Author Topic: New Handgun Hunter Needs Assistance (Read 1481 times)

Buffalo_Hunter · « **on:** August 13, 2005, 04:55:49 AM »

Hello,
I just signed on to this website and wanted to say Hello,and to request some assistance.I'm planning to take up handgun hunting this year.I will be hunting Whitetail Deer in the southern portion of Western New York State.I have been thinking of purchasing a Ruger Redhawk Revolver and do not plan to put a scope on the gun,as the vast majority of my shots will be at 100 yards as a maximum.I hunt in fairly dense woods and would estimate the average shot to be 50 yards and under.I was thinking of the 5.5 inch barrel rather than the 7.5 inch barrel.Will there be significant positives or negatives in going with one barrel length over the other? I don't reload ammo and will need to use a good factory round.Any recommendations as to what might be best with a Redhawk and will the gun hold up to a steady diet of heavy ammo,such as hunting loads.I was thinking of the 5.5 inch model as I may take a trip to Florida for some wild boar hunting and also carry the gun while fly fishing as protection from Black Bears,etc. Any input will be appreciated.Thanks

myronman3 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 13, 2005, 05:25:24 AM »

the redhawk is one of the stronger 44's availible. the length barrel should be fine for what you stated. and the redhawk is able to eat the heaviest of 44 loads. if you cant shoot it in a redhawk, you best not be shooting it.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #2 on:** August 13, 2005, 06:42:16 AM »

Buffalo_Hunter, Welcome to Graybeard.

Well the Ruger Redhawk will handle just about anything you will put in it. It is a very strong action. The 5.5 or 7.5 would be great. Just make sure of your States min barrel length, or other States you plan to handgun hunt. Good luck and keep on posting.

S.B. · « **Reply #3 on:** August 13, 2005, 01:06:07 PM »

Welcome to the site and to the fascinating and addictive sport of handgun hunting. Enjoy. Looks like you've made sound decisions on your equipment.

WNY_Whitetailer · « **Reply #4 on:** August 13, 2005, 03:48:51 PM »

Hey there Buffalo_Hunter..Sounds like we hunt in basically the same area of the country. I hunt in the Western portion of the Southern Tier. Anyway, I would put my hands on both the 5.5" barreled RSRH and the 7.5" barreled RSRH. That way you can tell how the gun feels to you. Do you have your pistol permit yet? What county do you reside in now...I am in Niagara County and was granted my full carry permit last summer...Good luck.

oso45-70 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 13, 2005, 05:55:20 PM »

Buffalo_Hunter

Welcome to the Handgun Hunting site. Looks like you have a pretty good handle on the right gun and ammo. Some one said to try both barrel lenths which is a good idea. Good luck...........Joe........

Mikey · « **Reply #6 on:** August 14, 2005, 02:13:18 AM »

Buffalo_Hunter: Welcome Aboard! I hope you have as much fun here as I do.

Either of those two revolvers will do for ya with the type of hunting you have described. I have always found the shorter barrels to be as accurate as the longer barrels, but easier for me to carry. The Ruger revolver is tough, acurate and reliable. You shouldn't have any problems with either barrel length.

Good Luck - hunting the Southern Tier with a handgun can be very fulfilling. Mikey.

TScottO · « **Reply #7 on:** August 14, 2005, 05:59:38 AM »

Of the two barrel lengths you have mentioned I prefer the 5.5. However if this gun will be used as a primary hunting hand gun and not a packin around gun I might would lean towards the 7.5 barrel to benefit from a longer sight radius since you will be shooting open sights. If this will be a dual purpose gun for packing and hunting Id go with the 5.5.

One thing though that no one else has mentioned If you are not use to the recoil of the 44 Magnum and are new to big handguns I would suggest buying the gun now and practicing a lot for the 2006 hunting season. If you are not use to handguns or big bore handguns I do not think a few months is enough time to be in proper shape for handgun hunting this year. No pun intended.

Something about handgun hunting accuracy: Youll hear a lot of people say pie plate accuracy at whatever distance you shoot is good enough. I fully believe that pie plate accuracy is unacceptable for handgun hunting. A pistol does not give an 8 circle of tissue damage like a rifle does and takes much much longer to kill on high or outside marginal shot. The maximum I hold for myself is a 6 groups and the more I hunt and shoot I believe 6 is on the liberal side of things.

