Hunting & Fishing Hand gun hunters
- Thread starter SCGunner84
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It could work. Just know the limits of your equipment, ballistics, and ability.
I have used TC Encore pistol in 7-08 (200 yds), Ruger Redhawk 44 mag (120 yds), Colt King Cobra 357 mag(45 yds) all on whitetail. Took a few hogs with the Glock 21 in 45 in some CQB pandemonium.
I have used TC Encore pistol in 7-08 (200 yds), Ruger Redhawk 44 mag (120 yds), Colt King Cobra 357 mag(45 yds) all on whitetail. Took a few hogs with the Glock 21 in 45 in some CQB pandemonium.
My experience is more with .44 mag Blackhawk and .357 Maximum TC contender. I’m practiced and comfortable to 150y with the .44 and 200y with the .357 max. Most important with handgun hunting (well, with any hunting gun really) is to know your experience and limitations with what you are carrying.
I have handgun kills w 357 sig, 40sw, 44 mag, 45 Super Duper, 454 casull, and 500 sw. Currently own a Glock 40 w KKM barrel, TTI trigger, Jentra one piece heavy recoil rod running a 24lb recoil spring w RMR. Haven't killed w it yet. Older i get the softer i get. Shot placement is key w any weapon.
I killed my first handgun deer with a G40 MOS gun in 2016. Large doe at about 40-50 yards, decent penetration with 180gr JHP from HPR ammo.
I have some Underwood 200gr JHP and Hard Cast to try but moved on to a 460 S&W.
Love the 10mm though. I feel like it is a 50 yd gun
I have some Underwood 200gr JHP and Hard Cast to try but moved on to a 460 S&W.
Love the 10mm though. I feel like it is a 50 yd gun
My experience has been with hard cast bullets out of .41 mag or .357 mag. Can't say I really believe a pistol has enough energy to make a big difference with a hp over a swc.
Either will go end to end through a deer at 50 yards. Haven't recovered a bullet yet.
Like anything, plug a hole through the lungs and they'll tip over.
Practice. I'm perfectly comfortable with my iron sights to 75 yards in my 8" Dan Wesson.
The Ruger Blackhawk wears a 4x scope so it's good to 100 yards easily (and still shoots 2" groups out there). The hard part about the Ruger is it really needs a rest to be useful with the scope so shooting sticks and a small bag are usually carried.
Either will go end to end through a deer at 50 yards. Haven't recovered a bullet yet.
Like anything, plug a hole through the lungs and they'll tip over.
Practice. I'm perfectly comfortable with my iron sights to 75 yards in my 8" Dan Wesson.
The Ruger Blackhawk wears a 4x scope so it's good to 100 yards easily (and still shoots 2" groups out there). The hard part about the Ruger is it really needs a rest to be useful with the scope so shooting sticks and a small bag are usually carried.
Living behind enemy lines of Illinois, we aren't allowed to deer hunt with a semi-auto handgun. However, since the inception of our "pistol" season, I have hunted with a 44 rem mag or 357 mag. Both of which worked awesome.
The way our law reads, with case length restrictions, etc. I have considered building a bolt pistol, similar to the old XP100, except chambered in 300AAC. Just to give me something to do.
Kinda going back to my old saying, "The Indians killed 'em with a stick, a string and a sharp rock. Placement is the key."
The way our law reads, with case length restrictions, etc. I have considered building a bolt pistol, similar to the old XP100, except chambered in 300AAC. Just to give me something to do.
Kinda going back to my old saying, "The Indians killed 'em with a stick, a string and a sharp rock. Placement is the key."
I've taken 7 whitetail with a Blackhawk in 44mag iron sights out to about 75yds.
Then I went to a Redhawk in 480 Ruger with a red dot and took 5 more with 275 gr Speer DeepCurl's in a sporty handload out to 125yds.
Now I just got my mitts on a S&W Performance Center 500 S&W, waiting for a Leupy 4x to put on top and hopefully take it's first deer at the end of the month.
I won't shoot further than I can hold a 4" group and/or still have the bullet at 1000 f.p.s. and every deer I've wacked with one of these has been down for the count within feet, not yards.
Then I went to a Redhawk in 480 Ruger with a red dot and took 5 more with 275 gr Speer DeepCurl's in a sporty handload out to 125yds.
Now I just got my mitts on a S&W Performance Center 500 S&W, waiting for a Leupy 4x to put on top and hopefully take it's first deer at the end of the month.
I won't shoot further than I can hold a 4" group and/or still have the bullet at 1000 f.p.s. and every deer I've wacked with one of these has been down for the count within feet, not yards.
IIRC my load for the blackhawk was a 180gr. Hornady XTP on top of all the LIL GUN you could fit in the case. If you handload for yours, p.m. me and I'll dig up my data for you.
Also in IL, and have been considering doing the same thing. A 12” .300blk R700 based “pistol” would be fun in the offseason too. My only concern is the statute requires it be a “revolver or single-shot”. Not sure if an R700 action using an AICS single-shot sled will qualify. I don’t want to risk losing my hunting privileges...
They do make R700 single shot receivers, but that wouldn’t be as much fun in the off-season. ?
Actually a sled will work. I found this memo put out by IDNR from last year. I'm assuming it would/could apply to any mag fed, regardless of action type.
I'm sure you're aware, already, but one thing, also, to keep in mind. When buying an action, make sure how it was designated by the factory (i.e., rifle or other). It's not a 'given' it is classified as a 'receiver or other', like when buying an AR lower. Savage designates all of their non single shot actions as rifles. Whereas Remington has both.
