# Good Handgun for Deer????



## mrmcgee (Jan 21, 2008)

I am thinking about starting to hunt whitetail deer with a handgun. My state requires at least a 40 caliber. I am thinking about a 44 or a 460. I am a little hesitant about the 460 due to the cost and recoil. I hunt in some thick woods so the longest shot would be maybe 75 yards. I am thinking I would set up where a 50 yard shot would be the max. Any ideas or suggestions would be great! thanks.


----------



## duckslyr (Nov 27, 2008)

you can get pistols that shoot rifle calibers as well. i have seen a few guys here in idaho using .270s and 30.06s. i also have a buddy that uses a ruger redhawk 454 for bears and stuff. that think kicks like a mule but if you want to go target shooting it will also take a 45 long colt.


----------



## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

mrmcgee, what are you looking for a revolver, semi-auto, single shot? The Thompson Center can be purchased in many fine long range calibers as duckslyr mentioned. The 260 Remington and 308 are both nice. You can even get a 45/70 barrel for them.
The semi-auto would limit you to things like the Desert Eagle in 44 mag or the 45 Super.
Now, I am guessing your talking revolver. You can shoot these open sights or scope, but if your only going to shoot to under 100 yards I would not bother with a scope. Since you are apparently just getting into it I would expect you want to do a lot of shooting without spending an arm and a leg for ammunition. The new calibers are very expensive, and I think the old smaller calibers like the 357 are marginal. So that bring us to the old standby the 44 mag.
You will find ammo that ranges from 550 foot pounds of energy to over 1200 foot pounds of energy. If you reload you can do better than that. An firearms magazine about ten or fifteen years ago had an article called the 10.91mm mag. It was new loadings for the 300 gr Hornady XTP that has a second cannelure and by moving to the second cannelure you have more powder room. I will not post loads here, but I push that 300 gr to 1425 fps in a Smith and Wesson with a 8 3/8 inch barrel. I don't shoot many because the smith isn't as strong as a Ruger. If I had a Ruger I would perhaps use it regularly for deer, but I don't.
Also, you will find factory ammo priced from $12 a box to $45 a box. Most of the expensive stuff is small custom factories that produce ammo with foot pounds of energy more than you will get from Winchester, Remington, Federal etc. If you do not reload you can shoot 44 specials in the 44 mag for reduced recoil practice. 
If you reload there is nothing wrong with hard cast bullets for deer hunting. The frontal diameter is sufficient for humane dispatching of deer even without the bullet mushrooming. Hard cast bullets are the prefered fodder for bear hunting with the 44 mag. 
After shooting the 300 gr scorcher for deer for a couple of years I have dropped back to the 240 gr XTP. Since that time I have gone to the hard cast bullet. Most load manuals (except Lyman) are geared to jacketed bullets for high velocity hunting loads and low practice velocity for lead bullets. Either purchase the Lyman manual or a specialized cast bullet manual. I now shoot 240 gr that I cast myself. They are the cowboy action type bullet which Lyman makes the mould for. I push them at 1350 fps for deer hunting. 
This could get long, so I will just end with saying I have two 44 mags. The four inch is light and easy to carry in the mountains. It shoots very well to 75 yards. The other is an 8 3/8 inch barrel with underlug. It's heavy and shoots under one inch at 25 yards off sandbags. A four inch swinging target at 100 yards is going to take a hit every time if I do my job. The weight reduces the recoil and the trigger is very light in single action mode. For a hunting revolver for deer it would be very hard to beat.


----------



## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

You might want to look at the 41 mag as a caliber! It has less recoil than the 44mag but out performs it down range. This is one of those overlooked calibers that is reloader friendly and also has very good factory ammo!

SW in an L frame is a very nice shooting gun in this caliber as well.


----------



## deerslayer80 (Mar 27, 2007)

I have the S&W 460 and it's not that bad for recoil. It does have kick but the weight of the pistol and the suppressors in the end of the barrel help out a lot. You can use that pistol up to 200 yds accurately with the right stablizing equipment. It's all in what you plan to do with the gun. If you have thoughts of taking it bear hunting in the future then maybe think bigger. It's nice to only have to buy the right gun once. The bigger bullet might be better in the brush as well.


