Big game hunting revolver picture thread

This is the only really dedicated hunting revolver I own.



Bisley Blackhawk, .44 Magnum, 4x scope. I don't have a picture of the holster, but it's a fairly basic strongside rig, made unusual only by the cutout for the scope.

This one was purchased as a result of California's "anti-lead" law. I didn't have any guns I thought were really ideal for copper bullets - lighter and faster than the big lead slugs I prefer. I settled on 22 grains of H110 behind a 225 grain Barnes XPB. The gun/load has never been spectacularly accurate, but I have never lost a pig for that reason - and that bullet, at 1300 fps, hits them hard.

I get the feeling Ruger is going to show up prominently in this thread.
My 5.5 Redhawk has taken a couple Whitetail.

I haven't had a chance with my Super Blackhawk Hunter yet. (not from a lack of trying)

In my neck of the woods my 357 Blackhawk has been successful in our biggest game (Whitetail)

crestoncowboy said:

Do you hunt from a blind/stand? I never did much good stalking with a scoped revolver. Red dots worked ok though.

I didn't know the no lead rule was handguns too. I thought it was just shotguns. (And wheel weights, I own a shop and when ordering weights I have to confirm I don't live in one of the states that don't allow lead) How about rifles? Is lead allowed

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No, I'm a die-hard spot & stalk guy, but I hunt the wide open spaces and don't mind carrying the weight. At any rate, when I bought the thing red dots were still fairly new and most if not all were housed in big tubes, so I didn't really see the advantage of them over a scope. Were I in the market for a new hunting revolver, a reflex sight would be high on the list, but as it is, I'm pretty much a bowhunter these days, so...

California is now a no-lead-for-hunting-anything state, and it won't surprise me if they try to ban lead ammunition for any purpose.

My 9.5" Ruger Super Redhawk, took a couple of hogs with it.

Here is my deer revolver a Freedom Arms 353 (.357 Mag).

Zebraranger said:

My 9.5" Ruger Super Redhawk, took a couple of hogs with it.
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I assume they were blinded by it and then broke their necks running into trees.

.44 super redhawk



.50ae desert eagle



s&w 629 .44

Been using this for over 30 years



Switched over to a red dot a few years ago.

I'm pretty much a rifle hunter for our local whitetails here in KY, but do carry a .44 Smith 5" bbl'd 629 or 4+" M-69 in a tanker rig if we have to track one down through the multi-flora and blackberries. The gun's readily available there, leaving hands free for dodging the brambles. Our cover here varies from woodland thickets to bean fields and shots vary accordingly.

Loads for these two are Hornady 240 gr XTP's over a healthy dose of Win 296...good medicine for in-close shooting.

Best Regards,

I bought this Blackhawk 7½" .45colt as a deer hunting gun.
the DNR changed the hunting regs to include long guns in place of the "handgun only" season.

My 9.5” SRH got me started on the road to being a dedicated handgun hunter almost 30 years ago. Still have it, but I hunt mostly with T/C Contenders now.m

My short range handgun is a Super Blackhawk with a Burris Fastfire. I added the Fastfire because it was getting harder and harder to clearly see the front sight!

If my vision was like it was back in the day, I would stick with iron sights. I could wear my cheaters when hunting like I do when recreational shooting, but they are a pain. So, I put the red dot on the SBH and never have to worry about seeing the front sight again.

A 657-2 .41 Magnum Classic Hunter fills the bill.

35-40 years ago, I lived just a little south of the T/C arms plant in NH; my neighbor worked there. About a month before deer season, he would set up in an old apple orchard sort of a Whelen tent that looked over a swampy area. I lived at the opposite end of the swampy area.
Neighbor hunted with a T/C Contender in 357 Mag, He would camp out in the tent, usually the first or second day of the season he harvested a nice buck exiting the swampy area into the apples. At the time, I hunted with a Marlin 357 carbine, his success and my interest led me to a Contender- also 357 Mag because I was already loading it. While I had previously hunted with a Ruger Blackhawk [RBH] in 45 Colt, I couldn't hit the side of a barn while standing in it with the RBH. The Contender was much more accurate and a big step in my handgun hunting evolution, currently hunt with a RBH in 41 Mag, S&W M25 and a FA83 [41 Mag]. The 41 RBH is nice, keep it at my warm climate house. Only had the M25 for about 3 seasons, sights seem to work well for my aging eyes and the 45 Colt has been pretty effective.
However, in my opinion, if one is serious about hunting with a handgun - the Freedom Arms 83 is an optimal tool - it is accurate, handles well and is pleasant to shoot - my primary hunting tool.

I’ve hunted with this a couple years now, though I haven’t been able to connect. Last year admittedly I didn’t hunt much. This year about a week, so not extensive. I did bump some does a time or two but didn’t have a clean shot. Next year!

Zebraranger said:

My 9.5" Ruger Super Redhawk, took a couple of hogs with it.
View attachment 1120000

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You could use that thing like a hammer and smack them if 6 shots don't work.

I have a few that fit the bill..

.41 Magnums; 7.5” Redhawk and 6.5” Blackhawk:



.44 Magnums; 6.5” 629 PowerPort and 4” Mountain Gun:



And .45 Colt & .454 Casull:

A 4 5/8” Blackhawk.45 Colt:


And a 4 5/8” Vaquero .45 Colt and a 7.5” Super Redhawk.454:


Stay safe.

I recently picked up this Ruger Bisley 45 colt that someone stuck a Leupold Red Dot on.
I have a Bianchi Bandolier style crossdraw holster for it.



Prior to that I had a BFR in 45-70 with a similar style holster although it hung more under the arm than the above Bianchi does.

These are my two most used handguns for larger game (deer sized and up), and I use the same Uncle Mike's shoulder holster while hunting. It fits under my coat and is protected from the elements while still quickly acquired when needed.

BFR 454 Casull 5"


S&W 629 Classic 44 magnum 6½"