Handgun shooters?

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HC

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I picked up a s-w in 45 colt earlier this summer and been having a great time shooting and reloading for it. May carry it during regular firearms season.

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Mostly, a handgun sounds like just a couple more pounds to carry, if I'm already carrying a long gun. I've recently inherited a .357 mag that I plan to carry when I have to go back to retrieve the second half of a deer I've already tagged. If there's a critter that thinks it's his venison, I want to be able to win that argument. :nono:
 
Although I have went to the woods carrying only a handgun I mostly carry it along with long gun. I find the handgun most useful when I'm hunting a thick woods and have deer come up close on my right side where I can take the shot simply by swinging my hands instead of try to maneuver my whole body which would most likely spook the deer. I've taken at least 4 deer under 10 yards this way and felt I wouldn't have been able to if not carrying the handgun. One of my nicest bucks was taken on a extremely windy day and he has sneaking through the woods but never seen or smelled me in my tree stand, he has probably 5 yards from my stand when I took the shot. Another buck was taken while I was laying on the ground on a slight hill with my head propped up, he was walking straight toward me and thought he might actually step on me if I hadn't shot him. As far as caliber I have used 357 mag , 41 mag and 44 special and have seen no difference as far as putting the deer down but again I'm taking relatively close shots. I have grown fond of the 44 Special with Skeeter Skelton loads but that's just a personal preference.
 
I have two 45 Colts, Redhawk and a Blackhawk. Most of my loads are modest, then I have a few upper end hardcast loads with Win 296 powder.

I even have some 45 Schofield cases & loads that I shoot, kinda like 38 spcl in a 357 mag chamber. If I don't see the need for the big bore revolver, I usually carry something lighter. I was out recently helping with a bear that a bow hunter shot, unknown outcome at the time. I took my Redhawk but the bear was dead at the end of 60 yards of tracking.
 
For my deer hunting applications I just don't need heavy charged loads. The loads I use in the 44 Special are approximately 950 fps.

Marshall Stanton has a excellent article on his Beartooth Bullets website called "Handgun hunting loads - a critical view ". In the article he discusses trajectory and performance of several calibers from .357 to .500 all starting out with 1100 fps muzzle velocity.
 
I think it was 2 years ago i had our local sportshop owner order me a Ruger GP-100 6" .357 Magnum Talo Exclusive model, I shoot it very well, but i rarely shoot a pistol anymore. I always swore that i would carry 1 when i was out and about scouting etc. but the simple truth is I RARELY ever take it anywhere i go, Around here my biggest fear would be a Cow moose with a Calf, Heck they dont even need a Calf to be mean, in Sept-October Rutt time they can get down right Scary, they have very little fear. But We don't have NEAR as many of them as we use to, The Hybrid wolves that were intentionally planted here have REALLY beat them to death in this part of Idaho. I feel more incline to carry my pistol with me when i have to go to the big city
 
Re: RE: Handgun shooters?

herschel conyers said:
I picked up a s-w in 45 colt earlier this summer and been having a great time shooting and reloading for it. May carry it during regular firearms season.

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Test
70828a4cf1b6653eb880d67057e832c1.jpg


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Old me finally figured out how to post a pic.

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herschel conyers said:
Old me finally figured out how to post a pic.

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Good for you. Now you don't have any excuses. :poke: :lol:

Good looking S&W too.

I had a S&W Classic Hunter 44 mag. Wish I had kept it.
 

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