Do you Hunt with a hand gun?

Handguns have been my primary hunting arms for the past 20 some years. Hundreds of rabbits and squirrels along with other game and vermin have been taken with my Buckmark .22. Have taken over 40 whitetails with .44 mag over the years. Hogs are sparse around here but are on my list. Haven't been bear hunting yet.
I like the added challenge and convienience of hunting with a handgun.
 
Yup, first squirels with...

Dad's Woodsman, then a RG.22 on the .38 frame,now split between a 17-3 & Contender with 10 Oct. .2LR barrel.

Did Deer with 5" .45ACP (back-up to ML during regular firearms season) or 4" .357. Did have 7.5" .45 LC strictly for deer, but sold it (stupidly).

Have no problemwith hunting but you MUST commit to consistently practice , starting NOW for the upcoming season.

When your groups from a full cylinder hit outside a paper plate, THAT's the maximum range for you.
 
I hunt Mule Deer sized and smaller game animals witn a stainless Ruger Redhawk in .41mag. The gun has a 2X Leupold Handgun Scope as well
RugerRedhawk41mag7Small.jpg


For smaller game (i.e. rabbits, squirrels, etc.) I use my Browning Buck Mark Target in .22LR
BuckMarkTarget.jpg
 
peetzakilla
You may find that you have a little more horse power than you think. I would hesitate to go up to 75 yds. with a 357 mag.
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Yeah, my problem is that is a Glock 33 with a 5 1/2 extended barrel. Only like a 5 1/2 inch sight radius, and certainly a not precise sighting system even at that.
 
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I tried to get some consistent groups good enough for deer killing at greater than 30 yds, but just didn't trust myself to pull off a clean shot at more than 25yds, even with a scope, and even with big rock for a rest. So I sold my handgun hunting stuff and stuck with rifle.
 
I been thinking of getting a gun just for whitetail.I was considering a .44 magnum,but when I thought about it,I figured i'd be better off with a 6" .357 because I can actually get a ton of practice off season with it using .38 spls.I doubt if i had the .44 I would shoot it enough to be proficient
 
Used to coon hunt with a Ruger Mk 1. That,s a thing of the past here. Now I carry a Ruger Blackhawk in .30 M1 Carbine for deer season as a back-up gun.
 
White Tails

I've Been using my 44 mag colt anaconda for 10 years .6" barrel, ported with A trigger job .thrown 300.xtp jhp .:D
 
I have hunted and taken whitetail deer with a Ruger,and Smith & Wesson 44 mag., I have also hunted whitetail with my Glock 20C.
 
Usually a blackhawk .45 colt is with me when it's big game season. When it's not I have a Smith 629 or 58, but I always have a revolver. I never carry just a revolver, they are for close shots when the rifle is't needed.
 
I been thinking of getting a gun just for whitetail.I was considering a .44 magnum,but when I thought about it,I figured i'd be better off with a 6" .357 because I can actually get a ton of practice off season with it using .38 spls.I doubt if i had the .44 I would shoot it enough to be proficient
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ninjatoth,

If you so plan to go with the .357mag, for whitetail hunting, let me suggest you use the Federal 180gr JHP. I used to hunt with an 8" scoped Colt Python and lost a couple of deer to the 158gr. JHP's. And NO they weren't caused by bad shots, but the 180gr. seems to have more terminal shock than the 158's. I never lost a deer shot with them and had several literally drop where they were shot. With a 6" barrel I suggest you try to keep your shots within the 50 yard range as well. these were just my experiences and I hope you have a good experience handgun hunting. I have loved it for over 3 decades and even have a fine Fallow Deer hanging on my office wall taken with the gun above at 73 strides. 1 broadside shot, two steps and collapsed.
 
Hunting? Yes, . . . Bagging? Not yet, . . . but I still enjoy hunting white tails with my Ruger Super Blackhawk.

May God bless,
Dwight
 
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