# The perfect deer hunting handgun?



## 2bbshot (Oct 15, 2010)

I am considering buying a revolver to deer hunt with. I dont want to have to go thru three before I pick one I like so yall help a brother out!! Ill limit the money to say 1200 for a rigged outfit. Tell me what to buy.


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## ATLRoach (Oct 15, 2010)

Freedom Arms or a Reeder's Customs are some of the best revolvers you can buy. Keep an eye on Gun Broker. You can score a FA setup for a good price.

If you decide that you want a single shot look at Contenders, Encores or MOAs. All can be setup for less than you are looking to spend and will shoot alot better than most revolvers. You can also pickup a Striker or XP.


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## 2bbshot (Oct 15, 2010)

Thanks ill check those out.


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## JWarren (Oct 15, 2010)

ATLRoach said:


> All can be setup for less than you are looking to spend and will shoot alot better than most revolvers.



I agree with most of the advice given, however,although these are great quality guns you mentioned.....for most handgun hunters there will be little discernible difference between FA, Reeder, Ruger and Smith&Wesson revolvers when it comes to hunting and their shooting. If that weren't the case, the FA and Reeder guns would be more common....the same story as with factory and custom rifles. The FA in my avatar, while it is a fine gun of fantastic quality, has no measurable superiority to a Blackhawk for any of my hunting situations and is more than 4 times the cost of a used Blackhawk. I personally think a new handgun hunter would be much better served to buy the Blackhawk and spend the extra money on reloading equipment to become a better shooter and therefore a better hunter.JMO


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## 2bbshot (Oct 15, 2010)

for caliber would yall reccomend a .44mag. I have shot .Two redhawks one in .454 and one in .480 neither had a break and were unpleasant to me to shoot. I shot a 500 smith preformance center and it was nice to shoot but its just to big I mean I might as well carry a compact rifle.


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## JWarren (Oct 15, 2010)

2bbshot said:


> for caliber would yall reccomend a .44mag. I have shot .Two redhawks one in .454 and one in .480 neither had a break and were unpleasant to me to shoot. I shot a 500 smith preformance center and it was nice to shoot but its just to big I mean I might as well carry a compact rifle.



It kind of depends on what and where you are going to hunt with the gun. If you are going to hunt only Ga whitetails and do not reload, the .44mag is a great choice. If you think that you will chase big game out west sometime  and you reload, the .454 may be a better choice as you can also shoot .45lc in it and you can reload .454 as it can be pricey to purchase. The .480 is a good round, but that gun will only shoot the .480 and ammo can be a problem to acquire as it is not available most places and if I am not mistaken, Ruger no longer produces Redhawks in .480.

As for carrying the compact rifle.......you could....but where would the challenge be in hunting with that?


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## Larry Rooks (Oct 20, 2010)

For ME, a Ruger SBH, 44 Mag with 5 1/2 in barrel loaded with handloads and a good cast bullet (Shots 50 yards and under)  If I were going with a long range handgun, TC in
something like the 7 TCU or 0ne of the short 30 cal, like the 30 Rem or Herritt topped off with good scope


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## smackdown51 (Oct 20, 2010)

i agree with the 44 SBH. and when u luck up and catch them in the gord...... thats a sight to see!


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## Dub (Oct 20, 2010)

In the wee hours...when the house is cool and quiet and all are snug in there beds...visions of Freedom Arms handguns are what is in this old boy's head.

If I was gonna drop somer serious coin on a serious hunter...I'd get the FA.  So many awesome calibers to choose from, too.

Classy guns made to some tight tolerances.



Back to the OP.....for the budget you listed you can get a lot of great guns: Ruger Blackhawks, Redhawks or S&W in .44RemMag would be my top choices.  You'll have enough in your $1,200 budget to get the gun, a good custom holster, lots of ammo and a scope if you want.

Drop the scope from the deal and put a tad more cash...and you can take ATLRoach's suggestion.


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## 308-MIKE (Oct 21, 2010)

i bought a6 1/2" taurus raging bull in 44 mag, and finally had a chance to shoot it yesterday. it was sweet. it cost just under $550, and can handle some of the hotter loads out there. many of the guys on here don't like taurus, for whatever reason, but i also have a 357 mag, have not had any issues with it.


