How is everybody's Titanium Taurus Wheelies holdin' out?

I own several different snubby pistols, one in .357, one in .38, and one in .32 H& R Mag, plus my M445 .44 spec, Titanium, ported. Of all of them, the .357 is the worst for recoil, with the H&R Mag running a close second. Both of these are steel pistols, weighing well up around 30 oz or so empty. The Titanium at 18.7 oz, but due to its ribber grip, and being ported is much less brutal to fire than most, using a 200 grain JHP bullet at advertised 1000 fps. I do not have access to a chronagraph to know what has been lost via the 2 in brl, but it is more a long boom, and a hard shove, versus a quick, panful rap. I have fired it one handed, weak handed, but usually work with a two hand grip and stance, with no unusual aches or pains after a box of fifty, and some times more. Now, after several years of using this on a open range, I had occasion to fire in dim light situation, and learned the ported brl has disadvantages as well. I had tucked my strong hand tight into my gut, and fired with a blinding sheet of fire in front of my face, and while it did not burn me, I lost my hat, and my glasses were askew. If another fast shot had of been required, NO, I was not capable of getting off a well aimed second shot. After that eye opening expierence, I regained my composure, and as the dusk took over, fired several more cylinder full of .44 special. With the standard full extended arms, 2 handed grip, the ports did not seem to put out the sheet of flame I'd first been startled with, but there was a definate plume of flame leaving the ports in two different directions. With dim light, it did not blind me, but in full darkness, I'm sure it would have. While I love this light, big bore, I'm now having second thoughts as a great personal defense weapon, as it seems most times requiring such, is well after dark. Am considering attempting to thread the round ports, and possibly block them off with a threaded plug, and see if I can still hang onto it. Just thought I should post this, as it also surprised me.

I bet that .32 H&R is sweet! I have a friend with a Ruger SSM in .32, his favorite handgun to tote while hunting big game with his rifle in the Rockies.

I really wanted a titanium .41 mag tracker, but for me, the price is rather steep. I can handle the recoil and I think it'd be the optimum in outdoor carry pieces for the hiker. But, I just decided I really don't need anything more'n a 4" .357 magnum in steel. At about 35 ounces, my M66 ain't that hard to tote on a gunbelt. Still, a titanium tracker would not even be noticed. I don't think it'd be all that tough to shoot, not much lighter than an SP101 and a little more grip to hang on to. In .41 it would be a little stout I guess, though.

I see the trackers in big magnum calibers as back packers guns and it's a reallly small market niche. Of course, a 3" .357 titanium tracker would make a dandy CCW carried IWB, too, and even a 4" could be toted pretty easily, so you'd have a double duty gun there. But, I think folks are like me, look at the cost of the titanium, see the stainless ain't that much heavier and a lot less expensive, and just settle for steel. I don't know, just a guess.

I can't see where titanium would wear any worse than steel. One thing titanium has going for it is it's almost totally corrosion proof. Even stainless steel will corrode eventually, not titanium. That makes it an even better material for an outdoor gun for the guy that's in the back woods for weeks at a time and away from his gun cleaning kit.

Native Texan: Have noticed in other posts from you, you are also a fan of the .41 Mag. Many folks have never heard of that caliber, which does not bid well for a future ammo supply, but I for one prefer it to the .44 Mag. Flatter shooting, less recoil, and almost as much energy, in fact out at some distance, equals the .44. Seems a shame it did not catch on, as it certainly has a lot going for it. I have one S&W #57, and three Ruger Single actons, of various age, brl length, etc, and love them all. Have accumulated quite a supply of bras, several sets of dies, and many bullets in different styles, so as long as I can get primers and powder, I'll still be able to shoot it, but ammo is getting rather hard to obtain at times. Have almost talked myself into getting a 10 mm, as it is close to equal for an semi auto to the .41 wheelgun, but so far, have not. Now as to a snubby, I doubt that would be a comfortable gun to shoot, as even in one 4 in brl I have, it has noticibly more "flip" than a 6 in or longer. Also, quite a large ball of fire from the muzzle.

Yeah, I'm a big fan of the .41, but never actually BOUGHT one. LOL! It is a great caliber, though, and will do virtually ANYTHING the .44 can do. It is a handloader's proposition, for sure, but I handload about everything I shoot and cast for 'em.

I'm also a fan of the .45 Colt. It can actually outdo the .44 mag and do it with less pressure. .45 Colt brass and components are available everywhere. I buy most of my supplies from midwayusa.com and if it's available, they normally have it. I have a contender barrel in .45/.410, but rarely shoot it anymore. My favorite is my stainless Blackhawk 4 5/8 in the caliber. Thing is deadly accurate and not hard to shoot with hot handloads, just sorta rolls up in the hand. It's one of my outdoor carry choices, but really, anything I might wanna handle a .357 can likely do it. I don't live around grizzlies nor have I ever hiked grizzly country.

