revolver, hunting big bore

[SHOOTALL]

lets keep this to 41 , 44 and 45 cals in revolvers for hunting as a primary gun ( not back up ) what gun , what case and what bullet do you consider the best all around combo ? for every thing ! if you could only have one which one would it be ? be willing to answer the whys without being ticked off !

[chazgin]

Dan Wesson 445 Supermag. Can shoot 44 Special, 44 Mag and 445 Supermag. The heavy loads (cast or jacketed) in 445 Supermag are good for all North American game and most African. Your choice of barrels 2 in to 10 in ported or non ported. Excellent quality and durability. Iron sights are excellent and the shroud is easily tapped (factory option) for optical sights. My .02 worth.

Forgot to add: The barrels and shrouds are user interchangeable in the field. You can have a 4 in carry barrel and a 10 in hunting barrel and it takes 2 minutes to change.

[MS Hitman]

Okay, if limited to just one of the calibers you mentioned; I'd take a 5.5" barreled Bisley in .45 Colt; I'd use any case I could get my hands on and shoot 260 Lyman Keith style  and 300 grain LFN bullets depending on game.  I'd use HS-6 and WW296 for my powders.  I would have both bullets because I would cast them for myself, so limiting to just one bullet won't be an option either.

Before you get into too many questions,decide you don't like or want to debate my response; the answer is simply "because".

[fowler]

At this point in time I have kind of settled on this very idea and followed through with it. I have a 5 1/2" Ruger Bisley Vaquero tuned by Dustin Linebaugh with a custom drift front sight, Belt Mountain Base pin, free pawled cylinder. This was then tuned to a 335gr LFNGC  LBT bullet at 1050 fps regulated at 50 yards using HS-6 powder (mostly because it recoils softly and seems to be more accurate than any other load I have tried at the same velocity). And while I have not had the gun long enough in it's current set up to know it completely at all ranges, there is no outfit that will be more consistent for me. Sights can not move and this load uses a heavy bullet the will penetrate way beyond what the velocity says it should. I had a elk hunt planned for it this fall, although it looks like it is going to fall through. This load would be fine for anything in North America and really only a few African game animals need more power.

I admit if I was able I would have Dustin build me a best quality 45 colt 5 shooter with adjustable Bowen sights on it and never look back. The biggest advantage to this set up would be the easy ability to switch from mild standard loads to stiff hunting loads that would be a little flatter in trajectory. My Bisley Vaquero required me to pick a more pleasant load to shoot because it is limited to just one load but I have almost 750 rounds through it in the last 2 months, and it is getting better and better all the time.

[Redhawk1]

That's easy, seeing how the 460 Mag is a 45 Cal. I use a 300 gr. hard cast bullet for deer, hogs and bear. Why before you ask, because I have a handgun that can make a long distance shot if needed.

[Mikey]

I still prefer my 44 mag.  It does everything I need it to do within the limits of my pistol hunting capabilities. I use a 4" barrelled revolver that likes a 295-300 gn swc as much as I do.  My revolver does not seem to have a particular preference for any specific case - most give the same accuracy whether sorted or mixed.  Mikey.

[warrior1]

44 mag 250 cast or 240 gr txp.why, sorta the 30-06 of handguns.

[S.B.]

.44 magnum. Will do anything I ask it to.

[Lloyd Smale]

44 mag with a 300 cast swc or lfn at 1100 fps. Aint much that load wont take care of. Little big for some things and a little small for others but it could be made to make due for about anything. Same could be said for the 45 colt but i just have a personal prefernce for the 44s.

[SHOOTALL]

My pick , 7 1/2 inch Redhawk 45 colt , 250 gr XTP in 45 colt cases , i load this to near max.
thanks for the response , some nice guns !

[SHOOTALL]

some worried about debating their choice , not what this is about , i was looking for what gets used the most !
if something is good a good number of shooters will drift toward it , i have noticed that cast bullets have a big following . i have used them for practice alot but plan to try them hunting soon now that i see many like them . whish more would list the gun , to see the most used brand and model .

