Thank you guys for the welcome. Yes, I do hunt with handguns. I've been a hunter since age 7, so have been at it for 51 yrs. now. I no longer hunt birds but do a lot of varmint and big game hunting. In Montana that means prairie dogs, coyotes, antelope, deer (both whitetail and mule), and elk. My hunting is probably about equally divided between rifle & pistol.
The locker contains a variety of .22's, .22 centerfires, a custom .25-06, a couple .45-70's, an assortment of revolvers, one .22 match pistol, and a T/C Contender with about a half dozen bbls.
Having worked my last 14 yrs. with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on several wildlife refuges I was able to get in on lots of predator control programs and also deer reduction programs. So there has been lots of hunting of predators and deer which gave me lots of fun and experience with hunting handguns and rifles. I had the best job on Earth and hated to retire. But a major horse wreck put me into an early retirement. The surgeons did a wonderful job but I could no longer meet the physical requirements to do the law enforcement and fire fighting portions of my duties so was forced to retire. So now I am able to hunt coyotes and shoot prairie dogs for the local ranchers. Both are really a kick with handguns! Nailing a big fat "prairie poodle" at almost 300 yds. with a .223 Contender is fun.
Liking all kinds of shooting I got into long-range silhouette shooting a couple years ago. We shoot out to 876 yds. at animal silhouettes, the farthest one is a buffalo. We use old time rifles of at least .375 caliber, lead bullets, iron sights. A challenge at a half-mile, and more fun than an adult ought to be allowed to have. This is where the .45-70's shine.
Guess I should cut this off. I could talk all day on this stuff. Instead, I'll look forward to sharing experiences with all of you in the future. Glad to meet you guys.
Best Regards, Mike aka "Walks With Dog"
