Best Scope for Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 Mag

Handguns and scopes don’t really go with each other. Now that’s a controversial way to start the article.

Hold up, we’re not ending the article before it even starts. The Ruger Super Blackhawk is a fine piece. Unfortunately, you don’t get any scopes to begin with. 

And choosing the wrong one would leave you stranded. 

So which would be the best scope for Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 Mag? That’s what we’re here to solve. 

After careful consideration, we were able to gather the top picks among scopes and red dot sights for your handgun. You should get a better idea after going through the comparative analyses. 

Choosing a Scope Mount

The fact that you can’t directly mount a scope is a bummer. So you need a mount no matter which scope or sight you choose.

So we made a little shortlist recommending the top mounts and scope rings that go well with the recommended scopes on the page. Have a look-

  • If you want a mount that provides a balanced overall performance, pick the Weigand Blackhawk GP-100 Mount
  • If you want the scope ring to last year’s, I think picking a durable ring like the Ruger 90274 is practical.
  • Picking up a pair of cheap rings shouldn’t hurt your wallets. And that’s where this pair from OTW comes in. 

Types of Scopes to Choose From

Okay, so we’ve gone and done some research about this. After collecting some valuable opinions, we decided that there are two types on the list. 

You can either pick a scope that magnifies your view like those of rifles. And then there are scopes that give you a fine red dot on the HUD. Yes, we’re talking about the red dot sights. 

Scopes vs. Red Dot Sights

I’m certain that this is going to stir a debate. So we’re not going to say which one is better.

I mean, I have my opinion. But you might prefer the other selection. I’d say you can make use of red dots for quicker target acquisition. Fiddling with the magnification of scopes isn’t for everyone.

We’re not comparing red dots with iron sights here. They’re obviously better than having no scopes at all. 

But you need further magnification when you’re hunting from a farther distance. And if you’re a beginner, a red dot might not give you the best visuals.

Who wants to miss a shot accidentally, right? That can easily turn out into something dangerous. 

Here’s a comparative look at when you’d use which type of optic- 

ScopesRed Dot Sights
When To UseWhen your targets are at a relatively farther distance away, these are very good for stealth. When your targets are at a shorter distance. 
Our RecommendationsUTG Hand Gun ScopeVortex Optics Venom

Best Scopes for Ruger Super Blackhawk

We’ll take a glance at the scopes first. Then we’ll head onto the red dot sights. You’ll find a neat comparative analysis below. 

ProductMagnificationDiameter
UTG Handgun Scope2-7x32 mm
Burris Handgun Plex Reticle Hunting Scope2x20 mm
Leupold VX-3 Handgun Scope2.5-8x32 mm
Hammers Pistol Scout Scope2-7x32 mm
NcStar Illuminated Scope2-7x32 mm

If you’re not convinced with the quick comparison, take a look at our graphical analysis below:

UTG Handgun Scope: More About It

We’ll start with the scope that won the competition. The UTG Handgun Scope is the most well-balanced design among the five. 

Let’s get something out of the way first. This is on the heavier side. So if you think you can’t get used to it, skip this one.

It’s around 12 inches. So, this is almost the same length as the Blackhawk itself.

So you shouldn’t have to worry about the scope outweighing the gun itself. I mean, it does take a bit of getting used to. But I’d say you can adapt to it in two weeks tops.

I’d say you have to get used to the eye relief, too. Since the Blackhawk is famous for the slightly heavier recoil, eye relief is crucial. It’s not on the better side when it comes to eye relief. But it’s also not the worst on the list.

In terms of magnification, it’s on par with almost all the other scopes on the list. You won’t get the 1x view on this one. But none of the scopes we picked has the 1x zoom option.

If you desire that choice, you should opt for the red dots in the next section of the article. 

Things That Need Improvement:

  • It’s on the heavier side. So it takes a bit of getting used to. You might want to check out a lighter scope if this concerns you. 
  • The eye relief isn’t the best. If you have a hard time dealing with recoil, you can pick the Hammers Scope in third place.

Burris Handgun Plex Reticle Hunting Scope: More About It

Up next, we have Burris’ Handgun hunting scope. Well, this ties with the next one on the list as for being a lightweight scope. It outperforms the top choice just by a bit. 

The only reason why this ended up in second place is because of the build. It’s aluminum, but the previous one just edges it. 

You also need to pay a lot more for this.

The scope will fall short in terms of objective lens diameter if you choose the base option. At least that’s the version we were able to test.

But I think you can get competitive results if you pick the higher-end option. And, not a lot of you would be willing to pay the premium.

