The Magnum Research BFR 360 Buckhammer Hand Cannon

In hunting-restricted states or areas like here in lower Michigan, we have to study the rules for legal hunting. I personally live below the imaginary rifle line here in the great state of Michigan. However, I am able to hunt 10 minutes from my house when I use straight-wall cartridges. Which is why I am thrilled about the Magnum Research BFR 360 Buckhammer.

Magnum Research BFR 360 Buckhammer: The Hand Cannon for Hunting

My go-to was always a crossbow only because I had one and didn’t really want to build out a 450 Bushmaster or a 350 Legend rifle to legally hunt below that line.

I wasn’t against these straight-wall cartridges. But I more or less fought the idea of them just because I was being stubborn. I have a lot invested in my Springfield Waypoint in 6.5 Creedmoor. So, it was what I wanted to shoot deer with.

Well, things change sometimes, including my mind. I picked up a Henry Rifle chambered in the new Remington 360 Buckhammer and fell in love with the round. This was definitely going to be my new downstate hunting rifle.

That was until Magnum Research decided to chamber the iconic BFR Revolver in the same round.

The BFR—Biggest Finest Revolver

If you are not familiar with what a BFR is, it is simply a big-ass American-made revolver. BFR stands for Biggest Finest Revolvers, according to the company. But personally, I think it stands for “Big F’in Revolver” because these things are monsters chambered in rounds no normal person would ever consider shooting out of a revolver.

These stainless-steel beasts can pretty much handle anything you throw at them while looking good the entire time. The 360-chambered BFR has a 10-inch barrel and a single action only action. Likewise, it will hold 6 rounds of any Remington 360 Buckhammer ammunition you want to feed it.

The 360 round is designed to allow hunting at distances of 200 yards with very little drop and incredible ballistics. Out of the shorter 10-inch barrel, you will obviously lose a bit of the energy. However, it will still have no problem taking down a deer at realistic distances.

The revolver has a total overall length of 17.5 inches and weighs in at just under 5 lbs. The sheer size and weight of what I call the hand cannon is intimidating for any shooter to get behind. But after you fire that first round, you quickly realize that the design of the gun combined with the rubber grip makes the gun fairly easy to shoot for most shooters.

On the top rail of the revolver, you will find a blade-style front sight with an adjustable rear. Correspondingly, the rear sight can be removed to add a Picatinny rail for mounting a scope if you choose. The rail is included in the box and was very easy to install with basic tools.

Glassing and Zeroing the BFR 360 Buckhammer

For my setup, since I was going to be hunting, I went with the top Picatinny rail and picked up the Burris 3-12×32 handgun scope. The 3-12x32mm Burris Handgun Scope is designed specifically for handgun shooters. It’s built to allow shooting handguns at long distances while maintaining the eye relief and ruggedness demanded by a pistol.

These revolvers can beat the heck out of scopes. So, I wanted to ensure the scope I picked could handle the power of the 360 buckhammer. I mounted the scope with a set of Burris low-profile rings and headed off to the range.

Sighting in the BFR with the Burris handgun scope was a breeze. It took us 10 rounds to get it 100% dialed in. Off a bench rest, we were achieving consistent 2-inch groupings at 50 yards, which I was more than happy with.

Standing and shooting is a different story, but accuracy is still achievable. My groupings opened up to around 7 inches for a 3-shot group at the same 50 yards. However, my friend who was helping me sight in was doing a bit better. He consistently hit 5-inch groups at the same distance.

Handling the Beast

I found myself anticipating recoil really bad when hand-holding the gun. Even though I knew it wasn’t that bad, I still kept flinching for some reason. I guess maybe the sheer size of the round and the gun was just getting to me.

The recoil should be worse than it is, honestly. The gun itself has a nice trigger, although the trigger guard is a bit short, in my opinion. Especially if you are trying to shoot with gloves on. There is plenty of real estate for them to add a larger trigger guard in my opinion.

Loading is easy enough using the loading gate, and unloading is simple thanks to the ejection rod. Likewise, the hammer was easy to operate, and the stainless-steel finish just looks great and is easy to clean.

Parting Shots

My goal was to take down a whitetail in Michigan with this beast. Unfortunately, my hunting season didn’t really go as planned, thanks to some warm weather. Not to mention a lack of time to get out and hunt.

I was unsuccessful in taking a deer for the 2023 rifle season with the BFR. That’s just the way it goes sometimes, and why they call it hunting and not shooting, I guess. However, I did get lots of trigger time with the BFR chambered in 360 buckhammer and will be ready for next season.

The round itself is going to be devastating for the unlucky deer that I shoot with it next year. The energy produced in the round is incredible. While shooting the BFR at steel that is on heavy-duty stands, it was spinning the targets around with the stands from 50 yards.

If you are looking for a hunting handgun in a massive caliber that will not only impress your friends but be able to hold up to the rigors that hunting brings, I would not hesitate to pick up a Magnum Research BFR chambered in the new 360 Buckhammer.

For more information, please visit MagnumResearch.com, BurrisOptics.com, and Remington.com.

Magnum Research BFR 360 Buckhammer Specs

Disclaimer: Magnum Research provided the BFR 360 Buckhammer for testing and evaluation. However, the company had no input or impact on the author’s findings or reporting.

Didn’t find what you were looking for?