Who hunts or shoots long-distance with a handgun?

[Roadrunner]

I was watching an outdoors show over the weekend and this fellow took an 11 point buck with a handgun using handgun caliber ammo. I thought that might give it a try. What type of handgun, scope, and ammo do you use. What would be the effective range too?

Thinking about using a similar type set-up for long-distance handgun shooting, possibly handgun metallic silhouette. Any info is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Henry Bowman]

Your question can be answered a couple ways but you'll have to decide if ya want a short rifle like the T/Cs or the XP-100s or a gun that fits in a holster. If yo determine that you need 200yd capability I'd visit with SSKs handcannons. The .375 JDJ is pin point accurate and delivers 300gners@1900fps, more than enough for anything on the planet. If your looking for a top of the line sixgun try the Ruger Super Redhawk in .44 rem Mag, quick on and off scope mounts and high accuracy. henry

 

[Henry P]

I'm getting into handgun hunting as well. I like traditional revolver calibres. I'll be using an Interarms Virginian Dragoon in .44 mag., with a 7 1/2 in barrel. I'm loading a 240 gr. lswc by laser-cast over 20 gr. of 2400. I'm getting ok accuracy right now(3 inches @ 25 yds) but I want to play around with charge weight and powder type(probably try h110 or 296). I'm getting impatient as my gun club has closed the pistol range to build the backstop back up and deer season starts on the 20th on Nov. I'm going to limit my shots this year to a max of 50 yds.

 

[Gewehr98]

I'm getting all set for feral pigs here in Florida, and then my Dad wants to know if I'd like to partake of the Wisconsin whitetails. The only animals I've taken to date with my Wichita have been chickens, pigs, turkeys, and rams, all of the steel IHMSA persuasion. But a 7mm Hornady 139gr Spitzer at 2000 fps should work just spiffy putting pork and venison in the freezer...

 

[taco]

My cousin, brother and I have hunted deers and hogs with handguns and had some success.

All three of us used 9" Ruger Super Redhawk topped with B&L 2-7 power scope or Weaver 2x scope (first one work well so we got 2 more). We used handload of hard cast 310gr WFN-GC with enough H110 to get 1,350 fps in our revolvers. This is HOT load and I would not shoot it in anything other than our SRH. All three revolvers will shoot about 3" at 100 yards with this ammo.

We took 6 deers at 50 yards or less in 4 years and my brother took one deer at 137 paces and all were taken with one shot. Also, we took about 15 hogs with 2 taken at over 70 paces and again they all took one shot each. My cousin and brother went elk hunting 2 years ago with this combo but didn't get a shot.

IMHO considering our shooting ability (okay just my cousin and brother's ability) I would say that our gun/ammo is good for anything up to decent size elk at 100 yards.

 

[rock_jock]

The replies on this post are perfect for me right now. I need advice on a hunting handgun. I, too, have never tried it, but am ready now. I am looking very seriously at a Ruger Super Redhawk with a 9.5" barrel in .44 mag. A number of questions for guys:

- I have never shot a .44 mag (largest caliber to date is .357 mag, which I found powerful but very manageable). I know what your advice will be - find someone with a .44 mag and shoot it, but I don't know very many folk in the local area and most likely will not have that chance. Also, there is only one range withn 100 miles that rents guns and the only thing they rent are Glocks, so if I buy a .44 mag, it will most likely be without any experience with one. I am assuming that the weight of the gun I have described will make the recoil pretty tolerable. Is this a fairly safe assumption?

- I also assume that if I find the .44 mag too powerful, I can shoot .44 specials and be effective enough (most likely I will be shooting West Texas whitetails, which avg. about 120 lbs).

- My limited knowledge of big bores tells me that Rugers are the toughest. Is this right?

Thanks for your help in advance!

 

[PreserveFreedom]

I have run after jackrabbits with my Glock 22...but you seem to be looking for larger game.

 

[WESHOOT2]

Ah, shooting guns far..........


Suggest minimum .357(180gJHP), better 41(210gJHP/220gFP), 44(240-300gJHP), or 45 Colt(300-335g). Range = however far you can CONSISTENTLY hit a paper plate (my effective range is 165 yds or less).

Best gun = Redhawk in stainless, bigger calibers with 5.5" tube, .357 with 7.5" barrel.
Forget the scope, that's a rifle...

Contact me direct for caliber/bullet specifics.

------------------
"All my ammo is factory ammo"

 

[ArmySon]

How good of a shot are you at long ranges? How sensitive are you to recoil?

While hunting with a handgun is fun, it can be challenging. I use a Ruger Super Redhawk .44 mag with 7.5" barrel and 2x scope.

If you're a so so shot, I would get a TC or XP-100 type pistol and PRACTICE. Remember, it's your responsibility to humanely drop game. If you're a lousy shot and you injure the deer, well you get the idea.

