WB
No shame in using a “red dot” on a wheelgun.
Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 07:53

Semi-autos for hunting have always been tricky. Some good platforms, just gone the wayside. You’ve earned your senior position, no shame in scaling down some in recoil. The brutality of mega-boomers is tough for arthritic hands to hang onto. Even the .429 GNR is a handful at full power.

Did you ever build yourself a .401 GNR? A fantastic round, coupled with an extra 10mm or .40 cylinder it’s the epitome of versatile. Still, a 200 gr. .400 bullet has the ballistic coefficient of a 250-275 gr. larger bore. Speed is magnum range, and recoil is between a .357 and .44 mag. It’s a dandy idea, neck down the super common and strong .44 case. I think a dot might be a better ticket than a magnifying optic. I’m starting to toy with them. Randy and James have been running them on wheel guns for years.

A 4-3/4” .401 GNR SA with that new grip frame set up for a red dot might be the ultimate aging wheelgun for hunting. Set it up for holster use, good to go! My #6 is a 6” but I could probably make an adapter plate to convert to a common dot platform.