Revolver caliber for whitetail deer and hog.

[USSR]

The .357 must be run balls to the wall with good jacketed bullets that 'must' expand for it to do its job. Which usually means broadside only shots must be taken and care should be taken not to hit heavy bones on the way in.

Ezactly. If you limit your shots to broadside heart/lung shots, the .357 will suffice. The .45 Colt will do the job with whatever shot you are presented with.

Don

 

[Ghost Tracker]

.44 mag vote here. Sounds like the perfect match for your criteria.

 

[03Shadowbob]

Considering a Blackhawk in 357, 41 or 45 is about the the same price, I would go with the .41 at least. Sure a 357 will kill deer and hog but in my experience the 357 should be used at bow and arrow range out to about 50 yards. Anything more than that and I want a lot more energy and bigger bullet. That is just my opinion. Now 357 out of a Marlin, different story.

 

[DTesch357]

A standard 180gr Hornady XTP works fine on deer in 357. Who's being dramatic?

 

[MCgunner]

The .357 must be run balls to the wall with good jacketed bullets that 'must' expand for it to do its job.

Total BS. I have killed everything I've shot with .357 using a Lee mold, 158SWC. It's a hard cast Keith style and with gas check weighs 165 grains. Plenty of bone splitting penetration and put down power.

Considering a Blackhawk in 357, 41 or 45 is about the the same price, I would go with the .41 at least. Sure a 357 will kill deer and hog but in my experience the 357 should be used at bow and arrow range out to about 50 yards. Anything more than that and I want a lot more energy and bigger bullet

I prefer a lot more energy in a SMALLER bullet with a lot higher SD and BC, but in a single shot handgun. In heavy cover, 50-60 yards, I'll use my .357 or my .45 colt with no qualms. The .357, at least, is proven and I don't think a deer or hog is going to go far with a good shot using a 300 grain XTP pushing 900 ft lbs.

 

[DWFan]

Folks, the OP stated his intent was 100 to 150 yard shots with a scoped revolver...
...have any of you actually taken a shot with a handgun at that distance?
If you did, you wouldn't be recommending the .357 or .45 Colt...and the .41 and .44 Magnums are marginal at that distance even in the hands of a skilled shootist.
Add to that the fact that few production revolvers are even accurate enough to place a kill-zone shot at 150 yards, again, in the hands of a skilled marksman under ideal conditions.
Most beginning handgunners can't put six offhand shots on a 9" paper plate at 50 yards, much less three times as far. For most beginners, that efficiency goes down as the caliber (and recoil) go up.
To the OP: If you intend to take shots at that distance, buy a rifle.

 

[jhvaughan2]

Folks, the OP stated his intent was 100 to 150 yard shots with a scoped revolver... If you intend to take shots at that distance, buy a rifle.

DW fan has an excellent point. Shooting animals at 150 yards is a challenge with a handgun by any means. If the OP is in experienced in handgun hunting .357, 41 and .44mag are all going to be difficult to master at that range. I have plenty of success with hogs and a .357 -- at 60 - 80 yards. If I was to hoped for a 150 yard single shot kill with a handgun I'd be using at least a 30-30 in a TC.

A beginner handgun hunter should not be looking at 100+ yards as a starter. And if they are they should look for rifle calibers in handguns.

 

[Coal Dragger]

I have a Freedom Arms .454 Casull that I will be using, but will most likely limit myself to the 75-80 yards maximum range at this point. I am a pretty decent shot, even shooting unsupported standing but I would not try making anything with an iron sighted revolver much past the above distance.

 

[-eaux-]

Not to sound like a broken record, but i also must vote .41mag minimum, .45colt/.44mag optimum, larger than that is gravy. And I'd be talking more about 50-75 yard shots, but that's my comfort range. I handgun hunt deer at that range with a 10.5" bbl SBH in .44mag loaded with Hornady Leverevolution. Same gear seems to work well on hogs as well at PBR.

 

[huntershooter]

Wow. A lot of strong opinions here.

Personal thoughts; "handgun hunting" involves a six shot revolver with a 4" to 6" barrel that is EASILY carried in a holster and has iron sights.
As to caliber: .44 mag or .45 Colt for deer and (large) hogs.
As to revolver: S&W "N" frame, 4" barrel (629, 629 MG, 625 MG) or Ruger "Bisley"/"Blackhawk" or FA.

Best of luck.