[Graybeard]

Just as I always say I don't think there is any such thing as a "best" but just what we personally like over the rest. For me that's the .44 magnum but by no means do I say it is "the best" but it is what I use and prefer. Were I going after dangerous game I'd likely want more bullet weight and diameter than it offers and would then move up to a .475" 420 to 440 grain cast bullet but for anything I'm really gonna hunt in my life time the .44 magnum is more than adequate.

What gun? Well I'd like reach for either my FA83 with 7.5" barrel or the S&W 629 with 6" barrel. I like both and the FA is more accurate by a little bit but I actually am a confirmed DA guy and tend to prefer the S&W. Neither have ever let me down and I'm fully comfortable with either.

For soft critters like deer I prefer a 240 JHP like the Hornady 240 XTP or the Nosler 240 JHP but the Sierra shoots very accurately and just one of these days I'm gonna have them in the gun when it's time to pull the trigger and see how they perform on game. So far I've not used them on game but they are very accurate on paper and from their looks they should do fine on game.

When we go to bigger/heavier/tougher game then it's time to move to hard casts in my opinion and they do work fine on softer critters as well. I have several moulds to make bullets from 240 to 325 grains so I'd chose which ever seemed appropriate at the moment. My favorite bullet really is the Lyman 429244 GC and it's shot accurately in every .44 mag I've ever owned. My Lyman 429460 drops a bullet that looks much like an LBT design at a bit over 280 grains and I'd not feel undergunned using that on much of anything really. I think I have LBT moulds for 260, 280 and 300s and a Lyman that drops them at 325 grains so I'm pretty well covered for anything I wanna shoot witht he .44.

[MS Hitman]

not worried about debating, just thought I'd save us both some time. Hope you can accept the answers without getting ticked off.

[Lloyd Smale]

hard to chose a specific 44 for me. I guess if i had to narrow it down to one it would be the 4 5/8s blackhawk as i wouldnt put top end loads in my smiths. If were just talking deer and maybe a bear it would be a 4 inch smith handsdown loaded with 250s at 1000fps. I also use my 5.5 inch accusport alot and dustin linebaugh is putting together a 3.5 inch redhawk for me that would be a nice compromise for about anything. But if push came to shove and i had to grab a gun and go at a moments notice it would be my super loaded with either a 300 swc or lfn at 1100 fps. Aint much that wont take care of in a pinch.

[SHOOTALL]

hitman , not at all its what you like , if any ask why it should be to learn not start a fight !

[Redhawk1]

As far as the hard cast bullets, I use them on all my game. They work well and I have never had a need for jacketed bullets except for self defense carry handguns.

[swampthing]

.44 or .45cal, 280-300g hard-cast bullets @1200fps. If that combo won't work, then I'd load it with some H110 powder. Plenty for this continent.

[GRIMJIM]

I do all my handgun hunting with a 9" srh. It is illegal to hunt with anything but factory loads (not that anyone in the field would be able to tell the difference) so I use 240 grain xtp. It shoots them pretty well and I don't have to worry about not having enough ammo as it is readily available. This is also the first handgun I ever used and has gotten a couple of nice deer so it has sentimental value also.

[m-g Willy]

S&W 29 with 22gr. 2400 with a 240-250 gr. cast bullet.


Willy

[kennisondan]

I would use the 44mag or 45colt; Ruger single action, adjustable sights, no lighter than a 240 grain bullet up to a 300grain; hard cast lead bullets with a fairly wide meplat;
If in 45 I would use the bisley five shot conversion by one of the custom smiths, but it would not be necessary, as the six shot guns are just fine for my local uses on medium big game.
If in 45 I would use the bisley framed gun.  Though I grew up with the SBH and oversized after market grips, I love and favor the bisley now for comfort and recoil absorption.
I would use no longer than a 7.5 inch barrel and no shorter than about a 4 incher. I am more experienced with the longer ones but love the shorter ones for portability.
I would be happy with about 1100 fps to about 1200 or so fps. I could also make do just fine with factory flat nosed jacketed bullets of 240 gr.
I loved my model 29 smith for years, it was not my first love, the ruger was, and I went back to that single action again.
that is my two pennies.
dk

[MS Hitman]

I don't know dk, that may be more like  fifty-cents worth.

