[brian923]

hey there guys, i was thinking about gtting itno handgun hunting this year, or next, and was considering the .357 magnum. all my shots will be under 100 yards. i was looking between these two psitols. which would you choose, and why...


http://ruger.com/Firearms/FAProdView?model=10316&return=Y

or...

http://taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?id=266&category=Revolver


any other considerations out there???

i like the looks of the taurus, and i also have a taurus, pt92, and like it alot. i do know, howerever, that the ruger blackhawk is an exceptinal revolver. would ether one be better than the other?? thanks guys, brian.

[dakotasin]

handgun hunting is a ton o' fun, but it is a whole different ballgame than rifle hunting.

don't have much experience w/ taurus. i handgun hunt w/ a ruger srh in 480 (scoped), ruger blackhawk in 41 mag (irons), and i just picked up a desert eagle 50 ae that i will either use irons or a red dot.

i don't particularly like scoped handguns for hunting - it is awkward holding the bore of the gun that far below line of sight, and eye relief can be a little weird.

as for 357 on deer... you'll get responses either way. i haven't done it so no input myself, but after whacking deer w/ the 480 and 41 mag, and seeing the results myself, i'm a little hesitant to take my smith 686 after deer.

good luck!

[Grumulkin]

The 357 Magnum on deer is no problem but using it at 100 yards is a problem for several reasons:

1. You will be quite challenged as a new handgun hunter to hit a deer in a vital area at 100 yards.

2. You will be very challenged to get a 357 Magnum to hit accurately enough at 100 yards to assure a clean kill even if you handload.

3. A revolver is not the gun to choose for accurate (I'm talking 1 to 2 inch range) 100 yard shooting; most are not capable of it.

If you want to use a handgun for 100 yard deer hunting, I'd suggest a scoped Thompson/Center Encore or Contender in 357 Maximum and then practice a lot with it.

[pbearperry]

I believe .357 mag is fine for deer but only for 50 yds or closer.

[Zeke/PA]

I have shot several deer with handguns namely a Super Blackhawk in .44 Magnum, a Smith 686 in .357 and once with a K-22.
I shot deer only at 30 yards or less.
The .22 kill happened on a Winter trapline when I desperatly needed the meat and a large doe was the target of opportunity at about 10 yards distant.
I shoot only open sights on my handguns and most of my hunting is done from a treestand presenting the closer shots.

[MCgunner]

I own Taurus and Ruger and they're all good guns. The Taurus revolvers I own are VERY accurate, but then, so are my Blackhawks. I like the Blackhawks in the field, very strong guns. I don't own a Raging Bull, however. Those things are the X frames of the Taurus line, .454 Casull, built for handgun hunters.

I have scopes on two Contender barrels and a Ruger Mk2. Some might not like optics on a handgun, but my eyes have never been that good and when I went to bifocals, well, scoped hunting handguns are the way to go for me. I don't find them either awkward or slow. With that Ruger, off hand, man, the 25 yard plates fall like rain. :D I love that thing.

Now then, if you really wanna go handgun hunting, consider the contender. I think it's the best handgun hunting platform out there. I have a 2x 30mm Tasco Pro Point on my .30-30 barrel and it's my favorite hunting barrel for deer/hogs. I have a 2x scope on a 10" .22 barrel that shoots as good as most rifles in the caliber, match grade or not. It's awesome, shoots tiny little 50 yard groups that will fit under a quarter. I've hunted squirrel with that one, but not that I have the lighter Ruger and it's 1" 50 yard accurate, I might be doing more hunting

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=65981&d=1193197657

[Husker_Fan]

This past season was my first hangunning for whitetale. I used a ruger GP-100, six inch .357. My hunting load was the Buffalo Bore 180 gn lfn. I took a mature doe (95 lbs dressed) at 35 yards, which was my self imposed limit based on how I did practicing.

I shot the doe behind the left shoulder while she was quartering away slightly, and I was about 15 feet up in a treestand. The BB round went through both lungs, shattered the right shoulder, and exited with energy to spare.