----------



## omegax (Oct 25, 2006)

The other thing about the .460 is that, if I'm not mistaken, it will also take .45 LC and .454 Casull.


----------



## SD DuckSlayer (Nov 15, 2008)

480 Ruger is also a good larger round. Ive shot a bunch of rounds w them and it seems to perform nicely IMO. But im a 357 Mag man myself.


----------



## deerslayer80 (Mar 27, 2007)

You right about the 460. It's one of the best all around guns out there right now. It push more energy and totally outperforms the 500


----------



## mrmcgee (Jan 21, 2008)

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This is alot of information. I am starting to lean towards the 44 Mag. Ruger has a New Model Super Blackhawk Hunter.  It is 44 Mag that shoots 44 Special also. It has a 7.5" barrel and comes with scope mounts if I want to add one in the future. Thank you, all of you, for your help.


----------



## trikortreat (Dec 10, 2008)

go witht he 44 mag buddy...i have been readin all of yer comments and thats yer best bet man. my old man has one n he got 4 this season with no problems at all.

- Today is the Tomorrow you worried about Yesterday....think about it.


----------



## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

I'd opt for the 45 colt in the ruger over the 44. The Ruger can handle hot 45 loads or the mild 45 cowboy loads (about like the 44 special). Several companies offer hunting loads in the 45 colt. It's easy to reload and some will say has a milder recoil to comparable loads in the 44.

FWIW I have been deer hunting with the 41 mag for over 20 years. It has always done everything I asked of it. My prefered load is a heavy, cast bullet made by myself.


----------



## doubledroptine08 (Feb 8, 2009)

I shoot a 44mag and it is a great gun, i havent taken to many things with it but my hunting buddy has taken many animals with it. the ruger is a great gun and the added scope rings helps tons when mounting a scope.


----------



## swift (Jun 4, 2004)

I have to throw out the Tauras Raging Bull in 454 casul. The recoil is less than a 44 mag due to the factory break. The accuracy is excellent and knock down power is on par with the 460. If I had unlimited funds my first choice would be the 460 because of the reasons posted above. Then the 454 then the 44mag. The strongest point for the 44 is cheaper ammo and widely available ammo.


----------



## HighNoon (Feb 21, 2009)

I don't know anything about hunting with pistols, but one of my buddies has had good success with his 44mag (@ 35yds). Then again, I think he took a deer with his muzzleloader pistol kit... I guess I've shot deer with my 9mm, but I have yet to hit one in the vitals. :roll:

Here's a pic:









That deer looks dead to me.


----------



## snowslayer (Feb 4, 2008)

Get a 45 colt in a ruger. I prefer it becuase it does't have the recoil of the 460 and 44 and other magnum calibers. But i would not be afraid to take it against anything in north america and most of african game with my handloads. Factory loads will do fine until you get to game like elk and bear you will want to have a heavier bullet at least a 310 grain. but remember if you do reload don't push your velocities with the 45 it does its best at under 1200 fps.
If you slow down a heavy bullet it will go through twice as much as a fast bullet. The 45 is accurate out to the distances you are shooting. I know guys who can put 4 out of 6 rounds in a deer silloette at 600 yards. But he shoots constantly.


----------



## snowslayer (Feb 4, 2008)

If you do get a ruger don't get the new vaquero they have made them so that they are lighter and cheaper and youdo not want to put heavy reloads in therm and watch out on other 45 colt models. Buy older model pistols and you won't have any problems

Alos if you want something with mor knockdown power get a I would suggest a .500 linebaugh( i don't remember how to spell it)


----------



## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

I've killed all my handgun deer with either the 41 Mag or 44 Mag. I've pretty much settled on the 44 Mag as my hunting round. I have a 6" S&W 629 with a 2-6X Bushnell scope that shoots one hole groups at 50 yards.
I use a 240 grain Laser Cast SWC at about 1150FPS. Pretty mild recoil load that with the hard cast bulllet will shoot through a deer length-wise at 50 yards...