Take Care and Be Safe,
Scott

poncaguy · « **Reply #8 on:** August 14, 2005, 07:53:45 AM »

You might look into a Thompson Encore pistol as you can choose from many rifle and pistol calibers and barrel lengths. Only a single shot, but I think it makes you a better hunter and you can extend your range to 200 yards with practice and the right caliber. But your choice of a 44 Redhawk is good too, but your limited to 100 yards or less and one caliber.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 14, 2005, 09:10:24 AM »

Quote from: poncaguy

You might look into a Thompson Encore pistol as you can choose from many rifle and pistol calibers and barrel lengths. Only a single shot, but I think it makes you a better hunter quote]

A gun does not make you a better hunter, knowledge and experience make you a better hunter. JMHO

poncaguy · « **Reply #10 on:** August 14, 2005, 09:15:04 AM »

Well...........if you miss with a single shot you might think "darn, wish I had tried to get closer" instead of banging away.......... :-D

300winman · « **Reply #11 on:** August 16, 2005, 10:07:21 AM »

A Thompson Encore is a great hunting pistol as a primary hunting weapon.
But it would not be my first choice for a sidearm. Buffalo_Hunter was also looking for a pistol he could use for protection from black bears,ect. In this case I would go with the 5.5 srh, as it would be great for hunting and not that cumbersome to carry.

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #12 on:** August 16, 2005, 11:42:23 AM »

Buffalo_Hunter
Welcome to GraybeardOutdoors

You didnt mention your overall experience with the handgun but perhaps it is extensive.
Even if so, it is definatley time to make your purchase so as to get used to the gun.
I like the longer sight radius of the 7.5" barrel but this is a matter of personal preference.

Dave in WV · « **Reply #13 on:** August 16, 2005, 12:18:05 PM »

Good suggestions and info here. Two things to consider IMO are the feel of the firearm to you and the minimum barrel length you need to be legal. If you haven't handled a Redhawk you may want to if you have to order it before doing so. Many folks feel the 5.5" barrel length Redhawk has a better balance. As for ammo I like Remington 210gr hollow points. For bear or hogs I'd go with a hard cast lead bullet weighing at least 240gr.

High Brass · « **Reply #14 on:** August 18, 2005, 01:45:59 AM »

Man you got some good info here. Welcome to the Graybeards Handgun Hunting Forum. I have a 7.5" SRH and really love it. However, it is a bit heavy and the balance is a bit awkward especially with the 2x scope on top of it. With a solid rest, shots at 50-60 yards are not a problem. Off hand, its might tough for me. I really enjoy shooting/hunting with this gun but a better balanced gun might be the ticket, especially if it'll be your only hunting handgun. Good luck.

timothy · « **Reply #15 on:** August 30, 2005, 06:35:54 AM »

The 7.5 may have an advantage for hunting due to sight radius and optimal barrel length for the 44. However you mentioned packing it for defense aswell so its kinda a toss up. I have the 5.5 but you really cant go wrong with either. As for bullets I'd go with a plain jane 240jsp at 1180 which seems to be the new standard. These will be fine for deer and are avalible anywhere. American Eagle, PMC, Winchester, and Magtech all offer this load in 50rd boxes for under 20$ You could try them all for 80$ and get alot of practice. The PMC's go 1300fps BTW.

BRL · « **Reply #16 on:** August 30, 2005, 01:40:00 PM »

I own a Redhawk in 5.5 and love its balance and shootability. You can't go wrong. I've never deer hunted with it but hope to get around to it soon. I hog hunt in South Florida and use Speer Gold Dot 270 grain. One shot every time. Distances have been from 20 yards to 60 yards.

SingleFan · « **Reply #17 on:** September 02, 2005, 09:59:07 AM »

Welcome to the forum. There's some good thinking sent your way. Here's my nickel:

TScotto is on target with acceptable accuracy. If you're just starting out with pistol hunting but are an experienced deer hunter, shoot at longer distances to get proficient, but limit yourself to 50-60 yards depending upon conditions...availability of a rest etc. When you take it from the bench to the field, there's going to be a BIG gap between the two in accuracy at first. Spend time afield with a .22 revolver. Add to that the fact that your ability to judge distance impacts on target accuracy; in other words, sometimes they're further than they look.

Second - barrel length is a real critical factor for me at this point in my journey because off hand shooting is often necessary with a pistol and things like target acquisition and how the piece handles become more limited with longer bbls IMHO. The more I hunt with a handgun the closer I get to Uncle Elmer's length. If you're a big beef eater 7.5 may be fine, but I bet that 5.5 will fit the bill better.

