What Handgun for hunting deer?

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Do you use 45 Colt loads in it or 454s?

I would if I had them

 

[FL-NC]

Personally, I would stick with my Traditions 50 caliber inline rifle during that season. I know that thing can hit and put down a deer just fine at 100 yards. It was about $200 at wally world, with scope.

 

[Pivot Dr]

First choice is my Contender 35 Remington. I’ve got 44 mags, 45 Colts, 357 mags, 400 Corbon, 7TCU, and 460 S&W, etc.. Any of which would do nicely.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I think the Super Redhawk is perhaps the best bang for the buck in a dedicated hunting revolver available today. People like to judge them by their looks without looking for what beauty lies beneath. I prefer the optic mounted over the frame, rather than the barrel, with the ability to keep the iron sights. Grip options are also better than the Redhawk. With such a strong .44Mag, you're set for anything up to Cape buffalo.

View attachment 1043155

They are also superbly accurate. The sixgun above does this with everything I've fed it, groups in the half inch range at 25yds.

View attachment 1043156

I was just a out to post the same suggestion. I agree completely and since Craig does actually hunt game and large game too with a handgun I would seriously consider his suggestion.

 

[Richard Jay King]

My advice it to use what ever handgun that floats your boat....But it is very hard to beat a 5 1/2" to 7 1/2" barreled .44 mag handgun with a small holographic red dot sight. It will do everything out to reasonable "handgun" range reliablely and effectively..Easy to pack and no reloading necessary...I always thought that if it wouldn't fit in a holster...then why not just carry a carbine...

 

[wvfarrier]

357 mag with a 158 grain XTP and some Lil Gun out of a 5" barrel. Its all ya need!

 

[bangswitch]

Hello all,

I live and Hunt in the Great state of Missouri! Well we have here what’s called “Alternative Season” Coming up it used to be Muzzleloader Season but they have opened up the regs some in the past few years so my question is this IF you were going out to Find/buy/build a Pistol for Whitetail deer with shots ranging from 10 feet to 100 yards* What would you chose? Also I really want a scope I always do better with them

For me right now I am thinking a G2 Contender in 6.5 Grendel with a 15 inch barrel yes it’ll be a custom barrel I handload for this round already and I’ve seen what the 100 grain ttsx will do to deer so I’m confident in it

So I ask what Say You?

Mods please move if you think it fits better elsewhere

I love the Grendel round, but I feel its advantages aren't realized at such short ranges, and using a 15" barrel wastes its potential. It really shines past 300 yards and would take white tail at 1000 yards with a well-placed shot. I have a 6.5G and shoot long-range with it, on an AR chassis with a 20" barrel. If you want a true pistol caliber for taking deer out to 100 yards, .41 or .44 Magnum would work just fine, and out to 50 yards, .357 Magnum would work, or 10mm if you have a nice semiauto chambered for it.

 

[WheelGunMan]

I've used my 6" Security Six in .357 magnum 158 gr JFP with much success.

 

[Armored farmer]

For me I would choose a ruger bisley Blackhawk hunter in .44mag.

 

[crestoncowboy]

For me I would choose a ruger bisley Blackhawk hunter in .44mag.

Any time someone comes to me with the "hunting handgun" question I always have then try a few SA guns and some DA. Some love the SA and shoot it better. Some don't. Well worth trying both though. And there are a trillion of both out there so no reason a person can't find a buddy with both to try.

 

[Racinfan83]

I took a huge buck with my Mod 57 scoped 41mag. I was in a tree when he came quartering toward me. Hit him high front shoulder and found that bullet against the hide on opposite rear quarter. So it went lengthwise clear thru. JSP bullet. I was helping a friend with one he had wounded, it jumped up about 75 yards in front of me and I planted it with a lung through & through. So 41 or 44 Mag would be plenty IMHO..

 

[wcwhitey]

Don’t discount a nice Ruger Super Blackhawk if you find one. Like an earlier poster mentioned “nothing bettter than just a revolver and knife on a hunt”. .44 Mag if you don’t reload but if you do a .45 Colt is great.

 

[Armored farmer]

#1 son got his pistol project finished today.
.300 BLK pistol. It has to meet Illinois guidelines for a single shot pistol to deer hunt.....
Cartridge length
Barrel length
Overall length
Single shot capacity.
(Signed off on by three local DNR wardens)

Vortex Diamondback Tactical 4x-16x42mm

190gr Hornady subsonic
1050fps mv

 

[dvnv]

I think the Super Redhawk is perhaps the best bang for the buck in a dedicated hunting revolver available today. People like to judge them by their looks without looking for what beauty lies beneath. I prefer the optic mounted over the frame, rather than the barrel, with the ability to keep the iron sights. Grip options are also better than the Redhawk. With such a strong .44Mag, you're set for anything up to Cape buffalo.

