Thinking of getting into handgun hunting, what to get?

[fordtrucks]

what should I start with for handgun hunting?

Deer or hogs, 50-75 yard max distance, but will possibly have some opportunities for longer shots if I want. Preferably much closer, like 25 yards.

Already have a 4.2” sp101 in 357.

Should I try something else or use that? I have no preconceptions on this. Just starting to think through my options and want some guidance.

I’m probably about an average shooter regarding accuracy.

Thanks for any input.

 

[MaxP]

Personally I find the .357 to be on the light side. Not much margin for error and if you include hogs, you will want something more adequate on a mature boar. I would recommend a .44 Magnum. There is a plethora of reloading components and ammo available for this cartridge that is equal to none. Depending on how you load it you can use it for varmints on up to really big game.

 

[WestKentucky]

I have killed a few deer with a .357 mag from a 6” out to about 40 yards. It is adequate, but honestly it is a bit underpowered for such task. You would be better served with something that carries a heavier projectile at roughly the same speed or faster. I consider .357 mag and 10mm auto to be the lowest end of the totem pole for deer or hog. I have used both very effectively, but in all instances a tracking job was required even if it was just a 100yd run. I would be much more confident in a .41 or .44 mag. If using a .357, stick to the 158 jhp and get penetration along with a little expansion because that is a lot better than the 125 “true magnum” load which can fail quickly and penetrate poorly.

I have also used a 9mm and even with good ammunition, I was not happy with the results.

 

[Heir Kommt Die Sonne]

Probably heard it enough but a .44 Mag is your best bet. .44 Magnum was designed as the all-around hunting cartridge for North American game.
My personal choice would be a 7 inch Ruger Blackhawk, or some other 6 inch .44 magnum revolver. Something very durable, that's for sure. Colt Anaconda would be a favorite of mine in the double action category but that's a little too expensive for most.
Something like a Dan Wesson is finely crafted and the people who own them love them.
Magnum Research BFRs are popular as well, they come in all kinds of different calibers so not really necessary if you're just looking for a .44, but still a nice option.

 

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I would go 44 magnum and not look back

 

[.38 Special]

what should I start with for handgun hunting?

Deer or hogs, 50-75 yard max distance, but will possibly have some opportunities for longer shots if I want. Preferably much closer, like 25 yards.

Already have a 4.2” sp101 in 357.

Should I try something else or use that? I have no preconceptions on this. Just starting to think through my options and want some guidance.

I’m probably about an average shooter regarding accuracy.

Thanks for any input.

I would be asking myself a few questions, in your shoes. Am I going to use a scope or irons? Do I prefer double action or single? Do I handload or want to get started, or am I restricted to factory ammo? And if the latter, do I mind occasionally spending the money on "boutique" stuff like Buffalo Bore, or do I want to be able to pick something up from wally world as needed?

 

[ThomasT]

I bought a 5.5" Blackhawk in 44 mag for exactly what you are wanting to do. A double action gun like a 6" model 29 would have been great but for a kill shot in a hunting situation I would have only fired single action anyway. And BH revolvers don't sell for much on GB compared to Redhawks or S&W style guns. The BH will take any loads you can stand. Mine is accurate enough with me shooting iron sights that a 75 yard kill shot can be done. But I wouldn't try it past that with open sights. But thats just me.

 

[Meeks36]

44 mag is the way to go. It has more range, and makes a much bigger hole then 357. My suggestion is to get a Ruger.  Then you can hammer game w hot Ruger only loads. Buffalo bore has some nasty loads for .44 mag. If you hand load even better.

 

[WestKentucky]

I’m going to suggest a gun that I have high hopes for but haven’t heard much out of yet. Taurus raging hunter. Looks like exactly what I would build if I were purpose building a hunting revolver. I haven’t heard much out of them yet, but I do know they are back to having a lifetime warranty so there is some protection there that even if you get a “bad gun” it will be made right in the long run.

 

[labnoti]

9mm. If a different handgun cartridge was more effective and quicker to stop and kill that size animal, why wouldn't we use it for personal protection, self-defense, law enforcement, and the military?

I am being a bit sarcastic or facetious. I don't really know whether a bigger magnum is more effective at killing or not. Some people are convinced one way or another by one set of evidence or another.

