How many handgun hunters are out there?

[yorketransport]

Alright everyone, how many of you are hunting with a handgun and what are you using?

I got my first deer last year with a 35 Rem Contender. She was just a doe, but that was some of the best venison I've ever had.  This year I'm hoping to finally get something with the 45/70 BFR.

Lets hear some stories and post pics if you've got them.

Andrew

[BLKBEARKLR]

Used to use the hand gun all the time for deer in NY.

Mine was the same 35 rem contender on bipods with lighted reticle scope.

Also have taken a bear with and some yotes, but pretty much just archery hunt now

[Bigshooter]

I shot a 2pt blacktail with a ruger .44mag super blackhawk when I was 14 or 15 years old.  I haven't hunted with a pistol in a long time.  Maybe this year I'll give it a try again.

My dad use to only hunt with his contenders.  Mostly his 35 rem. and his 358jdj.  He has killed a lot of bucks with those guns.  He won the hand gunner innernational big buck contest one year with a mule deer he killed in Idaho with his 358jdj.  He likes to tell me he killed the biggest mule deer in the U.S. that year with a pistol.  I always tell him it was the biggest buck in the contest.

[C-Money]

Any pictures of the big Idaho pistol buck?

[mattaylor81]

I want to take a bear with my Blackhawk 45 Colt this year.  Hopefully the opportunity presents itself.

[ecnclan]

I'm going to try it this year.  I have a S&W 44 mag with a Burris 2x scope.  Getting some good groups at 100 yards with 240 grn sierra HP and H110 powder.  Be nice not packing around a rifle.  My dad uses a contender with a 30-30 barrel in Idaho.  That thing is crazy accurate.

[Bigshooter]

Any pictures of the big Idaho pistol buck?

He has it head mounted, I'll take a picture of it next time I stop by.  Its not huge.  Scores in the 160's.  Has a lot of points though.  I think its like a 8x10 about 22 or 23 inches wide.  Nice buck.  And it has a cool droptine.  I think it was killed in 1992 or 1993.

[ButcherBoy]

I've taken a few coyote's and a 3x3 blacktail and a 3x2 muley with my contender. The coyotes and the blacktail were taken with a 14" ssk 375 jdj and the muley was taken with a 14"ssk 309 jdj both wore 2.5x8 scopes at ranges from 45yards for the blacktail and 185yards on the muley. I still hunt with the contender only in a carbine 223 now do to wrist surgery. I've lost the pic's of the blacktail but still have the pic's of the muley and one of the yote's. I sure do wish the wrirst could take the recoil.

[SnakeEyes]

My second buck with my 44 mag.

[PWN Kurt]

I'm going to try my 41 mag Ruger SBH Hunter with a leupold 2x scope on it.  250 WNFPGC cast performance and 18.0 grains of H110.

I'm comfortable taking shots at 40 yards with that set up if I have a good rest...tree branch or monopod.  Off hand, 25 to 30 yards with some practice.

Kurt

[huntnphool]

Nice bucks guys

[Kent Hunter]

I shot this little spike whitetail a few years ago in Montana with my Ruger .480.
It was and is my only handgun deer so far. We range findered him at just over 110 yds.
What a hoot! I have wanted to take another animal ever since. I always pack the .480 with me but another oppertunity has not arisen. By the way, the pistol is scoped with a little 2x Leupold. There is nothing like taking an animal with a handgun. It really is alot of fun.

[bearpaw]

I'm not actually a serious handgun hunter but have shot a few things and enjoy them immensley. I did take a big black bear on the ground at about 45-50 yards with my .44 mag S&W. More than anything I enjoy shooting prairie dogs, ground squirrels, or grouse with my .22 pistol, or just shooting targets or cans.

I have seen lots of game shot with pistols but was most impressed by a guy that killed 3 bear different with me. He also took a nice 5x5 whitetail at about 220 yards. He shoots a custom revolver with a shortened 45/70 called a linebaugh or something like that. I shot it a couple times, you have to really hang on to it. But that guy shoots a pistol consistently better than anyone else I have ever met.

[yorketransport]

I started handgun hunting so that I could hunt late deer season down in Battle Ground when that was still offered. The funny part is that I never actually made it down there.  I just love being able to walk through the woods with my hands free.

Andrew

[Huntbear]

I started handgun hunting so that I could hunt late deer season down in Battle Ground when that was still offered.   I just love being able to walk through the woods with my hands free.

Andrew

Could not agree more.  Matter of fact, the one buck I took in that unit was with my .44 mag. 

I am hoping to meet Yogi Bear in the woods this year, and make him give up to the Redhawk.