Handgun Hunting

[Fl0und3rz]

So I've been after a Ruger Bisley Blackhawk in .45 LC ever since I learned of them and decided it would make the perfect type of gun for the type of hunting I seem to enjoy most - close in, public land, brush busting, hiking/scouting with a gun during the season, follow the sign, etc.

I am happy to say that I picked up a new to me, Ruger Bisley Blackhawk in .45 LC, 5.5" barrel.  It will be my new woods gun, and I plan to hunt it almost exclusively, except when I choose to carry a rifle.

It fits my hand well, and I can't wait to get it out and see how it shoots.

I did the I594 transfer at Precise Shooter in Lynnwood.  What a PITA!  A straight retail sale would've been easier, but otherwise, I'd recommend Precise Shooter.  It was a very positive experience.

I picked up dies, brass, and some Hornady 250 grain XTPs, as well as some Buffalo Bore 255 grain Keith loads.

Pics up soon.

Please share any insight you have on loads, deer and elk hunting, etc.


Since there is no specific handgun hunting forum, feel free to share your stories, pics, and insight from your experiences with this or others platforms as well.

[syoungs]

Pics or it didn't happen! 

[jasnt]

You can't go wrong with any of the Elmer Keith style bullets

[Fl0und3rz]

My precious.

[syoungs]

That's art!

[jeepster]

I'd use a single shot like a contender or something....

I used to have a single action super blackhawk in 44 mag. I used to tromp around the bushes with it, and while I never shot a deer with it, I used to think it was a perfect hunting pistol.

That was until I had it snag on my jacket and blow my knee off. I had more misfires and accidental discharges even when "cowboy loading" after my accident. I finally chucked it off a cliff because it was too much of a liability.

While single action has a great base of calibers and ammo selection from a saftey standpoint I think anything single action is a horrible choice

Go double action, go hammerless, go automatic, go single shot, but by god don't go single action. That's one tree branch, shrub, jacket, or just about anything else away from a hospital visit.

I walked away from that one and kept the leg, took a 5x8 patch off the top of my.knee, the skin was just simply gone, fortunately it was nothing plastic surgery couldn't fix, and I was still able to go crab fishing in Alaska a few months later, but the point is single actions are no joke. I get reminded about it every morning when I gotta bend down to put my boots on. A 240gr hollow point 44mag from point blank has a way of.making you not forget

Unless you are an EXPERIENCED shooter, and can safley operate a single action under pressure (ie not quick drawing for that trophy buck) then I might suggest it, but for the most part u urge you to do yourself a favor and not go single action.

[Fl0und3rz]

I am sorry to hear of your accident, and thank you for the words of caution.  I'd like to hear more about what kind of holster you were carrying it in.

[jeepster]

Uncle Mike's

I had the 5.5" barrel

If I were to do it over again, id get a Calvary or officers style holster, something with a cover so the grip and hammer are completely covered , but make sure the cover falls outward, so there are not any obstructions


The cross bar saftey mechanism only prevents the hammer from dropping if the gun is fully cocked. There is no half cock, and even the slightest flub of the hammer will light off a round

Get yourself a hammer extension, make it big, so your finger won't slip, because if your hammer slips from your thumb before it is fully cocked, it will fire.

[Fl0und3rz]

I was under the impression that the new model with the transfer bar requires trigger depression to cause the transfer bar to come up to allow the hammer to transfer its momentum to the firing pin.  It seems like a pretty safe system, compared to say a rebounding hammer without it. 

I have a hunter leather holster that came with it, but I want the triple K leather Ruger branded holster. Both have a hammer strap.

I wouldn't expect to stalk with it in my hand, especially cocked, but probably more now so with your cautionary tale.

[jeepster]

Again, my accident happened coming out of the holster.

I was at the pit, put 6 in, returned pistol to  holster, put shells in jacket pocket... Drew pistol, hammer snagged just a hair, and kabloowey. Walked the mile from the pit back to my buddys house just to make sure my.leg wasn't.gonna get cut off.

