deer season is coming and i'm thinking about investing in another side arm for deer hunting. if you've read my thread last year i miserable failed to kill a deer with my glock 22 in range but that is another story. this year i want to invest in bigger caliber like a .44 preferably in semi auto, however most .44 out there i've seen are revolvers and i'm not really a revolver guy. while at the gun shop i notice the desert eagles (semi auto) comes in .357, .44 and the .50. they have both the .44 and .50 instock for the same price. i know .44 can be fairly accurate but would it be overkill to go with the .50? how much more or less accurate between the two? i'm thinking about trading my glock and adding $$$ for it. yes quite pricy.
desert eagle for hunting?
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.44 Mag will be fine and will be cheaper and more available than .50AE. IMO, unless you handload, stay with the .44 mag in the Desert Eagle.
More powerful cartridges can be housed in a revolver than an auto pistol, with the exception of the Desert Eagle.
In regards to the Desert Eagle .44 mag and .50AE, both calibers are fine for deer. (But as mentioned, .44 mag is much cheaper than the .50AE). Also, the Mk XIX Desert Eagles are kind of nice in that they allow you to convert your .44 mag into a .50 AE (and vice versa). All you have to do is swap barrels and mags. (Both cartridges use the same bolt). They also make 10" barrels in both calibers. Accuracy is exceptional, IMO.
Ive seen far, far more people silhouette shoot with revolvers than with any auto loading pistol. Me personally, i dont like the DE. Its just the way they are portrayed in movies so it seems gimicky. You could find a 44Mag revolver quite a bit cheaper than you would a DE. You wont have to worry about grip size and you can shoot lead wad cutter ammo through the revolver. Im not totally positive but mounting optics would probably be easier on a revolver.
The Desert Eagles are great range gun or safe queens in my opinion. There are far more effective firearms to do the job the DE can do. Maybe its their $900-$1200 price tag.
The Desert Eagles are great range gun or safe queens in my opinion. There are far more effective firearms to do the job the DE can do. Maybe its their $900-$1200 price tag.
Actually easier on the Desert Eagle. The Eagle has a rail already built into the barrel so it is just a matter of mounting up what you want.
You could always try a 10mm autoloader, not as powerful as .44 mag, but it puts you up near .41 mag territory, and is plenty enough to take down a deer (with the right loads), and if you like your glock, and the way it handles, then a glock 20 would be the perfect choice, or there are the EAAs or 1911 patterns in 10mm, or used S&Ws.
But if you are stuck on .44, I would suggest just sticking with a revolver, the eagle has some reliability issues that might come up during hunting (depends on the loads), and it is a HUGE autoloader, which means that you have to take into account the size of your hands and the weight of the gun (still lighter to tote around than a rifle).
But if you are stuck on .44, I would suggest just sticking with a revolver, the eagle has some reliability issues that might come up during hunting (depends on the loads), and it is a HUGE autoloader, which means that you have to take into account the size of your hands and the weight of the gun (still lighter to tote around than a rifle).
My opinion is if you want a 44mag then go with a revolver like a super redhawk. If you want to go with an auto go with the 10mm.IMO
i love the glock, very reliable. i kinda regret not getting the 10mm from glock but at the same time i do a lot of shooting and this gun is pretty decent on the wallet. the bigger caliber will be strictly for hunting purposes. i'm not really a revolver fan but prices are making me rethink. i really like the .44 taurus and smith and wesson has, the more thicker and longer type. i've never really shot a magnum hand gun before, perhaps i will be paying the range a visit and rent one of their guns. i hope they have a 10mm there too.
I have a taurus raging bull in .44 mag, its a great shooter, with a great price tag. S&Ws will have better build quality, but a much larger price tag. But I have never found any fault in either of my tauruses.
A good choice would be to find a good used S&W in .44, you can usually find them used for the same price as a new taurus.
A good choice would be to find a good used S&W in .44, you can usually find them used for the same price as a new taurus.
CHEVELLE427
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I have and like the desert eagle 50, I also reload for it.
Thing about the DE MK19 you can inter change the barrels, buy a 50AE and all you will need to have a 44 is a 44 mag barrel and mag.
STOCK BARRELS ARE AROUND $300 & UP
Thing about the DE MK19 you can inter change the barrels, buy a 50AE and all you will need to have a 44 is a 44 mag barrel and mag.
STOCK BARRELS ARE AROUND $300 & UP
MTMilitiaman
Member
I can understand your affinity for autos. I prefer them as well. I've tried to like several revolvers, but they just feel weird to me.
The Desert Eagle makes a fine hunting handgun. While I can't speak for its accuracy compared to revolvers, as I have never shot nor seen them compared, I've seen my dad shoot a hanging steel tie-plate at 100 yards from the supported offhand position 6 out of 8 times with iron sights and his Mk VII .44 Magnum Desert Eagle.
The Desert Eagle is gas operated and fires from a rotating bolt. This makes the barrel stationary, unlike most handguns that operate on the modified Browning mechanism. So while it may or may not ever be as accurate as a tuned revolver, it is among the more accurate autos on the market, and more than adequately accurate for hunting purposes.
Also, the new ones, the Mk XIXs, come with scope mounting rails on their barrels. This makes it easy enough to attach a red dot or EER handgun scope if you so desire.
The .44 Mag is plenty for deer. A good 240 gr JHP at ~1400 fps will put any deer on the planet down in short order if delivered to the boiler room. The .44 Magnum Desert Eagle is a soft shooter that is much easier to control and shoot accurately, and tends to be more reliable as well. The Desert Eagle is reliable, but susceptible to limp wrist failures. These can be more common in the .50 AE because of the added torque provided by the bigger bullets.
While we're on the subject, the Desert Eagle also requires jacketed bullets as hard cast can clog the gas port. Most common bullet weights and profiles will function fine, the Desert Eagle won't offer the versatility of a revolver. It simply won't handle the range of loads a revolver will. Heavier bullets with large flat meplats can get hung up on the feed ramp of the Desert Eagle, and it can't shoot "Special" loads, like .44 Specials. It is a large handgun that can give people with small hangs trouble, and it will be heavy as well.
The weight helps control the recoil, however, and isn't bad in a good holster. It is accurate, reliable, and easy to maintain. And it is incredibly robust. My grandpa put a very overloaded .44 Mag round through his. Not only did the pistol protect him from injury, but it remained relatively undamaged itself, and actually functioned. He just took it to the gunsmith who cleaned molten brass from the gas port and firing pin channel, and replaced the extractor and ejector. The pistol continues to function fine with no apparent ill-effects from what we later calculated on Quickload to be an estimated 60,000+ PSI.
The .50 is a hoot to shoot. Those big 300+ gr bullets land with a satisfying thump. After shooting the two side-by-side, there can be no question that the .50 is more powerful. I doubt the differences will be appreciable on deer, and the .50 is more expensive.
I say get the .44. If the Desert Eagle meets your requirements, you can add a .50 AE barrel later at your discretion. Swapping between the two calibers is as simple as field stripping it and slapping the other barrel in, then reassembling and loading with mags for the other caliber--barrel and mags, that's it. It takes less than 30 seconds.
.44 Mag on left, .50 AE on right.
As for the Desert Eagle--I like it. But it does have limitations. If you accept them, you and your Desert Eagle can have a long and fruitful relationship. If not, your Desert Eagle will end up a safe queen.
The Desert Eagle makes a fine hunting handgun. While I can't speak for its accuracy compared to revolvers, as I have never shot nor seen them compared, I've seen my dad shoot a hanging steel tie-plate at 100 yards from the supported offhand position 6 out of 8 times with iron sights and his Mk VII .44 Magnum Desert Eagle.
The Desert Eagle is gas operated and fires from a rotating bolt. This makes the barrel stationary, unlike most handguns that operate on the modified Browning mechanism. So while it may or may not ever be as accurate as a tuned revolver, it is among the more accurate autos on the market, and more than adequately accurate for hunting purposes.
Also, the new ones, the Mk XIXs, come with scope mounting rails on their barrels. This makes it easy enough to attach a red dot or EER handgun scope if you so desire.
The .44 Mag is plenty for deer. A good 240 gr JHP at ~1400 fps will put any deer on the planet down in short order if delivered to the boiler room. The .44 Magnum Desert Eagle is a soft shooter that is much easier to control and shoot accurately, and tends to be more reliable as well. The Desert Eagle is reliable, but susceptible to limp wrist failures. These can be more common in the .50 AE because of the added torque provided by the bigger bullets.
While we're on the subject, the Desert Eagle also requires jacketed bullets as hard cast can clog the gas port. Most common bullet weights and profiles will function fine, the Desert Eagle won't offer the versatility of a revolver. It simply won't handle the range of loads a revolver will. Heavier bullets with large flat meplats can get hung up on the feed ramp of the Desert Eagle, and it can't shoot "Special" loads, like .44 Specials. It is a large handgun that can give people with small hangs trouble, and it will be heavy as well.
The weight helps control the recoil, however, and isn't bad in a good holster. It is accurate, reliable, and easy to maintain. And it is incredibly robust. My grandpa put a very overloaded .44 Mag round through his. Not only did the pistol protect him from injury, but it remained relatively undamaged itself, and actually functioned. He just took it to the gunsmith who cleaned molten brass from the gas port and firing pin channel, and replaced the extractor and ejector. The pistol continues to function fine with no apparent ill-effects from what we later calculated on Quickload to be an estimated 60,000+ PSI.
The .50 is a hoot to shoot. Those big 300+ gr bullets land with a satisfying thump. After shooting the two side-by-side, there can be no question that the .50 is more powerful. I doubt the differences will be appreciable on deer, and the .50 is more expensive.
I say get the .44. If the Desert Eagle meets your requirements, you can add a .50 AE barrel later at your discretion. Swapping between the two calibers is as simple as field stripping it and slapping the other barrel in, then reassembling and loading with mags for the other caliber--barrel and mags, that's it. It takes less than 30 seconds.
.44 Mag on left, .50 AE on right.
As for the Desert Eagle--I like it. But it does have limitations. If you accept them, you and your Desert Eagle can have a long and fruitful relationship. If not, your Desert Eagle will end up a safe queen.
"...Desert Eagle for hunting?..." How big are your hands? The Desert Eagle is a great big pistol. If you don't have very big hands, it won't fit you. If a handgun doesn't fit your hand, you will never be able to shoot it well enough to hunt with it. No matter what calibre or what sights.
"...You wont have to worry about grip size..." Yes, you will, but it's not the grips. It's the size of the frame. If the frame is too big, changing the grips won't help.
"...You wont have to worry about grip size..." Yes, you will, but it's not the grips. It's the size of the frame. If the frame is too big, changing the grips won't help.
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