 

[Lawdawg45]

Folks, the OP stated his intent was 100 to 150 yard shots with a scoped revolver...
...have any of you actually taken a shot with a handgun at that distance?
If you did, you wouldn't be recommending the .357 or .45 Colt...and the .41 and .44 Magnums are marginal at that distance even in the hands of a skilled shootist.
Add to that the fact that few production revolvers are even accurate enough to place a kill-zone shot at 150 yards, again, in the hands of a skilled marksman under ideal conditions.
Most beginning handgunners can't put six offhand shots on a 9" paper plate at 50 yards, much less three times as far. For most beginners, that efficiency goes down as the caliber (and recoil) go up.
To the OP: If you intend to take shots at that distance, buy a rifle.

I must also agree, and I'm a seasoned handgun hunter.

LD

 

[USSR]

Here is the OP:

I am considering whitetail and hog hunting with a revolver. I have not settled on the make and model, but am interested in beginning my search with a decison on caliber.

Again, I only intend to hunt deer and hog with it. Max range for me would be 150 yards. 100 yards is more realistic. I'll need to mount a scope to shoot that far, but that's my intent.

What is the best caliber for such hunting?

He states that he is only interested in what cartridge is capable, therefor I believe many of the answers he has received are valid. As to the .45 Colt, the U.S. Army specified that the cartridge be capable of penetrating a horse at 100 yards, so a deer is no problem with it or the 41 and 44 Magnums. Whether or not whatever handgun and load he goes with is capable of the accuracy needed is another issue altogether, as is whether or not he is capable of such accuracy.

Don

 

[22-rimfire]

Honestly speaking, I would be packing a (41 mag) 4" M57 (8 3/8" is just fine) with iron sights and a RIFLE for hogs if I were serious about killing them rather than trying to be "sporting". The revolver is for close in shots in brush. I would not be taking any 150 yd shots with a revolver.

I do use a 480 Ruger for deer. It is a serious caliber. But the main reason is that I didn't want to drill & tap my 8 3/8" M57 for a scope. If you carry this SRH beast, you can not effectively carry a rifle and use both unless you are hunting from a stand.

So my recommendation stands as 41 Mag or larger.... But you have to be able to actually hit reasonably well with whatever caliber and gun you choose. The 44 mag is the best all around choice if you are starting out in my opinion.

 

[kludge]

My first choice would be a .45 Colt with a 7-1/2" barrel with sub-sonic 255-300 LSWC loads, especially since I handload and I shoot Ruger revolvers.

+1 for the post that said the range is related to how good you are.

150 yards is very optimistic for most shooters, even scoped.

My hunting handgun is a Super Redhawk in .454 Casull with a 2-7x Burris. The Casull gives much better trajectory and 150 yards is possible. I would limit the standard .45 Colt to 100 yards, and the "Ruger Only" .45 Colt to 125yds, just like I would limit the .41 and .44 Magnum to 125 yards.

Even with the flatter trajectory of the .454, gravity begins to take over beyond 125 yards. And you would be well advised not to attempt shots beyond where you have practiced and can hit a 6" circle EVERY time.

The .480 Ruger is in the same class as the .454 and the .500, IMO, and it's the most under-rated revolver cartridge going. The .460 doesn't offer anything over the .454 for 99% of handgun hunters, except more blast and recoil, which the .454 already has in spades.

OK, so here's my dream hunting handgun...

A Freedom Arms, Model 83, Field Grade in .454 Casull with the optional .45 Colt cylinder for $295.

Or if a few hundred bucks makes a big difference, a Model 97 in a 5-shot .45 Colt. That will let you use standard .45 Colt loads, "Ruger" loads that equate to .44 Magnum loads - but IMO do better with 300-325gr boolits, and "Freedom Arms" loads that approach .454 Casull levels.

"Three guns in one"

 

[MCgunner]

Folks, the OP stated his intent was 100 to 150 yard shots with a scoped revolver..

Mmm, okay then, he needs a Contender or Encore and forget about revolvers all together. At 150 yards, even the accuracy of most revolvers is marginal. My .30-30 with a 150 Nosler over 34 grains of IMR3031 is packin' just under 1000 ft lbs at 200 yards and shoots 3" groups. It's only 3" high at 100.

Get the right tool for the job and forget about revolvers if this range is the case. JMHO of course. Or, you could just use a rifle. But, you can handgun hunt in this range. That's why I own a Contender in the first place, and it's fun to embarrass rifles off the bench at the range.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Get the right tool for the job and forget about revolvers if this range is the case.

Agreed. I gave my advice about handgun calibers, but wasn't really thinking about the 150 yd aspect of it. I wouldn't try it with a .44 or .45, though I'm sure it can be done. With a .500 or .460, maybe. But if you want to handgun hunt at those distances, the T/Cs are no doubt the best tools for the job.