Cross bar only prevents an accidental discharge while cocked ie, you drop your gun with the hammer back, otherwise, it's twice as dangerous because of the misconceptions

[jeepster]

I had a nice chat with the sherrif in the emergency room about it because by law, any firearm wound that ends up in the hospital needs to be investigated by LEO

[Fl0und3rz]

I guess I'll have to replicate what you are describing, with snap caps of course.  Based on my understanding of the action, I would assume that a partial hammer pull and realease would not result in a discharge.  Thanks again.

[jasnt]

I guess I'll have to replicate what you are describing, with snap caps of course.  Based on my understanding of the action, I would assume that a partial hammer pull and realease would not result in a discharge.  Thanks again.

Was this a new model SBH?

[JimmyHoffa]

agree, was the one with the accident an older model?  Older revolvers and lever guns would fire it the hammer fell and the trigger not pulled.  Newer models usually have the transfer bar that actually lowers from a trigger pull to even let the hammer strike.

[jasnt]

agree, was the one with the accident an older model?  Older revolvers and lever guns would fire it the hammer fell and the trigger not pulled.  Newer models usually have the transfer bar that actually lowers from a trigger pull to even let the hammer strike.

i have had mine get pulled back and dropped by a branch on a live round. Scared me but it did not fire and no mark on the primer

[Fl0und3rz]

The point of the transfer bar is to transfer the strike of the hammer to the firing pin in the frame.  The transfer bar should not come up, unless the trigger is pulled.  That is my understanding.

[jdb]

That had to be an old model which it's pretty common knowledge that you don't have the hammer on a loaded chamber. The transfer bar would not permit it to happen on a new
Model.

[jasnt]

"Its name “New Model” is a reference to its transfer bar, which is a safety feature that allows users to carry the weapon fully loaded because the bar blocks the hammer from striking the firing pin if the weapon is dropped, or hammer is partially pulled back and drops."

[Fl0und3rz]

"Its name “New Model” is a reference to its transfer bar, which is a safety feature that allows users to carry the weapon fully loaded because the bar blocks the hammer from striking the firing pin if the weapon is dropped, or hammer is partially pulled back and drops."

I don't know where you got that quote, but it is incorrect.   

On a Ruger with the transfer bar safety, the hammer will never contact the frame mounted firing pin, because of the cut on the hammer, and because, if the trigger is pulled the transfer bar will be up and in position to take the blow from the hammer, transfer the strike of the hammer to the frame mounted firing pin, which transfer of force causes the firing pin to hit the primer.  Without the trigger depressed continually, even a partial hammer pull back and release will still result in no firing pin contact of a chamber round's primer.


Here is a decent explanation of what happens with Ruger's transfer bar and some others using a device properly termed "hammer blocks." 

The Transfer Bar Safety seen below is found in RUGER and other revolvers.  Connected to the trigger the transfer bar must be in the up position for energy to be transferred from the hammer to the frame-mounted firing pin.  As long as pressure is maintained on the revolver's trigger the transfer bar will be in the up position.  If pressure is not maintained on the trigger the transfer bar will move down and out of the way as the hammer falls and as a result the hammer will not transfer its energy to the firing pin and the revolver will not fire.  This safety will prevent the accidental discharge of the revolver if the cocked hammer were to "jar-off" when dropped. It will also prevent discharge if a blow is delivered to the back of an un-cocked hammer.

. . .

The Hammer Block Safety, common to revolvers with hammer-mounted firing pins, is connected to the trigger mechanism and works in a fashion opposite that of the transfer bar safety.  The image below shows a Smith & Wesson revolver with the hammer in the uncocked position.  The hammer block is highlighted in red.  In this position the hammer block is in the up position and will prevent the hammer-mounted firing pin from moving through the frame.

http://www.firearmsid.com/A_FirearmFunction.htm


Here's a couple videos that also explain the transfer bar operation. 

This second video is a bit misleading, because it uses the unfortunate misnomer "hammer block," but it does do a better job of depicting the operation on a charter arms with a properly termed "transfer bar."