This one practically wins this if weight is all you’re concerned about. It fits the mount well by sliding in. it takes less time to get used to this than the last one because of the lightweight.

Things That Need Improvement:

  • The build quality isn’t the best. If you want it to last long, try either the UTG that we discussed before or the Leupold one up next. 
  • Viewing angles from the base model wasn’t satisfactory. Trying the variable magnification option should fix this for a premium. 

Leupold VX-3 Handgun Scope: More About It

If budget isn’t the issue, I’d say splash all your money on the VX-3 from Leupold. As we said, the build on this is up there with the very best scopes.

But so is the price point. And you get ninety percent of the functionality in the other four choices. So why should you spend over three times the money?

Well, for starters, this gives you the best magnification. You can zoom in 8x and pick your target. The maximum that the others allow you are 7x. 

And we talked about the build quality too. The aluminum is thick, but they managed to keep it comparatively light. 

I’d say the length might be a problem. It’s a tiny bit longer than the entire length of the Blackhawk. So you should face a little discomfort while practicing with this.

It’s safe to say that you can’t get right into hunting if you pick this one. Practice is the answer in that case. 

But once you’ve got the balance right, I think this shouldn’t be too hard to handle. 

Things That Need Improvement:

  • It’s the most expensive scope on the list. If you’re tight on budget, check out the next two.
  • The minimum magnification takes a hit since the minimum is 2.5x. This might seem concerning if you want that 2x zoom. So try the others in that case. 

Hammers Pistol Scout Scope: More About It

Hammers Scout scope tries to level the odds by offering more for less.

It’s by no means the best scope on the list. But it offers you the versatility to use with either a rifle or a handgun. And in our case, this fits well with the mount on our Blackhawk.

I don’t know how they did it, but this one’s heavy. It’s even heavier than the well-built one from Leupold that we just checked out.

Hammers provide you with a couple of weaver rings. That’s a nice touch on their part. 

What bothers me is the chrome finish. If you ask me, this does not go with the aesthetics of the Blackhawk. But they offer a similar option with the matte black finish too. 

If aesthetics are important to you, go and pick that one out.

We were able to get used to the reticle of this one. This ranks second overall when it comes to the reticles. 

What disappointed us was the subpar build. A slight drop from waist height was enough to put a dent on it. But I think the added weight caused this.

Things That Need Improvement:

  • The reticle could’ve been better. You might get confused by the lines at times. If a cleaner reticle is something you prefer, spend a bit more on the Leupold (the previous one). 
  • You might not get the best reload time due to its size. If this concerns you, go for the UTG scope on top. 

NcStar Illuminated Scope: More About It

NcStar’s Illuminated Scope should be a good gateway into your handgun hunting tails if you’re just starting out. You don’t have to spend hundreds of bucks on it like the others.

So what’s the catch?

Well, the build quality takes a massive hit. And their so-called illumination is lacking. We thought there was an issue with our unit. Upon further research, we found out that this was a worldwide issue.

You still get a big 32 mm objective lens diameter. That’s among the highest on this list. So you don’t miss out on much of the light coming in.

We appreciate how they still managed to add a little weaver ring with the package. Some of the bigger names failed to provide these too.

Oh, there’s another caveat. Although it says it zooms in 7x, the 7x of this is comparatively worse than the others.

I’d say this is still the best budget pick among all five. You get a clear enough view through the blue optics in broad daylight. And you aren’t really paying for the night vision. So don’t sulk over that. 

Things That Need Improvement:

  • The build quality is poor. But you’re paying a lot less too. If this still bothers you, pick out our no. 1 choice or the Leupold scope. 
  • Low-light vision is close to nonexistent. You might get better visibility with a scope with great vision.  

Best Red Dot Sights for Ruger Super Blackhawk

Let’s move on to our second category of scopes now. We’ve tried a lot of red dots and picked the top five. Here’s a quick comparison among the five-

ProductMOADiameter
Vortex Optics Venom3 or 620 mm
Burris FastFire3 or 821 mm
AT3 Tactical ARO Red Dot325 mm
Leupold DeltaPoint Pro Sight2.520 mm
Crimson Trace CTS-1250 Red Dot3.2543.18 mm

With that out of the way, check out the visual representation of the comparative analysis below-

Vortex Optics Venom: More About It

While this isn’t your best budget sight, this comes relatively cheap. The Vortex Venom seems like a decent choice for the Ruger Super Blackhawk. 

At least that’s what we felt after using it for a few weeks. Not only that, in fact, this is also one of the best sights for PTR 91.

