do yo hunt with a handgun

The last two years my buck has fell to a 44 mag SBH Hunter. Where I hunt is very thick and shots are often close. I like 'em to be under 40 yds. for me and iron sights.
 
We can use handguns to deer hunt here in Illinois so my go to revolver is a Raging Bull 454. I also have a Tracker 22 mag that I squirrel hunt with once in awhile. I want a 41 mag but haven't bought one yet.
 
Last year I picked up a Para Elite Hunter LS in a 10mm. Attatched a holster to my pack and its with me when I go hunting. I took a doe with it also. Very impressed with the 10mm and the Para. I am hooked now. I will try the Encore pistol next.
 
There are " hunting handguns" and "hunters handguns". I tend to the latter, usually have one handy, as a finisher mostly, in small calibers. . I have carried my Blackhawk 45LC, or S&W 357 on bear hunts as a back up.
 
I'm a recent convert to handgun hunting (last 3-4 years, but, as we say down here, I've taken to it like a duck to water. My list isn't as long as Varminterror's but here goes.

Tried and true:
-S&W 29 and 629 .44 mag (open sights): hundreds of hogs & a canebrake rattler. Better than a rifle for shots inside 50 yards, IMHO.
-Ruger SRH .454 Casull 7 1/2" barrel with Leupold VX2 2 x 8: hundreds of hogs, a couple of deer. Hopefully will shoot a bear with it in August.
-Glock 20 and 29 (open tritium sights): a dozen or so hogs, plus a couple of coyotes.

Wish list:
-FN FiveseveN: flat shooting, big magazine, "predator size" caliber. What's not to like?
-Bullberry Thompson Encore Pro Hunter: initially will get .204 Ruger and .243 barrels. May never pick up a rifle again.

In my relatively short tenure as a handgun hunter, I've decided that handgun hunting adds a challenge that makes it so much rewarding. Try it, you'll like it.
 
In my late teens, always carried a 9mm Hi Power when hunting. Used it when I came across an armadillo, raccoon, even dropped a squirrel once with it.

One day, a few weeks before deer season, our private range was quite busy with gents checking the zero on their scoped rifles. Gent joins the firing line on our 200 yd range with a 44 mag revolver. He will set his target at around 30 yds, fire a few rounds, move it to 50, fire a few more shots and then set his target at 100 yds. I had put my scope on his targets to see how he was doing shooting off what I recall was a sandbag on one of our benches. Pretty darn good groups on his target. I chat with him and he tells me where he deer hunts area is heavily brushed so a fifty yard shot on a deer was typical....that it'd been years since he'd used a rifle or shotgun for deer hunting, that his pistol did just fine. He will ask me to spot for him while he tried his hand at shooting at a spot on the 200 yd berm while standing upright. He did lean against one of the firing line roof supports to steady himself. Spot on the berm was about 8" in diameter. While none of his 5 shots hit the spot, all hit two or so inches from it. I was impressed. By the way, his pistol had open sights, no scope.
 
I have used a Model 66 to take a small buck in IN back in the 90s. I have used that same model 66 to kill a couple of coyote at close range one rattle snake and a pile of rabbits.

My Ruger MKII government has killed many jack rabbits and cotton tail. I prefer to use it over a 22 rifle or shotgun any day of the week. It puts them down quick with the Remington Yellow jacket ammo. My brother and I went out hunting bunnies a few days a week after work and after watching me shoot them with the MKII he went ahead and ordered one. We had a blast popping them.

With my big bore revolvers I have only ever killed a few rabbits. If I were to move to a state where hunting tags could be purchased over the counter I might consider taking up handgun hunting. As it is now I am sticking to rifles. I carry them as a back up when out predator calling or when hiking. Most of the time I like carrying either my 4 5/8" 45Colt or my Kimber 10mm.
 
just picked up a wichita rear grip 7mm IHMSA (basicly a 6.5 creedmor necked up to 7 mm or a 300 savage necked down to 7 mm with a shoulder change. looking forward to next season.
 
I hunt deer with a 44 mag Ruger Super Blackhawk. I have a scoped Super Blackhawk Hunter and an unscoped SBH. If my shots are going to be 40 yds or less, I take the unscoped SBH. If my shots are likely to be 40 yds+, I grab the scoped Hunter.

Am going to get some trigger time on the Hunter so that I can extend my effective range to 100 yards. I HATE tracking deer and strive very hard for a BANG/FLOP whether using a rifle or a handgun. My percentage of BANG/FLOPS is very high, but occasionally even with perfect shot placement this does not happen as the deer is "running dead".

Handgun hunting adds another dimension to your hunting and will force you to become a better and more patient hunter. Nothing like loading your own ammo and harvesting a big buck with a handgun! It is my favorite type of hunting.
 
Warpig, Nice SBH Bisley Hunter! Mine is the standard grip with a Nikon Monarch 2X and Pachmayr grips. Love it.

Foxhunter, Great looking LONG RANGE pistol. Are you going to scope it or use the iron sights? (Looks like the are peep sights but I could be wrong). What do you think your effective range on deer sized game would be with scope and with iron sights?

I've got a Contender in 22lr that I may have to get a barrel for deer hunting, but have too many projects to complete first.

Handgun hunting is like eating Lay's Potato Chips. "Can't eat just one."
 
with these old tired eyes a scope is a must, 2.5x8 bdc is good to 300 yards. shot two deer this year with 6br at 190, and225, got both, even got a yode at 150+.
back in the 80's shot an antelope at 275 yards with xp-100 7-08, very simular balistics to the wichita 7mm
 


Write your reply...
Back
Top