First Handgun Whitetail

[retrieverman]

I posted in another thread that an elderly gentleman (that I really don’t know) on another message board private messaged me about a month ago and asked if I would take his Encore 6.5x55 pistol and kill a deer and/or a pig with it. I thought it was an odd request but agreed. The man used to hunt but either can’t or doesn’t want to anymore. He was a competitive shooter at one time and gave me a bunch of handloaded match ammo to start out with, but since I’ve owned a couple or three rifles in that caliber, I have everything needed to make my own hunting ammo. The load I came up with is 129 gr SST, 7828ssc powder over a CCI 250 primer in Norma brass, and it worked great on the buck.
This was a lot of fun, but if I was setting up my own hunting handgun, it would have a red dot sight instead of a scope. The field of view is too narrow for my taste with the handgun scope on the gun, but I’m not making any changes to another man’s gun.

 

[MrTom]

Way to go retrieverman! Fun, satisfying, isn't it?

 

[retrieverman]

Way to go retrieverman! Fun, satisfying, isn't it?

Yes sir! I’m going after pigs with it next.

 

[bronko220002]

Nice fat young buck. It would be hard for me to give that Encore back!

 

[retrieverman]

Nice fat young buck. It would be hard for me to give that Encore back!

Yeah, but a deal is a deal. It’s got to go back eventually. He’s already given me the go ahead to keep it through deer season, and I can get a lot of use and enjoyment out of it by then.

 

[Shorty]

Great story that came true. Congratulations. Very nice heavy horned buck, i am betting the pistols owner is smiling or even drooling about the deer/ pig hunts..

 

[snapbang]

I have used a 357 mag. to kill a few deer. Not sure I would recommend it. After shooting them they run off a ways and look back. You sit there wondering if you even hit it. Then they tip over. But a 6.5 x 55 is much more cartridge. that should be a lot f fun. Easy to cary if your putting some miles on. Congrats.

 

[chwebmaker]

Pretty cool! I remember shooting a 30-30 round through a TC contender when I was younger. The recoil was enough for me to only shoot it once!

 

[BuckDoeHunter]

Nice, congrats!

 

[smokepolehall]

Very nice, congrats

 

[03mossy]

Congrats! Taking a deer with a handgun adds a whole extra level of excitement!

 

[10acres]

Nice shooting.

 

[retrieverman]

Pretty cool! I remember shooting a 30-30 round through a TC contender when I was younger. The recoil was enough for me to only shoot it once!

As I said, this one is borrowed, but I have already put together my own in 308. I’ll admit that it does buck and snort a little.

 

[rgell1017]

As I said, this one is borrowed, but I have already put together my own in 308. I’ll admit that it does buck and snort a little.

I've got a 7-30 Waters 14" Contender and a 15" 308 Encore got it first year TC came out with the Encore got several deer with both great shooters and very accurate

 

[MrTom]

I’ll admit that it does buck and snort a little.

I liken my Optima pistol to a souped up car I had. The car would lay a guy firmly back in the seat when it took off and that pistol garners one's attention when the trigger is pulled. In my opinion, if the handgun doesn't command respect when it is being shot, meaning sufficient recoil, then its not a hunting gun.