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## JWarren (Oct 21, 2010)

308-MIKE said:


> i bought a6 1/2" taurus raging bull in 44 mag, and finally had a chance to shoot it yesterday. it was sweet. it cost just under $550, and can handle some of the hotter loads out there. many of the guys on here don't like taurus, for whatever reason, but i also have a 357 mag, have not had any issues with it.



I agree with you....a sweet shooter for not much money.


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## Dub (Oct 22, 2010)

Another idea...check CDNN guns and open up their online flyer.

About halfway through you'll see listings & pics of the Ruger Blackhawk flatop 50th anniversery editions.  The are selling these for $389.  Great deal on a proven horse with a sweet single action trigger.  If I were in the market for a .44 (or any gun at this point) then I'd jump all over it.

They also have the .357 model for $369.  That'd be a lot of fun to shoot all day long with some light .38scpl loads.  Fun little range plinker or load it up for serious business, too.


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## contender* (Oct 29, 2010)

Contender,, but I'm kinda prejudice...


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## Darien1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Don't forget to consider the .41 Magnum.  Some say it kills better than the .44.


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## Larry Rooks (Oct 30, 2010)

The 41 mag is sweet, shot one for MANY years but I can't say it kills better.  Tain't no such thing as dead and 1/2.
Either dead or it ain't.  The 41 does have an edge in the
recoil and on deer sized game will do anything needed.
The 44 offers a slight advantage on heavier bullet weights
for big hogs or larger game if you get the opportunity.  I
also LOVE teh 45 Colt with a 255 gr Keith Type SWC Cast
bullet.  It hammers em as well


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## bowyer (Oct 31, 2010)

Another caliber to consider for deer hunting that doesn't get much attention is the 10mm auto. I use a Dan Wesson Razorback which has a sleek, compact design that is a pleasure to carry.The 10mm is an accurate as well as powerful cartridge.  I have seen some listed on the S&S Forum recently at good prices. Other good choices in my experience is the S&W Model 629 and Dan Wesson Model 44 in .44mag. Excellent guns in a great caliber. All of the calibers mentioned in previous replies are more than adequate as deer calibers, so the main criteria you should be concerned with is accuracy and carry convenience . A crisp, smooth trigger pull is essential for good accuracy in the heavy calibers. I can't speak for some of the handguns recommended, but I do know that the Smiths and Dan Wesson's have top quality triggers with superb accuracy. Good luck with your choice.


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## CAL (Oct 31, 2010)

My choice would be either a S&W or Ruger 44 mag.That cal. is easily purchased most anywhere.I like a 357 too but to me not much difference in the recoil,gun is smaller though.Good luck with your decision.Might be good for you to shoot someones handgun to help you decide.


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## LawnStalker (Nov 1, 2010)

Though I don't consider myself accurate enough to hunt with a pistol I do have revolvers in several of the chamberings mentioned above if you want to try 'em out at the range. PM me if you want to test drive a .357, .41, or a .44.


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## hayseed_theology (Nov 6, 2010)

308-MIKE said:


> many of the guys on here don't like taurus, for whatever reason,



Personal experience. My 605 had timing issues and a design flaw.  Attempts to get it fixed through Taurus were unsuccessful.  Gunsmiths told me they wouldn't work on it.  

That was for a CCW gun, though.  For a dedicated hunting gun, it's not as big of a deal.

I generally recommend a S&W or a Ruger, but there are some fine Taurus guns out there.


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## mwells353 (Nov 6, 2010)

.44 mag would be my choice with a 6 to 10 inch barrel length. Works great for pretty much anything in Ga.


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## EON (Nov 10, 2010)

I've owned about every type and calibur out there.  Never liked the 454, 480 and expecially the 500, way to much recoil.  I liked my TC but with a 14" Bull Barrel in 7-30 waters it was big and bulky. Taurus makes a great pistol in 44 but a tad light to me, seemed to have a bit more recoil than I liked.  S&W 44 mag is a great choice and very high on the list. But my favorite by far is the Colt Anaconda allthough expensive.

I've shot deer with all these ( including a 357, my least favorite) but the one getting the most attention and highest rating now days would be the 41 mag.  Great cal. and knock down power with the added comfort of lower recoil. 

