Virgin Handgunners Need Help...

[coyotesbluff]

Hi everyone !
I'm new to the handgun site here but am usually on the rifle site.My wife and I are new to the handgun
world.Ever since Obama got voted in my wife got the ball rolling for us to be handgunners after 7months
we got the call that we were granted pistol permits,so we just picked them up yesterday. They are only good for hunting and target use, I guess for the first year and then I guess you are eligable for concealed.
We live in the good state of NY .
But what we want to know from you well oiled gunners is what calibers are for what purpose for hunting
and what type of action are best fit to that area ? We ARE NRA members and ALWAYS WILL BE.
GOD BLESS THE NRA !!!!!!!!

[GRIMJIM]

You should get a lot of replies for this one.

I personally prefer the 44 mag for hunting larger game. You will get, I'm sure suggestions for everything from .357 mag to .500, but for me it's the .44. We're only allowed straaight walled cases here to hunt with so check your state regs.

Perhaps you can go to a store that rents guns and try different calibers. The .44 is a handful and might be more recoil than you can handle until you get more used to handgun shooting.

The best is probably to start with a good 22 to get used to good form and technique. Ammo is cheap (well, relatively cheap), recoil is negligible so you can shoot a couple of hundred rounds out of it at a sitting and not come away with a sore wrist.

As for action types, I think that is all personal preference. I shoot a double action for hunting although I do shoot it single action.

[Jal5]

I started handgunning with the 22lr pistol then moved up to the 38spl and 357mag and 9mm.  I will use the 357mag for the 1st time deer hunting this season.  I think spending a lot of time on the 22lr was good practice to get sight picture,shooting form, trigger consistency, etc. in pretty good shape before moving up to the larger calibers. Jumping right in to 357 or bigger can create more problems for the shooter. You should get a lot of replies on this one. Also do a search on this topic here. Good luck in whatever you choose.

Joe

[Graybeard]

I strongly feel that new handgun shooters SHOULD NOT begin at .44 magnum recoil level or for that matter even at .357 magnum level. What you need to do is get in LOTS of shooting time and that's best done with a rimfire so you can afford lots of trigger time. I began using a rimfire and suggest everyone do so.

Get a rimfire first and only when you are very proficient with it should you move to guns with recoil. I'd next recommend a .357 Magnum revolver and you might want to begin with .38 specials at first then work up to full magnum recoil levels. Once you've mastered full magnum levels with it then you can think about moving to the .44 magnum and larger guns. Not everyone even wants to go that far.

[sk330lc]

Graybeard offered some very good advice!! 

  Think of it as, when you started shooting rifles or shot guns.  I bet you started out with a rimfire rifle or a smaller cal.  It would be a Bad thing to become gun shy from the recoil of a 357 mag or 44 Mag. Not only the recoil but the muzzle blast.   

[coyotesbluff]

Thank you very much guys . Should we buy new or used for our first guns ? I think I or we will take the reccomendation of the rimfire choice to start. Makes sense to me. Is there a maker that most or all of you are partial to ? About how much should we expect to pay for a used one compared to new? What should we be looking at as far as the condition of the gun goes, I understand the form & fit but as far as condition goes. I know.....I have alot of questions .....BUT I also know I'm in the RIGHT  PLACE to be asking my
questions.  

[BigMuddy]

No one can tell you what YOU should get, but I can tell you my opinion.

I agree that starting with a rimfire is great advice. I personally would go with a Ruger Single Six. They are very good, accurate guns that will last a lifetime. They are priced right too, and are easy to find on the used market. I can't tell you what they would cost in NY, but here you can usually find good used ones in the $250 range. You can get one in either blued or stainless, your choice.

Then when I moved to centerfire for hunting, I would go right to the Ruger Blackhawk. The Blackhawk can be had in 357 or 44 mag and the grip frame is identical to the Single Six. They will weigh a bit more than the 22, but the grip will feel the same as the rimfire you have been practicing with, have the same sights, etc.

I can't argue about going to 357 next and a Blackhawk in 357 has taken a lot of game. If you get a chance to try a 44 with light special loads, that may not be too big of a jump either. I think the muzzle blast of the 357 is pretty punishing. My wife prefers 44 specials to 357 magnum any day.

