In last week’s Wheelgun Wednesday we took a close look at the Taurus Raging Hunter 460 revolver to see what makes it tick from the outside. The Taurus Raging Hunter 460 hails from the Raging Hunter family of big-bore, Taurus revolvers which now includes .38 Special/.357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .454 Casull, and new for 2021 is the .460 S&W Magnum cartridge. While I love to fondle guns as much as the next red-blooded American, there needs to be some proof in the pudding behind a close to $1K revolver. So, this week we hit the range with the Taurus Raging Hunter 460 to see how it performs and if it is something you might want to have in your stable of ‘arms. Let’s dive in and take a look!

SPECIFICATIONS: TAURUS RAGING HUNTER 460

The Taurus Raging Hunter 460 is very similar to previous iterations of the Raging Hunter in that you have a ported barrel with an integral Picatinny rail for the easy addition of optics as well as the same consistent coloration, style, and handling. The rest of the specifications can be read below as presented by Taurus:

• Capacity: 5 Rounds
• Action Type: Double-Action/Single-Action
• Sights: Fixed Front w/ Adjustable Rear
• Grip: Rubber w/ Cushioned Insert
• Barrel: 6.75″ Ported Stainless Steel w/ Carbon Steel Finish, Picatinny Rail, and Scope Mount

• Cylinder: Steel Alloy w/ Matte Black Oxide Finish & Dual Lockup
• Frame: Stainless Steel w/ Matte Stainless Finish
• Overall Length, Height, Width: 12.50″ | 6.5″ | 1.8″
• Weight: 54.00 Oz.
• Safety: Transfer Bar

The Taurus Raging Hunter 460 is being offered in 6 different variations currently. You have your choice of a 5 1/8″, 6 3/4″, or 8 3/8″ barrel with finish options of matte black or a two-tone look of stainless and black. The MSRPs vary from $968.18 – $983.33, but the revolver we are looking at today specifically goes for $983.33 and has a 6 3/4″ barrel. Taurus shares some more information and accolades regarding the Taurus Raging Hunter 460 in this press release statement below:

Winner of the 2019 American Hunter Handgun of the Year Golden Bullseye Award, the Taurus Raging Hunter is a next-generation, big-bore revolver that’s first in innovation-and built to last. A fun and effective alternative for short- to medium-range hunting scenarios, this five-shot revolver is chambered in 460 S&W Magnum and is available in Matte Black or Two Tone finish. Its revolutionary angular barrel design cuts down on overall weight, while its factory tuned porting and gas expansion chamber reduces muzzle lift for quicker target acquisition. Cushioned insert grips ensure a comfortable, controllable shooting experience.

range time: TAURUS RAGING HUNTER 460

While out at the range, there were quite a few things I noticed that you could not discern from handling this revolver alone. For one, while shooting it the grip could potentially use an upgrade with the chambering of the robust .460 S&W Magnum cartridge. The recoil is pretty considerable and stout which made my hands sweaty almost immediately after one cylinder of shooting it. While changing out the grips to something like a Hogue ergonomic grip or even wood ones might increase the felt recoil for the shooter, I believe it simultaneously would give you a more sound grasp to hang on as well.

While we are discussing the recoil, I only shot .460 S&W Magnum rounds through this revolver for testing. It can also shoot .45 Long Colt and .454 Casull which I would have liked to compare the accuracy and felt recoil of each, but you already understand the ammo situation we are all experiencing. Ironically enough, I had some .460 S&W Magnum ammunition in my stash, but none of the others. The .460 S&W Magnum had more recoil than I previously remembered, but it was still controllable and I could group well enough with it. In hindsight, every .460 S&W Magnum revolver I had fired previously was an 8″ barrel or longer so it only makes sense that this shorter barreled Raging Hunter had a bit more recoil.

My groups were approximately 2″ – 3″ around 15 yards which is not sniper accuracy, but I am not a small arms sniper either. No one is going to be using this revolver for league shooting; rather, it will be primarily used for hunting as the name implies or protection while hunting dangerous game with rifles. So, the 2″ – 3″ accuracy at moderate distances off-hand (not bagged or on a bench) is more than adequate.

My number one complaint when it comes to most revolvers are the black-on-black iron sights (probably because I am in denial of my own less-than-perfect vision). While the iron sights are adjustable on this revolver which is helpful, I decided to “run before I could walk” and skipped iron sights entirely by opting for a red dot optic. I put a Leupold Delta Point Pro (DPP) on the revolver which was significantly easier to see and a faster sight acquisition as well. I had lots of close friends bemoan to me that the .460 S&W Magnum round is a “red dot killer,” but the Leupold DPP held up just fine. In my unscientific opinion, if you use a Trijicon RMR (Ruggedized Miniature Reflex) or a Leupold DPP you should have no issues with your red dot. If you decide to go cheap then you might see this revolver toss your red dot like a bucking bronco tossing an unseasoned cowboy into the dirt.

One other oddity that occurred while shooting was how dirty the spent casings were when removed from the cylinder. Maybe someone will give a resoundingly definitive reason in the comments, but all of my spent brass was ashy and extremely dirty when done shooting. The ammunition I was shooting were factory rounds (not FUBAR reloads from myself), but these factory Winchester rounds were approximately 15 years old. Take a gander and venture your own guess, but all of the rounds detonated fine, had crisp puncture holes in the target (none tumbled), had consistent recoil compared to one another (no double or inconsistent charges), and they fell within that category of hunting accuracy for me which is 2″ – 3″ at 15 – 20 yards.

The trigger pull while shooting single-action was light and crisp which was predominantly how I fired this revolver. The double-action pull was moderately heavy, but I honestly do not view that as a negative. Instead, I view that from the perspective that the heavier double-action pull acts as a safety for when carrying it. My accuracy was best in single-action which is how I would fire the revolver if it was my primary firearm while hunting. If I brought it out in the field as a secondary firearm for defense and it needed to be discharged from double-action for any reason I would tend to believe the threat that prompted that would be close enough where any difference in accuracy would not matter.

Final thoughts: Taurus raging hunter 460

So, what are my final thoughts on the Taurus Raging Hunter 460? Overall, I enjoyed the revolver a lot and it is built like an absolute tank. In order to house the powerful .460 S&W Magnum cartridge, Taurus went to great lengths to beef this baby up with the full lug, ported barrel connected to a double latched frame/cylinder and an oversized rubber grip. This Raging Hunter still kicks decently, but it is controllable and accurate even still. The asking price of $983.33 I believe is fair compared to other similarly chambered revolvers on the market. If I were to buy one personally I would opt for the slightly longer 8 3/8″ barrel, but that is simply personal preference. All in all, if you are in the market for a .460 S&W Magnum wheelgun, I have no reservations recommending the Taurus Raging Hunter 460 – you will absolutely appreciate it.

In closing, I want to say thank you to Taurus for allowing TheFirearmBlog and myself the opportunity to try out their Taurus Raging Hunter 460 S&W Magnum Two-Tone 6.75″ model. That is greatly appreciated. Also, we would like to know what all of you guys and gals think? Do you believe that the Taurus Raging Hunter 460 S&W Magnum Two-Tone 6.75″ model is something worth spending your money on? Would you carry it while hunting? Use it as a defensive wheelgun while camping or hiking? All of the above? As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.

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