Revolvers are enjoying something of a renaissance in the hunting world. Analogue tools are back in vogue and manufacturers are leaning into the things that made wheelguns great in the first place, while also pushing innovation in materials, ergonomics, and sighting options. This year I wanted to find the guns that matter for the hunter, the weekend woodsman, and the shooter who wants a dependable, honest revolver that will put meat in the freezer without making it more work. We ran six top contenders head to head, and the results say a lot about what matters when you load a hunting revolver and walk into the brush.
Hunting Revolvers’ Testing
Testing revolvers for hunting requires repeatable conditions and consistent ammunition. We held an open invitational over four nights and invited eleven evaluators to the range. Evaluators ranged as widely as possible in experience to make sure that this would be a good crosscut of the market. Each shooter ran two cylinders through every gun. The stage gave them four engagement opportunities, each with a purpose.
The first target, at 15 feet, evaluated immediate point of aim and any sighting quirks that would matter in an up-close scenario. A second paper target at 30 feet explored follow-up accuracy. A four inch steel target at 40 feet was used for quick hits and recoil control, and finally a USPSA silhouette at 50 yards tested practical reach, ballistic performance and human error. Evaluators shot both double-action (where applicable) and single action to get a full impression and they were allowed to re-shoot if they felt they needed to. Nobody turned in a card until they were satisfied with their answers.
Ammunition
HSM supplied the test loads, a medium .44 cartridge using a 300-grain jacketed soft point traveling roughly 1,050 feet per second. A consistent, sensible hunting load like this is ideal for a comparative test because it keeps the variable of terminal performance steady while letting the revolvers themselves show us where the differences really live. Speedbeez donated speedloaders which allowed us to evaluate how the factory grips, frames, and ejection geometries affected reload times and reliability with modern loader gear.
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Scoring was simple, but precise. Evaluators scored the guns across ten categories: Aesthetics, Ergonomics, Sights, Trigger, Recoil, Reload, Accuracy, Reliability, Value, and a total. Scores were given on a 1.00 to 5.00 scale with quarter and half point resolution, so small differences mattered. Over 72 total rounds per gun the data set was robust enough to be meaningful and, importantly, the judging was blind.
Meet The Six Hunting Revolvers
The lineup was a snapshot of where modern hunting revolvers sit in 2025. We tested the Ruger New Model Super Blackhawk, Magnum Research BFR, Taurus Raging Hunter, Spohr N670, Colt Kodiak, and Smith & Wesson Model 629 Stealth Hunter. Each gun has real strengths and each appealed to different evaluators for different reasons. Not a single revolver suffered a catastrophic mechanical failure. Some minor hardware loosened under heavy strings but nothing required a return to the manufacturer. That reliability baseline is a prerequisite for any gun that expects to earn a place in a hunting pack.
The Scores
Ruger New Model Super Blackhawk
Ruger’s New Model Super Blackhawk is a classic single action. It shoots well, and the stainless presentation and six shot capacity make it an obvious hunting pick. Shooters often commented on the dragoon-style grip frame being a little knuckle heavy and the soldered front sight and lack of a tapped top frame limit simple upgrades. With an MSRP near $1,079 it performed admirably but landed in sixth place on our sheet.
- Highest Evaluators Score: 37
- Lowest Evaluators Score: 16
- Highest Average Category Score: Aesthetics 3.9
- Lowest Average Category Score: Reload 2.1
- Value Avg: 3.5
Total Score: 29.6
Magnum Research’s BFR
Magnum Research’s BFR is a large, handsome single action which many of us enjoy handling. The short-cylinder loaner in .44 Magnum showed strong trigger characteristics and rock-solid reliability. The frame is tapped for optics and the swappable front sight supports personalization. With an MSRP around $1,574 it ranked fifth.