I suggest considering other aspects of the firearm, particularly the sights. I shoot a revolver with a reflex (red dot) sight and find I am able to be very precise with that 1.0 or 2.5 MOA dot out to longer ranges than I could be with factory adjustable sights. I know there are techniques to be more precise with irons, but they still depend on being able to see smaller details on the sights and that's not always possible in low light. A magnified optic (scope) wouldn't add precision per se, but could allow me to better see the target at a distance. If I were handgun hunting, I would favor some type of optic unless I were determined to use historical period correct equipment or something like that for some reason.

 

[SDGlock23]

It's all subjective, but I'd probably pass on any Taurus. I'd try to get a Ruger or S&W.

The 357 will work on deer but to have something more dedicated for hunting, I would highly suggest the .44 Mag. I like single and double action, but I prefer anything larger than 357 to be single action. The Super Blackhawk is good choice, it's tough, accurate and doesn't cost a fortune. I have a 5.5" stainless SBH 44 and it's all the gun I'll ever need.

 

[ThomasT]

9mm. If a different handgun cartridge was more effective and quicker to stop and kill that size animal, why wouldn't we use it for personal protection, self-defense, law enforcement, and the military?

My bud killed a deer with his 1st gen Glock 17. But the deer was hung up in a fence and he couldn't get close enough to untangle it without the deer going berserk. But a 9mm will never have the margin of extra power of a 44 mag or even a 357 mag. The same bud let his 12 year old son kill his 1st deer with a Marlin 9mm Camp Carbine and a hot handload. The range was around 45 yards and bullet made a complete pass through and the deer ran about 40 yards and died. It never ran out of sight. But the 9mm is still not a great choice for a deer/hog gun.

 

[MaxP]

I am being a bit sarcastic or facetious. I don't really know whether a bigger magnum is more effective at killing or not. Some people are convinced one way or another by one set of evidence or another.

.

What does your evidence indicate?

I’ve noticed you never fail to make this assertion.

 

[adcoch1]

44 magnum. And if you like them, a ruger Super Blackhawk. And I'm not saying it because it's my personal favorite (it is), or because most of the people who know use one ( they do ). 44 mag is a great balance of power, not too much for deer and hogs, and not too much recoil if you decide to hunt heavier game. There are lots of standard and boutique loads for a 44 that will do pretty much anything you would ever want to do hunting without even discussing the handloading potential. And the Guns 44 mag comes in! Something for every personality, optics or sights. I still say a nice used (read sub 500 bucks) ruger Super Blackhawk would be a great starting point.

 

[labnoti]

If I had conclusive evidence, I wouldn't have any cause to doubt. But several people in this thread have drawn a conclusion from little or no evidence at all.

 

[MaxP]

If I had conclusive evidence, I wouldn't have any cause to doubt. But several people in this thread have drawn a conclusion from little or no evidence at all.

How about putting your theories to the test. Get out there and kill some game with a handgun.

 

[WheelGunMan]

Buy a Marlin 1894 chambered in .357 as a companion to your SP101 - 4.2”..you'll have more velocity from the 18" barrel...virtually NO recoil ...and a hoot to shoot.

 

[Dain Bramage]

S&W 629 Stealth Hunter. Just because it's on my want list. The "Toblerone" barrel housing adds some weight, but steadies recoil. The S&W SA hammer drop is noticeably shorter than SA-only handguns, and you have the option of DA for a quick follow-up. When done right, S&W DA revolver triggers are my favorite.

 

[WestKentucky]

9mm. If a different handgun cartridge was more effective and quicker to stop and kill that size animal, why wouldn't we use it for personal protection, self-defense, law enforcement, and the military?

I am being a bit sarcastic or facetious. I don't really know whether a bigger magnum is more effective at killing or not. Some people are convinced one way or another by one set of evidence or another.

Where’s the point of this rambling? The points made about using optics to help aim more precisely are good points, but why muddy the water of a thread intentionally by bringing in another round to which you question whether we would use it to kill stuff, and talk about law enforcement where they hope to keep the guy alive so that he can rot in jail at taxpayers expense. That is far away from the goal of killing game humanely. So you have never been to the moon? What’s your take on moon rocks? That’s roughly equivalent to your input on the 9mm. Maybe your point was that we should shoot the deer with a 9mm so that we can keep it in a pen and it be a pet. That’s kinda like shooting a bad guy with a 9mm and keeping him in a pen as punishment.