Blackhawks and Single Sixes are single action revolvers, and those are my personal favorite for field use, hunting, etc.

Hope this helps and good luck with your choices.

[mb4859]

Coyote here is my story.  I'm 50 years old and got into handguns about 5 years ago.  I've hunted with shotguns and 22 rifle since I was about 7 but had never owned a handgun.  I decided I wanted a pistol so I went to the local gun shop one day and bought me a Ruger 22. I didn't even know how to hold it, shoot it or even how and when to clean it.  I started talking to the guys hanging around in the shop and they told me to come on Monday night and watch them shoot league.  They were going to shoot IDPA (international defense pistol association).  I was so intimidated but came and watched them shoot.  I was hooked.  That looked like the most fun thing I had ever seen.  To make a long story short, this was the best bunch of guys and gals.  They helped me and taught me so much so fast.  You could never learn this much on your own.  I helped me learn what the different types of handguns are for.  I strongly recomend you talk around and try to find some type of league like IDPA or other shooting league to shoot with.  Your learning curve will be strongly increased.  This year I've bought me a Thompson G2 in 410 and 44 magnum to hunt with.  Good luck, be safe and Gods speed.  Mike

[Mikey]

coyotesbluff:  welcome to Handgunning and welcome to your wife.  If your wife is not a member of Graybeard, she should sign on even though she doesn't have any gray hair...........yet, unless you cause her to have gray hair (I know how that works, my wife told me so).

Oh yeah - welcome to 'stick it to ya' neu yawk.  Anyone who tells you that you can get only a 'hunting and carry' permit for the first year and then you become eligible for a ccw is simply lying - it is all local posturing by the sheriff and issuing judgeto show you that they are in charge of issuing you your rights - there is no further background check performed to convert your permit later on - it is just another political lie handed to you as a 'privildge' in this stinkin' state, not the 'right' it is supposed to be.  You were as eligible for a ccw as you are for a H&T permit the day you signed the forms - remember that in this state they only hand out your rights to you a little bit at a time, and call them privileges...

I will recommend you start with a couple of 22s - purchase some fun guns, don't get too crazy and serious about larger bores or magnums yet.  Once the politicians your taxes support finally decree you to be  upstanding enough citizens to grant you ccws then you can think of something heavier, like a 357 or 44, or 45.

My personal recommendation is that you get a couple of Walther P22s or Sig Mosquitos, get 3 or 4 additional magazines for each pistol and a couple of bricks of high velocity round nose bullets and have a ball.  Get two identical pistols so you can swap magazines, etc. - it's a great way to learn and have fun.  Both the Walther P22 and the Sig Mosquito come with grips that can be changed to fit the individual hand and front sights that can be changed in seconds.  

These handguns are pure 'fun guns'.  My huntin buddy and I both picked one up about a year ago and haven't stopped shootin'm yet - way too much fun to stop - and it is soooo easy to go through a brick of 22s in a couple of hours, especially when you have 3 or 4 mags loaded up - soda cans, old milk containers and rotten apples die a miserable death when we go to play with those 22s.  

Those pistols I recommended are very easy to shoot and to learn good handgunning (? sp) skills with.  There are others that may be as good but I like those two I recommended for having the most fun.

Kudos to your wife for getting the ball rolling.  

Later on down the road when you and your wife start thinking more along the lines of ccws or larger bore handguns for hunting, give us another holler and we'll drive ya nuts with all ouor recommendations.  Good luck, have fun and congradulations on getting your permits.  

[bobg]

   Mikey is right about the lousy state of NY. Everything is a privilege not a right here.    My wife and i started out with an H&R 22 revolver. I later moved up to a Ruger GP100 in 357 mag. She didn't like the 357 so she bought a Taurus 38 special. I have shot a couple of 44 mags. and that is more recoil than i want.
           bobg

[Redhawk1]

I started shooting a .22 handgun at a very early age of 10, I hunted squirrels and rabbits, it was not tell I turned 21 that I considered getting into big bore handgun hunting. My first choice was a Ruger Blackhawk in 357 Mag. I practiced with 38 specials for a long time, and then moved up to the 357 Mag. It was not such a big increase, and the recoil was very manageable.

