Who doesn't enjoy shooting a big revolver?
There is just something fun about shooting big-bore handguns.
The popularity of large revolvers took off in 1971 with the release of Dirty Harry. Overnight, Clint Eastwood's use of the .44 Magnum Smith & Wesson Model 29 as a sidearm made the gun a household name.
In fact, the movie contributed to a jump in sales of the S&W Magnum. And their popularity hasn't really swayed since even though these guns are often impractical for concealed carry or outside of hunting scenarios.
In the modern era, videos of people shooting large, powerful handguns, especially for the first time, have proven a hit. Here are some of our favorites, both informative and entertainment-wise.
Big Bores with Iraqveteran888
This video is a nice mix of both double-action and single-action guns in calibers ranging from a Ruger .357 Magnum to a Smith and Wesson .460. There is a little bit of everything here.
You'll not only get to see some awesome wheelgun action from both new and experienced shooters, but you'll also learn quite a bit about these hand cannons in the process.
Hickok Kills a Lawnmower with the S&W 500 Magnum
When it comes to big-bore revolvers, they don't get any bigger than the Smith & Wesson 500. Remember, handgun hunters use it on some of the largest big-game animals on the planet!
But in this video, one of our favorite online gun gurus, Hickok45, uses one on a super-dangerous lawnmower.
The absurdity of this video (combined with a beastly .50-caliber revolver) makes for a short and entertaining combination. That lawnmower is scrap!
Demolition Ranch Finds a Bigger Revolver
If you've watched Matt Carriker (aka Demolition Ranch) for a while, you've probably seen him break out the 500 S&W Magnum Revolver for plenty of videos. He isn't shy about saying he hates the gun. It does have a reputation for hurting people's hands.
But in this video, he may have found the only gun that tops it. The Magnum Research BFR chambered in .45-70 Government. That's a rifle round!
The main event is when Matt dual-wields the monstrous BFR and the S&W 500 at the same time. Based on his reaction, I don't think he enjoyed it very much, but it's hilarious for us!
A Variety of Hunting Handguns
Jeff Quinn runs through three varieties of S&W hunting handguns in this video. The S&W Model 629 stealth hunter in .44 Magnum with a muzzle brake, the Model 460 XVR and of course, the S&W Model 500.
But this 500 has the shortened 3.5-inch barrel length. Not exactly a gun for the faint-hearted.
Jeff handles all these giant firearms like a boss. You'll be amazed at his discipline in handling the 500 on a misfire.
If you've been in the market for a large revolver, this is a good one to watch, as he gives a lot of pertinent info on these big guns.
World's Largest Revolver
Here's one for the person who doesn't think a Desert Eagle or S&W 500 is a large-enough handgun.
This video went wildly viral back in 2013 and it's still a good watch. Ryszard Tobys of Poland built the world's largest working revolver, a replica of a Remington 1859 single-action revolver, but scaled up to a massive size that takes two people to carry it!
It shoots six bullets at a time and was certified as a world record by Guinness. We don't think anyone will be topping it anytime soon, either.
Hickok and the Super Blackhawk Hunter
We added another Hickok video, if only because we could watch and listen to this guy talk about guns all day.
The Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 Magnum is a popular deer hunting gun. If you've been considering one to hunt whitetails, Hickok is a good source for answering all the lingering questions you may have about the Ruger Blackhawk. Plus, you get to see him tear up the range with this thing, which is always entertaining.
Hog Hunting with a Taurus Raging Bull in .454 Casull
The Taurus Raging Bull is a beast of a handgun, but don't take our word for it. If you want to see its power firsthand, just watch this short hunting video with Keith Warren as he targets a big Texas hog with this giant revolver chambered in .454 Casull.
This big boar never knew what hit him. It's a real testament to this round for big-game hunting.
Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan with an Insanely Short Barrel
The .480 Ruger is a relative newcomer to the big bore scene, having only been introduced in 2003 through a joint design effort by Hornady and Sturm and Ruger. This video highlights the double-action Super Redhawk in this caliber.
This is another gun that isn't for everyone.
The gun in this video has only a 2.5-inch barrel, which seems insane for a gun of this size. They call this model the "Alaskan" because it is meant as a bear-defense gun.
One watch of this video and you'll see just why no bruin would want to be on the receiving end of this gun!
One Handing the S&W 500
As I noted earlier, the 500 has a bad reputation for hurting your hands. I've seen videos where even the most seasoned gun experts have shown hesitation in shooting this gun because of how much the ridiculous recoil hurts.
Then there's this video on YouTube featuring a woman named Destinee who one-hands a 500 Magnum with a short barrel.
She just sort of shrugs it off as being "Not too bad!" The slow-motion replay looks painful on the wrist. We're certainly impressed!
Jerry Miculek Shoots Six .44 Magnum Rounds in One Second
If you've never seen Jerry Miculek shoot, you're in for a treat with this one. We never would have believed someone could shoot a classic S&W 629 this fast if not for this video.
Jerry proves what a legend he is for speed shooting by popping off six shots with accuracy in only one second flat.
Yes, ONE second. We're not sure another human on the planet could pull this off with ammo as large as .44 Magnum! Oh yeah, he's also done this with the 500 Magnum!
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
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