 

[LaneP]

I'm not a hunter but anecdotally based on shots on big hogs I've seen hunters make who posted them to the web, the large bore magnums are highly effective. One fellow took a big hog in Texas from a blind at what I estimate to be about 35-50 yards with a Taurus .454 Casull. That hog was flattened on the spot, didn't move an inch, as though his legs disappeared out from underneath him. Not sure a .357 could duplicate that.

 

[labnoti]

How about putting your theories to the test. Get out there and kill some game with a handgun.

I applied for a half-dozen different tags this year but won none. I could shoot coyotes with only my license but they are too small and I would not kill them just to see how a handgun works. Even if I did kill some game, I would only have a little anecdotal evidence and it would not be comparative.

This is relevant to the OP in that they should consider what opportunity they have to hunt game. Where there are hogs, there is usually plenty of opportunities to hunt them. I no longer live in a state with boar, but hunted them in the past with a bow. Evidently, the OP has considered their opportunities in mentioning "deer or hogs" but sometimes I think people have unrealistic perspectives on their opportunities, especially if they're just getting into hunting. Maybe they got a gun and just decided to see about killing something with it. Or they're dreaming of a big game hunt and need a gun but might not reasonably expect to hunt that game again in their life. Where I live (in the West), hunters might get one big game tag a year. There are a lot of opportunities to hunt more big game, but not without going to multiple states, paying for out of state licenses, and costly out of state tags, and probably paying for a guide unless they have all the time in the world to learn such big country and its game. I don't know how people do it unless they have both big money and big time.

I'm just saying to be realistic. The OP didn't mention any hunting experience. I imagine they have some, but all they really wrote was they have an SP101 and no preconceptions. Nearly everybody so far has responded about "cartridge choice" and have not begun to address the realities of hunting.

 

[PapaG]

Forty one, forty four, or forty five, six inches or longer, optics if your eyes are 75 or older like mine, or go bigger if you don't mind recoil. I have given up on the .357 even though both my deer kills were clean with little trailing. I've moved to a Contender 45 Colt with a scope. 255 grain flat point cast at 1200 fps.
No rambling. Some experience. No lost deer after a dozen or so killed with handguns.

 

[MaxP]

I applied for a half-dozen different tags this year but won none. I could shoot coyotes with only my license but they are too small and I would not kill them just to see how a handgun works. Even if I did kill some game, I would only have a little anecdotal evidence and it would not be comparative.

This is relevant to the OP in that they should consider what opportunity they have to hunt game. Where there are hogs, there is usually plenty of opportunities to hunt them. I no longer live in a state with boar, but hunted them in the past with a bow. Evidently, the OP has considered their opportunities in mentioning "deer or hogs" but sometimes I think people have unrealistic perspectives on their opportunities, especially if they're just getting into hunting. Maybe they got a gun and just decided to see about killing something with it. Or they're dreaming of a big game hunt and need a gun but might not reasonably expect to hunt that game again in their life. Where I live (in the West), hunters might get one big game tag a year. There are a lot of opportunities to hunt more big game, but not without going to multiple states, paying for out of state licenses, and costly out of state tags, and probably paying for a guide unless they have all the time in the world to learn such big country and its game. I don't know how people do it unless they have both big money and big time.

I'm just saying to be realistic. The OP didn't mention any hunting experience. I imagine they have some, but all they really wrote was they have an SP101 and no preconceptions. Nearly everybody so far has responded about "cartridge choice" and have not begun to address the realities of hunting.

Well then it appears like you are in a bit of a pickle when it comes to testing. Perhaps you should move somewhere with more opportunities if you really are interested in handgun hunting.

My suggestion was based on the realities of hunting. If you choose the .357, you are choosing what amounts to the bare minimum. I realize the .44 Mag is a threshold cartridge from a point of recoil, but it is also a very versatile round allowing the hunter with one revolver to pretty anything and everything they so choose.

 

[labnoti]

But the answer to the question isn't even a cartridge.

 

[MaxP]

But the answer to the question isn't even a cartridge.

I disagree. It’s the foundation from which to build around. Then the platform and then the sighting system, etc.