Handgun Hunting

[Guest Bonedaddy]

Started huntin' with my .357 last year, by the house, usin' a blind but only went out there three times and didn't see crap till the last day when I was gettin' out of the blind and spooked two does off that had walked up behind me. Didn't get a chance for a shot. Can't do the long walks, anymore so if I go this year, it'll hafta be close to me, like it was then. That ol' model 28 shoots purdy good at 50 yds. Need to practice some longer shots, just in case, ya know. I got one small area that deer do run through, that belongs to my SIL, right by the house. Will probably be the only spot I get to hunt at this year. Can't do that front porch, huntin' in my PJ's like I had been doin' with a rifle at the old house.

[ShaunM]

I dropped off the 44 mag and the mount to my friend. Should have it back on Monday. Can't wait to see it.

[KahrMan]

Make sure you pst some pics up when it is finished.

[I_Like_Pie]

^{Treat handgun hunting as you would bow hunting.  Get a grapefruit or pie plate - the farthest distance that you can hit that plate on a first shot is the max you will want to try with a pistol.}

 

^{Great thing about a red dot is that 0-100 yeards casts a nice point blank with a 3 or 4 moa dot.  cover the kill zone and you will hit somewhere in that area.}

 

^{The key to success is practice, practice, practice.  Flinching will lose/injure a deer and ruin your day.} 

^{It helps greatly if you are a reloader and can afford to shoot the thing a lot.}

^{Again...the key is practice.}

[Jonnin]

Have any of you ever had problems with expansion? I talked to a guy a few years ago that used a Ruger SBH on deer and had killed 4 or 5 and said he got no expansion at all. He used Rem. 240 gr. ( don't know if it was JHP or what) .

 

even if you did, how big around does a .25 caliber rifle bullet get when it expands?  Or a 30-30, or 357?   A 44 is already about as big around as many other rounds are after expansion, and unlikely to get any smaller.   Most expansion I have seen is at most 50% larger.   A 30 cal increased 50% is .... wait for it ...  45.   And rolling in at 200-300 grains and a pretty good velocity out of a long barrel hunting pistol, it should be fine even if you used (illegal, but if you did for argument's sake) a FMJ round.

 

That said I had a bunch of 300 grain JSP  (flat nosed soft point semi-jacketed whatever that is called) that expanded pretty well on nonliving targets.  Never made a kill to say what it would do on a deer.

Edited July 12, 2013 by Jonnin

[Guest Bonedaddy]

Hope to one day have a long barreled Super Blackhawk, again. They used to be my fave gun to shoot. The place I got my model 28 from had a nice Smith 8 3/4" SS .44 that I would've loved to have but just wanted more than I had to spend at the time. IIRC, he wanted $750, on consignment, for it. Was hard enough to come up with the $500 that I give for the 28, which was in real good shape but it's the one I've always wanted first, so I went with it instead of waitin', plus it already had the monogrip on it, which I love the feel of. Would like to get some original wood grips, just for sh*ts and giggles to go along with the original "clamp" style holster I found on Ebay for $35 that was in good shape, too. Put that gun in that holster, with my bad back and it feels like it weighs a hunnerd pounds hangin' on my belt, it does.

[ShaunM]

I'm really eyeballing the Bushnell Trophy TRS-25. From the reviews it seems it would hold up to the recoil. Anyone have any luck with the sight? I'm trying not to spend a whole lot of money.

[Romad7]

Good info, thanks guys:-)

[ShaunM]

Make sure you pst some pics up when it is finished.

Well here it is. I went with a Millett SP1 3moa dot for the optic. It got great reviews and everyone said it will hold up to some recoil.

[URL=http://s525.photobucket.com/user/bean962/media/20130909_183506_zps2856fa96.jpg.html][/URL]

[broylz]

have wanted to handgun hunt for awhile. all i have though is a 4" 357 magnum. im sure it would do the job inside 50 yards... just not sure how much super heavy hardcast i want to put through the old smith and Wesson model 19.

[whiskey]

have wanted to handgun hunt for awhile. all i have though is a 4" 357 magnum. im sure it would do the job inside 50 yards... just not sure how much super heavy hardcast i want to put through the old smith and Wesson model 19.

Check out the Hornady XTP factory loads. They should be fine in the 19 and work well on deer.

[broylz]

will do, thanks brother

[DaveS]

What "Whiskey" said. If that deer is in "bow range", then it also is in range of your 4" .357  I'm a big fan of 158gr Jacketed Soft Nose.

 

DaveS

[DaveS]

Well here it is. I went with a Millett SP1 3moa dot for the optic. It got great reviews and everyone said it will hold up to some recoil.

Nice Shaun!!!

 

DaveS

[KahrMan]

Very nice.  I love unfluted cylinders.