For the sake of this thread, my Ruger Bisley Blackhawk is the "New Model" with the transfer bar. 

[jdb]

I'm sorry about your accident jeepster but the ruger new model single actions are some of the safest handguns you can own

[yorketransport]

So, did you shoot the Bisley yet? Good call on both the caliber and barrel length. 

I'm a big fan of handgun hunting, even though I'm told some of my "handguns" may be stretching the interpretation of the law. The SBH Bisley is a gun that I always say I'm going to get but just never do it. I've had a couple SBH and BH Rugers in 357, 44, and 45 Colt and they've all been great guns. I really wanted a 480 Ruger or 475 Linebaugh though so I ended up with a SRH in stead of the BH. Now that they're finally making them in 480 Ruger I feel like I need to get one.

I've taken a lot of small game with revolvers ranging from 22 LR to 45-70 and everything in between but I haven't taken a deer with a revolver yet. It's high on my list of things to do. I've taken quite a few critters with semi autos in 22, 10mm, and 45 ACP as well. I was surprised the first time I hit a porcupine with a 230gr XTP from the 45 and it just shuffled off. 165s from a 10mm have a very different effect!

I've only taken 2 deer with a handgun; a doe about 6 years ago with a 35 Rem Contender and a little 2 pt about a year ago with a 30 Herrett Contender. Next time I hope to use the iron sighted 480 Ruger though.

[Fl0und3rz]

Don't look now, but I saw a Bisley Blackhawk in .480 Ruger when I spotted this last week.  Probably won't get to shoot until 6/4. 

Loaded some 20 grain 2400 250 XTPs, and I will probably try to find some 260 to 270 grain JHPS to try out, too.

I come to read that my chamber throats might be too tight to shoot accurately or without leading, so I am going to hold off on that, for now.

[yorketransport]

I come to read that my chamber throats might be too tight to shoot accurately or without leading, so I am going to hold off on that, for now.

If you haven't slugged your chamber throats you should try it. Take a coulple soft lead sinkers, oil them up, and tap them through each chamber with a wood dowel. Measure them all and then ream all the throats out to the same diameter. I have a .45 caliber throat reamer somewhere if you want to use it. It will help cast bullet loads shoot more consistently. If you want to get really serious you can lap the bore too.

[Fl0und3rz]

That's what they say.  I might take you up on the reamer at a later date, once I get a chance to do more than just put a caliper on the throats.

[bear hunter]

I use to hunt deer with my hand guns. I have taken deer with my S&W 629 using 158gr JSP, RugerSuperBlackHawk 44mag 240gr JHP and Ruger Red Hawk in .454 C. In 300gr barnes x. But not 45 colt. The only thing I would use is sold lead or JS points. All the bullets worked fine except the HP. The 44 bullet hit the shoulder and blow up then shot down to her knee. Messed her up but as I was tracking her. Another hunter crossed in front of me and I herd a shot. Went to look and for him standing over the deef I shot earlyer. The guy had shot her with a 12ga and it was his first deer. I was helping him skin it and found my bullet after I seen the other wound. The bullet blow up and all
I found was the jacket no lead. I the round was hardened lead, JSP, or Copper X bullet. She might of dropped dead. But hand gunning hunting is a fun sport, but Elk hand gun hunting you might wantva bigger gun. Thats my  but for close range bear and deer go with heavy gr hardened lead penitraitor to brake bones and blow through. Good luck and happy hunting. 

[b.roberts]

I have the same bisley .   Super fun gun.  250gr xtp and healthy dose of 2400 or h110 is very accurate.   Favorite load is 270 saa  (casts at 280grs) with 9 grains of unique.   Just about a 1000 fps and super accurate. I also shoot that load out of smaller framed Blackhawk.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[Fl0und3rz]

That's good to hear as that is what I plan to start with.

[Fl0und3rz]

The hard cast lead folks scared me into picking up some 300 grain XTP mags to try out.  I should be able to get out in the next couple weeks to give it a shot and see how far I can consistently put six on a paper plate, along with the 250 grain XTPs.