Wheelgun Wednesday: First Look at the Taurus Raging Hunter 460

When it comes to revolvers, my gun safe is like a “safe space.” I accept all kinds and everybody is welcome – even the big boys! One cartridge I do not have in my stable, but continually keep eyeing is the .460 Smith & Wesson Magnum cartridge (.460 S&W Mag). It is a novel round not only because it is HUGE, but also because you can shoot .45 Long Colt and .454 Casull out of any revolver chambered in .460 S&W Magnum. The ability to shoot multiple cartridges in any handgun is pretty enticing so when I heard that Taurus announced a NEW Raging Hunter 460, I had to request one from Taurus for further examination (and fun)!

• 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 variants 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 of the 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.

One of the first things you notice about the Taurus Raging Hunter 460 both in pictures and while holding it is that this wheelgun is a hefty boy! It is a very large frame and cylinder to host the .460 S&W Magnum cartridge and this thing definitely has some mass behind it. It weighs in at 54 ounces which puts it at 3 1/2 Lbs of hand cannon. It is understandable why Taurus opted to go with a dual lockup cylinder to ensure that the cylinder remains crisp for alignment and tight with the frame while shooting this tank.

The other element about the Taurus Raging Hunter 460 that is very eye-catching is the Picatinny rail atop the barrel. It looks like you could saw down a tree if need be out in the woods, but in actuality, it affords the shooter a lot of real estate to mount an extended eye relief scope or a robust red dot. I have not had the pleasure of shooting this revolver yet, but I am going to attempt to mount a Leupold Delta Point Pro (DPP) on top. That should be one hell of a torture and recoil test for the Leupold DPP once I begin to send lead downrange.

Another characteristic that is popular among Taurus revolvers is the porting near the end of the barrel. This makes somewhat discouraging cartridges like the .460 S&W Magnum much more enjoyable to shoot. I previously reviewed the Taurus Raging Hunter .44 Magnum on TFB last year HERE, and it was very pleasant to shoot because of the mass of the revolver and the porting Taurus utilizes as well.

One component of Taurus revolvers that I am a bit harsh on are the sights. Many Taurus revolvers come with simple black-on-black metal sights. This is fine if you happen to be a bullseye league shooter, but my background is hunting or carrying revolvers for bear/wolf defense so I would appreciate a night sight or fiber optic combination. Again, this is a personal preference of mine – sample opinion of one. The next 10 guys to handle this revolver may disagree with me and love it as is.

Over the years I have become a tremendous fan of Taurus revolvers because from their diminutive offerings all the way up to hefty boys like this they are all built like tanks – essentially bulletproof. While they might not have crazy embellishments or fancy, tricked out features these revolvers bluntly work; all the time, every time. So, if I am going up to the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area in Minnesota black bear hunting or checking a beaver trapline near home, I have confidence carrying a Taurus with me.

Today, we simply wanted to give you a quick insight as to what this revolver is all about. Hopefully in the next few weeks, I can warm this wheelgun up and give all of you a full in-depth review. Based off the stats and these few pictures, what do you think? Is this something you would be willing to invest in? As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.