Woods/Hunting gun

The 357 can be very hard on your ears so know that up front if you're in the tree stand w/o hearing protection. That said, Butch Kent has killed a load of deer with the 357. Just remember, like everything else, it's shot placement. A 158 JHP or JSP is going to do the job.
 
For hunting bigger is better, at 50 yards I hit a hog in GA. I have hit a mule deer at about the same distance one and done a few years back. I once saw a guy in LA damn near get gored by a hog that he hit 3 times with a 357.
Big Iron.jpg
 
On 12-13-1981, I skipped my high school senior trip (Dallas Cowboys vs. Filthy Eagles) in order to hunt. I was using a Ruger Blackhawk chambered in .357 mag and killed two hogs which were the first I had ever taken with a handgun. I expended three rounds so in my opinion the .357 is as capable as the shooter. However, like Armored Farmer, I primarily hunt with a Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt. 45 Colt is just a dream to shoot and reload for.
 
Nothing wrong with the .357, although I think it should be maximized with a 6.5"-7" barrel for deer hunting. And a 180 grain bullet rather than the light self defense bullets. Thump is better than speed. With a long barrel and heavy bullet the .357 will work fine, but don't handicap it with short barrels and light bullets. It is hard on the ears for sure.

The .44mag and .41mag are so close ballistic-wise (and bore diameter wise) than I'm not sure why one would choose one over the other. I'd buy the first one I came across at a good price. I'd not pass up a good deal on a .44, waiting for a .41. Or visa-versa. Same cartridge as far as the deer knows, deer can't tell a .41mag from a .44mag I'm pretty sure.

As far as .44/.41 mag vs. .45 Colt, both the magnums can be loaded down to any power level you desire. But of course, in the Ruger the .45 can be loaded up. But I wouldn't pass up a .44 or .41 waiting for a .45, When the .44/.41 can just be simply loaded down.

However, a .45Colt would be perfectly fine, and it's really no big stress on a Colt or Uberti to bring the velocity up to 1,000fps with a 250 grain bullet. That will kill any deer. No, don't load it up to 1100-1200fps, (Or more!!) or run a high round count of 1000fps load through it. That's a whole other ball game for the Ruger or Freedom Arms revolvers.
 
I'd use my Ruger Blackhawk in 45 colt or Super Blackhawk in 44 magnum. I have DA revolvers too, but I shoot the SA ones a bit better.

IMHO, 357 is enough cartridge for most deer and hogs and such, but for the animal's sake I prefer to go larger.

The 45 is fairly new production and came with a 45acp cylinder for cheap practice. The 44 is an old three-screw that's my most accurate centerfire handgun. :)

Ruger Blackhawk 45 Convertible

Ruger Blackhawk 45 Convertible


Super Blackhawk

Super Blackhawk

 
WestKentucky said:
I’m on the fence with what I carry in the woods. I have carried a 44, and it did its job. 15 yards and the little buck fell over. I have carried a 357, and it did its job. 20 yards and the little buck fell over. I have carried a 10mm, and it did its job. 25 yards the nice buck was staggering and not going far, but he wasn’t down, the gun jammed, and I fired a shot through the .270 to avoid a blood trail in light rain. I currently don’t have a .357 or .44 to hunt with, but I will before deer season rolls around (have one just gotta find time to fix it). I do have a 10mm 1911 and I feel plenty confident in its ability, and I do want to take a deer with this one as it was an anniversary gift from the wife. Previous 10mm was a delta elite and I can’t stress enough how awful those guns actually are.

Having used these all in hunting scenarios, I can’t find fault with any of them. This was all in Kentucky and the deer didn’t fuss one bit about what I shot them with, and none was deader than any of the others. (Argument to be made there about the .270 at 25 yards and the massive exit hole, but that has nothing to do with the handgun part of this discussion.)

Moral of the story, you need 2 of each so you can form your own opinion with your own real world data and experiences. You can accomplish this in an acceptable time frame by going on multiple out of state guided hunting trips upon which you can try your guns out. I suggest spring/summer hog hunting as a means by which to judge them all so that you can be thoroughly confused and do it all over again in the fall/winter with deer.
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Handloads?....