Onty · « **Reply #18 on:** September 04, 2005, 12:00:44 PM »

No first hand experience in handgun hunting, but, from what Ive seen on net and magazines, general consensus among experienced folks is: for wild boar and other larger game, a load in 44 or 45 caliber, bullet 300+ grains at 1100 fps min., 1200 fps preferred. Sure, higher velocity is better, however, killing power isnt going up considerably, but muzzle blast and recoil do. Next, take such load in handguns you prefer and see how you could handle them. Rugers, FA model 83, BFR, DW and Colt Anaconda should take this load without the problem, especially FA and Redhawks. S&W are nice guns and safe with those loads but prolonged use will make them loose. In that respect, Redhawks are the best, no screws to get loose, only single one on stocks. Talking about Redhawks; Super Redhawk is easier on hands with heavy load than standard Redhawk due the better grip design, and better grip selection to boot. But, barrel lengths from factory are 7.5 and 9.5 only.

If the weight and recoil handling (for many shooters) are the issue, good single actions rules. In that respect, Bisley 45 is the top. However, one important note; grip frame and ejector housings screws do get loose. Before going out, you have to make sure that all screws on any SA revolver are tight, better yet, apply something to prevent unscrewing.

S.B. · « **Reply #19 on:** September 04, 2005, 12:20:59 PM »

Onty, just how many have you, personally, used to point that they need rebuilding with these loads? Dought you'll ever be able to wear any S&W magnums out with 1100 fps loads?

Onty · « **Reply #20 on:** September 05, 2005, 10:07:34 AM »

Very limited personal experience with S&W N-frame, just one 27-2 and one 29-5, both for less than six months. A friend has 29-2 that seen nothing but 250 SWC with 8.5 gr Unique and it did get loose; not in such extent that has to be rebuild, but However, considering that there is better authority than me and my friend, here is the article that I would recommend as good reference; http://handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=12 .

Make note that John mentioned newer 25-5 and 25-7. If I remembered correctly, these revolvers are with so called Endurance Package that should considerably enhance N-frame durability. For those unfamiliar with this feature, the best identification is to look at bolt notches on cylinder; Endurance Package has the front side of the notch longer than aft one, using a dimple as a reference. See http://firearms.smith-wesson.com/store/index.php3?cat=293607&item=831396&sw_activeTab=1 , click on picture for larger frame.

Personally, the only N-frame I would take is with Endurance Package and hammer mounted firing pin; the later one denotes mechanism with no MIM parts. S&W stated that there is no difference in quality, but I might be old fashioned and biased. I would appreciate correction if something isnt right in my statements. Regards.

S.B. · « **Reply #21 on:** September 05, 2005, 11:47:25 AM »

Well, I've owned several, starting in the early '70's, and they all still shoot just fine. Don't believe everything you read in print.

armory414 · « **Reply #22 on:** September 12, 2005, 10:14:43 AM »

"No first hand experience in handgun hunting. . ."

"Very limited personal experience with S&W N-frame. . ."

Well, I think that says a lot. . .

Buffalo_Hunter · « **Reply #23 on:** September 12, 2005, 10:49:40 PM »

I would like to Thank everyone for the warm welcome to the forum,and for the great advice,it's been very helpful!

John C-S · « **Reply #24 on:** September 13, 2005, 02:19:02 PM »

Is a fine revolver. I kind of wish this model came out before I got my SA Super Blackhawk in 1977. Since then I have looked and held Redhawks and felt they are really strong, well balanced, and DA! Okay, my input on your strait betwixt 5 1/2" and 7 1/2". My Super Blackhawk in those days (I reloaded about 5,000 rnds thru it with 2400 powder and either 180 Sierra JHPs (1600 fps) or 250 Elmer Keith style cast lead. What a gun! Well, the 7 1/2" was shooting under 1" at 25 yards with a pillow under my grip (that pillow case got charred with barrel and cylinder gap--my mom never knew because I threw the pillow case out) with the 180s. The 240s were capable of drilling all the way thru Telephone Poles (retired) with the same accuracy. I think when the barrel on a handgun gets shorter than 6" I need a rifle to make sure the target is in the landing zone. The shorter barrels are much handier to carry, but below 6" I can't hit precisely beyond 15 yds. My thoughts. But that 7 1/2" Super could group open sighted at anything out to 60 yards that deserved a 180 or 250 gr bullet over the speed of sound in a handgun.

Buffalo_Hunter · « **Reply #25 on:** September 20, 2005, 07:00:32 PM »

Hello Everyone,
Thanks for the warm welcome to the forums and for the great advice and input.It really helped me settle on a 44 with a 5.5" barrel.I can't wait for the opportunity to test it out on a Whitetail in November.Thanks again!