Author Topic: What would you not hunt with a handgun? (Read 2998 times)

teamnelson · « **on:** May 22, 2010, 11:19:13 PM »

Besides maybe the big 5 in Africa, and I'm sure there are a few that have done that too.

Here's what I'm getting at. I like handguns, specifically revolvers, a lot. They get shot the most of the arsenal. Shotguns are dwindling down to nothing in my house, Rifles can be fun, but there's just something about trying to stretch myself and be a better shot with a handgun and longer ranges, and with different loads - heavier hunting loads. I have a couple .44s I love, thinking about a .45 Colt, I cast and I reload. I've not tried everything, so I'm asking y'all, if you had your favorite hunting pistol by yer side, do you think you could hunt most anything huntable and feel equipped? This ties into some survival type discussions we have on other threads.

I know this is more of a philosophical than a technical question, so I 'spect the answers to vary accordingly.

Mahalo, Chaps

Bigeasy · « **Reply #1 on:** May 23, 2010, 12:14:41 AM »

I have done a lot of handgun hunting over the years, and I believe the only limiting factor compared to a rifle is reduced range. For me, that means about a maximum of a little over 100 yards, depending on the revolver being used, and the rest available. Few hunters have any business taking a longer shot under field conditions on a big game animal, no matter how good you think you are from a seated, steady bench rest. A lot of hunters have a hard time hitting a deer reliably off hand with a rifle past 100 yards.....

Power wise, no handgun hits with the energy of a high power rifle. Handguns pretty much kill the old fashioned way, punching a big hole with a heavy, relatively slow moving bullet. Maybe not as dramatic as a 130 grain rifle bullet in the lungs at 3200 fps, but just as reliable in the end. The black powder 45/70 vs the bison is a good example. So to answer your question, there is no game animal I would not feel comfortable taking with a properly loaded big bore revolver. For me, the deciding factor would be if I could reasonably expect to get in handgun range, IE, a once in a lifetime sheep hunt, for me, would probably be a rifle hunt.

Larry

eastbank · « **Reply #2 on:** May 23, 2010, 01:36:27 AM »

i shot a doe at about 60 yds with my little sharps in 44-40 with a lead flat nose 200 gr bullet at 1300fps, the bullet made a complete pass thru the cheast and lungs. the doe staggered about 10-15 yds and fell over dead.(the scope was not mounted at that time,i used the peep scope) the point being any big bore revolver will send a 200gr bullet faster that that and will kill just as well. eastbank.

luckydawg13 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 23, 2010, 01:42:09 AM »

yes with my 13" 454 encore i feel equipped out to 100yrds

drdougrx · « **Reply #4 on:** May 23, 2010, 03:00:02 AM »

I don't think I'd hunt anything that was real expensive the first time with a handgun. For example, if I were to hunt some kinda american sheep or argali in Kaz. The cost is huge and I'd want some kinda insurance that if a shot presented itself...even a marginal one, I'd like to be able to decide whether to shoot or not. Having said that, it I were to go on a second hunt, using the experience (though limited) of the first, I might attempt to use a handgun.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #5 on:** May 23, 2010, 03:07:20 AM »

with the right gun and load id hunt anything on earth under a 100 yards with a sixgun.

kynardsj · « **Reply #6 on:** May 23, 2010, 03:24:23 AM »

Same as luckydawg13 I also own a 13 inch Encore but mine is a 460 S&W mag that I shoot 454's out of. It's my current avatar. It's trued in for 100 yards and I would take a shot a bit farther. Inside of 100 yards say in the 60 to 75 yard range and closer I'm very confident with my 500 S&W Magnum. Not a critter on this continent I would be afraid to tackle with it. As far as Africa goes, I have no desire to go there. Still a lot of this great nation I haven't seen and hunted but would like to before I die.

mk454 · « **Reply #7 on:** May 23, 2010, 08:34:55 AM »

i have taken deer, elk, waterbuff, bison with a pistol. all with a 454 casull. the bigbore rifle folks are always talking energy and that's one way to get there, the other is with a large caliber projectile punching a hole through an animal whether that's a hardcast, punch bullet, or a barnes xpb expanded out to 1.2 inches. according to the experts a 44 mag doesn't have enough ooomph for deer at the muzzle but the numerous handgun hunters that have taken elephants with the .44 know differently. anyway, point is if you pick the right bullet for the job, i'd hunt anything period with my pistols

Camba · « **Reply #8 on:** May 27, 2010, 06:54:46 PM »

I grew up as a rifle man and I had killed numerous game animals throughout my youth and adulthood. Ocasionally, I had used a handgun to put down a wounded animal in the past.

My brother, in the other hand was more of a handgun opportunity hunter and he's always a great shot. He rarely used a rifle for any of his hunts.

When Ruger came up with the slab-sided conpetition pistol with a scope mount, I decided to buy one and use it for small game hunting with a scope. Bad idea! Ever since, I prefer to use a pistol or a revolver for all of my hunts. Even if I don't kill anything for a full year, the exitement of carrying a handgun for the hunt is always rewarding. Needless to say, my high power rifles are collecting dust (of course I won't get rid of them) in the gun safe for a while and I only use them for hunting in places where the shots are typical 200 yards or so.

Conclusion: I am hooked up with handguns for most of my hunting and fun; and its limitations is what makes them more interesting to me.

Camba

Daman · « **Reply #9 on:** May 28, 2010, 05:27:11 AM »

Sounds like my rifles are headed down a sad road. I am going to exclusively squirrel hunt this fall with a 22 pistol and want to kill a deer with one of my 357's. It could be yet another addiction.

To answer the thread though:

With my shooting level, I would not shoot an elk or anything else that big with my handguns. I don't have a 44 or 454 so that may change the story if I did. A deer or hog is about the biggest thing I would shoot with my pistols.

Daman

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #10 on:** May 28, 2010, 05:43:14 AM »

I would not hunt any quail, birds where federal law prohibits taking with rifle or handgun. Also agree with any expensive hunt for the first time.

Boxhead · « **Reply #11 on:** May 28, 2010, 05:46:34 AM »

Quote from: SHOOTALL on May 28, 2010, 05:43:14 AM

I would not hunt any quail, birds where federal law prohibits taking with rifle or handgun. Also agree with any expensive hunt for the first time.

Or where you can not hunt with one such as Canada.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #12 on:** May 28, 2010, 06:01:11 AM »

454Puma · « **Reply #13 on:** May 28, 2010, 01:58:52 PM »

Nope there's not anything I wouldn't go after with my SRH 454. Now thats said I don't ever see me going after anything in Africa or the great bears of Alaska would be nice but alas it will never be!

Sweetwater · « **Reply #14 on:** May 28, 2010, 07:53:36 PM »

I'm with Lloyd here +1 anything anywhere with a "properly loaded handgun" and within the limits of both the handgun and my capabilities with it.

xphunter · « **Reply #15 on:** May 28, 2010, 10:33:41 PM »

I primarily use singe-shot specialty handguns, but use revolvers some.
Between the two types, I wouldn't hesitate to hunt anything that was legal to hunt with them.

drdougrx · « **Reply #16 on:** May 29, 2010, 03:09:49 AM »

I dunno you guys.....

Let's say you've saved for 3, 4 or 5 years to go on a dall sheep / mntn goat hunt in Alaska or a taar / chamois hunt in NZ or even a moose / griz hunt in Alaska. These hunts would have to cost more than $10k for out of state hunters. So, if you've never hunted these animals before, and I haven't (except for moose in Newfi and black bears in Maine and NB), you mean to say that would you really trust all that investment to a 454casull or even a scoped contender in a rifle cartridge???

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it at all....but...hunts for whitetails or black bears or hogs, of which are much more available and much less expensive (and I've hunted for a fair amount with a handgun) are in a different league as those hunts mentioned above. For me, it isn't even whether or not the animal is considered dangerous, if I'd hunted them before, had a relatively good idea of what to expect and felt comfortable with a handgun, I'd hunt them with one. For me...it's the expense of the unknown that's my issue and determining factor as to using a handgun or not...and yeah....for $10k...I want to give myself the best opportinity to get the desired game even if conditions are not perfect (which generally never are in hunting).

Good thread though...everyone has a perspective and one's as good as another.

BUGEYE · « **Reply #17 on:** May 29, 2010, 03:55:25 AM »

I hunt squirrrels exclusively with a smith model 22-A. have I ever hit one? no.
but it's a blast.

xphunter · « **Reply #18 on:** May 29, 2010, 03:56:59 AM »

For any of those sheep hunts which cost an amazing amount of money and sometimes involves longer shots and angle shooting, I would use my XP-100 or MOA without hesitation.
A single-shot specialty pistol put together correctly is as accurate as an bench gun and is still more compact or field worthy.
For bear I would have both a Freedom Arms revolver and a SS pistol.

Two one-shot attempts at 775 yards (one shot per person). No wind flags or sighter shots before that, and both of us were shooting from the prone position
This was Jody's first shot from a SP. He was one of the assistant instructors at a LR shooting school I teach at.
Wind was somewhere between 8-10 mph. Can't remember exactly right now.
The XP is chambered in 7mm SAUM (Short Action Ultra Mag). 162 A-max at 2759 fps.

