A challenge for you defensive handgunners...

I had a good time hunting 'chucks with my 8" Dan Wesson .357 Mag back in the day. I don't have any pictures, but let's just say a 125 grain Hornady XTP is not fur-friendly.
 
I had a 6" Dan Wesson .357 a long time ago. It was a fine revolver. I had just started reloading and had an early Dillon progressive press. I cast my own 158 gr. SWC bullets. I shot that revolver so loose it practically rattled when it was shot.
 
This DW was the first handgun I bought back in college. Since we were poor college students, I bought a RCBS Rock Chucker kit from Gander Mountain on their payment plan. I'd go to the local range and sift the pistol berm for spent bullets, then melt those down to cast my own 140 grain SWCs. Coupled with .38 Special range pickup brass, cheap primers (at the time), and something like 4.5 grains of Blue Dot (I think), and I could shoot that pistol for something ridiculous like 3 cents per round. Good times.
 
I've got an old 6-1/2" Blackhawk in .357. With the irons, I'd be very hard pressed to hit a varmint at anymore than muzzle blast range. Next spring I intend to try and get a 'chuck or two with it anyway though.

- DAA
 
We're way off the original intent of this thread, but...Dan Wesson in action.
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No pictures, but I spent the weekend shooting rock chucks. Mostly with my .22 Dasher, which performed great. Only took one shot with it at over 500 and nailed it.

But my best shot of the weekend was a rock chuck at 83 yards with my P365. Tried getting into the 100 yard club with it, but didn't connect on any at that distance. I did nail a couple more between 50 and 75 though. And quite a few in the 30-40 yard range. It's a bonafide varmint pistol.

- DAA
 
This is some that I have considered but never done.
I have a few pistols that are certainly not self defense in the sense that most people consider. But placed in the position of self defense against a Bear or some other Dangerous game. I would choose them.
CT
 
83 yds That's a poke!

I killed a few chipmunks with my glock 9mm. One was 16yds away facing me, off hand it went in its chest and out its rear end. The other was a heart shot at 15yds. took a few rabbits with head shots, I have been thinking abut trying to call in a yote in thick cover to test it out.
 
few years ago I did the dot test thing, didn't do too bad. Got a running hog @ 20 yds with the 40sw then too. Now it's can I get a pistol out fast enough to anything?
 
Defensive handgun scenario: You're in the parking lot. There's an active shooter. You can see him about 50 yards away, pretty clear shot opportunities. Can you be effective with your ccw? Is your system capable? Are you capable? Did you bring enough gun? Is zero reloads enough ammo? Is that a realistic scenario to train for these days? Do you train for a scenario like this? What are your thoughts?
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DiRTY DOG said:
Defensive handgun scenario: You're in the parking lot. There's an active shooter with a rifle. You can see him about 50 yards away, pretty clear shot opportunities. Can you be effective with your ccw? Is your system capable? Are you capable? Did you bring enough gun? Is zero reloads enough ammo? Is that a realistic scenario to train for these days? Do you train for a scenario like this? What are your thoughts?
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You should be able to make hits at 50yds. I can pound a full size silhouette at that distance. at 100yds aim for the head they drop right in. Shooting some USPSA helps a lot, especially shootin on the move, gun fights are not always static.
 
I likely wouldn't engage at 50 yards, especially if the family is with me. That's enough room for me to focus on getting them out of there to good cover. Firing at the guy is just going to attract his fire back at my family. That's a non-starter. If the threat was already directed at US, then yes, I would return fire with my .45, assuming there were no innocents very near the shooter (as stated in the scenario). But I would expect that to be more of a way to buy time than actually put him down. I practice at 20-30 yards with only rare excursions beyond that. Maybe I need to stretch it out a little. :)
 
When I had my gun shop I got rocking deals on over stocks and close-outs. My experience with Dan Wesson was a 22lr 4 barrel set trouble was the 4" stayed on it all the time. Somewhere on the site I'm posing alongside my 56 Willys and packing the Wesson in a shoulder holster. I carried it on the trapline a few years.

My 357s were a S&W Model 28 what a beast. It was sold and replaced it with a S&W Model 13 4" HB with custom adjustable sights. I carried it for years until cataract surgery left me unable to focus on the sights. In fact everything that I couldn't scope.went down the road.

Lots of handguns over the years, killed monkeys in Taiwan with a ruger flat gate single six in 22 Win Mag. Shot bowling pin matches with a Star PD. CC Charter Arm 4" 38.working the Seattle rail yards at night, tough neighbor hood but never had to draw it.

Now it is a common Glock 19, aftermarket trigger and Crimson Trace holo-sight.

Still learning to shoot a handgun again.
 
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