new to handgun hunting

[mossback]

I'm been an avid whitetail hunter for over thirty years and have also been an avid handgunner, shooting several hundred rounds a month through my MK II Ruger, and a couple of hundred rounds of .45 through my 1911. I have decided to try handgun hunting this year, and after doing some research ordered a 7 X 30 Waters barrel for my T/C G2 and a 2x-6x scope. I've never shot my G2 in the handgun configuration, does the contender require any adjustments in technique from the autoloaders that I normally shoot.

[Mikey]

I would say 'Yes', unless both your Ruger and your 45 are scoped.  I recall shooting scoped contenders and it was, for me, not easy.  I found I had to hold real still, as in very still, to get the scope on target and ready for the gun to shoot.  I also recall trigger squeeze was very important with those single shots due to (my) wavering all over the target.  I finally got to the point where I could hit unshot (whole round ones) clay pigeons on a 100 yd berm with a 30 Herret Contender but it was not my favorite sporting effort.  

I can pick up open sight pictures on my pistols pretty quickly but scopes out to arms reach are tricky, at least for me and that might be a technique adjustment you might have to consider.  

Good target practices always help.  Proper grip, proper stance, proper breathing, proper sight alignment and, proper trigger squeeze are all important factors in any handgun hunting endeavour.  In that regard it is the same as targeting or hunting with either your 22 or your 45.  The single shot pistols are heavier and the trigger pull may not be familiar to you, but we all recommend practice, practice and lots more practice.  And good luck handgun huntin'.  Mikey.

[crawfish]

Have a 14 inch hunter in 7x30Waters. The inclination with scopes is to go with a higher magnification than what is really needed.  The 7x30Waters is capable of cleanly killing well past 150 yards but it takes a very accomplished shooter to do it.  At the ranges that 90% of us are proficient a 2x scope is all that one needs and a 1.5 would be better for most.  If you start to think like an archery hunter you'll find that most of the inherent problems with handgun hunting go away.

[GRIMJIM]

I spent a lot of time practicing with my scope. Had a hard time finding my target until I stumbled upon a trick that worked for me.

Stand in your usual shooting position and fix your shooting eye on a target. Could be a can or a tire or anything you want. then raise the scope up into your field of view. It takes a little getting used to but it worked well for me. This way your eye never leaves the target.