Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns hunting handgun for shooting Whitetails 40 yds max range?

Weaver Quik Point.. (red dot)

BTW, it IS heavy.. I carry it in a large, scope-ready shoulder holster..

The short answer is either one will do fine. It all depends on how each one fits your hands and how you like or dislike the action/trigger/sights/grips and that is a very personal thing. I've had both and still have the Smith, but you can't go wrong with either one.

I use this .480 SRH. I've got a 30mm Ultra Dot on it. I had a Leupold ER 2X on it for about 10 years but hated every minute of it. I thought it was hard to see through and in low light situations (the first 15 minutes and last 15 minutes of daylight) you can't see through it at all. Last year I put the Ultra Dot on it and love it. There's no magnification and much easier to see through. Actually, I've found that you actually look past it, not really through it and it makes it easier to acquire your target.

I agree with you guys about the trigger pull, it's really hard. I'd like to get it worked sometime.

Redneck or Stone Cutter

How do you like that red dot? I recently got one and like it a lot better than I thought I would. Mine is mounted on a 12 inch barrelled Contender that I take along with a 338 when I sit on my stand adjacent to a big beaver pond. I use the 44 Contender to kill beavers and the red dot makes that easy to do even at extended ranges. I had the same experience with a Leupold handgun scope on that Contender as Stone Cutter.

The OP didn't ask about sights, so he must be planning to use those that come on the revolver he chooses and both the Ruger or the Smith factory sights are fine for what he wants to do.

Yeah no optics for My purpose, factory open sights will be fine....I have been looking at Gunbroker and found a few Ruger blackhawks in .45 LC with 5.5" barrel, this gun interests Me along with the Smith 629 5" ....I know either gun would easily do what I'm asking.........Hb

Nice looking pair of thumpers there CT.

629 S&W PC V-Comp 5" 44 magnum.

Gracias, amigo!

Try to find a 5" Model 29 Classic or Classic DX. They will come at a premium, but will be worth the bit of extra coin. They are pre-lock, and have the endurance package, as well as having a full underlug.

Based on your range and intended target, I would recommend a load of 10 grains Unique and a 240/250 Cast SWC. That load will kill any whitetail alive and be very easy to shoot well, and easy on the gun.

Eye candy:






BTW, we have a long running 44 magnum pics and discussion thread here at the fire. Just google it.

Exactly. And that Lyman bullet number 429421 over 10 grains of Unique is also a good hog killer as well. With a hard cast linotype bullet, it will pass through most any deer/hog sized and weight range game.

Hb,

Just curious, but what handguns do you currently have that are above .358" bore diameter?

Mac & Bob have the info. and loads! Just listen they have been there and done that..!,

The only hangun I own with bore diameter above .357 is a Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Special I have for a truck gun......also I quit reloading many years ago so I will only be shooting factory ammo.......Hb

Mackay, At one time I owned a 629 Classic DX 6.5" that shot better than I could hold it but as with many other great guns I have sold over the years someone else owns it now.....ha!.............Hb

That answers that question; thanks.

Good truck gun, BTW.

Factory ammo makes the .44Mag a damned fine, and very clear, choice.

The Rugers are tanks; the S&Ws are rather fine, well balanced pieces. To 40 yards or so, nothing will every know the difference.

Consider the Ruger Blackhawk and Bisley Blackhawk.

I'll keep eyes and ears peeled for you as well.

I really like the Bisley Blackhawk but its not made in a 5.5" stainless, thats why the 45 LC has My interest, it is available in a Bisley model 5.5" stainless, a very handsome looking revolver to My eyes.........also I think There are enough choices in factory heavy hunting loads to find something it would shoot reasonably well.....I like the ballistics of the Buffalo Bore load with the 225 grain Barnes copper bullet, a Whitetail hit in the right spot with that load has had a bad day........Ha!.........Hb

That is a fine and versatile choice that can be loaded up or down to suit your needs or the game on the menu. The Williams Shooters Supply dealer exclusive 5 1/2-inch .45 Colt Bisley is a home run as far as I am concerned.





The .44 Mag Bisley is another good one that will take whatever loads you can throw at it.



I would opt for a .44 or .45 over the .357 only in that you can load the bigger calibers down to pleasantly mild levels, but the .357 will never be able to make up for its lack of diameter. JMHO.

Wow! Those are some beautiful revolvers and great pics of some good times......how accurate is your Bisley 45 LC? And whats the trigger pull?..........Thanks Hb

For tired old eyes a red-dot on a handgun used for hunting is da bomb..

I've got 4 of 'em on various handguns - and it sure helps, especially in low-light situations when a typical crosshair just isn't visible..

The 5.5" Bisley BH can be had. I had one. It was very accurate.

The trigger pulls normally are not bad from the factory, and a "poor boy trigger job" takes but seconds to reduce poundage by about 50% (entirely reversible as well).

Remember, though, that barrels can easily be made shorter.

Since Whitworth1 is talking, listen and listen closely. Max knows his schit about this topic beyond almost anyone else.