handgun hunters

[jdb]

any handgun hunters on here? I have recently been rebitten by the hangun bug and was wondering if anyone had any hunting storyies involveing a handgun. JB

[MountainWalk]

ive done some with a ruger blackhawk in 41 magnum. it had excellent adjustable sights and took a few with it, but i never got totally bitten.

[bankwalker]

i did last season with a redhawk 44mag. tryd it with a scope and didnt really like it so i went to open sights and it was a much better tool for brush hunting

[boneaddict]

I assume you've seen pics of my Idaho buck, that was with a handgun.  I have some other whitetail pics too, I'll try to dig them up.

[Snowman]

I got my first handgun this year and have seriuosly thought about hunting with it. I've watched enough of those hunting shows where they're hunting with handguns and it looks like some awesome fun. Lucky for me hornaday came out with that lever revolution ammo with the the ballistic tips on them. Have yet to buy some, but might have to just to see how it is compared to what I'm shooting now out of my 44mag.

[CP]

I’ve taken a New Mexican mule deer with a Thompson Center Contender in 44 mag, and a couple of javelins with a S&W .357.  Various rabbits, squirrels and a few raccoons with .22s and with .38s.  I’ve also shot quail with the TC .44 fitted with a choke and shooting shot shells; that was back when shooting .410s out of handguns was illegal or I would have gotten a different barrel for it.

I don’t hunt with handguns much anymore but I plan on getting a few more raccoons and a handgun works great on them at night with lights.

[boneaddict]

Heres that whitetail I busted with my contender.

[Snowman]

Nice one bone. What's the average yard you would shot out to with a pistol? I was thinking 50 yards or so as I'm shooting a 44mag super black hawk with open sights.

[Sagedawg]

 I have a TC contender that Ive hunted with. Have a few different barrles for it but the only blood she's drawn was on a few groundhogs and coyotes. If I hadnt gotten into black powder Id probly be using that to hunt. Its amazing on how accurate they can be.


  Sage

[bankwalker]

most of the handgun hunters i have talked to sight thier guns in for 75yds so they are good from 20ft out to 100yds...thats with a scope though.

i personaly would never take a shot over 50yds. hell last year opening day i missed a 5x5 mulie at 30yds. that was enough to make me not use my handgun for anything other then brush hunting.

[chukar-ridge-quest]

MW338, the 41 mag is the best. Flat shooting and nowhere near the jump of a 44. I used to shoot a SW 629 (.44) with an 8 and 3/8 inch barrel. The Ruger 41 is way better. 

[Snowman]

Well I got mine more for back up bear hunting so if get charged again, I'm not trying to swing my rifle and it is a little quicker. I have 4 1/2" barrel on mine and yes it does jump quiet a bit.

[MountainWalk]

ive fired and relished the brutal kick of many large cal rifles and such, but im the first to admit, with stock grips, the 44 mag in most any configuration is a little much for me. i like the 41 mag, or should i say, i liked it. i wasnt tottaly enamoured with it, so it went down the road.

[Snowman]

I have the pacmeyer grips on it. With stock grips it sucks to shoot. Great shooting gun love it.

[jdb]

I have a ruger blackhawk .45 colt with a 7 1/2" barrel I was thinking of installing a orh rear site. I like the .45 as it can be loaded up or down to suit your needs. I know the .44 and .41 can also but there is serious romance around the .45 and I like the oddity factor. JB

[jackelope]

my father hunts in upstate new york strictly with a t/c contender in 7 tcu and shoots it scoped to 100 yards. i think he is running a 14" barrel on that rig. it is a great shooter.

[smdave]

One day I will shoot something with one of mine.
Dave

[G.R.K]

MW338, the 41 mag is the best. Flat shooting and nowhere near the jump of a 44. I used to shoot a SW 629 (.44) with an 8 and 3/8 inch barrel. The Ruger 41 is way better. 

  41 mag is better than the 44 mag,Lets here it?recoil a problem?

[mossback91]

I have no recoil problem with a 44...........the one that I am used to shooting is a nice gun though. Ruger superblackhawk Hunter model stainless steel 7 1/2 inch barrel very balanced nice shooting gun.

[boneaddict]

I would say 50 yards, maybe out to 75 withthe scope and one good rest.  I killed that whitetail at about 15 yards offhand and my big mulie was at about 30 yards I guess.  I've killed two bear with it, one charging at too close to call and the other was at about 35 I guess.  The cougar was probably at about 45 when I pulled the trigger.     

[Ray]

I don't think the .44 recoil is too bad. That goes for special or mag. In fact even a .50 AE isn't that bad. It's like catching a baseball. With a little technique it seems to work out just fine. Have not killed any large game with the pistols.

[Snowman]

The recoil ain't bad I own a lever action 44 and have shot many of 44 guns in different barrel lenght and prefer the 4 1/2" barrel. The guy I got it from was reloading for them and he said it hurt his wrist and that was the main factor in selling it. I can shoot it no problem as it is one of my favorites to shoot. I know where I go elk hunting back in the timber gets pretty thick in spots. That's one reason I got it, the other is for bear hunting. I thought about deer hunting with it this year. Wish we had a handgun season, that would be cool.

[CP]

Recoil has is affected as much by a gun’s weight and balance as it is by the load you are shooting.  My T/C’s recoil was very manageable with the hottest .44 mag rounds.  If you’d like to feel some pain, try one of those 15 oz airweights.   They will punish you even with a lightly loaded .38 round.

[Snowman]

Don't reload, just shoot factory winchesters out of it. Been shooting the same ammo for 20years out of my lever, so I just use them in my pistol. Good rounds have shot many deer and grouse with them.

[Ray]

Recoil has is affected as much by a gun’s weight and balance as it is by the load you are shooting.

I'd say that is true. I believe that if someone has a wrist problem that might also affect their abilities.

Have not shot the air weight yet. Don't think I would every buy one. Seems like "air weight" would be a gun I would never want. A friend has two of them he was showing me last month out in the field. I wasn't too interested.

[Bscman]

My father and I have matching T/C Contender pistols, with several barrels from small to large. I've taken a few smaller critters, but nothing to brag about. Almost took a bobcat with the .218 BEE two years ago....decided to use a rifle since it was a longer shot, and no place to rest.

I'm thinking of using his XP-100 in .35 REM + 3x scope this year....haven't decided. FUN "pistol" to shoot, though!

[simpleshooter308]

ive hunted and shot deer with a smith 686 in .357 mag, a 629 in 44 mag, and most recently a tc contender in 45/70. ive allways felt that the 44 and 357 are kind of on the light side for deer, after all at the muzzle there under 1000 lbs of energy. ive had problums with expansion with hornaday xtp bullits on deer. i shot one with a 325 gr hornady lever revilution in the 4570, it was plunty of gun.