What would you regard as the minimum barrel length for a revolver for hunting deer?

[Catpop]

For me it is a 357 BH 6 5/8” or a 44 mag SBH 7 1/2”. I prefer a longer sight radius shooting with iron sights. I don’t use scopes. But that’s just me.
But as others have said, it’s about much more than that! It’s about knowing your handguns limitations, your cartridges limitations, your limitations, your quarry, and how much you are willing to practice.
It’s one thing to go to the range and punch paper bulls sitting from a rest on a perfect day and then quite another to practice on realistic deer or bear targets (with kill zones) from varied shooting positions in an actual woods setting.
You owe it to your quarry to make a clean kill!
The barrel length is the least of this equation!

 

[silicosys4]

Washington State was stuck on stupid a few years back; I haven't checked lately but I hope they have changed the law. The requirement was a centerfire pistol with a 4" factory barrel. That was it. If you got a Beretta Jetfire .25 ACP with the factory 4" barrel it was technically legal!

Well dang, for some reason I thought there was an energy minimum for Washington state handgun hunting, 1000ft/lbs at the muzzle was stuck in my head for a long time...but I'll be darned if you are right.

As per the 2019-2020 Washington state hunting regs, page 96

"Handguns: Big game, except cougar, may be hunted with handguns with a minimum barrel length of 4 inches per manufacturers specification, and fire a minimum .24 caliber centerfire cartridge. The minimum for cougar is a .22 caliber centerfire handgun. Rimfire handguns are not legal for big game. A modern handgun may be carried for personal protection. Modern handguns cannot be used to hunt big game except as described above."

https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/02063/2019-2020 Big Game Hunting Pamphlet.pdf

That certainly opens up my options over the two handguns I own that met my erroneous assumption
I've always wanted to try my luck with my SA .44 spcl. <40 yards but didn't think it was an option. A 240gr. Keith SWC at 1000fps would certainly work for western Wa. blacktail

 

[dickydalton]

How did it go?

What was your round?

It came out of the trees behind me and was looking right at me in the stand. it was only about 40 feet away and I knew I couldn't pick up the rifle and turn enough to get a shot so I picked my 44 up and did a half turn, put the laser on it and dropped it right there. If I remember right it was a 240 grain Remington Corloct Hollow point loaded to about 1350 FPS.

DSC00004_zpstvkpnfpa

• dickydalton
• Dec 30, 2017

 

[Aim1]

It came out of the trees behind me and was looking right at me in the stand. it was only about 40 feet away and I knew I couldn't pick up the rifle and turn enough to get a shot so I picked my 44 up and did a half turn, put the laser on it and dropped it right there. If I remember right it was a 240 grain Remington Corloct Hollow point loaded to about 1350 FPS.

DSC00004_zpstvkpnfpa

• dickydalton
• Dec 30, 2017

Nice. Beautiful gun. Way shinier than mine.

 

[WheelGunMan]

My Ruger 6" Security Six has seen successful deer hunting duty.

 

[Catpop]

It came out of the trees behind me and was looking right at me in the stand. it was only about 40 feet away and I knew I couldn't pick up the rifle and turn enough to get a shot so I picked my 44 up and did a half turn, put the laser on it and dropped it right there. If I remember right it was a 240 grain Remington Corloct Hollow point loaded to about 1350 FPS.

DSC00004_zpstvkpnfpa

• dickydalton
• Dec 30, 2017

I always like that part about dropping one with your own reloads! Kudos!
I especially like the laser part! I never heard of anyone using a laser to drop a deer before! May open a whole new avenue of seeing sight picture for those with aging eyes!

You said 40’, what is maximum distance the laser is effective for you? Does it work well in bright daylight or just in early morning and late afternoon? Just curious?

Note: NC has no restrictions regarding handgun hunting during regular gun seasons. “Run whatcha brung “

 

[Varminterror]

After a specific effort in designing a hunt to do so, my wife took a meat-doe several years ago with a 2.25” SP101 at 40yrds, I forget now whether it was a Critical Defense or Leverevolution factory load. Not the best tool for the job, nor remotely close to anything I’d/We’d ever recommend, but it worked well in the context we designed.

Personally, I can’t see for **** any more, so I almost exclusively use red dots or scopes, and for the balance, both physical and aesthetic, I prefer at least a 5.5” barrel. I don’t love porting longer than an 8” barrel, so that’s my effective bracket for most hunting purposes. I’d love to have a 12-14” barrel on my Taurus Tracker 17HMR, however.