Handgun Hunting

Here's what my "rifle without a stock" will do at 200 yards. I don't think any revolver would do that scope or no scope; at least not any that I've shot.

Actually, my personal prejudice is against scoped revolvers and double rifles. I consider it sacrilege to scope one of those. I know, that's just me.



Who would have thunk it. A scope on a "rifle wihout a stock" is a challenge?

Yes, it does take a bit of practice to shoot well with a big scoped "rifle wihout a stock."

The Klipspringer was taken at about 180 yards off a good rest. Last I checked, it was in SCI's top 10 in the handgun category.

It's handy to have a gun that will shoot well as opposed to the "gallon milk jug at 50 yards."

Here is a link to some fine revolver shooting http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=211076

It appears his barrel is shorter than yours.

I find a scope hard to use on a big pistol in the woods. In open country it's fine, but in open country I want a rifle. I leave the scope off and keep handgun hunting a short distance thing.

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With my eyes, I find the opposite true. I NEED optics. In the shadows at dusk, well, I can't even see the front sight most times. I have a 4 moa dot reticule with taper crosshairs on on my Contender, stands out well and works well in the shadows at dawn or dusk when most shots are taken. And, if you miss, five more ain't gonna help.

I even have a scope on my squirrel gun.

Hear, hear, MC, et al--

Here's to scopes on "handguns"--

Oh-humm...Yawn...Must be doin' something wrong here. I've taken two blacktails with a plain ol' Colt SAA with 4 3/4" barrel in .357 magnum. No scope. One shot kills...Nuttin' fancy.

You guys keep forgetting that the lowly .22 is the favorite of poachers. Deer are just not bullet proof.

That 460 revolver is a great choice for hunting. I shot a deer with mine a few years back. Quite effective.

It's terrifically accurate. I can hold a 3-4" 100 yard group with 2x scope off a rest, and I'm no precision pistol shooter.

2 cautions- get a good holster, it is a really heavy and awkward gun to carry in the woods all day. Second, it is unbelievably loud. You need ear protection even to shoot it once or twice, I wear electronic muffs hunting now, I have some noticeable hearing damage from shooting it 4 times without muffs, 3 years ago.

I respectfully disagree with Buck460, I use 45 Colt brass for practice ammo so I can tell at a glance if it's a light or heavy load. And that brass is less expensive. Nothing wrong with just downloading 460 brass his way though.

As he mentioned, make sure to use stout bullets if you are handloading, 45 Colt bullets driven 1000fps over their intended velocity certainly won't hold together well and penetrate properly.

It's certainly an attention getter to pull that giant revolver out at deer camp. I like to use kind of offbeat guns as you do, and my uncles and cousins called me Wyatt Earp all that year, and for a couple more after.

It's terrifically accurate. I can hold a 3-4" 100 yard group with 2x scope off a rest, and I'm no precision pistol shooter.

2 cautions- get a good holster, it is a really heavy and awkward gun to carry in the woods all day. Second, it is unbelievably loud. You need ear protection even to shoot it once or twice, I wear electronic muffs hunting now, I have some noticeable hearing damage from shooting it 4 times without muffs, 3 years ago.

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Hmm, sounds like my Contender...just less than half as accurate and, no doubt, a little heavier and bulkier.

I have a Contender too. 35 Rem super 14. But I hunt with the 460 more- I thimk the 460 is easier to carry- it is heavier but more compact, offers a quick follow up shot if needed, and it's just so dang cool. I get about the same accuracy from both so that's probably shooter limited rather than equipment limited.

Your mileage may vary.

I'm a tender fan I also like my 6 guns.
All you need is one. Shot placement is key I have used my SBH 44 mag at bow ranges off hand with great success. But for extended ranges I take my tender. I'm a fan of the 7-30 waters with a 120 grain Nosler BT running 2550 fps it's good to 300 yards providing I do my part. At 100 yards I've walked on water 3 times with shooting a 1/2" group with my load so I know the gun will do its part providing I do mine.
Flip

I think, if I were wanting a big caliber revolver for hunting and didn't think my .45 Colt Blackhawk was plenty (it is), I have always thought i'd like a Freedom Arms line bored revolver in .454 Casull. Those things are works of art, makes my Blackhawks seem a bit crude. I really prefer the SA's grip in heavy recoiling calibers, too. I'd have to put a scope on it, though. There are concessions to old eyes that were never that good in the first place.

