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

Excellent news! I heard conflicting reports on accuracy for Ruger Blackhawks but I am leaning hard toward a stainless Blackhawk Bisley frame in 45 Long Colt with a 5.5" barrel just like Whitworths beautiful gun..........Hb

You will be very pleased. BT/DT.

Check the classified here; they do pop up.

It was very accurate out of the box and the trigger, while not the best, was okay. It's a great package as far as I'm concerned and a fantastic caliber that can be loaded from mild to wild and every degree in between.

4ager -- thanks for the kind words!

I don't care for the Ruger Bisley frames. Like the Dragoon.
But then my rigs shoot 240's or lighter.
I've whacked most of my deer with .44's running 180's and 200's maxed out on W296.
Smiths got Hogue rubber fingergroove grips.
Only Pachmayr I like is the gripper, and only on a Contender LOL.

Good choice.

Here are a couple of 5 shot 1.5" groups (25 yards) from my stainless Ruger Bisley 45 Colt (convertible). I used Winchester brass, 250 gr Speer Deep Curl bullets, and Federal Gold Medal Large Pistol primers for both. The top group burned 23.5 grains of 4227, and the lower group used 25.5 of H110. POA is where I have printed "Ruger Bisley 45 Colt". I adjusted the sights another day. These were the among the first and last loads I worked up for the Bisley, so far, and figured they'd work on deer. They do.

[img:center][/img]

Nice shooting! I would be tickied to death if mine even shot close to that..........Hb

That is one fine piece!

I have a a 629 Classic power port with a (I think) 6.5" tube. I keep forgetting all about it. It wears a bushnell holosight and is sighted in at 100 yards for the 10 grain Unique/240 cast SWC load.

This reminds me that I really need to dust it off. I keep contemplating selling it, since I almost always run a 5" gun or my 6.5" 29-2, but then I come to my senses. Pre lock, endurance package Classic series Model 29s/629s are Stellar!

Are you set on a revolver? If not get a Glock 20 model 40.

I've never known anybody with a 29/629 Classic that didn't love it. I For my money the post Endurance Package, pre-lock Smiths are the cream of the crop.

yeah, I'm a revolver guy, I recently sold all My semiauto pistols and now only own revolvers......I have owned several Glock pistols including a model 20, 21,and 23 but never really warmed up to them as i could never shoot them as accurately as my revolvers.......Hb

Let me put this a different way.

S&W PC 629-5 V-Comp 5" 44 Magnum, 18 round group @50'

Nice group....is that @ 50yds of 50 ft?..........Hb

Agreed!

For your purposes a 4-6 inch 29/629 would be my choice. I hunted with a Super 14 Contender for years with a 2x - 6x scope (tried several). While I do like a 2x scope beyond 50 yards or so (just personal preference) there is no real advantage at your preferred range and the revolvers sure carry better than the Contenders. I do see the appeal of red dots and may have to try one some time.
Since we aren't allowed rifles for deer in Iowa I went with the long-barreled Contender with scope to make it the most rifle-like. It worked and I did feel more comfortable on the few 75+ yard shots I tried. My buck this year fell to a S&W Mountain Gun in 41 mag with open sights at 42 yards and I didn't wish for my Contender at all.

I love the looks of those 5inch full lug Smiths. Perfect proportions for an N frame in my opinion.

On the 29/629 I like the looks of the standard better than the full lug.
240's and under, endurance package proly not needed.
Broke my 629-1 4" after a couple cylinders of 300's. Used gun but was fine before that. Smith fixed it for $5 (trigger pivot broke, would still work but only in SA since the sideplate was only side holding pin correct). DA the hammer would just wiggle LOL.

Buddy shot The Masters so he called Roy Jinx from work and we got it all set up.

Sold that rig for a 6". 50 yards and 4", even with good eyes, took a bit more concentration.

Might get a 4 or 6" again (or both). Prices silly. And I really don't jack with handgunning deer much (don't have a good enough spot to mess around these days- used to).

Contender or SRH 9.5"..........I carry grip in left hand, barrel over crook of elbow. TC also had sling. If I find a super deal on a SRH 9.5" I might snag it and put a bbl band on it and stud in grip........sling it.

If I buck out in bow this yr might drag the Python out for a doe tag. But could fill buck and doe by bow, don't need more than 2 in the freezer.

I might have screwed up. Passed a while back on a 29 Hunter.
Non fluted cylinder with 4 position front sight, 6".

The very early Blackhawks and Super Blackhawks were spotty as far as accuracy goes. Ruger farmed out barrels. I'm the 80's I shot a lot of pistol silhouette and I still had a FFL. I went through a few Super Blackhawks before I found one that was very accurate. I believe any Blackhawk or Super Blackhawk made in the last 30 years aught to be good.

The very early Blackhawks and Super Blackhawks were spotty as far as accuracy goes. Ruger farmed out barrels. I'm the 80's I shot a lot of pistol silhouette and I still had a FFL. I went through a few Super Blackhawks before I found one that was very accurate. I believe any Blackhawk or Super Blackhawk made in the last 30 years aught to be good.

50' (feet)

Had 4 SBH. Two of them 3 screws. None were bad, but two were fantastic (one OM and one NM).