Looking for caliber recommendations

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phenrichs

Inactive
I am in the market for my first handgun and while the decision of revolver and auto is important more important to me is caliber selection. I want to be able to carry it hunting which here in South Dakota means it must be of such caliber as to make muzzle energy of 500 or more.

Obviously the .357mga .44mag and 10mm will do this but I wonder if there are some others that I may have overlooked or that I am unaware of. I want to have as broad a list as possible so that I don't paint myself into too small of a corner.

I figure get the caliber list then shop for what is going to fit me the best as far as frame and style. Fitment is key to accuracy.
 
how much a you willing to spend?

.480 Ruger
.460 S&W
.454 Casull
.45 Colt +P
.500 S&W
.50 AE

BFR .45-70 or .444 Marlin

I strongly suggest going to a local range and trying out a few different big-bores before making an expensive impulse purchase, or shooting a friend's B-B handgun first. Countless scores of noobs went out and bought .50 Desert Eagles because of tv, hollywood, video games, etc, and were shocked at the brute power of big-bore handguns..
 
I am in the market for my first handgun and while the decision of revolver and auto is important more important to me is caliber selection. I want to be able to carry it hunting which here in South Dakota means it must be of such caliber as to make muzzle energy of 500 or more.

Obviously the .357mga .44mag and 10mm will do this but I wonder if there are some others that I may have overlooked or that I am unaware of. I want to have as broad a list as possible so that I don't paint myself into too small of a corner.

I figure get the caliber list then shop for what is going to fit me the best as far as frame and style. Fitment is key to accuracy.
Click to expand...

What do you intend to hunt with it?
 
At or over the 500 ft/lbs mark I'd list these:
.357 Magnum
.41 Magnum
.44 Magnum

These were known as the only factory produced and tested revolvers worthy of hunting expeditions in simpler days. All preferred in a barrel of 6" or over.

Anything else is a repeat of these great three without the history or the popularity.

The .41 was popular when the .44 was HARD to find on the shelves. It is making a bit of a come back and is certainly worth consideration--especially when the better older Smith N Frames are considered for buying used or stocked away for decades somewhere on a shelf unused but sold as used by law. Most who had to choose the .41 either for lack of the .44 or just wanting an odd one in between found the .41 to be worth every penny spent.
 
For something to tote while hunting I'd go 40. Itd be good for backup duty, like killing a wounded animal. For actual hunting, a 10mm. Or a 44 magnum.
 
400 corbon. A necked down 45acp that makes over 500. You could get a conversion barrel & springs and use a 1911. And also convert back and carry the 45acp for SD or HD.
 
Thanks for the tips

I have done a bit of handgun shooting and I am familiar with the different styles.
zombieslayer nailed it. For hunting it will be a backup piece. I will also use it for personal defense but here it has to be big enough for hunting if you are going to carry it while hunting even if it is not your primary hunting weapon. I have read good things about the 10mm and the 40SW. THe main reason I asked is that I was hoping to find something a bit smaller and more manageable than the 44mag or the 357.
 
I'd go with a revolver, you want a one shot stopper and a reliable one. Make sure the gun you get has a Hammer, I would not use a striker fire.

A .40 is a good choice with 155 grn FMJ To bleed out the threat. You can fire off multiple rounds in the time it takes for one big bore.

Just my personal opinion I want something i can be trigger happy with because when you get scared or when an animal lunges at you you are going to just spray fire. Big Bores need a lot of training to concentrate and not miss.
 
While there are some who will say get the biggest most powerful handgun you can find I would advise against that. The recoil of a handgun is a bit different than the recoil from a long gun. Since this is your first handgun and you didn't mention how much experience you have had with them I would recommend the 357 Magnum. You can practice with 38 Special for most of the time and practice with the magnum loads before you go hunting. I have heard of many who got the most powerful new thing on the market as their first gun only to get rid of it after their first time on the range. If you can go to a range where you can rent the gun in the caliber you are interested in before you buy. That way it won't cost you so much money if you don't like the caliber you just tried.
 
I'd have to agree with Python, the .357 is probably the best fit for what you want, as well as a first handgun. It will give you a wide range of options, from light .38s for plinking to full power .357 for hunting, and everything in between. Only a few commercial .40 loads meet the energy requirements you need; you could run into issues with a game warden claiming that .40 does not meet state hunting rules.
 
.45 Colt. It's got a big bullet and the recoil is comparatively mild. If you want it to go fast a +p out of a Ruger moves it at over 1200fps.
 
.45 Colt - easy to get to 500 ft lbs with a Blackhawk. You can go way beyond that but you can shoot through most any animal with a 255 grain hard cast swc and 10 grains of Unique.
 
Get something in a .45 Colt and some Buffalo Bore loads. It will thump just about anything you can come across. If you have the cash, check out the Freedom Arms mod. 83. It is an awsome revolver. Cor-Bon makes some loads in .45 +P that come close to the .454, at least in recoil.
 
Well- here in Fl, I'd say, generally, that pretty much the hardest things to kill can be hogs. In my experience, 40 puts them down well. A 357 is also an alternative, if you'd prefer a revolver. I carry a 357 on occasion, for self defense. I like autos, though, so usually have my 40 with me.
 
Since the OP has ruled out the .44 Magnum along with the .357 Magnum it appears to me the revolver option has come to .45 Colt or .44 Special. Excellent calibers.
In the auto the .45 ACP or .40 SW seem a natural choice.
 
Oh no I am not ruling out the .357. In fact it was and still is top of my list. I love the Taurus 66 in 357. A friend mentioned that while that is a great idea for the versatility of the 357 revolver I should not rule out the autos because I will want something to best fit my hand so that it provides the best accuracy for me. That made me think twice because a 357mag auto is rare these days. That is why I wanted recommendations for others. I am not interested in a 44mag though.
 
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