Author Topic: First Handgun Deer (Read 2181 times)

BruceP · « **on:** October 30, 2004, 04:48:39 PM »

Well I finally took my first deer with a handgun this morning. I went out earlier in the week and set up my ladder stand just off a logging road on our farm. Before setting up my stand I stood against a big white oak for a while and watched as three does pass on the ridge above me at about 120 yards. Where I put the stand cut it to closer to 100 yards to the ridge for this mornings hunt. I carried two handguns with me. My Contender with the 10" 300 Whisper barrel for the longer shots and my Ruger Bisley 45 colt for the close ones. Just after 8 a.m. I could here something close in front and to my left but could not see anything for a few seconds due to the heavy cover I put the stand in. At first I thought it was a squirrel because I could here on barking just up the ridge a few yards past what I was hearing. Then this deer comes walking out about twenty yard in front of me. I had the Contender in my lap and I knew there was no way to get the 45 out of the holster without spooking the deer so I raised teh Contender and cocked the hammer. The deer heard the faint click and look in my direction, this is when I noticed that it was a spike, but I could not shoot because of a limb. After a few seconds he grunted and started walking again. When he came through a small opening I took the offhand shot and he took off just as he went out of sight I thought I heard him crash. When I finally got down I found only a faint blood trail but when I went to the last place I saw him he was only about 15 yards farther. I know he's not a big buck but being my first with a handgun I'm still proud of him just like my very first deer (also a spike) and my first bow kill (a doe). Anyway sorry to ramble on just had to share.
BruceP

http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/album_pic.php?pic_id=347

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 30, 2004, 05:25:24 PM »

Congratulations on your first handgun deer.

TCShooter · « **Reply #2 on:** October 30, 2004, 05:25:58 PM »

Quote from: BruceP

I know he's not a big buck but being my first with a handgun I'm still proud of him just like my very first deer (also a spike) and my first bow kill (a doe)

congratulations Bruce! :grin:

Nice deer...any deer with a handgun is a trophy in my book!

TScottO · « **Reply #3 on:** October 30, 2004, 05:33:53 PM »

Congrats on your first deer. I got my first one last year. It's a real good feeling

.

Be Safe and Good Luck with the Rest.
Scott

De41mag · « **Reply #4 on:** October 30, 2004, 05:52:16 PM »

Way to go BruceP!!!!

There is nothing like your first deer with a handgun. I shot mine 2 years ago with my 657, 41mag. he was a four point.
My step-brother had told my father the night before at the cabin, that I was crazy for using a handgun for deer. Needless to say I was the only one who tagged a deer opening morning. And my step-brothers son told me he sure was glad I killed one with a handgun just to prove him wrong.
Now, he is asking me what would be a good handgun for hunting deer.
Funny, how people's preception changes over time.
Again, congrats for your first deer with a handgun, and don't forget, put your spent case on the antlers, don't throw it away, it's supposed to be good luck. My 80 year old cousin told me that. :grin:

Dennis

The deerslayer · « **Reply #5 on:** October 30, 2004, 06:39:46 PM »

:agree:

Graybeard · « **Reply #6 on:** October 30, 2004, 06:41:19 PM »

Congratulations. My first handgun deer was also a spike but many long years ago. For that matter even many many more years ago my first deer ever was also a spike. I think it a fitting way to start off especially since back in those days does were off limits here.

BillinOregon · « **Reply #7 on:** October 30, 2004, 08:47:34 PM »

I tip my foreign service helmet to you Bruce! Nice job. I have hunted deer four seasons with a handgun and only came close to getting a shot once. So you are batting 1,000 in my book.

Van/TX · « **Reply #8 on:** October 31, 2004, 02:11:48 AM »

Good job

.....Van

J Henkle · « **Reply #9 on:** October 31, 2004, 02:59:37 AM »

Congrats Bruce......

My first with a handgun was last year and it was with a 300 as well. If your like me, you'll be truly hooked on deer and the Whisper.

Tell us a little about the gun and the load. Do you hand load? What kind of groups are you getting?

I have a suspicion you will be in the woods next year with one handgun....LOL

Congrats again! jh

Stillhuntn · « **Reply #10 on:** October 31, 2004, 03:22:39 AM »

Congratulations Bruce. The first kill with a handgun is a cherished memory. You will think about the hunt every time you sit down to eat a meal including the venison from your kill.

Lone Star · « **Reply #11 on:** October 31, 2004, 03:42:23 AM »

A great achievement - from the placement of the blind, to having the discipline not to shoot too soon, to the steady marksmanship, to trailing the deer to ground. My first handgun deer was over 20 years ago, but I still remember it well; a Kodiak Island fork taken with my .45LC BH at 20 yards. That was back when I didn't need a scope to hunt! Enjoy the memories! :cb2:

Gregory · « **Reply #12 on:** October 31, 2004, 09:01:17 AM »

Way to go BruceP, congratulations. I had the same experience with the 300 Whisper last season, very faint blood trail.

ftw · « **Reply #13 on:** October 31, 2004, 12:30:33 PM »

Congratulations on your first handgun deer. I will never forget mine or any of the others I have killed with a handgun.

It really puts some excitement back into a sport that,for me,was getting too easy. I have not carried a rifle in four years and don't know when and if i will again. Handguns are just too much fun.