[Lloyd Smale]

What state is it that doesnt allow handloads? Ive never heard that law mentioned before.

I do all my handgun hunting with a 9" srh. It is illegal to hunt with anything but factory loads (not that anyone in the field would be able to tell the difference) so I use 240 grain xtp. It shoots them pretty well and I don't have to worry about not having enough ammo as it is readily available. This is also the first handgun I ever used and has gotten a couple of nice deer so it has sentimental value also.

[SHOOTALL]

VA. has a law that if you hunt deer with a hand gun , it must have 350 ft. lbs of energy at the muzzle , the law goes on to state it must be published data . I would guess if your load is in a reloading guide it would be considered published data !
But if not or you switch a component , would you be in trouble ?
but like mentioned earlier who would know ?

[Lloyd Smale]

I would think too that if it came from a loading manual it would be covered as there published books. but a guy might spend some money on a lawyer if he were the test case. Thats about the dumbest law ive seen. Why dont they just spend a 100 bucks on a chronograph and if theres doubt make you shoot your gun through it.

[SHOOTALL]

i agree !

[GRIMJIM]

What state is it that doesnt allow handloads? Ive never heard that law mentioned before.

I do all my handgun hunting with a 9" srh. It is illegal to hunt with anything but factory loads (not that anyone in the field would be able to tell the difference) so I use 240 grain xtp. It shoots them pretty well and I don't have to worry about not having enough ammo as it is readily available. This is also the first handgun I ever used and has gotten a couple of nice deer so it has sentimental value also.

Here's the reg

• For handguns, a bottleneck centerfire cartridge
of .30 caliber or larger with a case
length not exceeding 1.4 inches, or a
straight-walled centerfire cartridge of .30
caliber or larger, both of which must be
available as a factory load with the published
ballistic tables of the manufacturer
showing a capability of at least 500 foot
pounds of energy at the muzzle. Note:
There is no case length limit for straightwalled
cartridges.

I guess it says it must be available as a factory load, not that it has to be a factory load. I don't take the chance though.
Oh this is in Illinois by the way.

While these laws may sound dumb to everyone else, I am never surprised at the laws that come out of Mayor Daley or Gov. Blagojevic.

[corbanzo]

Well, it does have a lot to do with fins and feathers wanting to know the abilities of the round while hunting, which is why there much be factory data available, and not just any wildcat can be hunted.

They are being responsible one one side, and lazy on the other.. because the capabilities of any round can be postulated by case capacity, powder, and bullet size by someone with experience....  As anyone working for fins and feathers should. 

As a matter of law, you would win if they tried to take you on using handloads with a cartridge that is produced in a factory version, just because of the wording of the law.  It's all in the wording.  So, in our language - no hunting with wildcats.

[kennisondan]

My legal opinion of the wording of the law as stated is it has to be a size and of an energy level that is a recognized factory loaded cartridge ,,, but not that it has to be a factory load... just no non-standard loads that the local fuzz has no expertise with...
that is just my hundred bucks worth
really.
dk

Ms Hitman :  the prior post was two cents because there was a sale.... sales over now... back to bidness.
dk

[MS Hitman]

The problem with with energy level limitations on cartridges is that some, if not most of the game wardens and those writing the regs; are not familiar enough with ballistics to know what they are doing.  But then, they seem to be following their lead from Congress.

The problem with just getting a chronograph and shooting through it to determine velocity and energy levels is that it just makes too much sense. Not that I'm a fan of using energy levels to determine the fitness of a cartridge for hunting purposes.

[SHOOTALL]

i won't bore ya'll with the article but i read where i think it was Iowa had a court case that made them look into a study where a 3006 round , shot gun slug and a ML bullet were tested for which went the farthest after striking the ground or other object causing a ricochet , the slug went the farthest ! Kinda proves that at least some game /gun laws are more knee jerk than reality !