But, yeah, I do have a good respect for the .41 and have often thought about getting one. One of the things that actually attracts me to the caliber (maybe I'm a little weird) is the caliber's almost cult status anymore. It's almost as if this caliber is a well kept secret. I really prefer it to the .44 mag for the reasons you describe. The only reason I don't own one is there were other calibers I wanted to standardize on and I really have little use for another big boomer. My primary hunting pistol is a .30-30 Contender, though I have hunted with and shot deer with my 6.5" Blackhawk in .357. Now, if I were go get into .41, it would likely be in another 6.5" Blackhawk for hunting. It is one HECK of an under rated revolver handgun hunting caliber. As you say, handloaded, it is much closer to the .44 than any .357, perhaps even superior down at 100 yards of range with better ballistic coefficients in the heavier bullets. And, out of the strong Blackhawk, you can take full advantage of its potential.

Native Texan" About 12 or so years ago, I was cutting some brush with the tractor and bush hog, and noticed a nice sized doe walk out of the woods onto my property. As you may be aware, deer seem to have a fascination and no fear of operating machinery, so I headed toward that edge of the property, but not directly at her. I was carrying a Blackhawk old model 4 5/8 brl with 210 swc factory rounds in a shoulder rig, and could already imagine about 85 lbs of venison going home with me, as I did not live on the property. Does are legal during season, up to 1 per day, and I drew the Blackhawk as I rumbled across the property, and was within 30 yards and ready to punch in the clutch, and rapidly fire, when I hoticed a much larger buck still back in the woods line. Add another 8 to 10 yards, but shifted aim, and as the tractor stopped, dropped the hammer. That buck didn't make it 10 yards before his front legs folded up, and he was done. Had to hurry and drag him back onto my property, then roll him into the front bucket so I could move away from the edge of the property, drove back close to my pickup, and with a Cold Steel Voyager 4 inch folder, field dressed him out.
That bullet made a perfect hit, and trashed the heart, then ruined the off shoulder, and exited leaving a decent wound channel. I have used my Rugers to take several other deer, even the little .22 cal single six, but don't recommend it unless you can make a perfect under 20 yard head shot from directly in front. Then it drops them like our folks used to do when butchering an animal, but even after using my Rugers in almost every sort of a situation, the .41 definately impressed me with how well it worked.
Many years ago, I lived in ElPaso, but almost weekly trucked into panhandle of Florida. This was long before Interstates, and that stretch of old US 90 after leaving Del Rio and heading toward Alpine ran through some very desolate country. After dark, you had to watch for deer, and I have illegally taken several with a Blackhawk in .357 at reasonable ranges. Times were tough, and fresh venison meant we did not have to spend money for other meats, so they were not wasted. Georgia where I now live allows a pistol if .357 or larger, and a 6 1/2 inch barrel or longer, including the .45 Long Colt during deer hunting season. I have seen some animals brought in and it certainly was effective. I'm not going to knock the .44 mag, except to say, I do believe many people who are using it would do better with a less recoiling caliber, even if they dropped to .44 special. I do not believe any revolver should be used for deer, at over 35 or 40 yards at the most, and unfortunately, many are wounded by poor marksmanship, and lost, even with the mighty .44 mag. OK. that trip back in memory is over. Shoot Safe

Well, here in the south east part of the States, maybe our deer are less informed than the Lone Star State deer, but often when out running a generator to fix fence, or other needs for electricity, or using a chainsaw, I have shut machinery down, and seen white flags as curious deer left.
I would say at least 50% of time when I have driven deep into a hunting area prior to dawn, I will find deer tracks near my pickup, and their tracks in my tire tracks, up within 5 or so yards of the truck, and that is disgusting when you have not seen a hair to consider shooting. I live in an urban area, with several subdivisions around the area, and decreasing native cover, and weekly see deer during the day in my or neighbor's back yard. They are attracted by the fig and pear trees, and I have seen up to five at a time, but no rack bearing bucks. Sure is tempting, but so far, I've controlled myself. I live in Georgia, but own property in Alabama, where they have some of the more relaxed hunting regulations in the nation, as deer have almost taken over. We have killed and controlled most of their natural predators, and the herds have grown too large for the habitat to support them during the occasional hard winter. Yet, many well meaning but ill advised folks raise holy HELL, when game management specialists suggest allowing doe hunting, as a way to thin the herd. Alabama allows one deer per day in possession, buck or doe, and in about 10 years, the average size of harvested deer has increased almost 20%, and there are still plenty of deer.
I'm going to for the first time, attempt a primative hunt this year, using a Ruger 50 cal black powder rifle. If nothing else, it should prove interesting. With the in line system, plus sabbots and jacketed bullets, I'm confident up to 90 or 100 yards, and it is rare unless hunting over cultivated land to be able to see a deer much farther than that.