Introducing The Newest Taurus Raging Hunter In .357 Magnum
Taurus
Officially introduced at the recent NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Indianapolis, the latest entry in the Taurus Raging Hunter family is ready for action with three barrel-lengths and two different finish options.
My first experience with a Taurus Raging anything was several years ago; it was a Raging Bull chambered for the awesome .454 Casull and I believe I’ve still got the orthopedic shirt somewhere. By the time I’d emptied the cylinder, I think my palm had gone numb.
But an interesting thing happened between then and now. I’ve fired a big Taurus chambered for the .44 Magnum and it wasn’t so, shall we say, formidable.
Now comes the Taurus Raging Hunter in .357 Magnum, and my prediction is handgunners who know how to wring the most out of this caliber will quickly develop a lasting fondness. Like the other Raging Hunter models, the .357 Magnum is offered with barrel lengths of 5.125, 6.25 and 8.375″, all with factory porting. It’s available with either a two-tone finish featuring a satin stainless frame, black cylinder and sleeved barrel, or an all-black matte finish.
The barrels on all three guns have integral Picatinny rails, and they also have metallic sights with a fixed front and adjustable rear. There’s an ample spur on the exposed hammer, and the handgun — depending upon barrel length — weighs 40, 50 or 55 oz., from short to long. Taurus designers also built this model with a transfer bar action so it won’t go off unless the trigger is fully depressed.
Taurus wisely equips this handgun with a rubber grip sporting a cushioned insert along the backstrap. Let’s talk about the grip for a moment. With shallow contours for the fingers, this grip should accommodate most gun hands easily. Although this new model fires a .357 Magnum cartridge, it can still buck with the best of ’em when using full-house loads, so don’t sell a good grip short. It’s textured on both sides to allow for a firm hold under recoil even in wet weather.
Best of all, this is not a sixgun, it’s a seven gun, capable of holding seven rounds in the cylinder. The OAL ranges from 10.85″ to 14.1″, again determined by barrel length.
Anybody familiar with the .357 Magnum knows it’s capable of pushing a 180-grain bullet along with enough horsepower to clobber a buck, black bear, nasty hog or other mid-sized game. For people who confine their hunting to steel rams and other silhouettes, it’s a safe bet the Raging Hunter, especially with the longer barrel, will reach out and ding a steel chicken with ease.
This is not a showpiece handgun; it’s a working revolver capable of putting the hurt on game under all kinds of weather conditions.
Also chambered for .44 Magnum (six rounds) and .454 Casull (five rounds), the Raging Hunter is one tough customer.
The best part about this revolver is it’s already being shopped to retailers. With an MSRP of $919, the Taurus Raging Hunter is ready to prove its worth.
For more info: http://www.taurususa.com, Ph: (800) 327-3776
