# Who is hunting deer with a handgun this year?



## Whelen35

What are all of you useing for your deer hunting this year? I will be shooting a contender with a re-chambered barrel now a 309 jdj. Also, one of my ruger blackhawks will be rideing on my hip so if that is all I have in my hands at the time, that will be used. What is your favorite deer hunting combo? Gun and loads if available.


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## dakotashooter2

Only have a doe tag this year so most likely the bow will be my primary weapon however if I decide to go with my handgun it will be my trusty Ruger BH in 41 mag. I've tried various loads from cast to jacketed and now back to cast. I've found a 230 gr bullet cast from wheel weights over a charge of tightgroup that shoots like a dream and am bidding on a mould for a 260 grain bullet. My largest deer to date was taken with a very hard cast 215 gr bullet. None of the deer I have shot with the 41 have ever gone over 50 yards no matter what load I used and the longest shot was probably 40 yards. I also have an encore in 308 that sees limited use and at one time had (I still kick myself for selling it) a contender in 35 rem that was a dream and much better than my current 308.

One thing I have noticed is that many guys would like to try hunting with a handgun but few have what it takes to stick it out when things get tough.


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## Whelen35

The 41 mag is one thing that I have not tried. I have taken deer with the 357, 44, 45 LC, in revolvers, but have not shot the 41 much. I have had 3 mod 57 S&W's and have always liked the way they shot, but somehow they were never arround when I was hunting. I have gone back and forth on the hard cast heavy bullet and the mid-weight soft point or hollow point bullets when hunting deer. With the cast, I find myself shooting for the sholder and expanding more for the lungs. CAst can be great if you breack bones when shooting. Good luck, and the 35rem could have been reamed out to the 358 bellum, and then you would have had a real stoper.


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## OneShotOneKill

*Freedom Arms Model 83 with 6" barrel:*
454 Casull cylinder with 335 grain LBT hard cast gas checked bullet with H-110 powder!
45 Colt cylinder with 300 grain LBT hard cast gas checked bullet with H-110 powder!
*T/C Encore:*
10" 44 Magnum with 300 grain LBT hard cast gas checked bullet with AA #9 powder!
12" 454 Casull with 360 grain LBT hard cast gas checked bullet with H-110 powder!
10" 7mm-08 Remington with 139/140 grain jacketed bullets with IMR-4064 powder!
*Ruger Blackhawk's:*
5 ½" 45 Colt with 300 grain LBT hard cast gas checked bullet with H-110 powder!
6 ½" 357 Magnum with 187 grain LBT hard cast gas checked bullet with AA #9 powder!

*dakotashooter2,*

*You have a T/C Encore in 308 Winchester? What don't you like about it? Are you selling it?*
You can still have your 35 Remington barrel in your encore; just have a custom made barrel for it. Go to the link below and see!

http://www.foxridgeoutfitters.com/secti ... section=16
http://www.foxridgeoutfitters.com/produ ... 7-2003.pdf


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## agrotom

I have three doe tags and I will be using a 629 S&W .44 Mag., Ruger Blackhawk .357 mag. and a Ruger Vaquareo?sp in .45 long Colt.  I will be in a tree stand or ground blind and my shots will be limited to bow range. :sniper:


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## Longshot

This year the pistol I will be using is a XP100R in 260 Rem. with a 2.5-8x Leupold. I am really excited to see how it does. It seems to shoot the 140 gr. partition the best so I'll be using those.


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## BandHunter

I will be shooting my three does with my GP100 .357 with red dot sight... And if i get the opertunity I think I might try and take my buck tag with the .357 too, but if not the remington 700 (270 ) will get the job done on the big bruiser...
Bandhunter


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## Whelen35

Bandhunter, what weight bullets are you planning to use in the 357? I have taken a few deer with the 357 in a 10 inch contender in the past, and have found that the more weitht I could toss at them the better with the 357. 160's or better have performed the best for me. What has worked for you in the past?


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## GunRunner

i took a nice forked horn at about 40 yards with my GLOCK 20C this year.


