Need advice and knowledge from those more experienced than myself

J

jrsower

New member
I'm in the market for another hunting handgun. My wife has a Ruger SuperBlackhawk Hunter. 44 now. I hunt with that occassionally. But I'm told that the 44 is a reliable killer out to about 75 yards. I know it'll still hit hard beyond that but I'm looking for another caliber that will give me knock down confidence beyond 75 or even 100 yards.

I'm wondering about both a long colt or 454. Probably be looking at buying another Ruger, redhawk this time around because they're affordable. No Freedom Arms for me.:(

Anyway, Keep in mind I'd love to eventually hunt bear, sheep, etc with it as well as deer.

Some of the questions I have is what's the reliable killing distance for, say, a 454? Assume the operator is skilled enough to use it out to the maximum distance. Probably be putting a 4 or 6 power scope on it as well. Are there other calibers I don't konw about that I should consider?

I'd love to eventually get to the point that I only hunt with a handgun. But that means I'll need something that can reach out there to get 'em and knock em down quick.
Thanks guys.
 
I hadn't thought about a contender

I'm willing to consider it though if I can get educated on them.

Another question concerning handguns for hunting, how much better is a 9 1/2 barrel as opposed to a 7 1/2?
 
My son deer hunts with a Desert Eagle 44 magnum with iron sights. Not my choice in handguns, but I have shot the gun and it is amazingly accurate with an excellent trigger.

If I were to use it for hunting I would install a quality pistol scope and then could easily use it for 100 to 125 yard shots. I don't agree that the 44mag is limited in killing power to 75 yards. The limiting factor are my eyes.
 
For the VAST majority of hand gun hunters, animals are taken under 50 yards. I would venture to say under 40. Looking for some super-whacker Magnum Blaster to reach out past normal rifle range is interesting as an armchair exercise, but not really practical.

More benefit would be derived for the hunter if he practiced his woodscraft, stalking, and ability to spot game, and get close to it before firing.

Of course that is just my opinion, but the fact is, most can't hit past 50 to 75 yards with reliability, and even a 454 Casul magnum comes up shy on energy when compared to a modest rifle round. Handgun bullets have a poor balistic coefficent, and run out of steam and energy rapidly. There are a lot of guys that say they can hit a tomato can at 300 yards with their favorite handgun, under hunting conditions, but I have never met one in all my 50+ years of hunting.
 
well said. consider the sportsmanship issue/the humane treatment of game.
i agree with the post concerning the TC Contender,or other quality single shot pistols.
why fight ballistics? they say"Bring Enough Gun".i would consider a 16" TC shooting a 30-30 factory load to be ideal.
 
The 44 magnum properly loaded can take

any animal you can hit properly out to at least 150 yards. Heavy bullets and loads are the key (320 hard cast @ 12-1300 fps - you need a redhawk or supoer redhawk for this power level) And YOU BEING ABLE TO HIT AN ANIMAL IN THE BOLIER ROOM AT DISTANCE. If you can't do the job no cartridge in extince will be enough.
 
Check out the .480 Ruger in the SRH. THe 454 will get the job done, but it is just too big for me. I like the .44mag and I don't think I will ever need anything bigger.
 
Can you say "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome"??? The reason why so many .454 Casull revolvers end up in used-gun racks is that people buy them, fire two or three rounds, and discover that the pain level is too great! I know there are some folks who can handle it, but I'm not one of them... my .44 Magnum is plenty hot for me, particularly with the really hot loads like the Garrett Hammerheads, which I swear by for bear medicine if needed.

Seriously, if you want to go upward from the .44 Magnum, why not look at a single-shot in a rifle caliber? The Thompson guns are really good, and are very controllable in most calibers. I've shot a 14"-barrel .30-30 and a .308 in (I think) a 16-inch barrel, and with both of them, using a decent scope, I was able to score on steel targets out to 200 yards and beyond. I don't think any revolver would be more controllable than that gun, and it should make a perfect hunting gun.
 
Long-range handgun hunting

JMLV and Mannlicher have it right! IMHO, the biggest factor in pistol hunting is the skill & accuracy of the shooter. It'd be grossly inhumane, not to mention dangerous to those beyond, for you to lob bullets wildly at something 75-100-125 yd away, in the hope you score a lethal hit, not to mention what the antis would say if they heard of it. Are YOU good enough to shoot a really big-bore pistol that far, and WELL? I don't mean this unkindly, but unless you practice at least 2-3 times a week, all year, at the distances you plan to shoot, and dry-fire every night, I doubt it. Olympians are that good, but they shoot literally every dayÑdo you have time for that?

