100 yard handgun question

Using a handgun as your primary deer gun will definitely spice up your hunts. It's like bow hunting with just a bit more reach. Since you might consider elk hunting with the handgun, I opt for something in 480 Ruger, 454 Casull, 460 S&W or 500 S&W. The 454 kicks alot. The 500 is tolerable to about 300 or so gr loads. Never shot a 460. You have to practice often with these as you are not likely to shoot many shots in a given shooting session. That is one of the strong pluses of using a 41 or 44 mag revolver as you can practice more and improve your shooting skills.

Not taking anything away from Elmer Keith and his shooting abilities, but he primarily used handguns for targets of opportunity rather than his primary gun on a hunt. As I recall, he walked his shots into the game at 600 yds. I believe that was a carbou. He shot a lot.
 
Sorry, didn't mean to limit responses to just one peson - do any of you who hunt with a handgun use speed loaders or ?? Not that I am thinking "rapid reload", more just about carrying extra rounds.

Bitmap - "probably" (famous last words) will stick with bowhunting for elk. The unit we hunt is over-the-counter tags for bow elk, no drawing. Been hunting the same piece of ground enough years to know it well and there are a lot of elk (since I never kill any...:rolleyes:).

I am pretty sure I am going to the SW 460. I will pick up bulk .45 LC to shoot the heck out of, then step up.

Ready for hunting ammo suggestions now....
 
It's true Elmer Keith took game at 600yds with his .44 mag.
Click to expand...

The way I recall it, from reading "Hell, I was there." is that it was a mule deer with one leg broken running away and likely to escape. He had nothing to loose by shooting at it. That is a little different than shooting at an unwounded animal.

Still, hitting it with 2 out of 4 shots is amazing.
 
The meplat is the flat part of the nose of a bullet. Per Ross Seyfried, larger is better. IIRC, he prefers hard-cast lead over jacketed.

Jim Wilson at Shooting Times magazine (online) is pretty good about answering such questions about ammo type. Lord knows, he does enough handgun hunting. :) (I just wish he'd finish his second CD and finish his book.)

Art
 
davlandrum & TexasSeaRay,

Thanks for the complements on my shooting. Like Art Eatman stated you have to keep practicing. I find that if I don't shoot it for a month or so my groups open up some so I shoot as often as I can. When deer season is about 2 months away I go out almost everyday, I reload so it is much more affordable. What I do now for practice is that I take out a bunch of wooden stakes and staple paper plates to them. Then I go out and set them up at various distances out to 100 yards. Next, I shoot one shot at each pie plate from different field positions and try to make that first shot count. This has helped me out a lot. I like shooting groups too but I find making that first shot count more realistic. Hand gun hunting is a lot like bow hunting which I do too. They are not as forgiving as rifles and you need to practice a lot. Art Eatman is also right about the hard cast bullets with a big flat meplat. The .41, .44 mag and on up calibers already make a big hole so expansion is not that important. The hard cast bullets with a big meplat penetrate and break through big bones very effectively and also create a lot of tissue damage on the way through. So no matter what gun you choose and no matter how big of a caliber you choose you need to practice. A poor shot with a .500 or
.460 is no better than a poor shot with a .44., you need to hit the vitals no matter what you are using. Good luck on what you choose and post pics of your first deer with a hand gun.
 
I tried to google handgun hunting shooting positions, but did not find much helpful that I was not going to have to register or pay for. Obivously there is standing, and sitting using off-knee for support - need some help with others and how to use a handy tree for support.

Thanks in advance,

Dave
 
Be very careful about using trees as a rest when firing a large caliber revolver! You can easily end up with a face - and eyes - full of splintered tree bark. The revolver discharges gases between the forward cylinder face and the barrel. This gap is necessary to allow the cylinder to rotate correctly and cannot be eliminated. This is also a reason to grip the revolver appropriately so as to avoid hand burns. This side blast can be very strong with the big bore revolver cartridges.