MCgunner said:

I think, if I were wanting a big caliber revolver for hunting and didn't think my .45 Colt Blackhawk was plenty (it is), I have always thought i'd like a Freedom Arms line bored revolver in .454 Casull.

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I had one of those and found it a bit dissapointing. Yes, it is a well made very pretty precision revolver but, in my opinion, the front sight is a bit to fragile for my use and the rear sight kept getting loose. Both of those issues made it unacceptable for me. Of course, if I had scoped it, those issues wouldn't have been a problem. I also didn't think it's accuracy was significantly better than most of my other handguns and a lot worse than my Encores.

Well, my Ruger shoots 1" at 25 yard benched groups which is as good as I could ever shoot iron sights even off sandbags, so yeah, when I do get the money to buy an FA, doubt I'd spend it on that.

I handgun hunt with several types and calibers and have had great luck with them all. I use contenders and revolvers from 38spl to 44 to 30-30 and a few in between. The one that's served me best in terms of drt and number of animals taken is still the one i carry at all times on the property and hiking in the woods, a SS 4 and 5/8" super blackhawk in 44 mag stoked with handloads and plain ol' irons. It's taken everything from mule deer to coyotes to black bear from right up close to 100 yards (on game animals, on predators I don't have much for a range limit). With lots and lots of practice (which you'll get no matter what when you carry the same gun all the time) you can stretch that milk jug test out quite a bit further with a good rest or on your back with the gun between your legs.

Wow; You guys make me feel "inadeqate".
Naw, not really.

The last deer I killed with a handgun was with a Glock M22 with factory Winchester 155gr JHP's.
Double lung shot at ~45yds. Deer ran 40yds and dropped.
Wounds (entry and exit) were indistinguishable from that from a jacketed bullet from .30/30...

I've also shot them with .357mag and 10mm auto.
I now swap between a S&W 329PD (.44mag w/240gr cast at ~1,000fps) or "Lipsey's Special" New model flat top Ruger BlackHawk in .45Colt with 255gr RFN (Lee) at same speed...
I don't like heavy, bulky scoped handguns (hand-rifles?).
If I'm going to carry something that big, I'll just carry a Marlin or Winchester .30/30 or such...
Actually, my "hardest" decision is just what I want to kill a deer with on the morning before I go out....
hmmm, what have I "NOT" killed a deer with so far.... eeeny, meeny, minnnee, moe!!!

ill give you a bit differnt advice then most here. Shelve the 454 460 ect line of thought. There guns for the very experienced handgunners and i know some of them that really cant handle them either. For a beggining handgun hunter id say hands down your best bet is a 44 mag wiht at least a 6 inch barrel. If you handload a 41mag or 45 colt can be thrown in too but factory ammo for the 45 colt is kind of enimic and just finding 45s or 41s can be a chore. Then shelve the idea of hunting with your new 44 this year. It takes time to master a handgun. Even a 44.

You need to load and shoot about a 1000 44 spec level rounds and really get used to the gun and not off a bench but from actuall field possitions. When you can place all of your shots in a 6 inch circle off hand or in a field position and I mean ALL at the longest range your going to hunt. If your cheating and using a scoped handgun that makes it much easier to hit with id still go through this because when a deer shows up everything in your mind switches to automatic and you have to have trained your mind. then switch to ammo at a power level you feel your going to hunt at and believe one thing even if you think this post is bunk. You dont need a 454 or 460 to kill deer or black bear or even elk sized game and with proper handloads even a 44 mag with a good 250 grain flat nosed cast bullet will do a hell of alot of killing. Follow this advice and you will head out into the field next year with confidence in yourself and your equiptment. Nothing will turn you off to handgun hunting faster then wounding animals

Open sighted Ruger SBH Bisley Hunter .44 mag or long slide 10mm 1911 ... Or red dot G20 10mm. Have taken three with a 10mm in one form or another and will be trying again with the .44 this year. I try to get as close as possible like a bow shot.