revolver harvest

[thomis]

This is certainly a season of firsts for me. First deer with the old flintlock muzzleloader and now my first deer with a handgun. This season keeps getting better and better! I am very thankful for the harvest. Meat is being distributed to friends and family and a lot of grateful folks receiving venison.

This doe was taken with my Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 caliber. She was quartering to me in some saplings and I couldn't get her broadside so I had to take a neck shot. It was about 23 yards.
I have been experimenting with some nice casts a friend of mine made. I can't think of the mold number right now but they are 275 grain with a very large meplap. After trying three powders (2400, Unique and Blue Dot) I settled on 15.5 grains of Blue Dot. Across my chronograph, these were clocked at an average 1,365 fps.
The bullets were air cooled soft so I kept the charge pretty mild so I wouldn't get too much leading in the bbl. Lightly lubed with a homemade concoction. Very accurate load.
I have the same bullet cast also as water dropped hard. I think I'll be able to load these a little hotter with out leading the bbl too much.
Anyways, here are some pics:

entrance wound:


exit wound:


loads:

 

[rodensouth]

Nice shot, bet she didn't go far!

 

[cottonmouth]

Good shootin!

J.B.

 

[cottswald]

If you're like me and have a bad back, pistol hunting carried at the hip can make for a great alternative. It requires a new set of skills and like all hunting can be a great deal of fun. Neck shot with a pistol at 23 yards is some pretty steady shootin. Nice!

 

[BCCL]

Nice work!!

 

[horsemen61]

handgun

How far did she go

 

[Nullcone]

Glad to see I'm not the only one who gets vertical stringing with hot loads...

Nice shot/deer.

 

[thomis]

thanks ya'll
horsemen61, she didn't run at all. not a step. just dropped!

 

[ArtP]

I'd like to offer my own "nice shot" comment, especially with no scope.

I have a 44 mag rifle and pistol that I'd love to get a deer with. I have a SBH 5.5" barrel

I'm not that great a shot with a pistol though, unless it's close up.

 

[critter]

I shot one last year with a S&W M25 in .45 Colt. Like you, I used cast SWC's. Through & through. I like the way cast SWC'S do as it just WORKS and doesn't ruin a bunch of meat.

 

[T.R.]

There is far too much focus these days upon big racked bucks taken with plastic stocked bolt action rifles. I really love to view photos of game taken by an open sight revolver. Thank you for sharing your excellent photos.

Enjoy your dinner plate trophy with pride!

TR

 

[camar]

I see another true shootist. No scope. We must be a dying breed.

 

[JEB]

good job! i got my first handgun deer this year too (also used a a .44 super blackhawk, but in stainless). there really is a great sense of accomplishment when you are able to drop a deer with a handgun.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

I see another true shootist. No scope. We must be a dying breed.

Naaa camar, just some of us are too damn old and blind to shoot irons anymore. Personally, I am glad there is some technology that can keep me out there doing what I love. Even my levers wear glasses I know my gramps is rolling over in his grave every time I take one of the old girls out with glass on her. But we do what we gotta do to make clean, efficient, quick kills. I'd rather not take the risk of my failing eyesight causing undo suffering of an animal.

Nice little doe there thomis. Thats some mighty fine looking table fare there.