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## sdeprie

This will be the first year I will take a handgun out for deer. I'm not sure, though. I think that 338-06 JDJ in the Encore may be a bit light. :wink: Still working on the fireforming, but still have a month before any centerfire can go for deer. Have some 200 gr with a standard 338-06 load, should be plenty. (55gr I4320 and 56gr I4054 w/ 200 gr hornady) Got some barnes and noslers in the 175 gr class for deer, later. Distance shouldn't be a problem. Can't see deer beyond 100 yds in river bottoms anyway. Usually not that far. Have been reading about the hearing protection. That'll be there, too, especially with that ported barrel.


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## Bobm

30-30 contender, 14 inch barrel with a 2x7 on it. One difference I've noticed is that its a lot harder to get the scope field of view on the animal. I've passed up on two bucks, small ones, and three does because it was hot and I butcher my own deer. Its cooler today so if I see a doe this afternoon I'm going to try it.


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## GunRunner

actually a 2X7 pistol scope is too much mag. for me. try going to a 1.5X5. i think youll like it alot better


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## Bobm

I agree I just got a real good deal on it as is so I bought it, If I have it to do over I would of got the lower power


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## GunRunner

what make and model is the scope you have?.....ive got several leo's sitting around on the shelf in the 1.5 power range. if your scopes in good shape, maybe ill do some trading with you to get you setup right.


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## sdeprie

I've got the same problem, same reason. Got a great deal on the setup. Might not have made the same choices (caliber, scope) but can't argue with it as is. Our gun season started today (I, of couse, went to work), but plan on going out Monday (I'll take that day off, if I can). Bad luck, so far. Someone stole my trail camera, then my stick ladder. Had to cut the tree down to retrieve my tree stand. :******: Have to rescout and relocate. :******: Will try areas I've been in before, but didn't want to walk 2 miles through swamp. If I have to walk that far, the pistol may be a huge blessing.


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## GunRunner

sdeprie said:


> Someone stole my trail camera, then my stick ladder. Had to cut the tree down to retrieve my tree stand. :ticked: Have to rescout and relocate.quote]
> 
> talk about chicken sh*t. most sportsmen are etremely kewl and will leave stuff like that allone. let me catch someone trying to steal my stuff, and ill have them digging there own grave'sin the woods...LOL.....no, i would not shoot them over something like a trail cam or a ladderstik, but when i got dome with them, they would think there time was up.....


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## sdeprie

You're right. Most hunters I've run into on public lands are cool and easy to get along with. But there's always one butt in the group, and I've apparently peaked one's interest. All I can do is move on, but now all of my previous scouting is wasted. I'll be glad when I can hunt some private land.


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## Bobm

Theres not much I can say about the ladder but I have a pretty good way a keeping the jackasses away from your stand. I use linesman pole climbers and a climbing belt. They are easy to use and quiet to climb with, just get a chain on stand so the squirells can't chew thru the belt or carry the stand in a small back pack, which is what I do.

My chain on stand folds up against the tree and is painted camo so its hard to notice.

This is my point about gun deer hunters they are the lowest....I think I'm might just give up gun deer hunting I hate to be associated with them.


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## GunRunner

i actually prefer to hunt some areas with a handgun (my GLOCK 20C 10MM) rather than a rifle due to mauverability ( like in heavy brush as an example) . ive taken many deer with the 10MM glock. i filled one of my tags this year with it on a forkie at about 40 yards.


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## BandHunter

158 grain soft nose hollow point....Is what I have been shooting...


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## sdeprie

Bob, the gun season just started yesterday. All this happened during the bow and black seasons. I have some of those boots, but haven't got the hang of them, yet. I can get up a ways on a pine tree, but my stand was on some smooth bark hardwood. I've got a carry-in ladder, now. Aluminum, telescopic, 12 1/2 ft. I hope that's enough. If not, I'll use a climbing stand to put in tree steps, from about 12 1/2 ft up. 8) I also have a line on 2 private property locations. I have to hunt fox on one to hunt deer (poor me). Neither is as close as the public land, and I have scouted the public land for 3 years now and have some idea of what's going on. I just hate starting over, but can't afford to replace everything several times a year.


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## scrollmaster

I've used a 7 1/2" New Model Super Blackhawk 44 mag I've owned since early 90's for almost all my pistol hunting. I bought it from an individual with Jim Clark custom hunting trigger and hammer already installed. Marvelous gun and have gone to Cor-bon ammo few years back and very pleased with it. Using the 300gr JSP but have used the 285gr Bonded Soft Core with excellent results.