 

[Steve in PA]

I use a Ruger Super Redhawk which has a 9 1/2" barrel, topped with a Bushnell 2x6 variable scope. Right now I am using 240gr Hornady HP-XTP's with Remington cases loaded with a stout load of H-110 and CCI Large Pistol Magnum primers. I have taken several deer with this load so I know it works. I also load 300gr HP-XTPs.

------------------
Steve
LPD

 

[Henry P]

rock_jock, go ahead and buy that .44 mag. I seriously doubt that you will find the recoil to be unmanageable. You can always download some ammo if you reload, and build up a tolerance to the recoil that way. Don't psyche yourself out about recoil, just enjoy the gun and appreciate it's power.

 

[Roadrunner]

Everyone's replies have certainly been very informative. Last night I found a number of good reviews of the Magnum Research's Lone Eagle single shot handgun.

They're running a sale on the .44 Mag and a few other calibers. Found some discussion on the 7mm-08 Remington. Would this be too much for this type of handgun even with the muzzle brake for silhouette and deer?

 

[Turk]

If I could only own one hunting handgun it would be in 44 Mag. I've owned over the years a Ruger Red Hawk, DW 44 and a T/C Contender in 44 Mag. I've shoot a quite a bit on a borrowed S&W 29.

Of the above my faviote is the model 29.

My faviote all around gun is the Smith Model 57 (41 Mag.) less recoil than the 44 mag.

I took a whitetail a couple years ago with the 41 the med. size doe went right down hit her in the left hip as she was running straight away at 40 yards. I was aiming at her backbone mid way up. My 2nd shot killed her.

My goal is to harvest a deer with all legal handgun allowed in my state.

Last year I hunted with a Ruger Bisley 45 Colt topped off with a Red Dot sight. Only got one chance for a shot but I didn't take it the small buck was approx 130 yards out. With the new higher pressure hand loading the 45 Colt is right on the heals of the 44 Mag.

Something I vowed to to do when I started handgun hunting I would NEVER take a shot I wasn't sure of a hit.

This year I plan to hunt with a TC Contender 14" barrel chambered in 444 Marlin will be shooting 265 gr. Horandy FP this gun will shoot 150 yards (rested). This gun is not fun gun to shoot after 20 rounds my hand and middle finger hurts and this is with rubber grips and shooting glove. I pratice with mid range loading and a couple days before season opens I'll rezero with top end loads and shot a couple boxes.

With 41 Mag., 44 Mag. & 45 Colt I will take 100 yard shots rested and 50 yards offhand.

Concerning sights my choice is a Red Dot over a scope.

Welcome to handgun hunting I know you'll enjoy it.

Turk

 

[Hard Ball]

I agree 100% with Turk, Use a good .44 Magnum or .41 Magnum and limit yourself to 50 yard shots offhand and 100 yards firing from a rest. In my experience this works.

 

[Legionnaire]

Handgun caliber ammo? Gotta agree with the .44 Mag crowd. Like the SuperRedhawk with 7" or 9.5" barrel, although a S&W 29 or 629 would also be fine. Would limit shots to whatever range you can put six rounds into a 10" paper plate. With practice, one should be able to do that out to 75-100 yards. At that range, I don't see the need for a scope of higher magnification than 2x, although a couple of local hunter silhouette shooters like 4x. Should be able to pick up a good used Leupold from AuctionArms or GunBroker for well under $150.

If you want to go beyond 100 yds, move up to a rifle caliber hand cannon. The T/C Contender and Encore are probably the most popular (in terms of sales) in this category, although the Remington XP-100, Savage Stryker, and Magnum Research Lone Eagle are also strong options. I'd scope one of these with a Leupold or Burris 2-7x. Any of these will require a solid rest for shots beyond 100 yards, but in .243, 7mm-08, .308, etc., they are easily 200 yard guns.

Let us know what you decide!

 

[EQUALIZER]

Got to shoot a 1911 set up w/a special barrel that launched 200gr 45super missles @ 1402fps and was enjoyable to shoot. Next I'm going to try 165gr Sierras out of the same gas delayed blowback 5" 1911 @ 1600fps. Should be plenty for white tail. 125gr 9x23 @ 1700fps should also work out of the same 1911 with a barrel exchange. Should be as accurate as a fixed barrel since the barrel IS fixed to the frame. Now I just have to decide which one to buy............decisions......decisions. Wish I could afford both right now. One nice thing is that with the new barrel system, I'll be able to use the same gun for competition, hunting, and for CCW.

Just got a Weaver 2.5-8X pistol scope for long range accuracy. Might not be the thing for ipsc, but for silloette and hunting, I think it'll work for you the same as its going to for me.

Best regards,

eq

 

[Dave44]

S&W pre-agreement .44 model 629,just purchased a luepold gilmore red-dot scope at a $ of 225 mounted and boresighted. I have had good luck out to 50yds.I have only 500 rds through this gun with the new scope and I'm tickled to death everytime I shoot it. Be sure to buy a USED S&W if that is the direction you go. S&W have arguably the finest revolvers ever made.