Anyone use a handgun for deer?

[Rembrandt]

Anyone hunt deer with only a handgun or carry one as a backup during any of the gun seasons?

...if so, what kind & caliber?

What range do you feel comfortable with?

 

[buckinrut]

I carry a Taurus raging bull .480ruger during the shotgun season. I have it sighted in at 100 yards. I have no problem with taking a shot out too 125 - 135 yards.

I have dropped both deer that I shot at with this gun.

 

[luvtohunt]

I have used my Desert Eagle 50 and my 454 Casual, and this year I am taking my new Smith & Wesson 500. Really curious to see how it performs.

 

[Ghost]

I have always carried a Colt Tropper Mark VII .357 Mag in a shoulder holster during shotgun season.

I have never shot a deer with a handgun yet. Maybe this year it would be a good way to enter the "Roll'n in the Does" contest.

 

[Shovelbuck]

LUVTOHUNT, The .500 S&W is an awsome handcannon isn't it? Should put "Paid In Full" to any deer. Good luck.

 

[Rembrandt]

First started out with a Desert Eagle .44mag (6" & 14" barrels, scoped)...longest shot was 200yds in Wyoming on an Antelope hunt. Wouldn't recomend this distance to a novice shooter...I practiced an entire summer at 200yds before going on the hunt.

Have also used a 10mm on Antelope, Springfield Armory Omega (1911 w/6" barrel) Open sights

Currently use a S&W Performance Center 44mag (6" w/comp, open sights) I'd feel comfortable dropping anything within 100 yds.

Deer hunting with bow, blackpowder, and shotgun have become almost too easy....stalking with a handgun seems much more challenging, especially with open sights.

Sure like the looks and performance stats on the Smith & Wesson 500....have been considering ordering one from the Performance Center. Impressive handgun!

 

[bjkpharmd]

I have at times carried the old .45 auto but never had the need/chance to use it. I used to be pretty good but with this set-up & cartridge I'd limit shots to 40 yards.

 

[teeroy]

i carry a ruger GP-100, in .357 mag. i try to limit my shots to 75 yards, i haven't had a chance to check the effective range, all of my shots have been close. i have carried my colt .45 at times as well. been thinking about going to a .44 like the ruger new model blackhawk hunter. just can't get rid of the .357 yet, and don't have the cash to have both. it would be nice to have a separate season for handguns, but i don't know when they could fit it in

 

[scout]

GO BLACK POWDER! I'm hunting early muzzleloader with mt T/C Encore 209X50.(15" barrel w/ 2X Burris) It's a deer thumper out to 100 yards.

 

[Fishbonker]

When hand guns were first allowed I went out and bought an H&K 40USP. I knew less about hand guns then, then I do about bow hunting now, so I thought I'd have a good all round hand gun. It only had to be bigger than a .38 with a 4" barrell. First year I carried it I put a hurting on a small buck with the 12ga. I saw where it layed down and let it set for awhile. After about 30 minutes I snuck down the ridge and found the buck. He was still alive and I thought I'd finish him with a head shot from the .40. I wasn't but 20 feet from him, put one in the back of his head and he turned around and gave me a look that said "Is that all you got?" It bothers me to this day that, one, I shot that small of a buck, two, that I didn't kill him with a well placed shot, three, that I hit him several times with the .40 and he shrugged off each shot and four, that I was dumb enough to think a 40 cal was a deer killing machine. I still carry the .40, I have switched to 135 grain slugs and moved much closer for the coup de gracie. I think the DNR should tie the requirments for hand guns more to muzzle velocity instead of caliber. It would probably make my gun illegal, but them maybe it should be.

The 'Bonker

 

[Rembrandt]

...good point about using "enough gun". Wyoming regulations require the cartridge must have a minimum amount of muzzel energy...pretty good idea.

(a) Wyoming statutes authorize the use of a firearm which has a barrel bore diameter of at least twenty-three-hundredths (23/100) of an inch and is chambered to fire a center-fire cartridge not less than two (2) inches in overall length, including a soft or expanding point bullet seated to a normal depth, or a muzzle-loading rifle which has a barrel bore diameter of at least forty-hundredths (40/100) of an inch and a charge of at least fifty (50) grains of black powder or equivalent, or a muzzle-loading specialty single shot handgun which has a barrel length of not less than ten (10) inches, a bore diameter of at least forty-five-hundredths (45/100) of an inch and which propels a projectile of two hundred forty (240) grains at not less than five hundred (500) foot pounds at one hundred (100) yards.

 

[scout]

I saw a couple "road kill" deer that were put down with a 40 S&W. I was also less than impressed. I like the 45ACP. Head shots are not instantanious lights out with slow moving slugs from a pistol.

 

[idsman75]

I like the idea of using a handgun on a hunt. I took a S&W 686 loaded with some Winchester Supreme hunting ammo two seasons ago. I was going to use it for close-range work and my shotgun for anything beyond 35 yards or so. I was very confident with that revolver but forgot to reload it after lunch. I had a deer come up behind me in the tree-line and I remembered what I had failed to do. I flipped the safety off my shotgun and turned around 180 degrees in hopes that I could get a close shot off without scaring the deer with my movement. Well, that S&W would have served me well at the range of about 15 paces from which I found myself situated. With that "fluid" movement I smacked my barrel against a tree that I did not see in my peripheral and gave the deer a good startle. In my agitation and flustered state I didn't even come close to hitting that deer with the slug that I sent on its way.

I wanted to get one of those S&W 500 revolvers but Scheel's tells me that the waiting list is about 30 people deep and they are hoping for "one or two" within the next 6 months. I'm not holding my breath. I'd probably be better off with something like what Rembrandt describes.

I like S&W's Performance Center "Stealth Hunters" in the Birdsong finish.

I also have a comment about using the .40 S&W to "finish off" a wounded deer. Want to know what irks me? MP's in the Army are required to use their duty weapon (9mm Caliber) and they aren't allowed to take head-shots with it. Mind you, they only get to carry FMJ ammo. FMJ 9mm NATO ammo and no head shots (so they can test the brains for the presence of rabies or something of the sorts). THAT ticks me off!