Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: yorketransport on July 17, 2009, 11:36:05 PM

Title: How many handgun hunters are out there?
Post by: yorketransport on July 17, 2009, 11:36:05 PM: 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. :drool: 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
Title: Re: How many handgun hunters are out there?
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on July 17, 2009, 11:40:02 PM: 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
Title: Re: How many handgun hunters are out there?
Post by: Bigshooter on July 18, 2009, 10:02:56 AM: 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.
Title: Re: How many handgun hunters are out there?
Post by: C-Money on July 18, 2009, 11:40:43 AM: Any pictures of the big Idaho pistol buck?
Title: Re: How many handgun hunters are out there?
Post by: mattaylor81 on July 18, 2009, 11:46:10 AM: I want to take a bear with my Blackhawk 45 Colt this year. Hopefully the opportunity presents itself.
Title: Re: How many handgun hunters are out there?
Post by: ecnclan on July 18, 2009, 01:26:47 PM: 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.
Title: Re: How many handgun hunters are out there?
Post by: Bigshooter on July 18, 2009, 02:55:12 PM: Quote from: C-Money on July 18, 2009, 11:40:43 AM
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.
Title: Re: How many handgun hunters are out there?
Post by: ButcherBoy on July 19, 2009, 07:32:51 PM: 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.

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc91%2F338-06%2Fscan0007_edited-1.jpg&hash=7000931ef53b7911cd1405662c019da0086ff290)

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc91%2F338-06%2F12-31-2005-19-55-34-765_edited-2.jpg&hash=0d52e8528da960e95efbd359c0b13b4850b709a4)
Title: Re: How many handgun hunters are out there?
Post by: SnakeEyes on July 20, 2009, 07:35:47 PM: My second buck with my 44 mag.

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg262.imageshack.us%2Fimg262%2F2890%2Fblacktailpistollarge.jpg&hash=8d46e52add8e20f491d2450f5e90106524a2e458) (http://img262.imageshack.us/i/blacktailpistollarge.jpg/)

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg27.imageshack.us%2Fimg27%2F2041%2Fdscf0042large.jpg&hash=aecb530c9540dd93f076f1fd08ac36f007db62e2) (http://img27.imageshack.us/i/dscf0042large.jpg/)
Title: Re: How many handgun hunters are out there?
Post by: PWN Kurt on July 20, 2009, 11:32:11 PM: 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
Title: Re: How many handgun hunters are out there?
Post by: huntnphool on July 20, 2009, 11:35:30 PM: Nice bucks guys
Title: Re: How many handgun hunters are out there?
Post by: Kent Hunter on July 21, 2009, 06:54:08 PM: 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.
(https://hunting-washington.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10102/DSC01615.JPG)
Title: Re: How many handgun hunters are out there?
Post by: bearpaw on July 21, 2009, 07:39:02 PM: 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.
Title: Re: How many handgun hunters are out there?
Post by: yorketransport on July 21, 2009, 08:43:27 PM: 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
Title: Re: How many handgun hunters are out there?
Post by: Huntbear on July 21, 2009, 09:22:19 PM: Quote from: yorketransport on July 21, 2009, 08:43:27 PM
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. :chuckle: