How many whitetails with a handgun?

[Poppy]

Added another to my list.  Saw lots of small bucks this season, passed them all.  Did get a 3 1/2 year old doe with the Encore.  111 yards according to my rangefinder, one shot, bang, flop.  Just a fun way to hunt.

[Hopalong7]

My memory is worse than my shootin'.  '76 got me a 10" .30Herret for my Contender and already had a three-screw .41 BH.  Carried both at the same time and worked on'm pretty keen with both up until the late '80's the Herret took a back seat to a new 6.5JDJ and a .45 Bisley slipped in there some too.  Shot one of my better bucks ever in late '80's with a .50 TC Scout pistol(it was legal in Virginia then...wish it still was...been politicing hard to get it back, but you can't shoot with just promises). Most of my damage in the last 10 years has been with Encore Muzzleloader and even used a centerfire rifle(forgive me Brothers...I have sinned!!!)on a couple or so here lately.  I guess I'm really getting old, huh? It's still more fun with a handgun and I don't care what you say...makes'm taste better too.
GOOD SHOOTIN', Walt 

[buckeye509]

Just one so far. Around 9 years ago in Carroll County, OH. Hunting on Public land shot a big doe with TC Contender, 10" 357 MAG, 2x Nikon scope, factory 158 grain SP.

I was in the same area for opening day (Monday) for a few hours...nada. Saw that other hunters were doing very well.
This year I'm out with my TC Encore SS in 44 MAG, 2x8 Nikon. I'll go out maybe one or two more times this year.

[MS Hitman]

I'm up to 60 Whitetail deer with just the .309JDJ.

[Badnews Bob]

I mostly rifle hunt, But I've taken 2 with my GP 100 .357 and 1 with SRH .44mag, I always carry the .357 and both of those the deer where in a position making the pistol easier to use than the rifle, saved the hunt sort of, The .44 was last year and was all I was carrying, Took a nice 100lb doe at 25- 30 yards. I plan on doing that more often when I can, Its good fun.

[weedstar]

Only 3 so far for me but I love it and leave my rifle at home now. Really want to get 15" muzzleloader barrel for my encore.

1- Adult doe at 75 yds raging bull 44 mag
2- 7pt buck 110 yds encore 15" 243
3- 3pt buck 80 yds 500 s&w revolver

[rimfire]

I replied earlier onthe string, but added another last week...doe at 40 yards with my Bisley Hunter 44 mag with the Munden action job with the factory open sights.  By the way...love the action smoothness and weight from him, but I think it needs an overtravel stop...which he does not do.

[Bullseye]

I have lost track and really do not remember the number, but I do remember all the guns (or should I say caliber since they were all Contenders)

357 Max - 10" tube
41 Mag - 14" tube
375 Win - 14" tube
45-70 Govt. - 14" tube

I shot the most with the 357 Max, but it has been sold along with the 41 Mag.

Now I use the 375 Win if I want to hunt with a scope and the 45-70 if I want open sights.

I actually only hunted with the Contender one time this year.  I still prefer to hunt with a handgun but Indiana passed a law last year to allow you to use rifles in pistol calibers.  I had a 41 Mag Marlin and a 44 Mag Winchester that I just used for punching paper until the last two years.

[Jim_Ole_Timer]

I've killed 6 deer with hand gun:
 .

I decided that the Encore was to unconfortable to carry in the woods and I got a S&W629 in 6" bbl.  I shot one small deer from about 10 yards.  It went backwards about 4 feet and never got up.
 

 Camba

If you decide to try the Encore again, get yourself and Uncle Mike shoulder holster. I've used one with my Contendor in 45/70 Gov for years and I love it.

I've only ever taken two deer with my Contendor but only because of poor deer population and I'm not the best hunter in the world. I have a hard time sitting still and can't hear them coming either, but I still hunt anyway. I just love hunting and being outside. I was going to go tommorow but its going be only 16 degrees ans 22 mph winds, too chilly for me.

[snowbelt45]

4 so far!  All with a Contender. All were shot at less than 50 yards.

2-8 Pt's, one with a .357 Max and one with a 7X30 Waters
1-10 Pt. with the Waters
1-Doe with the .357 Max.

I'll never go back to a rifle unless I get where I can't hold the pistol steady.  Way too fun with a handgun!

[magman]

At least 6.

3 with a S&W 629 PP loaded with 240 xtps and 296.

2 with a 309 JDJ with 150 grain NBTs and 760 powder.

1 with a T/C 308 Encore and 150NBT and Varget.

Probably more, but these are what I remember.

[338JDJ]

Now I should be ashamed! I have no Idea, never really kept count. I do know this tho, the first one I killed was with a 7x30 waters @ 249 yds. when I was 19. the last one I killed was with my 338JDJ and I am now 42. I have also killed 6 Pronghorns, with both 309JDJ and 338JDJ. Few yotes, hogs,prairie dogs.

[critter44]

I have taken 9 deer with handguns plus 2 hogs. My largest deer was a 6 point at 65 yds with a Ruger Blackhawk Hunter (.44)  and a 4X scope using 240 gr Rem JHP bullets over a generous quantity of H110. I have also taken them with a Redhawk .44 and the most were taken with a Contender super 14" in .30-30 Win.

For some reason, I seem to kill deer "deader and quicker" with the 30-30 Contender than with my long guns. Maybe it is because they are closer and I wait for perfect shot placement. Do not ever think that the 30-30 won't kill a deer and dump it in the tracks it was standing in!

I really love to hunt with a handgun!

[THKSNOW]

11 Michigan Farm Bucks so far.  First was 10-pt in 1986 w/ a 357 @ 10 yrds.  All the rest were 44 Mag; the last 6 were done in by my Colt Anaconda w/ a Bushnell Holo sight.  Last years 8-pt @ 35 yards (pictured) was 4 1/2, the other 8-pt 20 yards (pictured) from 2005 was 2 1/2.  The longest shots I've taken deer was at 105 yards (standing) and 93 yards (running away).

[HappyHunter]

My first was a 357 mag, S&W 686 in midnight black finish, nice gun since regulated to safe-queen status.

Next was a TC encore in 25-06 with a 15 inch barrel and a 2x6 power Bushnell.  This has taken 3 so far, however it does not get much action unless there is a long shot that I feel I must make.

Then there was the Super Red Hawk in 44 mag.  Only took one, I have since given this gun to one of my sons for graduation.

There was the 41 mag mountain gun.  Took one deer and began my love of the 41 mag round.

My current revolver whitetail gun is a S&W 657  PC Hunter, in 41 mag.  It sports a Leupold 2x scope and has taken 8-10 deer easily. 

All that being said I have found that my favorite deer hunting apparatus is the Marlin lever gun calibered in (what else) 41 mag.  Have taken 4 deer with it since starting with it last year.  This is the first year that I did not take a deer with a handgun in a long time.