Handgun Hunters

K

Kreyzhorse

New member
Howdy -

I just picked up a S&W 29-3 44mag. It's set up with a Leupold 2X scope and my very first shot with it at 7 yards was a dead center. The gun is accurate, set up perfectly and ready to shoot.

I picked this up as a much "needed" hunting hand gun. Whitetails and maybe a hog or two.

Anyone that hunts with a scoped handgun, any tips, pointers or whatever?
 
If you hunt hogs, ditch the scope. 40 yards is a long shot. If they find you after you shoot them, they'll charge and you don't want a scope it that situation.
 
Eye relief... give yourself plenty. Watched a buddy shoot a .35 Rem TC Contender off a rest about 3 decades ago. Gun fired, scope hit him under heavy recoil, layed him open like an overhand right from Mike Tyson... blood everywhere. He still has a half moon scar over one eyebrow.
 
Ditch the scope. I’ve been hunting deer with a handgun for over forty years now. In that time I’ve shot around 70-75 deer. Back when I started I put a scope on a .44mag I had and very soon learned about all the problems a scope causes on a handgun. If you’re not looking through the center of the scope it “blacks out”. You simply can’t see through it until you center it with your eye. Your field of view is restricted depending on the magnification. Get a good quality red dot and never look back. Your comment about hitting at 7 yards is a bit ludicrous also for anyone thinking that’s a good distance to sight in at or determine that the gun is accurate. All of my hunting handguns now have red dots on them and with the correct load will shoot five shot groups of 1-1.5” at fifty yards off a rest. A red dot is not only very capable of allowing a gun to shoot small groups at distance, but it never “blacks out”, shows up in the dimmest of light, but is fast to acquire, and allows the maximum amount of field of view. There’s no downside to a red dot. Suggestion: try to develop shooting skills at least up to fifty yards with your handgun. That would be keeping all your shots inside 4” off some type of rest. Only shoot at ranges you can keep your shots in the kill area if you have to shoot off-hand. I’ve only ever lost one deer with a handgun, and that was with a full power 44mag. I simply made a bad shot. Over fifty of the deer I shot were shot with .357mags and none were lost. A bad hit with a 44mag won’t kill and a good hit with a .357mag always will. When you think about handgun hunting kind of think of it as something like bow hunting....stay in your comfort zone and don’t over extend your ability. Sometimes you just have to pass up a shot. good luck
 
A 2X scope won't be so bad, but it wouldn't be my choice. Iron sights for me, scopes are too slow and have a limited field of view. If you're so far you need a scope to hit the game, you're probably shooting too far.
 
My recommendation is to practice at the longest distance you feel comfortable shooting at an animal, and practice a lot. Then come hunting season that is your parameter. Stick to it. As for the scope, I'd shoot it for a while and see if you like it or not. Practice in low light as that is the most likely hunting scenario. If you can see clearly in low light and have no problem with the scope always coming in focus, you should be fine. Remember a deer in low light is harder to see than a white target when looking thru a scope. As for hitting yourself in the head with it....virtually impossible of you are shooting correctly. Some of us with aging eyes have a hard time picking up irons, so again, shoot it. Use appropriate hunting bullets and know how much they may drop in your preset distance limit. Personally, 70 yards is about all I will shoot with my 629 at deer.
 
Ruger SuperB--10-1/4"

My Dad had a Ruger SuperB w/ 10-1/4" .44 that he equipped with a Leupold 2x. We shot a a club that had a trap range adjacent the 100 yd centerfire line. We'd scavenge clay birds from downrange of the trap houses, and set them up on edge on the 100 yd berm. Dad's big .44 could consistently bust clay birds at 100 yds (off sandbags) and was decidedly more accurate than a Win '94 in .44 mag that he also owned. Regrettably, neither of those guns are in my possession.
 
I prefer irons on my 454/45 Colt, Ruger Super Redhawk.

So as to...hopefully, not pick up a flinch: I limit my round count to no more than 20 (full house) rounds, with the Redhawk; during each range session.

And I use padded recoil gloves, while having my wrists locked down at a 45 degree angle; so as to limit my ability to dip down (anticipation of recoil) with the pistol.
 
Anyone that hunts with a scoped handgun, any tips, pointers or whatever?
Click to expand...

A scoped handgun is at its best when fired from a rested position at stationary or slow moving targets. Deer from a tree stand, varmints from a rest, shooting sticks, or a braced field position and it does pretty well.

OFFHAND and at targets moving at speed, it pretty much sucks. I have scopes on my .22Hornet and .222 Contenders. I have a red dot on my .45-70. they work great, for single aimed shots.

None of my revolvers or semis (including my Desert Eagles) wear scopes. They could, but I choose not to. Iron sights are better for faster and repeat shots. They give the greatest possible field of view, which is very important for any shot where the target is moving faster than a slow walk.
 
