Pistols, Scopes, Squirrels

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dagger dog

dagger dog

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Got this urge to hunt tree rats with my Ruger MKII 6 7/8" target pistol.
Can't use the iron sights unless I have eye doc grind me some quad focals.
So I bought this 2.5 horsepower scope and a mount.Now I'm wanting one of those ugly nylon shoulder holsters so I can pack it around , figured it would be cheaper than hiring a gun bearer.

How 'bout it out there, anyone knocking off Sabre toothed tree vermin with handguns?
How do the scopes work out?, they kind of give me vertigo trying to get the crosshairs centered in the tube, almost nauseated :barf: if it takes very long.
If I shoot from a rest, forked branch , hand held against the side of a tree, it lessens the aquirement time. Man I'd like to see the guy that can, shoot a scoped rig off hand!
Anyway think I'm gonna carry my rifle for back up, those rodents are getting meaner than ever.:D
 
"...those rodents are getting meaner than ever..." Wait until a momma sets up housekeeping on your balcony and ruins everything you have stored there. My own fault for providing a snug place for the nest.
Does a red dot sight work for you? The 2.5X scope should work ok and Uncle Mike's ballistic nylon holsters inexpensive, light weight and confortable to wear. Mind you, mine is for a .45/9mm and only used it while in the Queen's Service. Hunting with a handgun up here will get one arrested though. Always used a shotgun for tree rats myself.
"...shoot a scoped rig off hand!..." Upper body tone and no coffee. Lots of target shooters use red dot sights though.
 
Sun,
Out here in the sticks of SO. IN, (where men are men and sheep are nervous), tree rats are every where,
fox and greys. Never saw a black one 'till we took a trip up to the Niagra escarpment! Are the black ones fair game,and does their range extend up to your area around
London ?
Y'all have some real open hunting ground in Ontario, a large public hunting area in my neck of the woods is 24,000 acres. The pressure on public land for hunting in IN is great. Opening day of deer season, almost requires a bullet proof vest. Our poloticians look out for us hunters and pass laws like shotguns, handgun only for deer, no centerfire rifles ,but they did pass a law last year letting us use rifles chambered for pistol cartridges with limits on power and size.
The area in which I reside is rural farming, in among the rolling hills on the breaks of the Ohio river south central IN. Plenty of small game rabbit, squirrel also fox, coyote. Great fishing here also, but no pike, walleye.
Hows hunting up your way?
 
I've hunted squirrel with a bull barrel Ruger Mk III with an older Tasco Propoint 3.

Observations:
1) Much more challenging, range is greatly reduced over a rifle or shotgun.
2) Get a light reddot/scope, the older propoint that I have is rather large and heavy. Something like a Burris Fastfire would be much better I think, unless you want magnification.
 
I found a used Dan Wesson labeled scope at a gun show for 75 bucks, 2x fixed, for my TC 10" .22 match barrel. It is very, very deadly on tree rats and will out shoot many rifles. Lotsa fun stalkin' those nasty, but tasty little tree rats with that thing.:D

Take along a set of shooting sticks, find you a nice, comfy tree trunk in a bottom, set up before light, and wait for the little buggers to come out. Off hand 50 yard shots ain't gonna happen. You must change your strategy to be more static and only shoot from a good rested position. That's the challenge as I see it.

I'm convinced that the TC Contender or Encore is the absolute best handgun hunting system on the planet. You guys keep your Rugers and Buckmarks. I like accuracy over firepower. :D Kinda neat taking everything from squirrel to running rabbits to deer and hog with the same gun, well, frame, too.
 
MC,
With that 10" bbl. I imagine that T.C. is is plenty accurate! I've always liked that platform. I passed up a deal on an Encore back a few years ago, and am still kicking myself in the butt for not buying it.
The sticks are a good idea I have a pair, but I never thought of using them with a pistol!
Thanks for the tip!

Guido,
I kind of like the magnification, but I also have a red dot on my Mini 14 and I just might try that out on the MKII and see how I like it.
 
2) Get a light reddot/scope, the older propoint that I have is rather large and heavy. Something like a Burris Fastfire would be much better I think, unless you want magnification.
Click to expand...
Guido,
I kind of like the magnification, but I also have a red dot on my Mini 14 and I just might try that out on the MKII and see how I like it.
Click to expand...


I worded that kinda badly. I meant that if you decide to go with a red dot, a lighter style reddot such as a Burris Fastfire or Doctor Reddot would be better than a full tube, though I have heard good things about Ultra-dots.

On the other hand, like you said, a scope with a little magnification would be worth the extra bulk.
 
Dagger:Better than a scope try a Red Dot,I put a Bushnell R/G Dot on my Mark III Hunter because of my old eyes.I use reading glasses nd this did the trick for me,sight aquisition with both eyrs open and fast as open sights.Leupold QRW 30mm Quick release rings,makes for easy storage of pistol,and easy cleaning.Red Dot for sunlight/Green Dot for shaded areas.It's like having a new pair of eyes.
 

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burr
Thats a nice looking set up ya got there, the stainless and wood looks great!
I'm not a black gun nut but my MKII target has Volquartsen target grips (black) 2.5X scope(black)
of course the MKII is(black) going to get on of those Uncle Mike holsters for scoped pistol (black).

Think I'll mail order me some of that baking lacquer fom Brownells in RED or Purple and paint the whole rig!
 
I use my Colt Woodsman, made in 1938, with Micro (iron) sights. Despite - or perhaps because of -- my aging eyes, I regularly shoot 1 3/4" with this gun at 25 yards from a modified Weaver grip. It's deadly on squirrels.
 
Nematocyst, I'm betting those are Milletts.
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JM, thanks. I had never heard of Millet.

I found their web site, but I don't find any handgun scopes there. Any ideas which ones?

I've never used a scope on a handgun, but am considering one to put on a .22 LR (either revolver or semi, not sure yet) specifically for squirrel. My eyes are not quite good enough now for iron sights, unless I listen to Vern ...

I use my Colt Woodsman, made in 1938, with Micro (iron) sights. Despite - or perhaps because of -- my aging eyes, I regularly shoot 1 3/4" with this gun at 25 yards from a modified Weaver grip. It's deadly on squirrels.
Click to expand...
Well, now, I think that's impressive. Minute of squirrel at 25 with iron sights.

If Vern can do that with irons, I'm betting I could do it with a scope.

If I was going to buy a squirrel handgun tomorrow (nope: it won't happen for a while; other priorities right now), it'd probably be some version of Browning Buckmark, with a Bushnell Trophy on it. But I'm open to other suggestions.

Vern, what do you mean by, "Despite - or perhaps because of -- my aging eyes, I regularly shoot 1 3/4" with this gun at 25 yards..."

I think I understand, but would rather read your explanation than make an assumption.
 
Nem, you aren't finding handgun scopes b/c the optics in that picture are Millet red dots. I have a Millet 1" tube red dot that works great with rimfire.

jm
 
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