I went handgun hunting that year and killed my first spike buck with a handgun 28 years ago. I hunted one more year with my 357 Mag and was again successful. I then got the urge for a larger handgun and moved up to a 41 Magnum Ruger Blackhawk. Once again the step up was not a real big step, and I had great success using the 41 Mag and it was not long before I wanted to move up in bore size, and the 44 Mag is where I was for quit some time. Still in the Blackhawk, I did not see a need to change guns, as the Ruger's were working fine.

Eventually the 44 Mag became boring to me, so the 454 Casull was my next caliber of choice in a Super Redhawk, then from there I went wild.. 45 Colt, 480 Ruger, 500 Mag, 460 Mag, 510 GNR, 475 Linebaugh, 410 GNR.

I have always had a love for single action revolvers, I do however own quit a few double action revolvers, but I would say 75% of my handgun hunting is with a single action revolver.

The thing about handgun hunting people have to understand, you have to put a lot of time in at the range, and practice at the range you intend to take your furthest shot. You have to become very proficient at that range. Also know the limitation and effective range of each cartridge you choose, and aim for the heart lung area, and use a good bullet construction.

Personally I don't use hollow point bullets for hunting. I use hard cast bullets for all my handgun hunting needs. When I first started out with my 357 Mag, I used jacketed soft point bullets, and they work good. But not all the time would I get a good pass through, which is what I always wanted. So when I switched to hard cast bullets, I was hooked on all my game being shot with hard cast bullets. Also reloading your own bullets let you dial in your gun to shoot it's best in my opinion.

[mcwoodduck]

Get a 22LR and start your handgun hunting with small game.
low recoil cheap ammo and the more you shoot a handgun the better you will get.
Here are most revolver hunting cartridges.  I say revolver but you can go to a T/C contender or Encore.
The T/C's add a lot more speed to the rounds over the revolver. 
I would look to get a handgun that is confortable in your hand, has adjustable sights and get some lessons on basic handgun shooting.
I would look at one of the hunting calibers that has a Special for low impact practice building up to the magnum loads.
22LR = Small Game
38 Spl = Small game
357 mag= Deer with heavy loads. Pig (38 Spl)
10mm = Deer, pig and other. (40 S&W)
41 mag = Deer, black bear, pig
44mag = all big game. (44 Spl)
45 colt = deer, and depending on the gun 45 colt can = or exceed 44 mag
454 Cas= All big game.
460 S&W = all big game and will shoot 45 Colt & 454 Cas.
500 S&W= all big game.

[huntswithdogs]

Looks like everybody else has the same idea about a starter gun...a 22! We, my wife and myself, started with a Ruger MarkII Target Model. Pretty fun to shoot and freakin accurate. Along the way, we shot all kinds of other handguns, but I kept going back to single actions. They seem to fit me better. My wife on the other hand prefers something in an automatic. She still shoots the Ruger MarkII and loves her 45acp S&W. Me, I shoot my Ruger Single Six and my Ruger Blackhawk.

You're gonna have to find whatever fits your or your wife's hands the best. BUT START WITH THE 22!


HWD

[coyotesbluff]

Thank you all for the help it was and still IS much needed. Now I was looking at my 2001 Shooters Bible
{I know it's old} I was looking at the Ruger Single Six this book says it comes with 22LR & 22WMR
cylinders does this still come that way? If it does would all we  have to do is change out the cylinder and we can shoot magnums through it or would we have to purchase a barrel ? I noticed that they sold a seperate
set of barrels for this particular handgun. My wife and I would like to let you all know that we VALUE
& WELCOME all of your inputs . THANK YOU SO MUCH !

[huntswithdogs]

It comes with 2 different cylinders. One is for 22lr, the other is your 22mag cylinder. The different barrels is probably referring to barrel lengths, not extra barrels.


HWD

[bluecow]

amen to graybeard.  get adjustable sights.  use them, thats why they are adjustable. ( how mant never adjust the sight ?)  lastly when you move to the magnums,  remember that it DOSE NOT have to be driven to the max with ever shot.

[bigoledude]

I also think starting with a .22 is a lot cheaper to get in a lot of shooting.  However, you say y'all spent time in the rifle forum so, I assume you and your wife have been shooting rifles.  I don't think it would be a traumatic experience to start with a nice heavy-framed .357 or .44mag shooting somewhat light loads.  If I were just getting into handgunning right now, I couldn't afford a .22 and a hunting-sized handgun.  Much less one each for me and my wife.

With 4 sons, and many opportunities, I took lots of young men shooting and hunting for the first time.  Many times we had only my .44 or .45acp.  With proper instruction, patience, and lightish loads, I can't remember any of these young men being freaked-out by the recoil.  In the cases where the boys had done some shotgunning, they made the transition very well.  Some still call me to join them in shooting some paper or, busting some dirt-birds.

The only down-side to having started so many young guys into hunting-n-shooting is, about a dozen of them want to hunt close-by us and, the costs of leasing land is climbing.

[COR]

Ruger 22 Auto is a lot of fun and gets the nod from me over the Single Six and Bearcat.  You NEED all 3   (OK eventually) but any of the Ruger 22 Auto's that fit you would be my choice...Adjustable sights of course.  The 22 simply means fun! 

[coyotesbluff]

Well .....I put my order in for the single six . I should be havin it in my hands by the end of next week
if all goes right between goin to the gun shop & chasin down the county clerk for registering  & then going back to the gun shop to pick her up. My gun shop gave me a price of $375 does that sound reasonable?
I hope so. I figured well {my wife & I} why not get two guns for the price of one...makes sense
to us.

[Tonk]

CoyotesBluff........Greybeard gave you some very good advice in what to start out with on your handgun hunting journey down the road. Ammo is expensive even when you reload as we do but learning things such at stance, grip, sight picture etc can be done far less expense wise with a rim fire pistol. Also so it is easyier on the hand and you will not be intimadated by the recoil of those heavier calibers.

I never got on the proper road with practice etc until I had an old timer teach me and tell me to purchase myself a Ruger Single Six years ago, then things fell into place and I moved on up the ladder in handguns and hunting with them too. Good Luck!

[Qaz]

You made a good choice, the single six is a great gun. Start with sub sonic ammo to cut down on the bang from that short barrel. Once you get the trigger pull down to where you are not pulling the gun on target or not flinching (yes the 22lr is loud enough to cause a flinch) start using regular ammo. Your gun will probably be most accurate with the 22mag ammo because of the bore size. The 22mag ballistic are about equal to 22lr out of a rifle.

[gstewart44]

I started back in my younger days with a Ruger Single Six 22lr.   Granpa taught me how to nail squirrels with it.   From there I graduated to a Blackhawk 357, then to a Super Blackhawk 44 mag. 

Along the way I sold the Single Six and got a Mk II with Bull Barrel.   It is a tack driver.   

Learn your basics with the 22.    Hunt small game with the 22.   When you are comfortable step up to the 357 or 44.    I love my Rugers.

[SHOOTALL]

22rf 22mag. small game racoon and small fox , 32long and 32hrm small game and maybe small foxes and such, 38 spl small game and foxes yotes  , 357 mag. small deer and anything the smaller rounds can do , 44spl. and 45 Colt and maybe 45acp small deer , fox ,yotes small hogs maybe a small black bear in a pinch , 44mag. 454 casul and the like can be used for most anything in North America .
 If you handload you can increse the usefulness of your gun .
I did not list the 40S&W or 9mm or other pistol bullets I see them as more self defense but i guess some may hunt with them . The 10mm i see as a big 357 mag. more than a small 41 mag. best for deer and smaller .
 If you like a revolver a 357 mag might be a good start , try wad cutters first and build up to full power 357mag .

[walker944]

Need an update from Coyotesbluff!!!  Did your order arrive?  Have you and your wife had a chance to shoot it yet?  Need a range report.  

[RJL-77]

Yup Ima figerin thet they havin so much fun we won't see or hear from them till theres bad weather. Jim

[Oldshooter]

I'D SAY THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TO DO IS MOVE TO TEXAS, THEN GET A RIMFIRE AND START LEARNING!