A .357 with a propper load is plenty of gun for whitetail. Just choose your shots well and know your limits.

[MCgunner]

Just choose your shots well and know your limits.

That pretty much spells out any handgun hunting with any caliber and practice, practice, practice. You might can get away with firing your rifle off the bench once a year to check sight in, but handgunning takes practice even if you're skilled at it already. It's kinda like bow hunting. You can't just get back on that bicycle and ride it like you can the rifle. Of course, most of us shoot .22 rifles at tin cans enough to stay proficient with a rifle. But, handguns take field practice to gain proficiency and confidence and maintain it.

[NCsmitty]

If you want to use a handgun for 100 yard deer hunting, I'd suggest a scoped Thompson/Center Encore or Contender in 357 Maximum and then practice a lot with it.

I'm with Grumulkin on that note.
I shoot 180 gr Hornady SSP and it is a great round and the plus is being able to use 38Spec. and 357 Magnum for plinking.

I'll add that I have taken a 4 point with this rig and previously had a 44Mag six-gun that I also took a deer with years ago.

NCsmitty

[pmeisel]

Either gun will do the job if you can. I have used a Model 19 with good results.

Biggest thing is, how far out can you achieve acceptable accuracy? My pre-season practice is to start with a paper plate at 25 yards, shoot a cylinder, put up another, back up 10 yards, etc.

The round center in a paper plate is about 6" in diameter. My maximum shot range is how far I can consistently put the whole cylinder in that 6 ". For me that's about 80-85 yards. Your mileage may vary. When I first started, it was more like 40 to 50 yards.

I would be happy to own either gun. But your grandkids probably won't wear the Blackhawk out.

[hardluk1]

Brain 923 I am new to this forum but no handgun hunting. I have used a dan wesson for near 30 years and if you can still find a good early used one get it. After that i would try to go with a double action pistol for one reason. If you are going to stand hunt some you do not have to cock the gun. Just pull the trigger . A single action can get you in trouble if a deer walks up close and leaves you with no option. Get a 8" barrel and think about a red dot scope or some kind of hallow type site. I have used a old red dot for 20 years and can shoot inside the 4" dot with ever shoot ever to go down range with mine. A 3"" hundred yard group is closer to what i can do sited at 100 yards 0. Ammo ? I have shot pmc's gold line for some years but today i would try the dpx, hard to beat a x bullet. But any 150gr+ premium defense type round would do well on deer. There are some 165 grain hps to should work and if going after some a bit hairier like hog use a 180grain hard cast , it will push through both shoulders. I have tried scopes but they need a very good rest at any distance and if a dot is on the target anywhere in the scope is on the target unlike a regular scope. You can practice shooting from a single support as if in a stand or on the ground with a support sticks or poles.

[redneck2]

I'd second the Contender idea. I've got one in .357 Herrett which would be more than adequate at 100 yards or better. Now, the ability of the shooter is the bigger question.

[Sunray]

"...how far out can you achieve acceptable accuracy?..." Exactly. Hitting a 9" pie plate, every time, at 25 yards, with your hunting ammo, is essential. Hitting the flat 6", every time, is, of course, far better.
A .357 is marginal though. A .41 Mag or .44 Mag would be better, but you still have to be able to hit that pie plate every time. Well said, pmeisel.
In any case, go with the Ruger. Taurus has had some customer service issues lately.

[highorder]

Dad has been filling whitetail tags since I was a boy with a T/C Contender with a super 14" .44 Magnum barrel. I think it has a 2.5x T/C scope on it, but I haven't seen it in a few years...

OP, that Blackhawk has class in spades over the Taurus.

[lgbloader]

357 Mag is cool for deer hunting but I would only take a shot if I was 50 yds or closer.

LGB

[WardenWolf]

Rugers are probably the best revolvers out there right now, aside from some custom hand cannons. There's also a wide variety of single shot models designed specifically for hunting. Some of these push the limits of what can sanely be called a "handgun", and are effectively a stockless rifle. Then there's the pistol AR-15 models. Different states have different laws regarding acceptable handguns, so it's important to know the specifics of your state.

