A Ruger Redhawk chambered in the .44 Magnum may be the perfect all-around handgun.

If you’re looking for the ultimate all-around sixgun, look no further.

“I know what you’re thinking, punk! Did he fire six shots or only five? Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kinda lost track myself. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and would blow your head clean off, you’ve got to ask yourself a question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?!”

Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry Callahan monologue is as iconic as the handgun itself. But as is often the case with Hollywood firearms mastery, this statement wasn’t true even back when it was spoken. Nevertheless, Clint Eastwood chasing bad guys with a hand cannon always filled seats at cinemas worldwide.

The origins of the .44 Remington Magnum go back to a cowboy-turned-gun writer, none other than Elmer Keith. For many years Elmer had been loading single-action Colt and double-action Smith & Wesson revolvers in .44 Special and .45 Colt to maximum levels with his handloads. But due to the thicker and more uniform brass cases afforded in the .44 Special — versus those in the .45 Colt — Elmer could goose it to higher pressures without splitting the case or the gun, and it became the standard platform for his experimentation.

Keith used these high-pressure loads both near and far with incredible satisfaction as a hunter and a guide. When others began to take notice, he realized that by elongating the .44 Special he could offer this greatly improved performance in a new generation of revolvers without worrying about stressing the old ones.

In late 1955, Remington began developing ammunition. In January of 1956, Smith & Wesson’s first revolvers hit store shelves. In November of that same year, Ruger released a .44 Magnum version of their popular single-action Blackhawk revolver. These two revolvers were so popular that they gave rise to several more, including Callahan’s Model 29, the Ruger Redhawk, and several semiautomatic handguns. Ruger’s famed Deerstalker Carbine, released in 1959, was the first factory rifle chambered in the .44 Magnum, with Marlin and Winchester offering lever guns shortly thereafter.

While supremely useful, accurate and powerful, it was pop culture figures like Dirty Harry Callahan, Travis Bickle and Jack Cates that helped sales tremendously. Make no mistake, this cartridge is no Hollywood dandy but rather the real McCoy.

Firing its standard load of a .429-caliber, 240-grain bullet from 1,200-1,400 feet per second, it is fully rated for use on deer and bear. Both jacketed and cast lead bullets can and have been used with great success.

Neither the .357 Magnum or .45 Automatic come close in power nor versatility. Heavier bullets of up to 340 grains in weight are available if you are going berry picking in grizzly country or wish to rattle the arthritis loose in every joint between fingertip and rotator cuff.

If there is any downside to the big .44, it is recoil. Standard loads are manageable by most, but if you find them excessive, the aforementioned .44 Special with its more pastoral recoil can safely and more enjoyably be fired from any .44 Magnum revolver. If you’re feeling lucky, the .44 Remington Magnum may just be the perfect all-around revolver for you!

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