I've killed many deer with a delta. Own one blued first gen and a newer (2010ish non-rail) delta and never had a factory round or normal round jam. Light lead reloads ive had ftf plenty. And you have to go minimum col with a fat meplat bullet for the delta. I'll add I have 20 years of being a 1911 hater on here. Lol. So not a fan. Great triggers.... not much else. Also not much colt fan. Id take my redhawk over my 29 or Anaconda all day. Amd would take my DD over my 6920. I might even take my old Olympic over it.

Never had one stagger or walk off either. I had a 10 pointer i shot as he landed jumping a fence and he made one jump and fell dead. 25ish yards. Scored 158. Not A small buck for here. Another I shot at 75 seated and leaning on a rich that was probably a 145 10 pt. Didn't have it scored. He never flinched. It didn't take a lot to kill a 150-250lb goat. Lol. Miss the entry side shoulder and most anything would kill one safely.


As far as south east hunting gun? I have always hunted the blue ridge mountains mostly. A little piedmont too. Bear here are are whoppers if they hit 400lb. Even in East NC they are rarely over 600 for record contenders. They just aren't big. Most hunt their whole lives amd never see a 400 lb bear and they are baiting. Lol. I don't personally bear hunt. Our deer hit 300 lb live weight so a gun suitable for one is fine for the other. 10mm-357 and up is what I see. Personally I used 44 first and used 10mm for carry. I decided i hated the glock 29 for carry and shelved it. Eventually I started using 10mm for deer for the heck of it. Other than a few random 454/460/480/500 adventures, ive used 44 and 10mm the most. I use an xtp or cast. Xtp suck for expansion so I've had awesome results. The 158 pt buck the xtp bullet went in one side and had poked out the other side ribs. Broke one. but not quite gone through the hide on the exit.

If junkies or double duty were a concern id go with a Glock 20 or sig 220 in 10mm. Otherwise id likely stick with an easy to find, easy to feed 44 magnum.

If I were actually bear hunting (and I have) I just take a 44. If your talking 50 or less yards though and from a stand , 10/357 be fine.

I used to say 6 was the minimum for a 44. And if your not experienced then I'd probably stick with it. I prefer 4-5 nowdays.

Bottom line and the question nobody ever asks though....
Which handgun for bear?
 
Ugly Sauce said:
The .44mag and .41mag are so close ballistic-wise (and bore diameter wise) than I'm not sure why one would choose one over the other.
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Availability. Price. Easily found specials for plinking...

I hate reloading. I do it but hate it. Id bet 90% of the game ive killed outside of shotgun has been with a handload. I have 41 and 44. And I'm with you for south east hunting 41/44/45 you can flip a coin. Tiny animals comparatively. But I can buy loaded 44 almost as cheap as 100 primers half the time. Even now in the ignorance I can order s&b for 30 bucks/ 50 in 44. Once my handloads are used up (I estimate about 326.5 years) i would just buy factory ammo for 44 now.

And your not needing a monolithic super ultra ssteldjhplrhighspiremax to kill a glorified billy goat with a rack either so the cheapest factory cast loads or lfp are fine.
 
"Back in the day", I used to stop at a Sportsman Surplus store on my way to the bank to cash my paycheck, every two weeks. I'd get two 50 round boxes of those Remington 246 grain RN .44special loads, and shoot them up before the next paycheck. They were incredibly inexpensive, even back then. (was making $4.50 an hour working in a sawmill) That was a lot of cheap target practice, I got pretty good with my SBH. For .44 magnum loads I re-loaded. I love reloading, for me it's like a seditive.
 
Ugly Sauce said:
"Back in the day", I used to stop at a Sportsman Surplus store on my way to the bank to cash my paycheck, every two weeks. I'd get two 50 round boxes of those Remington 246 grain RN .44special loads, and shoot them up before the next paycheck. They were incredibly inexpensive, even back then. (was making $4.50 an hour working in a sawmill) That was a lot of cheap target practice, I got pretty good with my SBH. For .44 magnum loads I re-loaded.
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I have wolf 240 grain hollow points from 2005ish i got from sportsman's guide for 14per 50. Amd even today S&B 240 GR SP is only 30 dollars a box.

