0 for 1 with the everyday CCW 2015

[DOUBLELUNG]

Took a drive with the wife yesterday evening and encountered a ruffed grouse in the road.  Would have been a chip shot while he was standing in the middle of the road, but I knew the road looped back and all that separated the unseen stretch of road in the background was 2 rows of maple saplings.  I cautiously flanked the wily bird at the low ready until he moved off the road into the hardwood saplings.  I lollipopped his wing joint with the tritium sights and - clean miss.  Sig Sauer P238. 

I try to take as many legal shots on game or varmints as I can with my carry pistols, ever since smoking a coyote at around 9 feet with my first CCW - a Jennings J22 - in 1988.  Over the years - and in states where legal - I've harvested dozens of grouse, squirrels, jackrabbits, cottontails, prairie dogs, feral cats and others with the pistols I carry for personal defense - even when I had a "more suitable" hunting weapon along.  I've taken limits of grouse several times with everything from .22 pocket pistols to a full size M1911 .45.  One year in Wyoming, when the cottontails were cycling at their peak, I took a 10-bunny limit in two hours with 25 rounds of 158gr wadcutters out of a 4" Ruger Security six. Just curious who else does this?  I think it is the best practice in the world for real-world proficiency - and a lot of humbling too.     

[Bill W]

I would like to hunt rockchucks with a revolver, or if frustrated by open sights, a handgun with an optical sight.

I hunted gray diggers years ago with cast bullets in my open sighted .357 and every single gray digger survived.   I don't know if I had the wrong load, bad bullets or operator error as my group size at 100 yards and a tad beyond appeared to be in the 18-24 inch range.   At least the gray diggers respected my ability by running away as fast as possible.

[DOUBLELUNG]

I would like to hunt rockchucks with a revolver, or if frustrated by open sights, a handgun with an optical sight.

I hunted gray diggers years ago with cast bullets in my open sighted .357 and every single gray digger survived.   I don't know if I had the wrong load, bad bullets or operator error as my group size at 100 yards and a tad beyond appeared to be in the 18-24 inch range.   At least the gray diggers respected my ability by running away as fast as possible.

A coworker and I used to hunt juvenile rockchucks in August when they were cottontail size, taking turns with his .22 revolver.  Not my favorite wild meat, but they were free, abundant and legal.  Prairie dogs were a real challenge, finding topography to sneak within 30-40 yards for a shot.  Great practice for antelope hunting!   

[2labs]

Grey diggers respect no man and rockchucks must die at no less than 3500 FPS.
 

[Bill W]

I did take along a .22 LR revolver on a prairie dog hunt one year.  The gophers were closer in than the p-dogs.  In the beginning I'd average 1 gopher for 9 shots, towards the end of the hunt it was 1 for 3 shots.   I wish I had one of my Ruger semis along for that trip.  Average would have been way higher.