What is a good deer hunting handgun? What is the best caliber and barrel length?

Answer 1

I am a handgun hunter. When I was researching calibers, I heard .357 Magnum was the minimum for deer sized game (max range about 75 yards). The 44 magnum seems to be a popular handgun caliber and will allow you to reach out to 100 to 125 yards. From what I understand, the S&W .460 is a cartridge that can shoot accurately and deadly out to around 200 yards. The .454 Casull is also a popular caliber.

The gun I chose to hunt with is a Ruger Super Redhawk .44 Magnum with a 9.5" barrel. It has plenty of power to kill deer out to distances I cannot accurately shoot to. There are many different brands of ammo and various bullet weights available locally. The recoil is manageable.

Recoil is something you should really think about. You don't want to buy a gun that causes you to flinch after you shoot it a few times. A handgun is not near as forgiving as a rifle in this respect. Whatever you decide on...practice, practice, practice.

Handgun hunting adds a significant challenge to hunting game. Obviously opinions will differ on the caliber and barrel length, but I am happy with my choice.

You need to decide what type of handgun you prefer:
Single action revolver
Double action revolver
Single shot (Thompson/Center Arms)
Etc.

Check out this website and some of these guys should be able to help you out.

http://www.handgunhunt.com/

Good Luck!

Answer 2

As Boker said, a .357 magnum would be as small as you'd want to go. In a revolver, a 41 or 44 mag. would be a better choice. They make bigger revolvers but they aren't necessary for deer size game. You could also get a single-shot handgun like the T/C Contender G2 or T/C Encore. They are available with barrels from 10" to 16" and can be scoped. Many calibers are available for these guns. "Best" caliber comes down to something you can shoot accurately. A longer barrel gives you a little more velocity and with open sights, a longer sight plane. Some states have a minimum barrel length so check your regulations. Have fun and good luck hunting.

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What is a good deer hunting handgun? What is the best caliber and barrel length?

Answer 4

A good revolver in 41 Magnum, 44 Magnum or 45 Colt will do nicely, though you'll need to pay attention to the loads you shoot. Barrel lengths about 5 1/2 or 6" seem best, though I don't have much trouble lugging around a 7 1/2" barrel, either. The nice thing about these is that they don't rely on bullet expansion to work, and hard cast bullets perform well. Small-caliber bullets may or may not expand, but forty-somethings rarely shrink.

Answer 5

Best Caliber Handgun

Answer 6

I would recommend a 357 Magnum with a 6" Barrel. I have killed more than a dozen with a Smith & Wesson 686 6" Stainless .357 Magnum Revolver with adjustable sights. All but two folded like lawn chairs when hit..
4" is too short and 8-10" barrel length isn't neccessary to get the job done. I also swear by 158 grained Jacketed Soft Point .357 Magnum ammunition for Deer hunting purposes..

Answer 7

Revolver minimum caliber: .357 Magnum
Minimum barrel length: 6" barrel

Semi-Automatic minimum: 10mm

Minimum barrel length: 4.5 to 6" barrel

Better choices: .454 Casull; .44 Magnum; .45 Long Colt

Best.

H

Answer 8

I want to get a handgun for deer hunting but not enough money i cant recommend a certain gun but the best caliber is .44 mag. and best barrel length is 6" so you dont lose to much velocity and for better accuracy

Answer 9

I am actually going to try my luck this year with my desert eagle 50ae with scope. I have no doubts it has enough force and trajectory to kill a deer at 100yards or less. as far as legal in Alabama I really have no clue. the 50 ae is a good caliber for the desert eagle, its the 44mag and 357 that start to run into feed problems.

Answer 10

Minimum caliber 357 magnum
Minimum barrel length 6"