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- Highest Evaluators Score: 39.5
- Lowest Evaluators Score: 18.5
- Highest Average Category Score: Trigger 3.7
- Lowest Average Category Score: Reload 2.5
- Value Avg: 2.8
Total Score: 30.5
Taurus Raging Hunter
The Taurus Raging Hunter is a contemporary double action entry with an aggressive feature set. Its two-piece shroud and full-length top rail make optics mounting trivial, and the strong double-action lockup and eight-hole porting produce a forgiving, soft-shooting experience. It scored well for accuracy and value, especially with an MSRP of roughly $1,275.
- Highest Evaluators Score: 39.5
- Lowest Evaluators Score: 30
- Highest Average Category Score: Accuracy 4.2
- Lowest Average Category Score: Aesthetics 3.5
- Value Avg: 4.3
Total Score: 35
This is where the list gets really narrow. The next three guns are all within less than a point of eachother.
Spohr N670
The Spohr N670 is a standout example of precision engineering from Germany. Built on an N-frame footprint, it offers thoughtful touches like an LPA rear sight, tungsten weighting up front, and adjustable trigger overtravel. The ability to swap grip panels for a custom fit, plus a user-tuneable mainspring, put it high on shooter preference lists. The Spohr rang up solid accuracy numbers and finished in a close third, though its MSRP around $4,199 places it at the premium end of the market.
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- Highest Evaluators Score: 41
- Lowest Evaluators Score: 32
- Highest Average Category Score: Accuracy 4.6
- Lowest Average Category Score: Value 3.5
- Value Avg: 3.4
Total Score: 37.1
Colt Kodiak
Colt’s Kodiak showed why careful mass distribution matter. The full underlug and ported barrel produced very manageable felt recoil while the drilled and tapped top frame simplified optics installation. Shooters praised the sight picture and the Kodiak’s versatility between target work and the field. It placed second overall.
- Highest Evaluators Score: 42
- Lowest Evaluators Score: 33.5
- Highest Average Category Score: Sight 4.4
- Lowest Average Category Score: Recoil 3.5
- Value Avg: 4.1
Total Score: 37.5
Smith & Wesson Model 629 Stealth Hunter
Topping the list this year was the Smith & Wesson Model 629 Stealth Hunter. The ported 7.5 inch barrel, steel bull barrel construction, and a three-slot Picatinny-style rail made this revolver both accurate and soft shooting. Evaluators loved the trigger, the balance, and the confidence it inspired at longer ranges. A practical caveat was the small number of rail slots which made careful ring selection important for mounting the correct optic, but that did not dent the overall impression.
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- Highest Evaluators Score: 42.5
- Lowest Evaluators Score: 32
- Highest Average Category Score: Trigger 4.4
- Lowest Average Category Score: Sights 4.1
- Value Avg: 4.1
Total Score: 37.8
Lessons on the Range
First, ergonomics matter more than brand pedigree. Proper hand fit, sensible weight distribution, and a trigger that invites good technique often mattered more to our shooters than a flashy barrel or exotic finish. Second, modern revolver hunting is balanced around a simple equation: good load, predictable recoil impulse, and repeatable sights equals confidence. The HSM 300 grain JSP load we used gave each gun a fair shake and allowed the guns to show their true characters. Third, reload solutions still divide opinions. Speedloaders are quick if the cylinder geometry and grip allow them to seat cleanly, otherwise shooters may need to look into grips that allow the gun to be reloaded quickly.
Parting Shots
Any of the guns in this test would make an excellent hunting companion for the right shooter. The field is broad, and the best revolver for you is the one that fits your hand, matches your chosen load, and lets you practice until hits become routine. The Smith & Wesson Model 29 Stealth Hunter earned the highest marks this year, but the Spohr N670 and Colt Kodiak were close behind, the Taurus Raging Hunter proved that value and modern features can overwhelm price sensitivity and the single actions proved their confidence landing shots downrange.
A huge thank you to the eleven evaluators who donated late nights and steady hands to the test, to Defender Training for the use of their ranges, and to HSM for excellent ammunition. Nearly one thousand rounds of .44 ammunition later, the takeaways are clear: revolvers remain supremely capable hunting tools in 2025, and the best choices are those that deliver repeatability, ergonomics, and the confidence to pull the trigger when it matters.
SPECIFICATIONS
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RANKINGS
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