I went to a show over the weekend and saw my first in the metal Desert Eagle. .357, it weighed about 8 pounds. The guy wanted 775 for it, he had two extra magazines for $40 each.
It's an interesting example of overkill in my opinion. Who needs a super heavy .357 that works like an AR? I guess it would work as a deer gun here in Ohio, but I think a shotgun would be easier to carry around in the woods. The only advantage would be that it gives you 9 shot as opposed to the limit of 3 in the shotgun. But if you can't hit a deer in 3, actually 1, should you really be out in the woods chasing them?
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Had one in .357. Had to feed it all heavy loads or it wouldn't cycle. On the other hand it was extremely accurate with little recoil. The big downside is the no-cast-bullet restriction (otherwise your gas tube clogs and the barrel/gas tube assembly becomes useless and must be replaced)
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I don't think Desert Eagles were originally designed for deer hunting, they were designed to provide a semi auto pistol, with more magazine capacity than a magnum revolver, capable of firing those man-stopping magnums such as the .357, .44, and .50 AE. They're a big, bulky combat pistol that doesn't have much practical usage.
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Don't get me wrong, a semi automatic .44 magnum is an awesome handgun, just not much practical use, they weigh about as much as a lever action carbine in .44 mag.
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Well, I don't know as they are really practical for hunting with. I wouldn't say its impossible to do so, but hauling around 8 lbs on your hip or your shoulder in a large pistol just doesn't seem all that practical. I guess its not much different weight wise than toting a shotty, but I imagine you could get more range and accuracy out of one with slugs? I think they'd be really fun to shoot though. Haven't shot one yet. Some day I hope to.
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I have a couple of Magnum Research handguns, a Lone Eagle SSP-91 rotary breech in .223,nice little groundhog gun, and my Desert Eagle in .44 magnum.I shot a nice 8 point buck a couple of years ago with it.
The Lone Eagle has a Burris 5x scope, and the Desert Eagle has a Tasco Propoint red dot scope.
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Don't get me wrong, a semi automatic .44 magnum is an awesome handgun, just not much practical use, they weigh about as much as a lever action carbine in .44 mag.
I already have those. LOL
I just want one for FUN. I shoot .44 Magnum revolvers, frequently, and also shoot a LOT of semi-auto pistols. I would like to combine the experiences of both in one gun for some high powered plinking.
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I had a .44 Desert Eagle some time ago. I loved it. I had it Magna Ported and it shot great. Devastated bowling pins! It was just too expensive to feed at the time. When I tried to trade it off at a gun show, a guy told me that he carried one when he was off duty. What an idiot. It is a great gun but limited in it's "practical" uses. I did deer hunt with mine. Barely legal in Ohio with the 5 inch barrel. If you have the money, go for it.
It weighs 72.5 ounces unloaded. It is an impractical, bulky beast with lots of recoil, and is forbidden at my local indoor range because their backdrop is only rated up to .44 mag. It also costs about a buck and a half every time I pull the trigger.
That having been said, it is super fun at my outdoor range and is everybody's favorite to shoot when I bring friends. That gun produces more smiles at the range than any other firearm I own. I'm thinking of having it dura-coated in a Vietnam tiger stripe pattern to make it even more over the top as a weapon.
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A shooting friend of mine has a 50AE Desert Eagle, too.. Of course, when he brings it along I always bring along my little Colt Detctive Special and I always have to ask him what he's trying to make up for??
It's a fantastic weapon, though.. If you're into big recoil, it's a handful, and as mentioned, it's very accurate, and expensive to shoot..
It's not my style of handgun, but he likes it and that's what counts..
I was under the impression it was designed to give Israeli snipers a backup weapon capable of defeating armor without the bulk of a rifle - or stopping a charging wildebeast.
I would definitely go for one in .44 Mag, the .50 AE would be excellent too, but ammo is unreasonable, and I already have my heart pledged to a Bowen .50 GI New Vaquero.
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Had five shots with a 6 inch S&W revolver. Then five shots with a Desert Eagle. Both .44 mag, same loads. Distance 30 meters. The revolver had rubber grips and almost tore the skin out of my hand, but the D.E. was more like an oversized .45 ACP to shoot with. Both rose sky high, but the D.E. was indeed something my fiancé would handle too. Never mind even trying for the revolver... By the way, I managed 42 points with the revolver and 50(!) points with the D.E. The numbers have spoken...
No, I wouldn't buy one myself. But if you do, I'd like to borrow it now and then for sure!
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you and me both!!! I fell in love with one the first time I shot one. (burned thru 1/2 my neighbors ammo supply on the first time out) very manageable recoil, actually much better than my revolvers. I can come up with a shoulder rig to haul it around, not a problem.
The problem with my .50 AE DE is not so much the recoil. It is knowing that the gun's muzzle will go sky high as soon as the trigger is squeezed and the noise will be very much heard even while wearing the best muffs on the market. It is stout for sure, but the design makes the recoil not as rediculous as many are led to believe... especially those who never fired one.
interestingly, was rejected by the Russia military because it was just too heavy and too large for the typical human being. There was a writeup about it in the online edition of Pravda.
This is a niche market gun that does have a bit of a cult following.
However, as you are well aware, it is a lot of dead weight that can really work against your shoulder, arm, and wrist muscles and it is still a handgun cartridge in the end. In terms of something light I would prefer a carbine style rifle.
Personally, these are not guns for me yet I do recognize this is a forum and you will probably hear from someone who loves their Desert Eagle.
Teach
