Who makes the best hunting pistol ?

MCgunner said:

The EEA Witness in 10mm has interested me, a CZ clone and double action hammer gun. I cannot attest to its accuracy, though.

Click to expand...

The Tanfoglio/EAA Witness comes in a bunch of configurations, SA and DA. I have two, both in 10 mm.

I bought a base model "wonder finish" DA 4.5" in Dec. 2012. At the time, the price difference between it and the SA Elite Match (the next model up the chain) was small. Kinda wish I'd bought the EM, but I wanted the DA for "woods defense," unlikely though that use may be. The WF is OK, but I'm not sure about people who call it a "tack driver." The trigger is not bad, but it's no decades-old S&W revolver, either. I'd say it's about equal to the trigger on my GP100. The POI is low, being hidden behind the front sight blade, which I've read is typical for European duty guns, and the rear sight is non-adjustable. Front blade is integral to the slide, so replacing the rear sight could be a crapshoot. It would be possible to mount an optic to one of those saddle mounts that reaches under to the rail. Not sure this would give 70 yard accuracy, though. I'd probably hold myself to half that or a little more, but I have to admit that's a guess since I don't have an optic. Maybe it would work better than I think, and MUCH blame must go to the monkey behind the trigger.

By the time I decided I really wanted an SA version, EAA had raised the price of the Elite Match so much that it wasn't as attractive, so when a Hunter model came up on Davidson's a couple of years ago, I bought it (right around $1000 before tax). I do not shoot it as well as I'd like. The trigger is crisp, but a bit heavier than ideal. I haven't tried to change that. The real problem is my flinch. For some reason, I shoot this much worse than my .44 Magnum Redhawk, even though recoil is objectively less and the trigger is at least as good. But, on a good day, I can pretty much rely on 2.5" groups or a little less at 25 yards with my wrists on a rest, with reloads pushing Nosler 200 grain JHPs at 1200 fps. Again, a good Bullseye shooter could doubtless do much better. I could see this being a 70 yard prospect, both ballistically and in terms of accuracy. Like most of the fancier Witness models, the frame is drilled and tapped with eight screw-holes for a saddle mount.

The fat double-stack grip doesn't seem like an asset to me. My hands are not small (I wear a size L in pretty much any type of glove) but the slide release is a bit of a stretch for my right thumb. Admittedly, I'm always wearing an elastic-band-mounted brass catcher on my right hand, which bulks up my palm just a little. Without that I would be OK.

I got into 10 mm just for fun. Since I have no real belief that I will ever go handgun hunting, and I could just as well use the Redhawk if I did, I am about done with it. I am tired of struggling to find my brass (good 10 mm brass is not something you pick up at most ranges and the Tanfos throw brass a LONG way) so I am about ready to try to sell the Hunter and probably replace it with a Glock 34 or something along those lines.

I agree with those who say 10 mm is best compared to .357 Magnum. To say it equals the .41 Magnum is not really realistic when you look at the potential of a long-barreled revolver. Like with the .357, with the right ammo in the right hands, the 10 mm could do a lot, but don't compare it to the really big boys.

I saw a 9.5" Redhawk (or Super Redhawk?) in .480 Ruger on Gunbroker earlier this year. Not something I need, but it was really tempting. That would be my answer to this question, with a 2x scope, if a chest holster is acceptable.

For a hip holster, probably Glock 40 with a small red-dot. (Glock model 40, not a .40 S&W.)

But really, any .44 mag revolver you like will do.

There is no best anything.
Like FL-NC says, 70 yards is a very long way with a handgun of any kind. Factory 10mm ammo has less than 500 ft-lbs of remaining energy with a 180 grain bullet too.

Click to expand...

I've shot one at 90 yards quite dead with a high shoulder shot from my .30-30 Contender, 12" compensated barrel and 2x optic. I wouldn't hesitate to take one out to 150 yards or maybe a little beyond. That 90 yard spike dropped so fast into the high grass, I seriously thought I'd completely missed. It didn't disturb the grass when it fell, was dead on the way down.

From a solid rest, that contender shoots 3" groups at 200 yards and sighted for 200 yards, it's only 3" high at 100 yards. I load it to about 2150 fps with a 150 grain Nosler BT and it's quite deadly. At 200 yards it's just shy of 1000 ft lbs. I don't care that it only has one shot. It only takes one shot. I do carry spare ammo on my wrist and can reload pretty fast, but I haven't bumped into a herd of hogs yet to see if I'm fast enough.

one of my hunting pistols in 454 this is at 100 yards