It’s one of the two red dots on the list that comes with MOA choices. You can choose between 3 or 6 minutes of angle. You’ll either pick one or the other. But it’s good that they give you a choice.

I’d say that the overall build of the sight was average. It’s nothing to write home about. But the quality of the dot and the reticle was decent. This, along with the next one from Burris, had the best reticles.

After trying this out with the Blackhawk, I can say that the lighter weight hit the home run. It’s the lightest sight on the list at 1.1 oz. 

If you’re moving from a big 1x scope to this sight, you’ll see the balance changing immediately. It might take some getting used to. But I think the lighter build gives you an edge when it comes to reloading time.

While testing this out in the woods, the lens did come out alive. But we did see a couple of micro-scratches. So this is a concern. Even cleaning this with a thicker cloth will end in the same result. 

They could have probably used more resistant glass. But this makes it easier for us to grade it. And it’ll get a solid A-minus. 

Things That Need Improvement:

  • The build quality isn’t the best out there. If this concerns you, you can probably aim for a more premium scope. 
  • Your lens might come across micro-scratches. I think you can minimize this if you use a dedicated cleaning pen

Burris FastFire: More About It

If you want an even higher MOA than the previous one, the FastFire dot from Burris has something to say.

You get the option to choose 8 MOA. And the overall cost would still be lower than the top choice on the list.

Unfortunately, that’s where its greatness ends. In almost all other departments, it’s either worse or well-matched with the Vortex sight.

Let’s start with the eye relief. It’s only above average. You will get a similar experience with this one and the AT3 dot coming up next. 

Since it’s a bit on the heavier side, you would have a bit more trouble with the recoil. But you won’t notice this unless you test the two side by side. 

The reticle is clear, and you’ll see a bright red dot dead center. Your aiming, I think the dot’s just thicker by a whisker when you compare it to the Vortex one.

It’s almost evenly matched with the first one. But the eye relief and higher weight were enough to drag this down.

Things That Need Improvement:

  • Average eye relief. You would get a better experience from the Vortex or the Leupold sights. 
  • The build quality is not great. This might not last years. If this seems concerning, try out the Leupold in fourth place. 

AT3 Tactical ARO Red Dot: More About It

If the previous one seemed heavy even by a wee bit, the ARO dot from AT3 Tactical outperforms it.

You get a significantly improved reload time on this one due to the comparatively lighter weight. So you can reload the Blackhawk quickly after firing your shot.

I think the first one from Vortex and this one go toe-to-toe when it comes to the reload time.

In terms of build quality, it’s anything but outstanding. You get the same average quality build as the previous two.

But we liked that they offer you an Absolute Co-witness mount. Although you have to pay more, you still get a higher viewing point with this mount attached. So there’s that.

They say that this can be used with shotguns and rifles too. But our concern is the 44 Magnum version of the Ruger Super Blackhawk. And this is an overall decent scope for this particular handgun. 

No matter what we say, this is still the best budget option among the five. It manages to hit a lower price point even if you add the mount. 

We went into the wood with this one. And the lens seemed to face the same micro-scratching issue as before. Before we call it a universal problem, you might want to check out the next sight.

Things That Need Improvement:

  • It comes with a below-par build quality. If you want something more durable, any of the other four would be better options. 
  • The lens gets dirty quite fast. But you can resolve this using cleaning kits rather easily. 

Leupold DeltaPoint Pro Sight: More About It

As we said, the micro-scratches aren’t a universal problem. And this overpriced sight with toughened glass is enough to prove that. 

Coming in at fourth place, we have Leupold’s DeltaPoint Pro red dot. If we weren’t obvious, this one excels from the rest with the build quality.

But you also pay almost four times as much for this one. And that’s the only reason why we’re putting this so far down.

You get to add extras with this one. But the more you add, the more you have to pay. But I have to admit that even their mounts scream out “quality.” 

The rest of the performance is either on part with the top choice or close to it.

But it’s slightly on the heavier side. That’s normal since they used thicker materials to make this durable. 

We went hunting with this in the roughest of environments. This one made it out alive without even minor scratches. So if durability is your only concern, this is the one to check out.

The weight would also affect your reload time too. So, you do take a few milliseconds more to reposition your aim after firing. 

Things That Need Improvement:

  • A bit on the heavier side. If this bothers you, try picking a light scope instead. 
  • It’s expensive for the average consumer. You can pick any of the other four if you’re not willing to pay as much. 

