Handgun for deer

Anyone on here use a hand gun for deer? If so, what do you use? Caliber and Model?

You need one you can shoot well. Like bow hunting you need to get close and shoot careful. I've killed two with a 357 model 66 revolver

I have taken five white tails with a 14” Contender. Had rotator surgeries and could not shoot rifles, but a Contender resting in a bean bag was just the ticket. Mine is in 7-30W. Now I can use a rifle so I got carbine barrels for my grandson to begin with.

Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 rem mag, is what a friend of mine has. It is nice.

https://www.ruger.com/products/newModelSuperBlackhawkBisleyHunter/models.html



I really like the .460, S&W model 460XVR.

https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/model-460xvr

XP-100 7br

AR pistol chambered in 300Blackout or 6.5 Grendel many in use in this area. The Grendel is fast becoming the pistol of choice around here.

TC Contender here have used in .223 but prefer my 7-30 waters or 35 rem barrels. around here I would not hesitate to use .357 or .44mag as most shots are less than 100 yards

I have a Ruger super Blackhawk That I hope to shoot a deer and a bear with this year. Great shooting and fun too.

Currently shooting a 460 smith xvr. Shot lots with a Blackhawk hunter .44 before. It’s still probably my overal favorite for white tails. I’ve also (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) quite a few with a .45 1911. Handgun hunting is a lot of fun!

For most of the 80's I was strictly a handgun hunter. I shot numerous deer and a couple bear with my Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 magnum w/10.5 in. barrel. I usually used 240 grain soft-nose rounds, about half the time they were HP also.

.44 mag 629 S&W custom... jacketed 240 gr. w/ red dot scope

Moel83 Freedom arms in 454 Casull 300 grain Hornady XTP over a full house load of H110

44 mag super blackhawk and a 300 blackout AR

legally the AR in 300 is pistol hunting but it carries more like a firearm.

given the new 350 legend being out and the amount of ammo I saw on the shelf and the reasonable price of that ammo basically the same as 308 for price , a 350 AR would be a solid choice.

if your not into ARs Remingtion has a new bolt action pistol out chambered in 223 , 300bo and 308 , give it a year I bet it is in 350 legend. https://www.remington.com/handguns/700-cp

and yes that is rear threads to take a pistol brace.

Ruger Super Redhawk. 44 mag. With 2x scope. 300gr. Hornady xtp handloads. Very accurate and have it sighted in at 100 yards. My brother has same gun and his shoots just as well.

Yup, a bunch. Ruger Super Blackhawk in 357 Maximum, S&W 57 4" 6" 8 3/8" 41 magnum, S&W 29 4" 44 magnum, Ruger Redhawk 5 1/2" 7 1/2" 44 magnum, Dan Wesson Alaskan 6" 44 magnum, S&W 625 Mountain Gun 4" 45 colt, Freedom Arms 83 field grade 4 3/4" 454 Casull. This year I plan on using a S&W 625 Model of 1989 5" 45 auto rim/ 45 acp using a 240 grain Kieth bullet (Lyman 452423 using wheel weight material) powered by Alliant 2400. I'm getting 1100 fps with top notch accuracy.

Just make sure that you don't choose a model or caliber that you cannot hit what you are aiming at. Its just like every other method of killing a deer, shot placement.

What about a Henry mares leg in .44 caliber? Would that be considered a handgun in hunting regulations?

I've shot quite a few deer and a hog with mine. Ruger Redhawk .44 mag with 7 1/2" barrel. The first couple deer (and the hog) I shot with iron sights but since then put a red dot on it and with my aging eyes made all the difference in the world. Most of my shots are under 100 yds so it's no problem at all, puts 'em down clean. Seems like most of the time I'm using shooting sticks now which also helps a lot with shot placement which as mentioned, is key. Going to try using my S&W Mod 66 in .357 mag this year. It only has a 4 inch barrel and iron sights so I'll be limiting my shots to about 50 yds, but I'll be using the sticks.

14 inch contender in 30-30 using 125 grain hollow points. Dan Wesson .357 with 8 inch barrel.