Looks like I’ll be building myself a .300blk R700 Pistol.
Thanks for looking out, I’m aware of the receiver transfer rules. Gonna buy a virgin receiver from Northland Shooter Supply. Also gonna put a FOIA request into IL DNR and get myself a copy of that memo to keep with my hunting license, just in case I come across a game warden who isn’t informed. ??
I used essentially a glock 20 roland special....I built it years before the roland special was a thing though.
In my mid twenties, and well into my thirties it was my go to hog eradicator.
I believe I was using 180 gold dots +p+
bench
In my mid twenties, and well into my thirties it was my go to hog eradicator.
I believe I was using 180 gold dots +p+
bench
45-70 Thompson Contender 14" Magnaported preproduction bull barrel with 2-6 scope, carried in Uncle Henry shoulder holster. First black bear at 15 yards, 2nd black bear at 20 yards, trophy bull moose at 17 yards, caribou at 230 yards (3rd shot), Alaska 1991-1993. All but the first bear with 400 grain Speer flat nose. With the exception of the caribou, all were one shot. A locomotive doesn't have to go fast to kill something! Our family of five ate moose meat three to five times a week for thirteen months and still gave away meat when we were transferred out.
Good story!
Two things:
I’ve been a contender fan for most of my shooting years and hunted with a .357 Maximum. Loved it. Will someday have another. Deer out to 150-ish. One and done. I’m still mad at Remington for not supporting that cartridge. Most accurate pistol cartridge I’ve used. Especially at distance. (Saying this with only straight-wall pistol experience to go by).
And, it sounds like you probably got a bit tired of moose before you were done, lol.
Actually, it was better than beef. The kids loved their moose burgers better than Burger King or McDonalds. We did have to add beef fat to the burger mix. The slow cooker roasts were great!
Glad they enjoyed them. And yes, adding some fat to the ground meat helps. And, anything is better than Burger King or McDonald’s imo.
I have shot a deer at about 35 yards with a Glock 35 40 smith and Wesson. You will be fine, get some buffalo bore hard cast and bang away.
i have hunted with contenders, and encores. several blackhawk 44 mags, a bfr 44 mag, a freedom arms 44 mag model 83. a freedom arms 44 spl; and my favorite, a ruger 44 spl flattop. coulda killed a few deer last year with the 44 spl, and coulda taken a very small 6 pt this year and elected not to.
the only deer i have taken with a pistol, is with my pocket rocket, the “noisy cricket”....smith and wesson model 360 357 magnum. on two different occasions, i was unexpectedly tracking a deer someone else had wounded, and while tracking them, caught them trying to maneuver around me in the thicket. the hardcast 160 grain bullets are the ticket.
the 10mm longslide glock with a red dot sight would probably be the way to fly. you will be well served with that combination. shot placement is everything. let them come close before you put the screws to them.
the only deer i have taken with a pistol, is with my pocket rocket, the “noisy cricket”....smith and wesson model 360 357 magnum. on two different occasions, i was unexpectedly tracking a deer someone else had wounded, and while tracking them, caught them trying to maneuver around me in the thicket. the hardcast 160 grain bullets are the ticket.
the 10mm longslide glock with a red dot sight would probably be the way to fly. you will be well served with that combination. shot placement is everything. let them come close before you put the screws to them.
I took a large doe from about 30 yards with a 10MM Glock 40; 180 grain XTP. I hit her behind the shoulder and the round penetrated through and through. She ran about another 30 yards before expiring. It worked great for me. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to shoot a whitetail at 50 yds with this combination.
10mm glock ,I stick with 220 hardcast Underwood ammo.
44mag I have both a Dan Wesson and a Ruger Redhawk, still use Underwood ammo 240 grains hardcast again.
Won't shoot over 75 yards, and it hits deer like a brick.
I'm sure it would tear coyotes up pretty good as well.
44mag I have both a Dan Wesson and a Ruger Redhawk, still use Underwood ammo 240 grains hardcast again.
Won't shoot over 75 yards, and it hits deer like a brick.
I'm sure it would tear coyotes up pretty good as well.
I wouldn't say "experienced," but I've killed a few deer and several hogs with Glocks or 1911's in 9mm, 45, and 10mm. It works. I prefer it to bow hunting. Roughly same distance and challenge, but much more effective in my experience.
The 454 might end up at Wild West for porting, moon clips and a action job. Similar to their Wolverine!
I am fortunate to own a Freedom Arms 83 in .454, and a brace of .44 Magnums...
...I've killed a lot more shit around here with a cheap M&P in the awful .40 short and weak. I can put the bullets where they need to be, and I ALWAYS have it on me.
It sort of defies internet lore.
...I've killed a lot more shit around here with a cheap M&P in the awful .40 short and weak. I can put the bullets where they need to be, and I ALWAYS have it on me.
It sort of defies internet lore.
here is my new hunting revolver. BFR in 500JRH with a 7.5” barrel. I set it up with an UltraDot 30 and a Leupold FXII 4x. Both in Leupold QRW2 rings. They should return to a close enough zero for a handgun. Only shot a few different loads so far, 440gr WFNGC at around 1000 FPS and some 335gr “plinking loads” at around 850fps. Gonna up the ante a little soon, gonna try to push that 440 up to around 1300 or so.
Exactly my experience, the 357 max is a train! Kills and shoots better than 44-454 and similar from single shot pistols.
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