All great guns in their own right, but what it boils down to is your own personnal prefferances.  You need to be comrortable with what your shooting and shoot allot, so ask yourself and make a choice, you should get there after two of three.


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## Troy Butler (Nov 10, 2010)

2bbshot,  check the marketplace here there is a ruger 44 with a nikon monarch scope for 650 if I did not have one I would be all over this one. Troy


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## Dub (Nov 10, 2010)

Larry Rooks said:


> The 41 mag is sweet, shot one for MANY years but I can't say it kills better.  *Tain't no such thing as dead and 1/2.
> Either dead or it ain't.*  The 41 does have an edge in the
> recoil and on deer sized game will do anything needed.
> The 44 offers a slight advantage on heavier bullet weights
> ...





  


Well said.

I agree with the rest of the post as well.

Added a .41 RemMag to my small collection this year.  I haven't killed anything with it, yet, but really appreciate this gun.  I'm shooting 180gr Barnes @ 1,500fps from this very well mannered gun.  I've got nothing but positive comments for this cartridge.  Recoil is very mild.  I did put some nice grips on it and that tamed the lil'monster even more.

I think I'll put the same style grips on my .44 RemMag, too.


I'm looking forward to killing some winter hogs with these guns.  Deer season is running short (and I haven't even started yet ).  A rifle will be going on these hunts.


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## fishfryer (Nov 23, 2010)

One thing you might consider,I understand you can go to indoor shooting ranges, and shoot their handguns for a fee.You could judge the merits of one over another without buying.Eagle in Macon is one of them.


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## Mozdog (Nov 27, 2010)

I use a Ruger 480 with a long relief scope.  It is heavy but handles the recoil ok.  I have killed several does  sneaking around my right side with it. The action is not as smooth as I would like but then it is the only hunting one I  have used.


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## Washington95 (Nov 28, 2010)

I have two.  One a ruger super blackhawk 44mag, the other a TC contender in 35 rem.  Both scoped.  Excellent guns, and if you can do your job they will both do their's; have shot 2-3" groups at 100 yards off bags.  By the way, I use them only where I will have a rest (window shelf in stand house, or rail around ladder stand).


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## golffreak (Nov 28, 2010)

Glock 20. The 10mm is a great round for deer.


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## ironhead7544 (Nov 29, 2010)

If recoil bothers you get the Ruger Super Blackhawk and have it Mag-Na-ported.  While its there have them do a trigger job and mount the scope.   I had mine done and it cut the recoil down to 357 levels.


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## ticeman (Nov 29, 2010)

My rec. is this.. .500 S&W Bone Collector








I just bought one, and with the 10.5" barrel that is comp'd, the recoil is not bad at all, it's a big push, this is a 150 yd. deer gun all day long. Albeit heavy, it comes with a sling and studs so it's not bad to tote around. I'm shooting my handloads and 350 gr. Hornady's with Titegroup powder that's puttin lead down range at 1350 FPS and carrying about 1800 Ft. lbs of energy +/-. it shoots like butta!

it's in your price range as well, paid $1199 for it OTD.


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## jbrown50 (Nov 30, 2010)

I hunted with a TC in 30-30 Win for 10 yrs and loved it. I hand loaded for huntin, verrrry acc and deadly out to 150yds. The gun was scoped and carried in a shoulder holster.


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## 10gaugemeow (Nov 30, 2010)

i got meh a  taurus m44 8.3" barrel 8 ports blued on the way . ive shot this same model before i decided to get it . if you do get a big caliber get it ported . helps alot with muzzle jump . if id have the money id get a raging bull 454 8.3" barrel blued and mount a fastfire to it and shot low recoil winchester or federal  loads


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## jimboknows (Dec 3, 2010)

would a .40 caliber work as well as 10mm?


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## 45coltcommander (Dec 3, 2010)

44 mag seems to do a pretty good job


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## ticeman (Dec 4, 2010)

jimboknows said:


> would a .40 caliber work as well as 10mm?




No.


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## smessler34 (Dec 5, 2010)

*heres my choice..easy on the wallet...bad day for a deer*

 heres my 290.00 investment

ruger new style blackhawk in .44 mag.......mean! shot a nice six point last season ...it looked like you tied a rope around its feet and snatched em out from under em lol...

300 grn black talons.


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