When I had some free time when the students were on solo mode I was able to do some shooting between 400 to just under 900 yards during the 2 different four-day classes. Most of the targets I engaged were 10"x16", but we did have two large humanoid targets like the one in the pic above.
I was not trying hit the large humanoid target, but the heart was my goal.
I was fortunate while I was there, because I never missed steel one time at the distances mentioned.
I wish I could say this is always the case, but it is not so.
If you think I am telling a tall-tell, we had 7 students the first class and 10 the second, plus Darrell Holland (Holland Shooting Supply http://www.hollandguns.com/ ) and some other assistant instructors.
All of the students were shooting rifles, but when I am there Darrell opens up the school to SP shooters as well.

The other specialty handgun I shot was a MOA Maximum, chambered in 7mmRem Mag Improved, shooting 180 grain JLK's at 2685 fps.

Now I can't shoot off-hand or quite as fast even from the prone position as a rifleman at longer distances. I will not shoot at a running animal either.
But in terms of accuracy and power, A specialty pistol hunter does not have to give up anything to a rifleman, if they are willing to dedicate themselves.

Mohawk · « **Reply #19 on:** May 29, 2010, 06:14:56 AM »

I have not used a rifle to hunt deer since 2002. It has been shotgun with buckshot, handgun, and crossbow the last 8 years. So if it's close range hunting I think a handgun will serve an all around purpose.

PowPow · « **Reply #20 on:** May 29, 2010, 05:42:08 PM »

If I were hunting for an apartment, I would not use a handgun.

Ken ONeill · « **Reply #21 on:** May 30, 2010, 01:57:23 AM »

Drdougrx,
You certainly won't take that Tahr and Chamois in N.Z. with a handgun. Handgun import by tourists and hunting there with them is not permitted. I've taken both in that country (using a M-70 in .270) and a Contender, Encore or XP would be perfect for the job...but you can't use 'em.
As others have pointed out, handgun use in several other countries is also not permitted, so hunting game in those countries with your favorite pocket rocket is also "out". With those exceptions, friends and I have hunted pretty broadly across 6 continents and there is no game that I would not use some type of handgun to hunt. The handgun can do it all, assuming proper caliber, load, and shooting skill. Oh yeah...and the greatest holdback of all...money.

PowPow, I hope to never hunt for an apartment, but I would guess that there might be some areas where a good handgun might be the best item to have if renting there.

Mikey · « **Reply #22 on:** May 30, 2010, 02:31:04 AM »

Godzilla.

drdougrx · « **Reply #23 on:** May 30, 2010, 07:17:02 AM »

Hi Ken,

Thank-you for the reply....my point is...if it were my first, once in a lifetime hunt...I would not use a handgun. Now that you've been there and pretty much know what to expect, handgun use would be great plus...and if I were in that situation....I'd certainly consider it. I think that for the typical guy of typical means who has to save his coffee money to go on a wilderness elk hunt once before he dies, a handgun may not be the best choice...that's how I think....not asking anyone to agree really...just my perspective.

BTW...I was just trying to think of expensive hunts that folks talk about going on if they could. Hunting six continents is, I expect, kinda beyond the reach of many...and that's a shame. How great it would be if we could all share those adventures!!!

And...this fall I'll be hunting with my rebuilt BH in 41mag.

luckydawg13 · « **Reply #24 on:** May 30, 2010, 01:35:03 PM »

I hunt in Illinois and the black hills S.D each hunt is the hunt of a life time for me i hunt public land i have yet to go on a guided hunt so if i did its about the hunt not if i come home with a head to mount

drdougrx · « **Reply #25 on:** May 30, 2010, 02:10:39 PM »

I understand Lucky...so...if you save for years and go on a once in a lifetime hunt for say, $10k...would you use a handgun???

BTW....It's perfectly OK if you do....

luckydawg13 · « **Reply #26 on:** May 30, 2010, 02:42:06 PM »

yes IF it was a hand gun hunt deer bear hog elk not goat or sheep things i can get whithin 150 yrds but then i love to black powder hunt to back to long range a 15" oncore in 308 or 3006 can step it out a bit its what you like its your hunt of a life time

drdougrx · « **Reply #27 on:** May 30, 2010, 06:00:04 PM »

Yep...I'm hear'n ya....oh well...done with this thread.....

Peshtigo71 · « **Reply #28 on:** May 31, 2010, 05:06:31 PM »

Whales and shrimp. Everything else between is fair game appropriately addressed. Shrimp could be a challenge though.

teamnelson · « **Reply #29 on:** June 01, 2010, 10:56:05 AM »

Thanks all, for the feedback!! Appreciate it. I'm fairly certain I'd be okay huntingwise if all I had was my Bisely, but its nice to hear other folks feel the same.