Handgun Hunting Afield

I have really liked the performance of the Spohr revolvers since I picked up my first one a couple years ago.  I have competed, hunted, and pushed the limits on distance and accuracy with them since the start.  There is one thing that has been missing for me as a handgun hunter though, a 44 magnum.

The Anticipation

Earlier this month I received an email I had been waiting for, a Spohr 44 magnum was on its way to me.  Just a couple weeks before I received word from Wyoming Game and Fish that I had drawn several tags here in Wyoming.  

These two emails timed out at the right time and can do nothing but bring a smile to a handgun hunter’s face.  A pocket full of tags and the first Spohr 44 magnum in the USA are in hand.  That is something to get the motivation rolling to start practicing for the fall season.

Packaging

The Spohr arrived nicely packaged in a hard case with a manual, velcro Spohr patch, and a tungsten weight.

I immediately grabbed an Allchin RMR style optics mount out of the shop and mounted an Ultradot Prime XT.  Over the years I have shifted away from pistol scopes as I have found their clarity to not be up to snuff.  Red dot optics continue to evolve and the Ultradot Prime XT is no exception.  In fact I feel that it has the best glass of any red dot on the market.  Clarity is important when we start extending the distance.

The Specs.

Now let’s dive into the specifications of the Spohr 44 Magnum.  The upper frame is similar to an N frame Smith and Wesson while the grip frame is an L frame like an S&W 686.  Retaining the L frame grip is an awesome idea.  This will allow smaller handed shooters to find grips that allow them to get a proper grip.  It comes furnished with Nill grips which are second to none.  I begged for a set of Nill Match Master grips which fit my hand like a glove.

Thomas Spohr also decided to set this revolver up for barrel weights.  He drilled out the underlug and threaded the end.  This allows the user to add or remove barrel weights to change the balance of the gun.  The revolver comes furnished with a polymer filler rod which will make the gun very light or you can add a tungsten rod to increase muzzle weight and reduce recoil.

Standard Features 

As with all of their revolvers, the 44 uses LPA sights which provide an excellent sight picture.  The chambers are numbered, the barrel is polygonal rifled, and the gun has an aesthetically pleasing two tone bead blast finish.

Why do they use polygonal barrels?  They are easier to clean than traditional barrels.  In addition they also provided a better gas seal around the bullets which will increase velocity.

Gun and Trigger Weight

This revolver with Ultradot Prime XT mounted up came in at 3 pounds 6 ounces. Adding the barrel weight to the scale brings it up to 3 pounds 10 ounces.  

The single action trigger breaks just under 1 pound 13 ounces.  My scale doesn’t like to measure double action trigger pull reliably, so you’ll have to trust me that it is as smooth as glass!

Range time!

As my shooting time is largely devoted to action pistol competition and practice for the summer I had to find time to squeak in some range days with the 44.  

Spohr 44 extreme recoil with Double Tap Ammo.

On the very first outing with the 44 I set a target at 25 yards to zero the optic from the bench.  Using Hornady XTP factory ammunition I was able to obtain multiple sub ½ inch groups.  The fact that it was repeatable is what is noteworthy; no wallet groups here!

Various other brands of ammunition were fired as well with noteworthy results.

Field Shooting

If you have followed along with my revolver hunting and custom gun building over the years you know I don’t see a major limitation to range like some do with a wheelgun.  Distance is just drop and drift.  

If the bullet has enough velocity to expand and work as it should and I am capable of the shot, then I have no problem taking it.  I didn’t get to that point over night, a couple decades of shooting steel at 50, 100, 150, 200 yards, and beyond is what got me there.

After checking zero or doing load work up you wont see me shooting from a bench.  I do all of my practice from field positions on vital zone sized steel plates.  If I can hit the plate on command, 100% of the time, and the bullet retains the velocity for proper terminal performance then I will take the shot in the field.

Jess even got some trigger time!

And I have been doing just that, field shooting as time allows.  I have recorded several 3-5 inch 150 yard groups with this revolver.  This Spohr has been easy to shoot and is showing completely repeatable results.

Cutting Edge Bullets

Just yesterday I decided to test my 200 grain Cutting Edge Bullets load.  This is a monolithic lathe turned solid copper bullet which I have my load data listed on the blog.  This load is proven to work from up close to way out there and nothing else comes close to the Handgun Raptors performance in tissue.

I once again went back to the bench to fire just three rounds.  With those three rounds I once again saw a tiny little group at 25 yards.  I will continue practicing with a less expensive projectile and closer to season I will zero with the CEB and mix in some field shooting with them.  More to come on the CEB once hunting season gets rolling.

The Spohr 44 magnum was worth the wait.  The accuracy is second to none.  The fit and finish is above anything else available on the market.  Paired with the Nill grips and Ultradot optics, its a winning combination.  I can’t wait to get it in the field in a couple months.