View attachment 1043155

They are also superbly accurate. The sixgun above does this with everything I've fed it, groups in the half inch range at 25yds.

View attachment 1043156

+1. (and I don't even own one)...every example I've tried has been accurate. They are stout but not overly heavy. Under appreciated guns, imho.

 

[P Flados]

The OP indicated he was Ok with a TC Contender. In a Contender, a 10" barrel in most any 35 or greater caliber round will be fine out to 100 and a 10" is just so much handier in the field than anything longer. There are a few 7 mm and 30 cal rounds that work ok in a 10".

I agree that a 6.5 is really more of a longer range round. It might work ok in a 15", but you will be lugging around a lot more gun than needed. In a shorter barrel, the blast would be pretty bad and the velocity loss would be pretty big.

 

[jmorris]

XP-100 in 7mm BR is at the top of my list. I have Contenders in a number of calibers 45-70, 357 max, 44 Mag, as well as various revolvers I acquired before I knew better.

 

[WisBorn]

I have deer hunted with 4 handguns.
1) Contender in 30-30
2) Ruger Super Redhawk 9 1/2" 44mag
3) S&W 629 8 3/8" 44mag
4) S&W 657 7" 41mag

Of the 4 the Ruger is probably my favorite as a pure hunting handgun.
I like the 657 the best for a shooter. It was the most accurate and well balanced.

 

[JDeere]

44 Mag Super Black Hawk Hunter Bisley is what I use when I take a pistol. Good out to 100 yds but I limit myself to 75yds in a hunting situation. Absolute pleasure to shoot with full house loads at the range as well. I run 240gr JSPs in mine.

 

[Hesa Hard1]

What handgun for hunting deer?

The most awesome long-slide 10mm Glock 40 ...

 

[CarJunkieLS1]

I absolutely agree with above post Glock Model 40 10mm. Its what I have and I use. A quality aftermarket barrel and full length guide rod and 22# spring will take any hot load you can come up with.

 

[ThomasT]

I have never handgun hunted but my bud has killed 5 deer IIRC and did it with a 7.5" Ruger Redhawk. An older gun he bought at the trade day thing for $250 that came with the Express sights Ruger no longer offers.

I have killed 30 deer and all but one were 80 yards or less. Most a lot less. I could have killed everyone of those deer with an open sighted handgun. I used to practice out to as much as 200 yards and putting a bullet in a deers vitals should be doable at that range. But I would probably make my personal limit 75 yards max. For that range my 6" GP-100 or 5.5" Super Blackhawk would be all the gun I need. And I'm not in the market for any more guns right now so those two would have to work for me. I don't want a handgun I have to carry a shooting pole for. If you are going to do that you may as well carry a rifle.

 

[Cowhide Cliff]

I've been using a 460 performance center with scope for longer range pistol hunting. Have a Taurus Raging bull in 480 with a red dot that I absolutely love but I'm getting ready to sell both those guns since I don't hunt much anymore because of health issues.

 

[BillTell]

I'm in a no rifle county. Shotgun or handgun. So I've been handgun hunting since about 1992. My Super Blackhawk in .44 Mag has taken the most deer. (25-30) and is definitely my THUMPER. I handload HDY 240 Gr. XTP's. The others are a mix according to what I feel like carrying that day. My Encore is my second favorite with it's MGM Custom barrels. The .357 Mag is 9.5" Bull Barrel, (180 grain Black Talons), the 7.62X39 is bored for .308 which I handload 150 grain bullets into. Any of these 3 guns will shoot smaller groups at 100 yards than any shotgun I own. Others I have taken deer with also are the S&W 586, and Colt Trooper, both using Black Talons, but not nearly as accurate as the other 3. I top out about 60 yards with the iron sights. I've never missed a shot with any of these except one time when a case blew out in the .44 and broke my eardrum. The heavy .357 loads work, but that .44 just rocks their world. It has a 7.5" barrel, and I feel confident out to 125 yards with it. (however my longest shot ever has been about 75-80 yards on a deer)
If you're looking to start, I'd get a Thompson and go with a .44 Mag. That's plenty. The Thompson gives you the opportunity to change calibers in minutes. MGM make INSANELY accurate barrels. I have 3 from them. That .357 is spot on to 75 yards, and 1" low at 100. I haven't tested the outer limits of the 7.62 yet, as my club's range only goes to 100. The key is to practice, and shoot from a rest. Like I said, those 3 guns will outshoot most shotguns at 100 yards.

 

[BillTell]

 

[sparkyv]

This thread has been a great read. I enjoy reading about experiences from the guys who've actually handgun hunted. I hope to one day be able to do this. I'm ready when and if the opportunity presents itself.