Overpriced, Heavy, Dubious Accuracy, ....... way down on my list of desireable firearms, but wtf do I know. Friend has one, I have handled and shot it. He is young. Has a crappy 22 rifle, a cheap clunky pump shot gun, no reasonably concealable carry piece, and no MBR (main battle rifle) or any centerfire rifle for that matter. Do you see where I am going. If I were discustingly rich sure, lets have one of those and one of that, and that other one over there also, ..... why not. jmho . Do you have your CCW and a good carry pistol? Do you have a MBR? Do you have a good Shotgun? Do you have a quality 22 rifle? Do you have a target quality 22 pistol? Do you have a ton of ammo to go with all of the above? How are the rest of your Preps? All of the above has a higher priority in the scheme of things to me! Are you incredibly rich? Above are a few of the things you should consider before buying a faddish unique pistol of limited usage.
My limited experience with a .410 handgun was not too good.The pattern was way too large to be very usefull at more than 12-15 feet. As explained by one of them gun "gooroos" was the powder was blasting through the load beyond the barrel because of the short length. I suppose pattern loaded in combination with the .410 and .45lc maybe serve as a close range snake gun and personal defense. Pistol was also too bulky to suit me but others might find it a useful arm,IDK.
About the only way to answer your question is to pattern it. The Box O' Truth #30 - Snakeloads O' Truth - Page 1
I have a Taurus Judge, and I like it. I also have a 9mm, .45ACP, .357 Mag, .44 Mag, and .32ACP.. I look at the Judge as another tool in the toolbox. I keep it loaded with Federal 000 Buck shot. The spread pattern at 25 yards puts all 4 pellets on regular sheet of paper. I keep it handy when driving. I added a link below to Hickok45's youtube video of him testing the Judge.... Hickok45 testing the Judge....
My like is a 45LC with handloads of 3 snake shot and 3 cast flat nose bullets. Something special I made was a 45LC cylinder, for a Ruger, bored through using turned down 300 WM brass and the shot of your choice. When loading use copper cups on the base and the top.
I have a lady friend who is very happy with it, and I believe it is ideal for her. She doesn't go to the range as much as she should, but with this double-action revolver, it's simplicity is more user friendly for her. I concede she may have to reload. She only plans to use it inside her home, so the limited range is a non-factor. I've had her at the range with it twice, accuracy is okay. The heft of it helps reduce FELT recoil. It has the rail underneath and she has a tactical light on it. She keeps it in her night stand with Hornady Critical Defense ammo. The only issue I really have with the factory buckshot loads is the soft lead shot. The shot swages into disc while still in the barrel (recovered shot is flat with rifling marks on the edges). I'd be happier with hard cast shot rather than the soft lead in it.
Much better items to spend $400 on (e.g., a 10/22 and 2k rounds of ammo). Read on: The Box O' Truth #41 - The Taurus Judge Vs. The Box O' Truth - Page 1
When I think of shot caps etc, I am thinking the snake would be a lot closer than BoT was shooting. What is really nice is the ability to shoot bird shot for snakes and a mean old 45 LC loaded for a modern revolver which isn't the wild west 45LC. I enjoy shooting, it is one of the few hobbies I have kept since my age was a single digit. To me, other than being fun, a firearm does not need to have a purpose. Some firearms are so special purpose, they aren't fit for much else but they are a lot of fun at what they do. Shooting sports is plural here.
That is about the ugliest revolver that I have ever seen, much too bulky for a comfortable carry gun and not nearly as accurate as a Smith for hunting and such so I don't have much desire for one and since I own just about every type weapon you can imagine, when there is one that I don't want, it has to be really something. That said, it probably would make an exceptional home defense handgun, something for the night stand.
I agree with you, Sea. I don't understand the hype either. I can remember back in the day (late 80's) wanting to get a "Thunder Five" revolver. That was, until I finally saw one up close at my friend's guns shop. Utterly awful aesthetically, heavy, not very small, etc. When I only saw it in pictures, I had a mental picture of what it may look and feel like in my hand. Those all washed away as soon as I got ahold of it. "Too much gun?" Somebody would jokingly ask me, seeing that I was a few years away from being able to purchase a pistol for myself. .410 shells were not of the SD variety that they are today, just bunny and bird hunters. .410 slugs? Maybe somebody made them, but they weren't at his shop. "No, just impractical. My Uncle's .454 Cassul is too much gun." I told the man.
One of my "work guns" is a stainless .44 Bulldog with a shortened barrel. The best Snake Charmer handloads for it is> Take a 1/32 brass welding rod, cut to correct length, add to plastic shot shells, load according to light load spec. Those twirling rods will slice a snake into hash. NOTE! Do not use the wire loaded rounds in the gun unless you intend to use them as snake killers. Point is, if you shoot standard slugs and then reload with more slugs then you may find that the recoil has caused the plastic shot shells to have punched out the end due to the sharp edges of the cut welding rod. Comes time to shoot a snake and all you might have ia an empty plastic shot shell, or maybe that was just an extra tough snake that day. Nah, the brass wire was in my back pocket that night after work that night. As always, field work and then check what happens.
My brother in law has one. Fun to shoot, but accuracy with the .45 Colt is poor and patterns with the .410 shot shells are very open. Not usable at more than about 10-12 ft. with shot. I was thinking of getting one for potting grouse while elk hunting, but after shooting it, I'll pass. Seems the rifling in the barrel spins the shot cup so patterns open way more than they would in a smooth bore, but they can't make it smooth bore, since then it would be a restricted weapon, a "short barrel shotgun". They made the rifling very shallow, which give some accuracy to the handgun ammo, but still grabs the shot cup.
EdD270 I have an old TC with the 44 mag/shot barrel. The removable "choke" is straight rifled so there isn't any spin. I have taken rabbits and pheasant with it and snakes. Decimating on snakes. About an 1/8 oz more shot and a couple of hundred fps faster than a .410 2.5". Nice filled 7" pattern at 15 yards. Unscrew the "choke" tube and it is a 44 mag which lacks the cylinder to forcing cone gap.
When I'm asked about the "Judge" and others of the same type, I usually reply that it was the solution to a problem that didn't exist. It is only marginally effective with the .410, so then you have an awkward, heavy .45 Colt. I have not and do not recommend them, especially for someone's only defensive handgun. There are better tools available.
Thanks, Tikka. The old T/C's are made much different than the "Judge" I was referring to. Good on you for having one, you'll want to hang on to it.
Yes they are. My father wasn't too keen on my stupid pistol. A little time with a hand thrower and I took a few pheasant and rabbits with it. Hunting successfully with it was instant redemption in his eyes. I don't sell firearms.