Crimson Trace CTS-1250 Red Dot: More About It

Something that the CTS-1250 from Crimson Trace does is allow more light.

This one’s got the biggest lens diameter among the 5. I’m not sure how they did it, but they managed to squeeze in the bigger lens. 

Unfortunately, this takes the hit when it comes to the build quality. It’s made out of plastic all around, so you should expect a lot of deep scratches. That’s not a good look. 

It’s not even the cheapest option on the list. But I guess you pay extra to let in more light.

But there’s something good about the plastic build. You get slightly improved reload time. Your eye relief takes a bit of a hit, though. But that’s as expected.

The sight slides onto the mounts smoothly, and you have a decent locking mechanism. I just hope you can get through a whole year without breaking the mechanism. 

It’s still a good budget option if you like the lightweight dots. The bigger diameter does give it a good edge over the others. 

Things That Need Improvement:

  • Poor build quality. You can expect better durability from the previous red dot.
  • The eye relief might not be enough for everyone. If this bothers you, pick out a sight with better eye relief

Installing the Scope Mount

That’s it for the reviews. Well, you have mounting options on the Ruger Super Blackhawk. That’s similar to any other handgun using the 44 Magnum system.

I’d say pick up a cheap mount option and get to work. Spending too much on the mount shouldn’t be the priority here.

If you ask me, mounting the scope mount is harder than mounting the scope itself. 

This involves a lot of screwing and unscrewing. You might have seen some drilling tutorials somewhere too. Well, we don’t want you to damage your revolver unwillingly. 

Step 1: Removing the Rear Sight

The first order of business is to remove the rear sight. When we want to reinstall the rear sight, we want the gun to come back to zero. Count five clicks clockwise and record that.

While reinstalling it, you can count six counterclockwise clicks to put it back in place.

Take a punch to push the pin out of the frame. And then you can unscrew till the sight comes out.

Make sure the two springs don’t get lost. You will need them to install the rear sight again.

Step 2: Attaching the Under Lug

Take the underlug and hook it underneath the ejector rod and rotate it up. Make sure it’s just touching the frame. Leave it like so till attaching the mount.

Step 3: Degreasing the Screws Holes

Decrease the screw holes for both the underlug and the space for the rear sight. You can also use a bit of Loctite on these screw holes.

Step 4: Attaching the Scope Mount

Place the scope mount on top. It should sit flush with the top of the barrel. Take the screws and screw them in snuggly. You’ll see a bit of movement at this point.

Push it forward so that the recoil lug touches the rear sight notch. This should absorb the majority of the recoil. Tighten up all the screws, and you should be done. 

Choosing the Magnification

Since you don’t get the magnified visuals for red dots, you know which type we’ll be talking about here.

Scopes come in all sizes and magnifications. Although not all handguns give you the option to choose bigger scopes, you’d still want them.

But what is the perfect magnification for the Blackhawk? Is there even one?

Well, the entire thing depends on how far you will be from your target. When you’re hunting mid-sized game or deer and hog, a 1-4x magnification could be useful.

The higher the magnification, the heavier and longer it’ll be. I know that the Ruger gun is long enough to handle most scopes. But there’s also the point of balance where you have to be careful.

And you also have to train yourself with the added weight of the scope. Trust me, our testing didn’t go so well with all the different-sized scopes. 

Readjusting the stance is a proper challenge. This affects you, especially when you’re not quite a professional hunter. 

If you want to shoot objects over 1000 yards away, you’ll need around 10x magnification. Unfortunately, you don’t have that freedom when you’re using a Blackhawk. A scope like that would hurt the overall balance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are red dots on the Blackhawk worth it?

Red dots are an improvement from an iron sight. You can view the same plane almost every time you aim down the sight. So a red dot is there to improve accuracy. If you’re hunting, this would significantly improve your experience. 

Are scopes on revolvers useful?

If your aim is precise shooting, then yes. You might want to use them for hunting or target practice. So, scopes would help both the causes. Scopes do tend to intensify the wobble, but they help in terms of accuracy.

Is scope eye relief important?

This matters when you’re using guns with heavy recoil. But a handgun shouldn’t affect eye relief as much. Just pick out the magnification of your choice. 

Conclusion

That’s about it for scopes. Your revolver deserves a practical scope. It’ll give you a bit more control over the machine. 

And there’s also the practicality of shooting targets from far away. Just attach a good mount and pick a scope.

We went through both scopes and red dot sights on the page. So you can pick the best scope for Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 Mag from these.

Go through the visual representations again to pick your pick. Catch you in the next one. Good luck!