One thing I would like to say, however, is to keep in mind that most states have regular rifle seasons immediately following handgun season. Please try to be courteous to other hunters by not spooking them too badly. Handgunners often make it difficult for later hunters because their up close and personal muzzle reports tend to spook the herds far worse than either archery or long range rifles. When I was hunting javelina in February, we had to hike 3/4 of a mile back on very rugged terrain because people had spooked all the closer herds.

[flipajig]

I hunted last year with my ruger super blackhawk in 44mag and was able to take one deer with it. im also a bow hunter I will not take a shot that i dont feel good about or im in question about my max range is what i can hit a 6inch pie plate with all 6 rds every time not just once but several times I shoot open sights im 44years old with 20/20 vision still (knoking on wood)and when i can't shoot open sights any more then out will come a scope or a red dot. The best thing you can do is PRATICE PRATICE AND MORE PRATICE you owe it to the game your hunting to make a clean kill.

[T.R.]

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c146/rushmoreman/357MAGelk-1.jpg

My Taurus 357 MAG did the job on this cow elk. Distance was approx 50 feet.

Is 357 MAG ideal for elk? NO.

Will 357 MAG penetrate and destroy chest organs at least well as a modern arrow at archery distances? YES.

Hunting with a revolver means getting close and waiting for the perfect shot angle. PATIENCE is important. Lacking hunting skills and patience, hunt with a scoped rifle because it's less frustrating.

TR

[moooose102]

my belief is that unless you are, or were on a competition shooting team, leave the 100 yard handgun shots to the experts. i shot and killed a whitetail with a 6" S&W 686 (357 mag) many moons ago. it went roughly 60 yards before pileing up and expireing. there is enough power there to do the job, but seriously, i would limit shooting to 50 yards. the one i shot was at roughly 30 yards.

[gbran]

I've taken a fair share of deer, bear, elk and pigs with my Super redhawk in .454 Cassul. It's got a 2x Burris on it and I really need to rest it or at least lean it against a tree. It's pretty hard to shoot offhand at any great distance, but I have no problem taking long shots from a rest. My longest shot was a 200 lb boar at about 85-90yds, but I can hit pie plates all day long at 100yds.

[44-henry]

I shot this deer last fall with a reproduction Colt 1873 in 45 Colt using a black powder load along with a 250 grain flat point. Practice, practice, and than practice some more. Get close and pick your shot carefully and you will do fine.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v733/44-henry/45Colt-1.jpg

[kanook]

got this one at 50 yards ruger old army brass frame96106

[GTS Dean]

I would recommend a .41 or .44 mag for out to 100 yards. Don't even think of hunting with it at over 50 yards until you've put 1000 rounds through it.

[hardluk1]

Anyone that has read about elmer keith then knows that a 44 and some others can kill at longer ranges BUT it does take lots of practice and some kind of rest beyound 50 yards. DON'T free hand at those distances unless your a real world class shooter. But it can be done. I shoot a red dor for years and that does help me enogh that it makes it possible but still with a good rest and a still target.

[hossdaniels]

I have killed 4 deer with a 6" 357 mag, two exited, and two didn't. I had a very hard time tracking the two that didn't exit, and even the exits were not like walking a line to the deer. I sold it and bought a 44 mag and I am MUCH happier with the results, only two kills with it so far, but both exited and had good blood trails.

If you decide to try the 357 limit your shots to 50 yards max, think archery type shots(i.e. avoiding shoulder bones),and a big +1 on the heavy buffalo bore ammo.

[1911shooter]

The taurus is a fine gun the ruger is also a great gun, the 357 is a good crtridge for deer to about 75yrds with 180gr bullets.
I would have to give another vot e for the contender. But my choice for deer would be the 7-30 waters. this round is a hammer on white tail. i ve used it for every thing from small white tail to black bear and even the occassional muledeer. unless you plan on stepping to the JDJ family of cartridges.