^^THIS, been using 1 since '83, and taken bears, deer, elk in several states with Ruger wheelguns.
chose the .41 after using 1 out to 200 meters in IMHSA competition, finding it shot a shade flatter than my .44 mag.
A 200 gr Speer pushed by 19 gr H110 goes clean thru elk and bears out to 100 yds always deflating both lungs.
I love the stalk involved out west as well as sitting in tree stands in the east.

its been a few years, but I used to do some deer hunting with a ruger blackhawk in 41 mag

.243 Win. SAVAGE Striker SS

Blackhawk in .41 mag

Me & my son use a .243 CVA scout with a heavy 14" barrel with a Burris 2x7 scope. I load a sierra 85 gr HPBT with 36 gr of varget. It will shoot around an 1" groups at 100 if you do your part. We use it to fill our antlerless tags every year. We have taken shots from 12 yards to around 200 with great results. Hunting with a pistol is different than with a rifle, everything must be slow and deliberate. You will have to pass on a few shots that would have been a chip shot with a rifle. A good solid rest is a must.

EXACTLY !

set up any stand so you can get a good rested shot.

Contender in 7-30 waters. Does just fine.

I have taken a bunch of deer with my pistols. My goto is a ruger super red hawk 44 mag 4x weaver scope my other one's, S&W mod 57 41 mag and a Ruger black hawk 41 mag with red dot scopes. All 3 of these I shoot cast lead that I pour and reload. The redhawk was my late fathers and at that time I loaded 240grain hornady xtp's and the pistol was topped with a red dot for him. I'm going to try this year to take a deer with dads Smith mod 27 357 mag. I have it dialed in with 180grain cast performance bullets
J

I've got the same gun and killed 2 myself with it. Farthest one was about 75 yards broadside and a complete pass through. Shooting Hornady XTP 158 gr. jacketed hollow point bullet.

Alan Harton custom in 41 mag!

ruger blackhawk in 45 colt and a contender super 14 in 7/30 waters
both kill em plumb dead and the waters will do on out yonder too

I shot 2 deer years ago with hand gun when was first allowed here in WI. Like has been said by others. Use a gun that is legal in your state and you can shoot well. Both the deer I shot were at like 20-25 yards with 357 Colt Revolver. Also missed one clean once at about 10 yard facing straight on.. I always figure the 357 handgun could kill a deer at 100 yards. I could only shoot accurately at, so stuck to my 20-25 range.

Mac

I got a black hawk 44 magnum to deer hunt with when I hunted worked good if you could rest it on something other wise couldn't hit much past 10 yards but would kill the deer .

S&W model 29-3 10 inch barrel ,Killed a lot of deer for me and is good out to 75 +yards

Did ya get the one with the pistol brace

7-30 Waters in a Super 14 equipped with a Harris bipod.

I've taken deer out to 300 yards with it and so far haven't needed more than the one shot.

A lot of good handguns out there, practice is the key.


WS

My one and only was a young button buck with a Lyman 1860 Army repro. It was a coup de gras shot as another kid had shot both front legs out from under it with a 7mm mag. That 44 round ball did the trick.

I have shot 3 Elk and several Deer with my US Arms Abilene 7 1/2" barrel (Twin to Ruger single six) in .44 mag. Winchester 240 gr factory loads have worked well for me.

Elk stories please!

Ive killed a bull elk,bull Shiras moose,quite a few whiteais,mule deer antelope and several bears and 3 mountain lions with iron sighted revolvers with barrel lengths 4 to 5.5 inches.I lean toward packable guns 3 lbs or less,I used to shoot some real heavies like .454,475 and .500 Linebaugh but those are heavy recoiling in a 3 lb gun and were causing wrist problems so these days I use .44 mag and heavy,.45 colt loads.They are plenty adequate for anything we have.

The guns I use now are 1..45 Colt ina 5.5" Ruger Bisley
2..45 Colt in a 4" Ruger Redhawk
3..44 Mag in a 4" S+W 629 mountain Gun
4. .44 Mag in a 3" S+W 629
5. .45 Colt in a custom,3.75" Ruger,Sheriff''s model
Here is the most recent bear,and the S+W used.

A few of my hunters

What do you guys think about this gun?

I’m not a Taurus fan

Get a scoped TC.

Like several others I've taken multiple game with my handguns. I've taken shiras moose, several elk, 7 bears, and I don't know how many whitetail/mule deer, and antelope. ( I wish I would have kept a journal)
I prefer to shoot my open sighted revolvers. My main guns are a Ruger Bisley in 45 colt and a FA 454. The last couple of years I have developed cateracts so I did put a leupold red dot on my FA
I do have a couple single shot and bolt handguns that are scoped. I use those for longer shots. My go to gun is a savage striker in 260 rem.