I wear both glasses and earplugs whether at the range or hunting. I now use electronic plugs by E.A.R. that are waterproof and allow normal or enhanced hearing and then close down in a fraction of a second when the firearm is discharged.
 
Whether rifle or pistol, I've generally found that if I can lean a shoulder against something solid--tree, large boulder--I can hold pretty steady. I use a Weaver hold with a handgun...

FWIW
 
LH - Roger that on the tree-brace danger, that is why I was curious. I like Art's idea of a tree leaning post to brace your body, but keep the gun away from the tree.

This is going to be a fun learning process.
 
Also, if you're using a rest off a bench or something similar... try anchoring on your elbows or forearms rather than too close to your wrists. Large caliber handguns need a little "room to move." You'll wanna let those wrists move with the gun. :D
 
I've been using handguns for deer hunting for close to 30 years now. I never shoot beyond 50 yards. I regard hunting with a handgun similar to hunting with a bow. The idea is to get close enough to the animal to make a CLEAN KILL. I got tired of long range kills with a scoped rifle. It just didn't seem sporting anymore. To respect the animal you hunt you must be sure of a killing shot, not a wounding that causes a lot of needless suffering. I don't believe 100 yard shots with a handgun, no matter how good a shot you are (I'm quite good myself) is reasonable.

I've seen too many wounded deer get away from people that just shot to hit the animal and did not place the shot in a good area. They just went on to shoot another.

Handgun hunting is for people to hone their hunting skills, not just another way to kill (or more likely wound) at a long distance.

If you don't have the desire to develop the skills to get close enough to the game to ensure a clean kill with a handgun, just stick to your rifle.
 
44 - I am a bow hunter as well, and was a Bow Hunter Education instructor for several years.

Trust me, I have never, and will never shoot just to hit an animal.
 
Whatever you decide to use, practice, practice, practice at different ranges up to your maximum. Know what your gun can and can't do. Know what YOU can and can't do.
 
All -

Thanks for all the input.

I have a new S&W 460 on its way, courtesy of WildAlaska. Going to shoot it a while without a scope and see how I like it that way.

Weather is starting to get nice here (probably just a freak break in the weather to tease me...) so hope to be shooting very soon.
 
Ditto on the S&W .460. Hundred yard shots at deer-sized game (or even elk) is exactly what that gun was designed for. It's flatter shooting than a 500 and harder hitting than a .454. It's probably the most optimal hunting handgun ever made. That said, I own a S&W 500 but it's for 10 yard "That bear's going to eat me!!!" shots when out and about.

Brian
 
davlandrum; Good choice in the 460. I have a SRH in 454 and reload the 45LC pretty hot. As you know the SRH comes with intregal scope mounts and rings. I tried several scopes on mine before I found one they would not take the recoil. It's the Bushnell Elite 3200 series that I ended up with, it's advertised as surviving 1000rds of 454. I practice out to 100yds as that is about as far as I can make a clean kill on my lease. Not only do you have a great deer/elk handgun you also have a really nice pig gun. They are just as much fun to hunt and boy do they taste great.
 
I can't shoot any handgun that far - but people have done it with this:

Five-12.jpg


I have one, but like I said - I could never shoot that far with a handgun. My eyes are not good enough. I have a hard time doing a decent group at 100 yards with a rifle using an EOtech.
 
I agree with 44deerslayer

I took two deer this year, one with a 260 Remington mountain rifle and one with my Ruger hunter model blackhawk. I shot the deer at close to 50 yards. Last year, I shot one at about 30 yards. When I am in the heavy brush, I will shoot a lever action if I think I might need a shot over 75 yards and if the country is open, I use a 260 or 308.

You can shoot a deer with a 44 magnum at 100 yards, it has the power, but you will need to practice at that distance and sight it in for that distance. I had a Casull and I see no real advantage on deer size game. I can’t speak for the 500 or 460 S&W, but I think they are more suited as defense against a large bear, or hunting large game. That I have never done with a handgun, deer and black bear fall easy to a 44 magnum.
 
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