22-rimfire
Member
Handgun hunting for deer is a great challenge. It works too. I think of it as archery hunting except you are using a handgun with probably a bit more reach than a bow.
Some say the 357 mag is sufficient for whitetail hunting with a handgun. It probably is if you are a reasonable shot. My first "deer hunting handgun" was a 6" Python. Read a lot on the subject and decided on a bit more power. I prefer to up the power level just a little (about 30%) and go with a 41 or 44 magnum revolver. All it will take is one shot, but it's nice to have another couple just in case.
The preferred smaller calibers are 45 Colt, 41 Mag, and 44 Mag. Each can give you just enough power to be effective without the sometimes punishing recoil of a larger caliber handgun. Contenders are different.
I played around using a 41 mag for a number of years and didn't get or take shots as I had a rifle with me. Then I got a 480 Ruger in a SRH. That became a primary gun and I leave the rifle home unless I'm hunting fields. I would have used the 41 mag, but I just hated the idea of drilling a nice 8 3/8" Model 57 Smith for a scope. I have to say though I shoot it better than I have ever shot my 480. My Ruger carries a 2x Leupold scope.
Some say the 357 mag is sufficient for whitetail hunting with a handgun. It probably is if you are a reasonable shot. My first "deer hunting handgun" was a 6" Python. Read a lot on the subject and decided on a bit more power. I prefer to up the power level just a little (about 30%) and go with a 41 or 44 magnum revolver. All it will take is one shot, but it's nice to have another couple just in case.
The preferred smaller calibers are 45 Colt, 41 Mag, and 44 Mag. Each can give you just enough power to be effective without the sometimes punishing recoil of a larger caliber handgun. Contenders are different.
I played around using a 41 mag for a number of years and didn't get or take shots as I had a rifle with me. Then I got a 480 Ruger in a SRH. That became a primary gun and I leave the rifle home unless I'm hunting fields. I would have used the 41 mag, but I just hated the idea of drilling a nice 8 3/8" Model 57 Smith for a scope. I have to say though I shoot it better than I have ever shot my 480. My Ruger carries a 2x Leupold scope.