Heavy woods & underbrush where I hunt limits distance shots so I shoot open sight. Don't much like pistol scope anyway. The long eye relief especially with high mags make it more difficult to acquire field of view quickly on target and almost impossible for me to shoot freehand. gunrunner right stay with lower mag scopes unless you have extremely steady rest for pistol.

I have 7 1/2" Old Model Blackhawk 30Carbine but only tried it once and could not find large doe I shot. Some underbrush between us or maybe pulled shot and more me than caliber but only deer I've not picked up with pistol and have not wanted to hunt it since although I love how it shoots except the muzzleblast is deafening.


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## Whelen35

The 30 carbine is a fun chambering to shoot. I had a ruger several years ago, but found the 357 to be a better choice as far as power went. I don't know why, but you are right, the blast is really something.


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## sdeprie

Update, finally got to shoot that 338-06 JDJ TC Encore.  At the distance I shoot it should be deadly accurate, but I won't be shooting very many follow-up shots. Opinion, it's enough.


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## jlk

I will be using as my primary gun a T/C Encore w/ 15" barrel in a 7-08. Other barrels used will be 15" 308, 15" 22-250 and my 16.25" 500 S&W.

500 S&W (Hog Gun)


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## Whelen35

Well, after hunting for one particular 10 pointer, and not seeing him when legal shooting light was on, I took a large doe with me tag and the 309jdj. Rather low key with a shot at 25yds the doe did not move from the spot. I could have taken the big boy, but the shot it presented would have had me shooting out into the only major road way in the area. The laws of averages would have likely prevailed and no dammage would have been done, but I just could not take the shot. Well, it is likely he will be in the same area next year, and who knows, he may not be soo lucky next year.


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## sdeprie

In my wild and crazy youth, I would have taken that chance. I like to think I'm mature enough to make the same choice you did. Good job. Besides, I don't have a recipe for antler.


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## ARMallardSlayer

I did all my gun hunting with a handgun.....sadly, nothing came within range.......if I'd taken my rifle, they would have crawled up the tree with me.......I use a Lone Eagle in 35 Rem.


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## GunRunner

nice encore!

yes, the 30 cabine is a fun round. actually, only hangun ive got chambered in it is an extremely early 3 screw ruger.

i love the hell out of it in my M1s though. i have one M1 military carbine ( winchester) that actually was presented to a relative of mine a million years ago that only had 3 rounds thru it when he got it ( it wasnt a factory refinish either, but an honest to godness military winchester. he was a major and worked with the maker of the gun on it) it was a retirment gift. i got it now. anyway, i decided one day to shoot a few rounds thru it and clean it really good. i took it to the range with about 15 other rifles. my wife shot it and decided from then on out it was HER gun...LOL

anyway, i was going to sell it to a collector until she made me keep it.

for those of you who havent went over and checked it out yet, come se me at my new forums
www.gunsbay.com

its a hopping place, and youll like it


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## Whelen35

The M1 carbine is a great "fun gun" to shoot. I grew up with my dad being a military gun collector, so I cut my teeth so to speak shooting all types of firearms. The M1 is my favorite 0-100yds plinking gun. I have yet to find a gun that is as easy to shoot, light weight, accurate, fun to shoot gun. I have owned literly 100's of guns in my life, and shot even more, but there is something just right about the M1 for plinking. I think that some of the 357mag lever action guns come close but, I just have not found one that comes up and "feels" right. Now, a light weight short bareled semi-auto in 7-TCU would come very close. Make it a bull-pup type stock and you would have a great plinker good even for deer but still having low recoil and accurate. Man, I have to quit thinking about this, I feel my wallet getting tugged. Anyway, the Ruger is a great overlooked platfourm for any carterage.


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## BedlamX

I used to have an AMT automag III in .30 carbine. Great fun at the range.

Very loud, a good 2 feet of flame shooting out the barrel with every shot, and any automatic with a 7 inch barrel just looks cool  .

It was the perfect back-up to my dad's old M1 since you only had to mess with one ammo. Wish I had never sold it. I'd love to have it again, but can't justify the enormous pricetag for one now (if you can find one in decent shape).


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