----------



## dsm16428 (Feb 19, 2009)

THE BISLEY BLACKHAWK HUNTER IS PROBABLY THE BEST 'FACTORY' MODEL RUGER HAS PUT OUT SINCE THE SUPER REDHAWK!! GOOD WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION, DECENT, ALTHOUGH NOT PERFECT TRGGER, BUILT IN SCOPE BASES AND A LONG CYLINDER IF YOU CHOOSE TO SHOOT ANY OF THE 300 OR 305 GRAIN BULLETS/LOADS AVAILABLE NOW. I HAVE OWNED THE S%W 629 DX, THE SUPER BLACKHAWK, THE RUGER REDHAWK AND SUPER REDHAWK (ONE OF MY PERSONAL FAVS)...TO MAKE THINGS CLEARER, I HAVE HARVESTED 2-3 DEER A YEARS FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS WITH FIREARMS AND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A NUMBER OF DEER WITH MY FLINTLOCK, I HAVEN'T SHOT A DEER WITH A "LONG GUN" SINCE I PICKED UP MY FIRST S%W MOD 686 .357 MAG. YOU CAN COME ON HERE AND ASK, AND YOU'LL GET TEN GUYS REPLYING WITH TEN DIFFERENT FAVORITES AND TEN DIFFERENT OPPINIONS, BUT MY BEST ADVICE TO YOU WOULD BE TO TRY EM OUT...AS MANY AS YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON, AND IF YOUR NOT AN EXPERIENCED HAND GUNNER, START MILD LIKE A .357 (JUST TO GET THE FEEL) WHILE IT CAN AND DEFINETLY HAS TAKEN ALOT OF VENISON, IT'S PROBABLY BEST WHEN USED BY A MORE "EXPERIENCED PISTOL HUNTER. SEE WHAT FITS YOUR HAND (HOW IT BALANCES, HOW IT RECOILS, ETC...) I ALSO OWN TWO T.C. ENCORE PISTOLS RANGING IN CALIBER FROM (FOR BIG GAME) FROM .357 MAG TO .444 MARLIN. THE .444 DEFINETLY GETS ATTENTION AT THE RANGE AND I WILL ALMOST ALWAYS LET AN ONLOOKER TRY MY PISTOLS IF THEY ASK...JUST USUALLY NOT THE .444!!  ANY WAYS IF I WERE TO GIVE THE ELEVENTH OPINION OF THE NIGHT, MINE WOULD BE THE RUGER BISLEY BLACKHAWK HUNTER. IT'S NOT THE MOST EXPENSIVE OF THE BIGGER BORES, AND IT CAN HANDLE A PRETTY WIDE RANGE OF BULLET WEIGHTS. I HAVE PERSONLY SHOT DEER WITH MINE AT 132 YARDS ON THE RANGE FINDER USING 300 GRAIN HORNADY XTP'S AND A LEUPOLD M8 4 POWER SCOPE. ELMER KEITH ONCE SHOT A MULE DEER AT SOMETHING LIKE 250 YRDS BY USING A GRADUATED FRONT SIGHT ON HIS 44 MAG...BUT OUT TO 200 YRDS OR SO I THINK THE 7MM.08 BBL IS GOIN ON MY ENCORE FOR THAT!! GOOD LUCK!! AND HAPPRY HANDGUNNING!!!!


----------



## mrmcgee (Jan 21, 2008)

Thank you for all your help. I broke my pinky and my hand is in a cast for 4-6 weeks. It is going to be a little longer before I can go get a new pistol. I will try to shoot a few different ones if I can. There is a gun range/gun store by me that will let you shoot their used pistols for $5 + cost of ammo. As soon as I can shoot again I will see what all they have that I can shoot. Thanks again for everybodies help.


----------

