.

I have a S&W titanium/scandium revolver in .357 and although the recoil is punishing with hot .357 loads, I can still hit the black on a 7 yd defensive pistol target. 38+P loads are no problem and what I often carry.

DancesWithKnives
 
The last thing my son bought in Fairbanks, AK enroute to his teaching job in the bush was a 870 pump 12 gauge and I think this light weight framed, short barrel S&W .44 Magnum.

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When I first handled a 329PD at a gun show when it first came out, I fell in love but never thought I would be able to afford one. Now years later I do own one that I bought off GunsAmerica, it was used and a lot less than what they list for. I love mine. I had a book on .44 mags that showed a 329 with a green front sight that can be purchased from, I think it was Mag-na-port. I ordered one and with some fitting it went on fine and looks as good as it works. I can see that bright green very easily as it seems to attract light almost like fiber optic sights.

The 500 Smith rubber grips fit the 329 and are a nice addition to the gun and make it a bit nicer to shoot. They are bigger than the standard rubber grips that come with it but not so much to be an issue.

I find the gun as accurate as any I shoot so that isn't an issue. Single action trigger pull is good and it is nice to have double action if quick backup rounds need to be fired. The recoil is stiff but not unmanageable with full power magnum loads and specials are really easy to practice with.

You can always get it ported to help keep the muzzle down for quicker backup shots, mine is.

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I got to test out an S & W .44 mag last weekend (6'' dirty harry style, except stainless). Being used to .38s and .357s, I was definitely a little shocked by the size of the thing, but when I picked it up and started shooting, surprised that it didn't weigh as much as I had expected.

I had no problem shooting it accurately enough to hit center mass at a good distance, but a lot of recoil. I'm not sure if everyone is this way, but I get a lot more accuracy the less tightly I grip the gun, and as I became more accurate, the recoil was knocking the thing out of my left hand. But again, that is shooting tight groups at 25 yards, so I can afford to tighten the grip for more rapid shooting and sacrifice some accuracy.

Anyway, if anyone has fired both the heavier model 29's and the 329PD and can give me an idea of how the recoil compares, that would give me a point of reference.

Also, does that porting shown above do much? I have heard a lot of skepticism about most of the porting that I have seen out there.

I'm thinking that if I am in country where I don't plan on running into really big critters (i.e. where a .357 would probably be enough), I can use light loads or even .44 special to cut down on recoil. But if I am in a place where I think a .357 would be too little, I will have the ability to load up.
 
One of my backup guns for AK river trips is a S&W 629 Trail Boss, which features a heavy contour 3" barrel with genuine Magna Porting (the trapezoidal holes). It has a Hogue grip with lanyard ring, which is nice for working over water. My standard load in brown bear country is the 320 grain Cor Bon hardcast. Note that current production loads from Cor Bon are about 100 fps slower than the better old rounds. They told me that they lost access to the special powder they were using.

For comparison I have an older 6" S&W 29 that belongs to an 85 year old hunting buddy. [Parkerized at the Smith custom shop in the early years of the Model 29---really cool.] I have also put quite a few rounds through another friend's 629 Mountain Gun, which has the thin taper 4" barrel.

My Trail Boss launches the 320 grainers over a friends' chrono (at 15ft) at an average of about 1075 fps. The Mountain Gun averages about 1150 fps. with an inch more barrel. I haven't fired that exact load through the six-inch 29 but Cor Bon says it would get 1250 fps and I have no reason to doubt that, given the extra barrel length. I have fired hot hand loads through the six-inch 29 and it is definitely more comfortable to shoot than its two smaller brothers.

My friend with the Mountain Gun and I both feel that the Trail Boss recoils a bit more directly back into your palm, with slightly less muzzle rise than the Mountain Gun. However, I don't think the difference is great. Both of them are a handful with the heavy Cor Bon loads (and I have a 500 Linebaugh custom with a 4 7/8" barrel so I'm no stranger to recoil). Neither is as painful as shooting the little 340PD with hot 357 loads. [BTW, when my Mountain Gun friend fired my 340PD with 125 gr Cor Bon hollowpoints, he went right out and bought his own, so I guess the discomfort is manageable....]

I can't give you a direct personal comparison between a regular, full-size, steel frame 29 and the 329PD but I can say this:

(1) The lighter 44 mag is going to be a lot less pleasant to shoot at the range but when hunting or protecting yourself, I doubt you will notice the discomfort.

(2) I believe the porting will help a bit with muzzle rise but don't expect it to make the gun a soft shooter.

(3) In my opinion, the scandiums are best as guns that are "carried a lot but shot little". If you are going to "shoot a lot but carry little", I'd go with steel. Otherwise, you may want to practice mostly with reduced power loads and shoot the heavy stuff only occasionally to remain familiar with the difference.

(4) Although I doubt there are many things that would not be at least deterred by 320 grs at 1075 fps, I would go with a four-inch barrel instead of a three-inch for the extra sight plane and +75 fps using heavy loads. Whether it is a four-inch steel or scandium depends upon how critical carry weight vs. range comfort is to you.

DancesWithKnives

[As an amusing side note, my friend likes my 3" Trail Boss better than his 4" Mountain Gun, while I think the 4" Mountain Gun (which I had not shot until after I got the Trail Boss) is probably a better choice. Oddly, we have never traded guns because I just like the Trail Boss for reasons that are hard to explain.]
 
Yeah, I want a four inch barrel. 4.5 or 5 might be better, but not really an option.

I will try to get a lot of shooting time in with it to become proficient, so it won't be a "shot a little" gun, but since it will be "carried a lot," I think the discomfort felt while shooting at the range will be made up for by the discomfort that I save myself by not having a big hunk of steel to lug around. There was no soreness the next day from dancing with the dirty harry gun. Not like shooting 10 gauge magnum loads all day or something.
 
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