Thanks guys. I have a few open sight handguns that I've hunted with in the past but as I get older, my vision makes open sights a bit more difficult.

Where I hunt deer, any shots with it will be seated off a rest or well braced on a slow moving target.

We are talking about a handgun hunt for hogs this summer. Maybe I'd take the scoped S&W and the open sights Kimber 10mm and cover all of my bases.
 
Open iron sights for me as well, ever since I owned my first rifle at 12 years old. Nailed my first deer with a bare-bones Marlin 30-30 lever action. Dropped him with a single heart-lung shot. If I'm not confident with my shot, I don't shoot. I never have wounded an animal. Just me though. Each to his/her own. What's a bluetooth? :)
 
One thing about a scoped pistol is to watch out for moving through brush and getting the eyepiece full of snow. I’ve made this mistake a few times. I’ve also collected a bit of fall dried dead weed seeds and leaves.

Another problem is being out in severe cold and breathing on the cold cold scope glass and frosting it with frozen breath. I did this once cozied up in a natural ground blind.

If I was going out with a scope, I would bring an end cap for the eye piece and a soft brush for cleaning the rear glass. It’s stuff like that you don’t encounter at the range.

I hear you about eyes getting old, especially in early morning or late afternoon when the woods are getting dark.
 
stinkeypete said
One thing about a scoped pistol is to watch ...
Click to expand...
Anybody ever notice how easy it is to discern the replies from a BTDT guy vs a "I'd think it'd be best ..."? To be VERY clear, no disrespect to anyone's response.

pete just brought up practical aspects that many might not have considered. In keeping with my "read lot, speak little" philosophy ...

-jb, would not have thought of that
 
I've used scopes on handguns and unless you use a rest, they suck. That being said, a red dot scope with no eye magnification works great on aimed or swing and shoot shots.

There are much smaller versions of red dot scopes than the one on my 44 Mag. Ruger Super Redhawk and they all work well. :cool:
I have a Sightmark Mini Dot on my Remington Versa Max shotgun, that I use for goose hunting and sportingclays. It allows for quick target acquisition and excellent follow up shots. :)

Bowhunter57
 
Scopes and dots

Dots are likely the way of the future and once transitioned to using one can be amazingly fast and accurate. We see them now in LE and competition on both longuns and pistols and trained up, pretty much solve the old eyes problem at modest ranges. Scopes do indeed require some type of rested or braced position, but allow hits and precision at distances and small targets that are beyond the abilities of most of us with a handgun

Thing is, a scoped handgun robs convieniece and portability and likens to a mini carbine that is not nearly as stable as a stocked gun. When I finally set a pistol up for hunting, it will have a microdot.
 
Thing is, a scoped handgun robs convieniece and portability and likens to a mini carbine that is not nearly as stable as a stocked gun.
Click to expand...

This is true. However, from a rest, accuracy is as good as a long gun (if the shooter is) and on the move, the pistol is holstered. allowing both hands free, doesn't have the bulk of a carbine (even slung a rifle is longer and heavier) and runs about 2/3 to half the weight (or less) of a carbine.

The biggest, heaviest pistols are still shorter and lighter than the smallest, lightest carbines in the same power class.

There's no free lunch.

And, FWIW, the good advice about scope caps and a brush/cloth to clean the lenses apply to everything with a scope on it, not just handguns.
 
The biggest, heaviest pistols are still shorter and lighter than the smallest, lightest carbines in the same power class.
Click to expand...
Handguns are lighter, but even the most powerful handguns compare poorly to a very mild-powered rifles. People say "what about the 500 S&W?" and I say it's less powerful than a 30-30. Is that bad? No, just don't expect rifle performance out of a handgun. Even bolt action pistols that shoot rifle cartridges typically don't come close to rifle performance due to shorter barrels affecting velocity and therefore terminal performance. IMO, handgun hunting is kind of like archery hunting. If you are an advanced shooter and want to challenge yourself, go for it.
 
As my eyesight changed over the years so did my hunting tactics. I once had a Ruger RedHawk with Leupold 2-power LER. A true 100 yard shooter. I sold the gun and scope together one day. 3 years down the road I again yearned for another RedHawk. Bought another 44. No scope this time. I smoothed/polished its action. Wolf spring kit it. Shoots 210 gr cast propelled by 296 as well as the other did. No longer a shooter out to 100 yrds am I. (Although I probably could do off a sturdy fence post.) 50/60 yrds and closer is my now preferred open barrel sighted 44 mags range. A nice Spike or Y antlered is my choice these days. I rather enjoy tender on my plate than admire a chest mount 8 or 10s on the wall. Tools I use: Sig Sauer 202 Supreme 1/4 bore 06_/_ HK P7m8 under my coat. [Always.]
 
:DThere is a new match format coming up this year that will test the skill, speed and power of powerful hunting handguns. Scoped and Open sights...we will see what works best in a first of it's kind competition with some of the preeminent handgun hunters in the US.:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top