How did I do?

[Capt Rick Hiott]

I told my self that I was going to kill my first deer with my 454 Taurus Raging Bull this season. Well, I got up in the stand the other day and set up this target at 80 yards. I needed my sand bags to steady the gun, but here is how I did. The scope is set at 30 yards so I had to hold it low "about" 10 inches to get this. I'm pretty sure I can get my first deer with the sand bags and a little more practice. Im shooting the Magtech 260Gr SJSP
 Man I love this gun!

[Mikey]

Capt. Rick:  That's not too shabby from a stand, even with sandbags. That's pretty much minute of deer at that distance, but keep practicing. 

[jhalcott]

 I am going to be a wise guy here! I'd LIKE to see groups HALF the size you got.  Power is NO substitute for accuracy. Also a LIVE deer WILL make you shake more than a paper target (I KNOW!). I do give you kudu's for at least trying shooting from your stand. I used a sandbag in MY stand for several years THEY WORK. Now i only hunt from the ground. good luck.

[Capt Rick Hiott]

I dont get nervous when the deer show up, never have.
   Ill post more pictures when I use the sand bag. I'm sure it will be better.

[44man]

If no one else will say it, I will.
You owe it to the game you are are hunting to do better.
Don't hunt with this gun until you can at least put every shot in the black.

[jcn59]

I commend you for asking our opinion.  That took guts as some of these guys can really shoot.  Practice some more but until they all go in the black, limit your game shots to 50 yards.  Also, for shooting deer at 80 yards, you need around half the horsepower of that .454.   The extra won't hurt anything except accuracy. Just mho.

[Capt Rick Hiott]

Your right 44,,,I plan on doing better before I shoot at a deer. I have only been shooting this gun for one year and have killed six hogs with it. (Most at about 30-35 yards). I get better with it every time I shoot it.
 
JCN59 said,,,,"Also, for shooting deer at 80 yards, you need around half the horsepower of that .454.   The extra won't hurt anything except accuracy. Just mho."
 
How can extra H.P. hurt accuracy when it comes to a 454? Im shooting factory loads. Are you saying I should go out and buy a smaller gun to hunt deer with at 100 yards? 
 
 

[Lloyd Smale]

heres my take on it. Sure with accuracy like that your going to kill most of the time but it is marginal. My suggestion would be to down load your gun a bit and spend a year shooting the snot out of it. then find a load that will shoot at least an inch and a half groups at 25 yards so that at least you know its you and not your gun or load thats opening groups up at that range. then spend some time with that load till you know exactly where its going to hit and what size groups you can expect at the ranges you may need to shoot. Keeping in mind that when it comes down to actualy shooting game with it your going to have an elevated heart beat (buck fever) and you may not be presented with the exact shot you think your going to get. I like to limit myself to the farthest shot i will take with a given gun being the max range where i can shoot a 4 inch group under field conditions. For the most part even if i know that im capable and the gun is capable i dont care to shoot much past 50 yards open sighted and a 100 with a scope. To many things can go wrong. Just a tiny bobble in trigger control or sight alignment can throw a bullet off alot at 80 yards. Even a veteran handgun hunter can make mistakes and i dont care to make mistakes on living targets.

[drdougrx]

Hey Rick,
 
Good first try.  Maybe you should sight you gun in for 50yards.  This will correct some of the holdover.  I think some are trying to say a gutshot is a gutshot no matter the caliber.  I just did this in TX on a hog with a heavily loaded 35whelen and a 225gr TSX...I shot poorly and the hog was not recovered. 
 
Anyway, I sight in my hunting revolvers for 50 yards.

[Redhawk1]

I would say to you as I would anyone else handgun hunting. Only shoot an animal at the distance you can keep every shot within a 4 inch circle. If you can't keep every shot in a 4 inch circle, you should not hunt that distance until you can. If you were shooting off sandbags, you should have better groups than that, maybe it was due to you not having your gun sighted in for that distance. Also as drdougrx said, sight your gun in for 50 yards.
Personally I like to keep my handgun shots under 50 yards. I have taken deer out past 140 yards, but that was with my S&W 460 Mag, and a good scope and a good rest. I also practiced out to 150 yards, and kept my groups under 3 inches. I only did it because I wanted to, not to make it something I would always do. If I want to shoot long range, I will take a rifle.
I have been handgun hunting for over 30 yards, and I still prefer up close and personal shots. I compare my handgun hunting to my bow hunting. I use the same tactics and keep my shots close. Practice, practice, practice.

[Capt Rick Hiott]

Loyd, I spent a LOT of time with the gun at the range when I first bought it. It can shoot the Magtech ammo very well. I have found that its the best for this gun. Ive been through that part...This gun will shoot a lot better than I can shoot it.
   I can also drop a hog at 30-35 yards shooting freehand. I have killed two within seconds with back to back shots,,,I have never missed (Yet).
 I know a lot of people get "Fur Fright",,,But I dont. Im just as calm looking through a scope at a big deer or a hog as I am watching a bird sing while sitting on a tree branch.
  Ill post more pictures the next time I shoot it. Im sure they will be better........
Thanks for the help guys..
 Our deer season opens Aug 15th,,,Ill post pictures the next day. Ha-Ha-Ha.
 

[roger460xvr]

Good looking ragingbull there.......

[Capt Rick Hiott]

The gun is great! I dont think Ill ever get rid of it..............

[jcn59]

Looks like that gun killed the bejabbers out of those two porkers.  I had a .454 in a Super Redhawk that was really accurate.  I'm not much of a pistol-shot & I found that at the range that I was able to make good hits, that I was served just as well with a .44 mag...........your mileage may vary....

[Mikey]

Rick:  if you can hit hogs like that then I will go with drdougrx on moving your taarget back to 50m to help with the holdover.  I would see where she hits at 50 and adjust for that and then see what sort of holdover you might need at 75 and 100.  Good luck.
Nice hogs btw....

[Scibaer]

im sorry to say this, but that 80 yard target is no good for hunting.
 you have to do a few things, keep your shots inside 50 yards for one
and if you are on sandbags and have  a scope, something else is amiss .
what power scope are you using.. you said the RB can shoot better then you and at 80 yards you have 10 or 12 inch groups ?
if it were me, i start back as square one, and be shooting at 25 yards and work on 4 inch groups.
then i'd move back to 50 yards and see what my grroups were and if they were outside 4 inches, i'd be looking at other factors.
its just my opinion, im bashing on you brother. most fellas i know that hunt with a handgun try and keep thier shots inside 50 yards.
the way your shots are strung, it looks like you have some target wobble.

[gypsyman]

Capt.Rick, sounds like you don't reload. If you don't, why not get a box or 2 of .45LC. Try them for accuracy, plus be a few bucks cheaper to practice with. gypsyman