Any handgun hunters here?

Where I hunt in Bedford County my average shot is no longer than 75 yards, been thinking of getting into handgun hunting?

What rigs and calibers y'all using?

I like a 44 mag revolver. DA /SA really doesn't matter. Personally a 7.5 " Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 . 240gr XTP or 275 gr Hard cast

+1

If I do any handgun hunting, it will be with this:




If you've ever seen me shoot a handgun, you will understand my hesitance to do so........

I hAve hunted for years with a 9" Super Redhawk 44 mag. I love mine and wouldn't trade it for anything. Just added a 480 Ruger to my choices this year and can't wait to see how it does.

Large game:
.45 Colt with the Lyman number 454424 bullet molded out of 10% linotype alloy in front of 10 grains Unique,regular primer,Winchester brass,old model Ruger Blackhawk.

.357 Magnum,either Federal 158 softpoints for whitetail or the Lyman number 358439 hp (hard cast) in front of 9.5 grains Unique,mag primer,Federal brass,good for the Blackhawk,Highway Patrolman,and even early Rossi revolvers.Best performance in a 6" barrel.

NOTE: ABOVE HAND LOADS NEED HEAVY CRIMP,AND THEY WILL WEAR HARD ON THE SIDEARM.

Small game:
.38 special or .357 mag brass loaded with either Lyman number 358156 with gas check or Lyman number 357446.Regular primer, 4 to 4.5 grains Unique works well in guns with a 4"-6" barrel .

.32 S&W Long : Lee mold TL314-90-SWC,soft cast,in front of regular primer,4 grains Unique works well in a 4" barrel

Don't use a 460/500 unless you have hearing protection. LOL You might get a bit dizzy. trust me

Smith & Wesson 626 44 mag Performance Center 'Competitor' with Luepold 3x Carry rig is a Black Hills Leather shoulder holster. 100 yard sight in shooting factory Federal 240 grain hp.
It's a tight shooter with a great trigger pull.
I find it's nice to have both hands free while wandering the woods

I lived in Alaska for 35 years and traveled a lot with my job. I took my Contender with 30-30 (handloads), 22LR, and 410 barrels everywhere and took a variety of game from black bear to blacktail deer to mountain goat to reindeer to wolves.

I carried a S&W 629 (44 mag) for protection and consequently took a lot of game with it.

After retiring to VA I sold both guns and now carry a Glock 29 (10mm) and sometimes hunt with a S&W 1006 (10mm).

I own an Encore 308 pistol but have never sighted it in since most of my shots here in the mountains are 35 yards or less.

I find a handgun easier to carry and most times, much easier to handle in a blind or treestand. Also, I get a lot of satisfaction from getting close to my quarry and putting the bullet where it counts.

You just gotta try it.

The key is to leave the rifle at home - don't carry both.

Nice handgun buck

TC Contender 10" barrel .44 mag. Burris FastFire II or Weaver 2 x 7 handgun scope. I alternate between the two and have found that i do just as well with the FF II and it is much more handy and quick to use.
Also use the same Contender with a 10" .22 barrel with scope for small game. Great fun.

T/C Contender user here as well. I have a few other barrels for target shooting and small game, but since it sounds like we're just talking about deer, the main deer-capable barrels I use are:

• 10" bull barrel in 7mm TCU with silhouette sights.
• 10" octagon barrel in .30-30 with factory irons.
• 8.5" octagon barrel in .44Mag with factory irons.
• 9.1" bull barrel in .300 BLK with red dot.

The last I just ordered and haven't shot yet. Here's a pic with the 7mm TCU barrel on it, which is probably my favorite chambering. If I were to do a lot of walking though, I'd probably take the .30-30, since it fits nicely into a Contender holster I have.