THE#1hunter · « **Reply #14 on:** November 01, 2004, 12:08:05 PM »

Congrats

Nice job :agree:

oso45-70 · « **Reply #15 on:** November 01, 2004, 12:17:47 PM »

Bruce,
Nice going on your first handgun deer. Congratulations, Hope this is the first of many to come........Joe..........

Spencer · « **Reply #16 on:** November 01, 2004, 01:13:23 PM »

WAY TO GO!!!!!!
My first was a spike as well, and boy what a great feeling. That rates up as high for me as my first deer with a bow last year.

Congrats. :grin:

Del · « **Reply #17 on:** November 02, 2004, 11:04:20 AM »

BruceP,
Great job on getting your first deer w/a handgun!! I enjoyed the story you told to get to the final ending, a link to the picture of you and the deer!

Sooo, what give us the particulars on the load, & what barrel length?!

Keep up the good "work"!
Del

BS · « **Reply #18 on:** November 02, 2004, 02:17:28 PM »

BruceP, Congradulations!

Hope that this is the first of many!

BruceP · « **Reply #19 on:** November 02, 2004, 02:36:01 PM »

The load I used was a 125 gr. Nosler BT bullet and 17.5 gr. of Hodgdon Lil' Gun powder. When I was shooting over the cronograph last year I remember one load going just over 2000 fps. from the 10" barrel, but I think that was an even 18 gr. of powder. I ended up shooting my skyscreen with my next shot and I did not write everything down like I should have. I was getting about 3" groups at 100 yards but as I have said on this site many times I am not much of a handgun shot.

Gregory please give a little info about your load and bullet selection. I am not ready to give up on the Whisper but I would really like a little more blood to follow if it were needed. My shot centered a rib in the middle of the ribcage, angled forward exiting just behind the far shoulder. both holes on the hide were small. The damage on the inside I cant complain about. The first thing I noticed was the chest cavity was full of blood it just was not comming out those small holes in the hide. The bullet centered a rib going in, It literally ripped the top of the heart in half, it busted another rib on the off side before exiting. Once field dressing was finished you could see an nickle size hole in the inside of the ribcage on the interance side and a quarter size hole on the inside of the ribcage on the exit side but the exit hole in the hide was only about bullet size. I'm thinking that by the time it made it through that last rib that all that was left of the Ballistic tip bullet may have been the solid base and maybe that was all that exited but I cant prove that. Any other info from you or others could prove helpful on future deer or future loads.
BruceP

Lone Star · « **Reply #20 on:** November 02, 2004, 02:59:19 PM »

With the amount of energy in the Whisper bullet you won't get a large hole blown in the offside. Sounds like outstanding bullet performance though, it efficiently used the available energy to thrash the chest cavity and still exited. Many bulelts do not, stopping under the hide of the off side. The hide is very elastic and often catches the bullet after it exits the cavity. Too, even if ithe bullet exits ithe hide will often slide over the hole in the ribs, blocking blood exit. IMO you can't expect much better performance from a 10" Whisper. Just don't believe the myth that every deer drops instantly at the shot.

JerseyJoe · « **Reply #21 on:** November 03, 2004, 03:31:49 AM »

Congrats Bruce on a fine buck. I hope to get my first this year as well with a handgun.

willis5 · « **Reply #22 on:** November 04, 2004, 06:59:05 AM »

congrats.

You should have the bisley in your lap and the contender within reach. your close shots are going to require less movement for fear of spooking a deer. you will usually have a longer time and/or more freedom of movement with your longer shots using the contender.
Cheers,
Billy

Lawful Larry · « **Reply #23 on:** November 11, 2004, 09:50:01 AM »

Outstanding job Bruce!!! :agree:

Gregory · « **Reply #24 on:** November 11, 2004, 01:24:42 PM »

BruceP

My load for the 10" Whisper was 18.3 gr W296 and the Remington 125 gr PSP bullet (2000 fps through my chrono). I shot a small buck at about 30 yds broadside. Got complete penetration and just like you very small blood trail and and the body cavity was full of blood when I opened him up. I didn't look to see if any ribs were broken going in or out.
I used a 357 Max for my second deer last year and that was more effective. I sold my Whisper barrel and will use the 357 Max for my handgun this year.

BruceP · « **Reply #25 on:** November 12, 2004, 03:31:42 PM »

Gregory, thanks for the info. on your load and on the 357 max. I have also considered a barrel for the 357 max as I would have believed it would be more effective even before I had my experience with the whisper. A local gun shop has a Contender with a 14" 357 max. but I think I would prefer a 10" if I go that route.
BruceP

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #26 on:** November 13, 2004, 03:55:26 AM »

Way to go Bruce and a belated congrads :grin:
Season is in on 11/19 here and I will take a handgun for the first time.
Still have standing corn bordering my woods on two sides so things are looking good.

ftw · « **Reply #27 on:** November 13, 2004, 01:52:53 PM »

Finally after having three close calls but no shot opportunity I took a nice fat doe this morning with my 7-30 Contender. She went right down within 40 yards.
As I said earlier this is my fifth season of only using a handgun during firearms season. It has been a blast.
Now I will be using a .41 mag Redhawk with 2X Pentax scope for my next (hopefully) deer.

baitwaister · « **Reply #28 on:** November 15, 2004, 08:42:19 AM »

congratulations! :toast: The first one in alot of ways is the sweetest.

SingleShotShorty · « **Reply #29 on:** November 15, 2004, 09:33:14 AM »

Congradulations on your first handgun deer. My first deer with a handgun was many years ago with a Colt Python Hunter and was a 120# Doe But I will never forget it.