Specials are definitely too high. I don't know that I've ever bought a box. I loaded 240 grain lead with 9 GR unique for plinking years ago. Probably still have 3-4k.
 
That's a good load, 9 grns Unique under a 240. I think seven grains duplicates the old 246 grain factory load, but I forget. The 9 grain load would probably do okay on a deer, even though it's more of a plinker. 9 grains under a 220 grain bullet gives me 940fps, (in a short barrel) which is my load for my Bulldog, for EDC. Also a nice load for my snub-nose M29 S&W, also a once in a while carry gun.
 
Ugly Sauce said:
That's a good load, 9 grns Unique under a 240. I think seven grains duplicates the old 246 grain factory load, but I forget. The 9 grain load would probably do okay on a deer, even though it's more of a plinker. 9 grains under a 220 grain bullet gives me 940fps, (in a short barrel) which is my load for my Bulldog, for EDC. Also a nice load for my snub-nose M29 S&W, also a once in a while carry gun.
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I used 240 xtp and win 296 for the pile of hunting ammo I still use.
 
crestoncowboy said:
I used 240 xtp and win 296 for the pile of hunting ammo I still use.
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Yes, same here, 296 for top loads. I used the 240 XTP for a brief period, but my heavy load is with a 256 grain gas-check bullet. Out of my 7.5" barrel I was getting 1534fps with that load, but my barrel is now 6" and that reduced it quite a bit, close to a full 100fps. Not that 1434fps is chopped liver with a 256 grain bullet. I got a couple deer and a half dozen coyotes with the SBH, but these days I just use it for Grizz repellent. Got many a deer with the Hornady 265 grain JSP out of my Ruger Carbine. That was a serious deer slayer.

So, I suggest the Super Blackhawk with 6" barrel for the OP. :) (in either .44, .41, or .45 Colt)
DSCN1356.JPG
 
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Ugly Sauce said:
Yes, same here, 296 for top loads. I used the 240 XTP for a brief period, but my heavy load is with a 256 grain gas-check bullet. Out of my 7.5" barrel I was getting 1534fps with that load, but my barrel is now 6" and that reduced it quite a bit, close to a full 100fps. Not that 1434fps is chopped liver with a 256 grain bullet. I got a couple deer and a half dozen coyotes with the SBH, but these days I just use it for Grizz repellent. Got many a deer with the Hornady 265 grain JSP out of my Ruger Carbine. That was a serious deer slayer.

So, I suggest the Super Blackhawk with 6" barrel for the OP. :)
View attachment 1218786
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Screenshot_20240716-151842_Gallery.jpg

1964.....

Which gun for bears
 
Sometimes I carry a spear for Grizz repellent. I can imagine what the "answer man" would say about that. :cool: However, I don't think the OP's deer hunting would be very successful with a spear.
 
Well, we better not let anyone knock it over. What a mess!!! But I think it was just black bear worms.
 
mountain_man said:
The bear scenario would likely never come to pass, but it would be nice to be equipped if one wandered out. However, it doesn't matter anymore because you all have sold me on a 44.
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I have both. Use both. 10 and 44 are my two favorites. Have been for 20 years. Between the two id pick a 22. Or a 5.7. Or 40. Or 460 maybe. Or 454. Maybe 480. Or 45 colt.......well id hate to have to pick

Seriously if hunting was the main purpose with possible SD or ccw id choose a 4 inch 44. If SD or CCW or any of that came into play with hunting secondary id go 10mm

When I got into 10mm it was issued here. Next best thing.

For the next 15 year it died. Was dead. Big black winged birds circled the 10mm for 10 years. Only Glock and Kimber would even sell you one. Left over colt or tanfoglio were around. Colt would make a run occasionally. Everyone had a 40....now there are more 10mm than 40 and somehow 10 is undead
 
Have run .44 mag, in Smiths and Rugers.
Only one left now is an inherited 3 screw.
Arthritis sucks, so will run .44 Specials if need be.
Irons is under 50 yards for me anymore.
 
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