Do You Hunt With A Pistol?

[Mr.Downtown]

If you don't hunt with your pistols, Why not? As sports men and women I encourage you to give it a try. It is very rewarding to take a game animal with a handgun. If your state allows, take a pistol along with your long gun. If a shot comes at or within your comfort range, try it. I started with deer, but now I shoot all my game with a handgun.
Heavy for caliber .357 and larger bullets moving along at or near 1000fps will do fine on deer. Hard cast bullets work great, but factory loaded ammo of many types will get the job done. I got the pistol hunting fever when I got my first Thompson Center Contender. I quickly realized that barrels for this handgun could be had for $150, my hook was set. I must have a dozen or more barrels now. From .22 rimfire to 45/70 and from 6" to 20". Tenders can be configured in many ways. Whatever you want it to be.
My revolvers are many, but I am always looking for one more.
My auto pistols tend to be rimfires. Cheap to feed and fun to shoot. Bunnies and squirrels are a lot of fun in the winter with these little guns. My kids and I enjoy putting on the snow shoes and heading into the woods every chance we get. Rimfires are that much fun.
Build some Poppers- buy a bag of the cheapest suckers you can find. Take a piece of wood or lumber and drill some holes in it so you can put the sucker stick into it. Now put it at whatever distance you like and shoot them......
Buy a bag of balloons, blow them up to the size you want. Staple the end of the balloon ( after the knot ) to a target backer and shoot em.....
We shoot till we miss and then the next shooter starts. This will really build confidence.
I went elk hunting out west last month. My guide and I got on a really nice 5x6 bull elk at 311 yards. The guide asked me if I could make that shot. I said yes. I had been shooting my pistol ( Rem XP-100 in 7mm Win Short Mag ) all summer at 300 yards. It was meant to be I guess. I had no doubt in my gun or myself in making that shot. You can do the same, trust me.
Try your hand at pistol hunting. It is a lot of fun.
Steve

 

[ViperJeff]

WOW... That a long shot with a handgun

I'm shooting at 15 yards, I would need a lot more practice to just get to 30 yards

 

[Mr.Downtown]

WOW... That a long shot with a handgun

I'm shooting at 15 yards, I would need a lot more practice to just get to 30 yards

I felt the same way when I started down this path. I still like my revolvers for typical hunting shots here in MI. When you start hunting woodchucks or going out west it changes fast. I shoot with guys that have pistols and the know how to shoot routinely at 1000 yards. I just can not see spending that much money on the needed equipment to be able to do that kind of shooting. Mrs.Downtown and I make an annual trip to KY to hang out and shoot with a bunch of Metallic Silhouette shooters. These guys shoot to 200 and 300 meters with iron sites. It is all about practice for these guys. I can hit rams at 200m, but not real consistently. I need a rest and a scope to do it well.

 

[ViperJeff]

Iron sites is what I like even on my rifles

 

[oppo]

I like irons on a sidearm but I would scope a high powered single shot and nearly any rifle. I have done some hunting with a handgun. Last time I had a lease, I killed 4 pigs with a 357 and a big angry sow with a 454 Casull. That was pretty impressive. The bullet went in the left side of her jaw and exited at the front of her right hip and that was a hollow point. The longest shot I have taken on game was about 45 yards at a running doe, iron sights. I hit her just a little far back but the bullet did it's job. She ran maybe a 100 yds, laid down, and that was it. I have tried shots as far as 140 yds with irons but I wouldn't shoot that far at a game animal.

 

[Mr.Downtown]

I have a rear peep installed on my Ruger Bisley Hunter in 41 mag. I really like it. You just pop the factory sight blade out and drop the peep in it's place. Wide flat nose lead bullets going about 1000fps go right through deer. I would like to have the same set up in 45 long, but they are hard to find. I also like my 6" stainless Ruger GP100. It will do the same thing, but people tell me it is too small for deer. I say tell that to the last three deer I harvested using it.
Important to remember that pistol shot's should be placed in the heart and lungs. You will not get the same effect on a high shoulder shot like you will with a rifle. You just don't get the high velocity shock from a pistol.

 

[Mr.Downtown]

This is Doug"s elk. I was late to the actual shot. He took his elk with a 338 win short mag in a xp-100 pistol. I will post mine when he sends me the video.
http://s499.photobucket.com/albums/...-2012/?action=view&current=20120922091723.mp4

 

[ar556]

i use a desert eagle 357 on deer when im hunting short distances in the woods. i had a thompson contender 357maximum and it was great, i shouldnt have sold it. shot a deer with both at 40yds and they dropped right away. i use a 12ga slug gun for long shots...ohio, no rifles my mossberg 835 with a rifles slug barrel is just as accurate as a rifle so its ok but i would like to use a rifle.

 

[GLOCK V]

I deer hunt with a marlin .44 mag lever action but i used to hunt with a S&W .44 mag no scope.

 

[Wilson]

wondering price of some of the deer guns would like to see about getting one. also where would be a good place to buy one.

 

[blockdoc]

I love hunting with my .44 mag super Redhawk (deer).

I've hunted squirrels plenty with my Mark II also.

Eventually I'll pick up a Redhawk in .45/454

Here are the first deer with my Redhawk. Taken maybe 20 seconds apart.

 

[Mr.Downtown]

wondering price of some of the deer guns would like to see about getting one. also where would be a good place to buy one.

What gun are you thinking of? A good place for me is www.Gunbroker.com
I have bought and sold there for some time now. Contenders and Encores are guns that you can have many different barrels for. That is how I got into the long range type of hunting and shooting I enjoy now.
Good luck, the fun for you has just begun.

 

[TScottW99]

I bought a T/C Encore in .480Ruger several years ago. I put a Leupold 2X on it and practiced for several years before heading out into the woods. I finally took it on it's first hunt last year and shot the first meat that walked by. :Moon: