Suggestions for first hunting handgun

[cgturner7]

I am a rookie to handgun hunting and would like to hear your opinions.  I've been a long gun hunter for years but don't have much experience with pistols.  I currently own a RIA 1911 that shoots very well but I understand 1911s are the best hunting pistols.  I would like to stay with .357 so I can practice with .38s.  I also plan to buy a NEF .357 rifle so it would be nice to have a common caliber.  Single action?  Double action?  Which brand?  I would also like the option of scoping the pistol later on.  OK, so let's hear it.

[nilescoyote]

What is it you intend on hunting? I use a ruger mkII and a 10" contender for squirrel, a 44 mag in a desert eagle and contender, 45 colt in ruger bisley and encore for deer.

[blhof]

The 357, with well placed shots, has taken many deer, however it's not the best caliber for the job, depending on distance and wt of the deer.  In Florida and Louisiana, i've taken deer and hogs with the 357 and moderate ranges; 20 to 40 yards.  The 45acp has more knockdown, but your ranges for accuracy are about the same as the 357 in pistol.

[warrior1]

look to ruger  for a blackhawk,or a gp100,another possibility would be a smith&WESSON.
if you want to consider 44 mag, shoots 44 special also, and want to put a scope on it
look at ruger redhawk,and super redhawk, opr the blackhawk hunter. good luck dan

[cgturner7]

I'll be hunting whitetail, axis and maybe hog near Del Rio, TX.  My self imposed range would be within 50 yards.  I've really gotten into stalking and rattling up deer during the rut.  The challenge for me is to get close to the deer.  I'm done with sitting at a feeder and waiting for the timer to go off.   

[Dave in WV]

Since you added hogs to your handgun hunting I recommend the .44 mag especially if you reload. IMHO when handgun hunting extra power really is better than "enough". The Ruger Blackhawk handguns are really good. I'm not into single actions but I respect the Balckhawks. A handgun that can be fired double ation is a plus if you can shoot them well enough DA. I like the fit of a DA revolver better but that's a matter of taste. I have a S&W .357 and.44 mag. I have taken a deer with my .357. One hunt with a cartridge is not give a definitive answer on performance but I was less than satisfied. I use a dot type sight on my .44 mag. It's easier for me to use and works in any legal light well.

[obxmike]

I'm the "odd" guy in my club that hunts primarily with a handgun. Actually, I hunt with two! My primary is an Encore in either .308 w/ Leupold 2.5x8 or .44mag with a holosight, depending on distance I anticipate a shot. My "back-up" is a Ruger bisley vaquero in .44mag with 5.5" bbl, in case I get a shot within 30-40 yards (or a close encounter with a black bear!)
For what you're talking about, I'd be hard pressed not to go with a Ruger blackhawk "hunter" in .44mag. For a gun to do it all out to 100 yds or so, it's hard to meet or beat for the money spent. You could get yourself set up with a decent scope/red-dot/holosight, and be out the door under a grand for the package. Plus, with ruger's scope rings, you can go open sight to scoped in just a few minutes.

[Badnews Bob]

I have taken several deer with .357 I happen to like Rugers also, I hunt with a GP100 stainless with a 6" barrel  no scope I know this pistol will drop deer at 75 yards, I've done it. I usually don't like to shoot that far but the target was there and I felt confident I could make the shot. I prefer 180gr hardcast  bullets in most of my hunting loads but the 158 SP jacketed bullets perform just fine, I don't see the need for hollow points as I look for a hole all the way thru.  I also have owned a Blackhawk, Its a fine pistol also but I prefer the grips on the GP both shoot about the same.

About the NEF there one of my favorite rifles, I have one in .357 mag and another barrel for it in .357 max, They spend alot of time in the woods with me, I use the same load in the mag as I do in the revolver the max of course is another animal but it will shoot .357mags as well as .38s and .360 Dan Wesson. The rifles take the range out to around 150 yards. @100 the NEF mag shoots about 2" the max will shoot inside 1.5".

Another fella on the boards here refers to his .357 as his loud bow. Works for me.

[Mikey]

cgturner7: Keep the 45 as a self defense gun and buy a 357 to go with that Handi Rifle you're thinking of getting.

Single action or double action is up to you depending on your comfort zone with the grip style of the handgun.  Since this will be your first hunting handgun but you already have experience shooting handguns I would opt for a Ruger Blackhawk for a single action or a Smith and Wesson 686 or something similar for a double action revolver.  You can actually satisfy both sa and da desires with a good double action revolver like the S&Ws.  I prefer my S&W sa trigger pull over the longer draw and heavy break of the sa Ruger.

There is a whole slew of stainless, scandium and titanium revolvers from S&W in the 357 caliber - nice and light, accurate and powerful. I don't think you can go wrong with a S&W.  HTH.  Mikey.

[petemi]

I have a .357 mag. Blackhawk, stainless, 6.5 inch barrel.  I'm putting together a .357 Handi synthetic with a scout/pistol scope as its companion.  I just bought the Ruger last year.  I took 3 deer this past Fall, one during muzzleloader with a .50 NEF Huntsman and the other two during regular rifle season. during which I carried the Blackhawk but never got a clean kill handgun shot so I used my .308.  I use a crossdraw holster which carries the revolver comfortably and out of the way.  I love my Handi rifles, and I'm eager to get the .357 shooting.  Both of them will spend a lot of time with me, on my horse or in my truck, this spring and summer while I work around the farm.

[cgturner7]

All the recoil tables I've read say the .44 mag has A LOT more recoil than the .357.  Since this will be my first hunting handgun I'm thinking that a gun I can shoot comfortably will me more accurate and lead to more effective kills.  I do not handload so loading the .44 down is not a possibility for me.  I don't know ballistics well enough but why is it that a .357 shot from a rifle is more effective at killing deer than the same round shot from a pistol?  I'm just saying.....  I know the rifle creates more fps but within my self-imposed range of less than 50 yards wouldn't a pistol be pretty close.  Actually, my range would probably be even closer than that (likely within 30 yards) until I learn to shoot better.  I like the philosophy of the pistol being a loud bow.  That's the kind of distance I'm talking about.  

I, too, would like to ream my future NEF to .357 Max.  I'm thinking this will be the ideal rifle to teach my sons with.  They can plink with .38s, take their first does with the .357 and there's the max for the future. 

What about Taurus pistols? 

[henryb]

Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt.  You can buy everything from Cowboy loads (light) to Corbon screamers with heavy bullets and the gun will handle it.  The 45 will take anything from small vermin to bear (smaller ones) with various factory loads.

Due to it's larger bore size I find the recoil more manageable than the quick sharp muzzle flip of a 357.  "If" I was to have only one 6 gun, it'd be a 45 colt.

My .02 cents

[nilescoyote]

+1 on the 45 colt

If recoil is your main concern and you will entertain the thought of going bigger than a 357, look at the ruger bisley's. The way the grip is designed you feel less recoil than you would with a double action style grip or the blackhawk/colt style. The only way I can describe it is it allows your hand to slide up the grip upon firing, during the recoil impulse. Reducing the felt recoil. I bought a bisley JUST for this reason. I had been using a blackhawk prior to that and a s&w 29 before that. The Bisley has significantly less felt recoil than the other two.

A 357 will work for the game you are pursuing and many use a 357. I, however, stopped using one after a took a whitetail at 40 yards in the vitals with two shots and had to track it well over 100 yards. It still took care of business but just not a quickly as I like and the load I was using was  much less destructive to the vitals than what I prefer.

To really get the most out of any caliber/gun you do end up with, you REALLY need to consider reloading. At the current price of loads available for hunting, after buying just a couple boxes of ammo you could have all ready paid for the equipment you would have needed. Plus you look to save half to two thirds on your ammo and load to the gun/caliber's potential for accuracy and power/use.

[TGFOGAL]

The 45 is a great cal, so the 454 will give a much larger power range.
My 454 RB is a great deer getter.
Tom

[SHOOTALL]

GP-100 !

[Catfish]

If you can get a hold of one of the new Ruger Super Black Hawk Hunters try shooting it and see how you handle the recoil. Last summer a young couple stopped in and she wanted to shoot my 629 S&W. She had never shot a handgun before. She shot up 1/2 a box of plinkers, 240 gn. cast at 950 fps. She then fired a cylinder full of 240 gn hunting loads. When I ask her if she was ready for the 500 S&W she said yes. I tried to talk her out of it, but she would have no part of it. Sooooo, I loaded some 440 gn. bullets moveing at apx. 1,650 fps. She fired 2 rounds, and this little gril doesn`t weight 110 lbs soaking wet. Make sure that you try rubber grips, they really reduce felt recoil.

[bkraft]

What about a .41 Rem Mag, I got a redhawk that has put several whitetails in the ole deep freeze, and a marlin lever gun that has yet to be blooded simply because I grab the Ruger first.

[Cheesehead]

Consider a Smith & Wesson Model 29 in 44 Magnum. The industry standard all revolvers are measured by. Several varieties to choose from. If you do not reload, the 44mag/special makes good economic sense.

Cheese

[kennisondan]

I would not use the 357 for the hogs unless I was taking shots like a bow hunter would or head shots.... a 41 mag and up will take hogs with applomb... single or double action is up to you... best bang for buck is the Ruger hands down... not a reloader : the 44 mag/special; the the 454/45 colt full power load/ buffalo bore or corbon loadings/ cowboy loads; 445 super mag/ 44mag/44special; several guns use several rounds from super powerful to very light, and over the counter , as shown above...
I like the 44 mag and the 45 colt... the mag is easier to find and cheaper off the shelf... and incidentally, in the ruger it can be loaded really hot...
One other thing... all these can be had in an encore pistol, and it can use interchageable barrels from those listed to the rifle calibers; if you want versatility and do not mind a single shot... that is a good choice.. I love all the above.
dk

[okie john]

Consider a Smith & Wesson Model 29 in 44 Magnum. The industry standard all revolvers are measured by. Several varieties to choose from. If you do not reload, the 44mag/special makes good economic sense.

Cheese

Ahhh, not really. 44 Special costs quite a bit more than 44 Magnum, and it's a lot harder to find. The Smith 29 is a good call, though, as is a Smith in 45 Colt.


Okie John

[Ak.Hiker]

Check out the S&W Classic model 27 with the 6.5 inch barrel. Its got enough weight to make shooting the 158 grain soft points a pleasure. For bigger game the 180 and 200 grain cast loads are pretty stout. The CorBon 200 grain and the Buffalo Bore 180 cast are about as hot as it gets in a 357 Magnum.

[SHOOTALL]

The man said he wanted a 357 , GP-100

[Cheesehead]

The man said he wanted a 357 , GP-100

I am a rookie to handgun hunting and would like to hear your opinions.


The man wanted opinions !

Cheese !

[Graybeard]

Yes he asked for opinions and got lots but most seem to ignore his parameters established in the OP. He is not an experienced handgunner he is planning to get a .357 rifle and thinks he wants a revolver to go along with it and specified he wanted a .357 so he could shoot the lesser recoiling .38 specials while getting used to handgunning. It seems to be we experienced handgunners too often forget our roots and want all new shooters to begin at a level of recoil few of us began at and that no one really should start at.

Get a .357 or better still a .22LR and shoot thousands of rounds with low recoil ammo until you are truly a proficient handgunner and then move up the recoil ladder in steps as you see fit and make sure at each step up the recoil ladder you gain that level of proficiency before moving up another notch. I began that way using a .22LR and still recommend it to everyone as the best way to become a really good shot.

What .357? That is the question isn't it? There are several good options. I'm partial to DA not SA guns over all and as recoil rises even more so. S&W is really my favorite and I've owned many of them and still own several. I actually prefer the older now discontinued M19/66 K-frame S&W guns but the L-frame guns are stouter and just as acccurate. Get a 4" or better yet 6" of either and it will last you a life time of shooting. Yeah so will the Ruger GP 100 or a Ruger Blackhawk should you elect a single action gun. If you really want the best and most accurate out there and can afford the near $2000 cost a Freedom Arms FA97 or FA83 is as good and as accurate as it gets. That's hardly a beginner's level price but you only have to buy such a gun once in your life time and it will serve you well for the rest of that life time.

The .357 magnum is not exactly my idea of the ideal deer hunting handgun but we have one very experienced hunter on here who actually prefers it and has done a lot of deer hunting with his .357 rifles and handguns and they work well. If you're willing to accept it as more or less a loud bow it will work just fine for you. When it first can out it was used successfully I might add on just about every big game animal legal to hunt. But admittedly in those days the .357 really was a magnum not the wimp it is loaded as these days. When I began using it the standard load was a 158 grain bullet at 1550 fps. Now the standard is more like a 125 grain at 1250 fps. That's a huge difference in power level.

[Davemuzz]

I was like you. For many years I hunted whitetail with a rifle, and a bow. Then I decided to buy my first handgun and go out "doe" hunting with a handgun instead of a rifle. My first handgun was a Smith & Wesson model 629 DX Classic 44 magnum. After I bot this gun and began shooting it, I then got into reloading because the price of 44 ammo was costly, and I was having too much fun shooting the darn thing. Now I reload everything from handgun to rifle.

I have found that the 44 mag is not too much in terms of recoil to handle. I have also found that it is an excellent round on whitetail deer using a hollowpoint bullet. Now, the 357 will also kill a whitetail. I can't tell you this from personal experience, but just from what friends who own them have told me. However, should you choose to buy a 357, I would say don't get one with a barrel less than 6" as you will lose velocity and accuracy. That being said, my Smith DX has a 6.5" barrel.....but it is deadly accurate to 100 yards.

If you don't reload I don't understand the "want" or "need" to have a 357 handgun because you want a 357 longgun. Perhaps if you did reload I could understand the convience of one set of dies, one type of powder, one brand\weight of bullet...ect....but if your buying off the shelf bullets, I don't see the reason you can't buy a box of 44 mag bullets and a box of 357 mag bullets.

Now, as for double action vs. single action, that's probably a matter of how much you have to spend and personal preference. I will tell you that for hunting situations, 90%-95% of the time, I have shot game using single action. It's not that often that I use double action. So...what does that tell ya? However, single action pistols are a PITA to load as the cylinder does not "roll out" like a DA revolver. You have to do a "one-at-a-time" punch out and put in deal. I'm spoiled so that would drive me nutz.

Also, from what I have read, (and I've never hunted hogs) hogs are a tough customer. The guys who hunt 'em say use any caliber handgun you like.....as long as it begins with a "4". So, a 44 mag, 454 casull, 460 Smith, 480 Ruger.....you get my point.

As far as handgun scopes are concerned, I would put on what I have had on my Smith 44 since I bot it. A Simmons Prohunter variable. http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=113584  This handgun scope has taken a pounding and always held zero for me. I shoot nothing but full power 44 mag loads from my DX and this scope has never failed. I use the 6x at the range to punch holes in paper, and I hunt with the scope on 2x. For a $100 scope (if you wait, Midway always put's it on sale for $100) you just can't beat it. Mount it with Burris Signature Zee rings. http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=416175&t=11082005  These rings have the synthetic insert that (I think) help cushion the scope against hard recoil, and they help center the scope alignment.

Well....that's my two cents. You make the call. If you hog huntin you may loose a few with the 357....but I'm no expert on that. Perhaps the hog guys will chime in and help there.

Dave

[irold]

Might as well put my 2cents worth in .....Nuttin wrong with a 357, especially with what your plans are.  It makes since to go with it.  However, I have to agree with a lot on the thread....its not the best for whitetail.  Maybe consider making the 44 your common caliber?I have to agree with Graybeard also , you need to practice with a caliber you can handle.  Its a tough decision !  The 44 can be had in some pretty mild loadings. When I first started handgunning, I went with a Ruger blackhawk in 357, didn't like the grip style..went to a Colt trooper DA in 357...used that for a long time.  Now just because its a DA, doesn't mean you have to use it in DA.  I can't ever remember shooting at game in DA mode, but they're a lot easier to load, unload....you can use a speed loader also.  They're just different....grab both at the shop and see which one suits you best.  Seemed like all the deer were just out of my range for the 357, so I advanced to the 44 and haven't looked back.  Blazer ammo, the kind with the alum. cases, they're pretty mild to practice with, and not that expensive.  Matter of fact some hot loads in the 357 will feel harder than the Blazers.  Probably most everyone on this site has started with something milder than a 357 and advanced to something a littlle hotter , be it for the extended range or more power , what ever the reason.  If you can stand by your self imposed limitations....perhaps the 357 will work for you,  but bet in a few years you progress up the scale...........what ever you do, do it safely...Good luck