Hunting with a Handgun?

Question

I am interested in hunting whitetail deer with a handgun, but have no idea on what size I should even start looking at....Some factors are best chance to kill, price of guns, and price of ammo? Should I look at a scope also?

Answer 1

Bound's hubby here:

I will not insult your intelligence, I will presume you intend to handgun hunt in a state where handgun hunting is legal! Also, since you said only hunting, you have limited the field appropriately.

Handguns:
There are basically four categories of handguns that could serve your needs for handgun hunting: Semi-Auto Pistols, Single Action Revolvers, Double Action Revolvers, and Single Shot Pistols. I honestly think the most appropriate handguns for your hunting needs would be the Single Action Revolvers and Double Action Revolvers. I would reserve the Single Shot Pistol until your level of skill and experience increases.

When you talk Single Action Revolvers for handgun hunting, you should limit your discussion to the Ruger "Blackhawks". The can be had in two different grip styles; Traditional ("Plow") and "Bisley" (Target). These are strong revolvers with a reputation for accuracy. Ruger also has a line of "Hunter" Blackhawks, which have scope rings the have their mounts recessed into the barrel. These revolvers are stronger because the frames do not have "cut-outs" to accommodate swing-out cylinders. Since the "Blackhawks" do not have swing-out cylinders, you would want to shy away from them for defense, especially if you consider a quick reload as a possibility.

When you talk Double Action Revolvers for handgun hunting, I would limit the choices to the L and N Frame Smith & Wessons. (S&W's only because I have had very good experiences with the Smith's, and they hold a crisp trigger for what seems forever!) A nice benefit to a DA Revolver is that they have swing-out cylinders, that allow for fast reloads, and could be used in a defensive role. A nice feature of the new (post-'92 or so) S&W L and N frame revolvers is that the frames are already drilled and tapped for (a proprietary) scope mount, if you decide to shoot with a scope.

Which action style you select is totally dependent upon your personal tastes and preferences. For me, I will lean to the Smith Double Action Revolvers. Links for both S&W revolvers and Ruger Single Actions will be posted below.

Caliber:
Of the more "conventional" cartridges, you should limit your selection to the: .357 Magnum, .41 Magnum, or .44 Magnum calibers. You could also consider the .45 Long Colt cartridge. All four cartridges are available in both the Smiths and the Rugers. Personally, I would avoid the exotic "new" calibers, such as: .460, .480, and .500 ... and I would recommend that you do too, considering your experience level. I would consider the .357 marginal, and lean more toward the .41 Magnum. I prefer the .41 because it has less recoil than the .44 and more energy than a .357.

Bullet selection:
I would suggest that you shoot HARD cast semi-wadcutters with the largest "flat-nose" bullet you can purchase for your chosen caliber. The flat-nose of the semi-wadcutter is called the metplat, and it is what induces the shock when you shoot an animal. I would try to avoid the soft points and hollow points ... the HARD cast semi-wadcutter will do more bone damage and create a better wound cavity.

Scopes:
Scopes are a personal preference ... I may use one, I do not know in the future, but for now, I will stick to iron sights. If you do go with a scope, do not use a regular rifle scope, you need a long eye relief scope.

Self-restraint:
One of the most difficult parts of handgun hunting is maintaining of defining the maximum shot distance. My suggestion is to use 6" paper pie plates as targets, and restrict your hunting shot distance to the maximum distance that you can keep all of the shots on the pie plates.

Handloading:
I would suggest that you get into casting and handloading your ammunition, since you can "tailor" your ammunition to both your handgun and your hunting situation. Handloading and casting will also reduce the cost of your (hunting) ammunition and increase the amount of shooting that you can do.

Good luck!

Answer 2

.357 Magnum is a little light for deer. I would use nothing less than a .44 Magnum revolver with a 6" barrel. A Ruger Redhawk Revolver in .44 Mag. will probably run you about $500- $600 depending on finish. Ammo can range from around $20-$25/50.
A word of advice, the .44 Mag. recoils heavily, so practice and make sure you are proficient with it before you head into the woods.

Answer 3

No clue how this got on this part of the site.
Some might argue for a 10mm auto, but a reasonable minimum would be a revolver in 41 magnum with standard adjustable sights. Anybody's 44 mag. will do, except for the snubby barreled ones. And a Ruger 45 Colt (long Colt, not ACP) with heavy handloads is fine. Then there are the single-shot bolt-action hand cannons that fire rifle cartridges. A scope isn't absolutely needed, but if you're firing a revolver over open sights at 75 yards you'd better be darned good, and that means tons of practice. Shop carefully and you may be able to keep the bite down to around $500.

Answer 4

http://deckersjewelryandpawn.com/firearms-2/

Answer 5

First check to be sure it's legal in your state. Then consider that there are a variety of handguns that'll do the job. Talk to other folks who have experience hunting big game with handguns - it's more complicated than it looks, and once you select your weapon, you'll need to go to the range and get in plenty of practice. I'd say bust a good two hundred rounds just getting familiar with the piece, and another couple hundred in serious target practice. And yes, a scoped handgun does give a hunter a much better chance of a clean kill. And that's what we want, of course - clean kills. Oh - do note that you DO NOT need one of those .50 calibre wrist breakers - a .357 Mag will do the job nicely.

Answer 6

Don't sound like you know much about hunting, hunting regulations or the habits/habitat of white-tailed deer. But to answer your ?, in every state that I know about that does permit hunting deer with a hand gun requires the use of "center fire" cartridges which includes any caliber from .222 to .50 caliber weapons. Different states have different requirements,, on both gun caliber and bullet size. So the choice is entirely up to you. For what it's worth, I don't think you'll ever get close enough to hit a deer with a hand gun anyway. 50 yards is a long shot for a hand gun and shooting downward from a deer stand is tricky too,, the trajectory of the bullet is not a straight line,, so you best do your shooting practice from the same conditions you're going to encounter in the field.

Answer 7

Its not the size that matters. Almost any 38 or bigger cal. would work.Its more shot placement.A larger cal handgun has more recoil and follow up shots are more difficult.Would need at least a 6 inch barrel and scopes are more accurate.I hunt with open sights.But I don't shoot over 30 yards.Its called hunting not killing

Answer 8

.44 magnum with at least a 9 inch long barrel. Ruger super redhawk would be a good choice

Answer 9

If you get caught in N>C you won';t hunt with a hangun again>>
nor any other gun.......

You better check your state...

never hunted in a state that allows it..

Answer 10

S&W .460, .357 mag, .44 mag