 

[CraigC]

150yds is simply out of the question for 99% of handgun hunters. The .454 and .460 are really the only cartridges capable of shooting flat enough. Although the .480 would probably do as well with the lighter jacketed bullets on deer, as they can be driven quite fast. A heavy sixgun will take game cleanly well beyond the ranges most shooters are capable of accurately placing their shots. The limiting factor is the shooter. Which is why I said in my first post, if you're just starting out, forget about anything beyond 50yds.

 

[MCgunner]

With a good rest and my Contender, I'm confident to past 150 yards. The challenge is to get a good position with the rest to make the shot. Once the gun is braced up, I can rely in its accuracy to get the job done. I have shooting sticks and monopods for such things and most deer stands have rests. Of hand shots I'd limit myself to 75 yards or so. But, I've never taken a shot at game off hand with a handgun. First thought is to set up on a rest.

 

[CraigC]

You can't always find a rest. Sometimes none are available and sometimes you don't have time.

This discussion ain't about single shots.

 

[Gun Geezer]

Folks, the OP stated his intent was 100 to 150 yard shots with a scoped revolver...
...have any of you actually taken a shot with a handgun at that distance?
If you did, you wouldn't be recommending the .357 or .45 Colt...and the .41 and .44 Magnums are marginal at that distance even in the hands of a skilled shootist.
Add to that the fact that few production revolvers are even accurate enough to place a kill-zone shot at 150 yards, again, in the hands of a skilled marksman under ideal conditions.
Most beginning handgunners can't put six offhand shots on a 9" paper plate at 50 yards, much less three times as far. For most beginners, that efficiency goes down as the caliber (and recoil) go up.
To the OP: If you intend to take shots at that distance, buy a rifle.

I have plenty of rifles. But thanks for the advice.

I was not born yesterday and have been shooting pistols a good many years. I think that with a proper rest (sand bag, shooting sticks, or a low tree branch) and a decent scope I can make a shot at 100 to 150 yards. I'll practice until I can make an ethical shot. I just wanted to know what folks thought the caliber ought to be.

I got into black powder and then archery because a 30-06 with a 12X scope at 100 yards just seems boring anymore. I'm just tossing a pistol into the mix to add a little spice and variety.

 

[Gun Geezer]

150yds is simply out of the question for 99% of handgun hunters. The .454 and .460 are really the only cartridges capable of shooting flat enough. Although the .480 would probably do as well with the lighter jacketed bullets on deer, as they can be driven quite fast. A heavy sixgun will take game cleanly well beyond the ranges most shooters are capable of accurately placing their shots. The limiting factor is the shooter. Which is why I said in my first post, if you're just starting out, forget about anything beyond 50yds.

Good advice to start at 50-yards and practice to increase capable range. Such was my plan. I don't want (can't afford?) to buy a bivy of scoped handguns, thus need to pick a single caliber that will not wimp out as I am eventually able to increase the range beyond 50 or 75 yards.

 

[Coal Dragger]

Well in that case I'd suggest a .454 Casull with a 6"-7.5" barrel. That will give you full rated velocity with most loads while still being holster carry friendly, and not weighing as much as a carbine. This cartridge can push a 240gr bullet out at 1850-1900 feet per second within normal operating pressures, and can push 300gr bullets at nearly 1600 feet per second.

I own one in a Freedom Arms, and the revolver is very accurate, and extremely well made. Be warned that full power loads are on the very unpleasant side. Recoil is snappy, sharp, and heavy.

Good news is that you don't have to shoot full power loads to get the job done. Backed off to mere .44 magnum levels my revolver is actually pleasant to shoot. Plus it is still plenty powerful. So if you want room to go from mild practice loads to abusive bounce the gun off your face loads; the .454 Casull can get you there.

 

[willypete]

That is total horse pucky, the .41 is actually cheaper than the .44 magnum.

Uh huh, that's Midway. Go find .41 Mag at Wally World or a LGS that's cheaper than equivalent .44 Mag.

150 yard shots with a scoped revolver... .44 Magnums are marginal at that distance

There's this guy, Elmer Keith. You should Google him.

 

[Coal Dragger]

Well most of us mere mortals are not Elmer Keith. I used to be a very good pistol shot when I was actively competing, and even made Collegiate Nationals in 2003.... but I don't think I'll be tagging out on a deer a couple of hundred yards away with my FA. Not saying it lacks the power to get it done, but I lack the ability to deliver it on target under field conditions.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

There's this guy, Elmer Keith. You should Google him.

That's like talking about what you can do on the basketball court and saying, "There's this guy named Michael Jordan. You should Google him."

I agree with you that it can be done, but mentioning the greatest ever in their fields and applying it to normal people like us is just fantasy. Most of the time. I know there are exceptions.