Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 44 Special and/or 45 Colt for deer.

Looking at getting another revolver to start deer hunting with and am looking at the Ruger Blackhawk Bisley due to my smaller hand size. Only issue is the Bisleys I like and the shorter barrels, under 5 1/2" only come in the Special or LC. Would prefer the 44 Mag in a stainless 4 5/8" barrel but cant seem to find one offered.
I am sure that either one loaded with Buffalo Bore or a handload of my own would work fine for deer at 50 yards and under.
What say you all and what loads are you guys that shoot these rounds for deer using?

Why not get one of the Lipsey's Flattop .44 Specials with a short, 4&5/8ths" barrel. For deer, at 50 yards and under, it would be all you would ever need, and easy to shoot, easy to carry and easy to load for.


http://www.lipseys.com/itemdetail.aspx?itemno=RURNVB-444-SPCL


Load some 240/250 grain cast SWCs over Unique and call it done.

Actually looked at this on Lipseys site but really wanting stainless. May have to give up on that though to get the barrel length I prefer.
Could go longer and have it cut back but rather not.

I vote .45 Colt, even in the smaller framed flat-top. 10 grains of Unique behind a 255 LSWC runs right 1000 fps from a 5 1/2'' barrel. That load should be perfectly fine in a Bisley flat-top.

It will flat out crush deer size game at any reasonable range. Trust me.

Good shooting there jds44.

Lipsey's had some Flattop 44spl's made in stainless. Not in the Bisley configuration but in the 44spl I find the standard XR3 grip to be comfortable enough. Makes for a very tidy package; they were made in 4 5/8" and 5 1/2".

I am not well versed Ruger single actions. Can the mid sized SAs, like the newer stainless Flattops accept a Bisley grip frame?

This would achieve the objective, if that was the case.


In any case, here is a motivational pic!

They can take a Bisley grip frame, just be prepared for a fair amount of fitting up around the grip frame/receiver interface.

It would likely be cheaper to simply obtain a Bisley 44spl and have it hard chromed. Likely better corrosion resistance than stainless steel.

I've debated this choice in the FA97. Depending on what size your budget is, this is a great handgun for small to medium size hands. Mine feels closer to a single six than a Blackhawk, plus it's in the bisley style grip. A FA97 in 44sp would be a pretty sweet deer gun and unique as well.

Your iron Sagebrush?

Yes 10G,

It is my idea of single action perfection. It is a .45 convertible that is pretty much a full time .45 ACP gun. It is just plain fun to shoot.

I would love to purchase one but right now FA is about $1k over what I am wanting to spend. Maybe a later date on something like that or keep my eyes peeled for a sweet deal on one.

Fairly close but just a wee bit more tube, http://www.ruger.com/products/newModelBlackhawkConvertible/specSheets/0472.html

http://www.ruger.com/products/newModelBlackhawkConvertible/specSheets/5243.html

Not a Bisley but two out of three ain't bad.




Dave

Bookmarked that one too.

This one might could work too.http://www.ruger.com/products/newModelBlackhawkConvertible/specSheets/0472.html

Very nice grip! 5 1/2"?

Yes, but the only Bisley grip Ruger makes for that mid-size frame is in blued steel; those are made for the .44 Spl. Bisley Flattops. As Oregon45 notes, you could get a stainless Bisley grip frame for the larger New Model Blackhawks but it would take a lot of reworking to get it all to fit.

Have you ever handled or shot the 5 1/2" bisley? To me the balance is perfection and the 4 5/8" just doesn't balance as well.

But if you want a shorter 44, their is the stainless 3.75"