Pick a Hunting Handgun for me!

[pbslngr]

OK you said Deer and possibley Elk.  That makes me think your gonna hunt out here in the west.  My preference is for a rifle cartridge in a single shot handgun.  Ala TC, MOA, HS Precision, a used XP-100 or the newcomer to the game Freedom Arms Single Shot.  Yes I said Freedom Arms.  They are available in a wide assortment of barrel lengths and calibers (Freedom Arms.com) can answer all your questions.  For Deer and Elk I would go with either the 6.5x57 or 260 Rem.  I got one in 260 and am hopeing to chase either Wyoming Antelope or Whitetail with it this year.  Will be doing lots of load testing etc. this spring.  Can't wait.

[shot1]

pbslngr: For a one bullet do it all for deer and elk give the Nosler Accubond 130 gr a hard look.  The 120 Nosler ballistic tip is actually a better deer bullet but light for elk.

[Rolandedwinjohnson]

Well, it not quite as bad as asking us to pick a wife; but, it depends mostly on what you want it to do and what feels good in your hands.

3 factors, cost, power, and handling.  Don't skimp on value or quality (used guns are often good values) but you will want to keep cost down, you may need to revise your decision.

There have been many discussion (arguments) on minimum power levels but for the sake of argument I'm going to say that 45 ACP, 45Colt, and 357 are minimums and on up to what ever you can handle.  I've had Ruger Superblackhawks and S&W M29's. they are always accurate but painful and expensive to shoot enough to keep on target.

I'm fond of 6" medium Frame 357's, Govt Model 45's and a S&W 625-8 that seems to know how to hit what I want to hit.  For me, accuracy is a function of how much I practice.  Most guns are way more accurate that I.

I had a Ruger New Vaquero in 45 Colt; but had to sell it to pay the rent. 

My advice is to go to a gun range and try all the guns and choose the one that has the best balance of power, cost, and handling

[Shortgun]

Gypsyman

I have taken an awful lot of deer with the 357 Max using the XTP bullet and have only stopped one slug in a deer and that was a high shoulder hit that broke the neck and lodged just under the hide behind the ear. I use only the 180 gr bullet. I think perhaps the experiences you speak of are with a lighter weight bullet, I would agree that they are not the best at the speeds the Max can push them. I have seen many large bodied nothern Indiana and Nys deer taken with the max and really can't see any on game performance much different than I experience with larger calibers. The Max is a handgun round I have had complete satisfaction with and confidence in as a deer killer. I do not use light weight bullets in straight wall pistol calibers, much prefering heavies for woods work on deer.

As to the OP request.
For revolvers IF I were forced into choosing ONE gun for deer hunting it would be the .44 mag in a Ruger Redhawk..just because it is a strong revolver and very accurate and mostly because of ammo availiability for the non reloader. Handloaders of course have many more options.
For choices in single shots the options are MUCH greater for his intended purposes and his personal prefercences weigh heavily on that decision. In the contender I personally favor cartridges like the 7x30 or 30-30 and the 30-30 AI for their versitility. The old 35 Rem ain't no slouch either. In the Encore the choices are many and the 308 class of cartridges are among the best. My two favorites are the 7mm08 and the ancient 300 savage for deer and I have a 250 savage for varmints (It works on deer too!)
I guess I can't just choose one..we handgunners are that way I guess

[Hook686]

Have you thought of a Desert Eagle in .44 magnum ?

[skiforce]

T/C all the way.  I have a contender in 357 Maximum and it is my favorite hunting arm.  Sweetest trigger on any of my guns and the two deer I have shot with it were bang flops.  Who needs a 44 mag when you can have a 357 MAX!!

[jhalcott]

http://airbornecombatengineer.typepad.com/airborne_combat_engineer/2005/01/the_maadi_griff.html
  if you want a really big ONE shot gun this is it!