Again, I don't mean this unkindly, but if you really need that kind of firepowerÑ454, Desert Eagle, etcÑwell, there are these things called "rifles", and at the ranges you mention, most of 'em are an awful lot more powerful, accurate, and easy to control, than any pistol, repeat, ANY PISTOL. They are also more humane to the game animal. They are also easier on the shooter. And yes I know this is a handgun forum.

Handguns have their places and their proper uses, and these are many. Like any good tool, used appropriately and skillfully, they do an excellent job. It's your life, live it your way. But please consider.
 
I've been using a 454 for the last 5 yrs. It is an excellent caliber, and would be my first choice in a revolver. I would not use it if my shots were beyond 100-125 yds. Will it work beyond that? Sure. But I won't take the chance. For longer ranges I would use a T/C contender,encore,XP, or similar gun. I have seen the 7-30 waters, 7mm br, and 7mm-08 work great from these type of guns.
 
My opinion FWIW

I've asked questions similar to this in the past. This post just like the others produced three basic responses. Those that more or less agree with you. Those that tell you to buy or use a rifle cartrige, and those that think you're nuts to shoot anything past 50 yards with a handgun. I personally think it depends on what you are hunting and where you are hunting it.

I think the 45 Colt, 44, and 454 are effective out to 150 yards or more if loaded correctly. Do a search for "Ruger Only" loads. You will find some impresseve numbers.

I personally wouldn't attempt to take a deer past 150 yards. Since a sheep is about the same size it would fall in the same catagory. A bear or other dangerous game, I wouldn't risk anything past 50 yards. Dangerous game is your call, I'd never hunt something that could eat me with a hand gun. Now a coyote, that's a different matter, I'd probably throw lead at one of those out to 300 yards.

Where are you going to be hunting? Out west where you can see long distances and have longer shots. Or will you be hunting in the midwest or south where there are lots of trees and rolling hills. If it's the latter, you probably won't have the opportunity to shoot much past 100 yards to begin with.

I don't think you will have to practice 3 times a week to shoot good at these distances. The first time shooting a friends 44, in three shots I hit a soda can at 50 yards, and in three more I hit a can at 100.

Six
 
That's what I meanÑflinging lead wildly. In 3 shots a deer will be over the hill, perhaps wounded. Maybe you'll be able to track it. Unlike a soda can, they don't hold still for you. It's unethical to take a shot you just hope to hit, at a live animal.

I stand by my previous statement: Most people shouldn't be shooting at live things with a handgun @ 100 yd. There are a few Elmer Kieths among us, born to hunt with a handgun and naturally so talented that they can just "do it." For the rest of us, if you insist on doing it, recall to mind the musician, lost in New York City, who asked a cab driver "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?" The cabbie's reply? "Practice.":)
 
I guess I should have been clearer in my previous post.

What I was hinting at is that with a little practice, you can learn to shoot well at longer distances using a handgun. I too would not advise "flinging lead wildly", and I would not shoot at a deer expecting to hit it on the third shot.

However, if one practices enough, experiments with enough different loads (factory or reloads) it is not hard to shoot well at a 100 with a had gun. Just plinking I've gotten decent groups at 100 yards.

I have a 10" Super Blackhawk in 44mag that I'm am going to scope. When I get it dialed in, I won't hesitate to take a deer at a 100 yards. I will be expecting to drop it on the first shot or I simply won't pull the trigger.


Eric
 
Peace, Six

Okay, Six 4 sure, as clarified I have no quarrel with you. You say, "practice enough." I too say, "practice enough." You hold yourself to a high ethical standard as to taking or not taking a shot. Myself likewise. Getting back to Jrsower's question, he also says, "assume the operator is skilled enough to use it out to that distance," and that assumption includes lots and lots of practice rounds.

I shoot bullseye pistol league, so I know my abilities and limitations. (I get my nose rubbed in 'em every Monday night!) I also hunt with a pistol, and for me, a 100 yd sure-kill pistol shot is an impossible dream. But others are much better, in my league. One of the differences, besides native skill, is consistent practice. :D
 
Try a Raging Bull...

...in .454 Casull, with 8 3/8". Inox, with a scope LER of 2x30mm, and tell me then...
 
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