Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Hunting with a handgun

Specifically with a scoped handgun.

Considering the long eye relief required with the gun held at arms length, has anyone had any trouble with a low sun at your back reflecting off the ocular lens?




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Not to the degrees with irons....

I was a handgun only hunter from 1989 until 2004 when I had another injury that precluded that activity. All my handguns were scoped. I had that happen a few times with a low end scope (Tasco) but never with a Leupold or Nikon. I purchased a set of trasparent yellow lens caps for the Tasco and the flair stopped.
All of the scopes I had mounted on my.41s were low powered 1.5X or 2X so I didn't have to take a fully extended arm grip which caused my shadow to cover the scope in low light coming from behind. I never had any problems with any of the red dot or helo sights I had mounted.

haven't had that problem yet

Same here..no problems at all. I did have one "odd" thing happen however.

Was still hunting a dry creek bed in Texas and saw a 6 point ahead of me feeding in my direction. I was right in the middle of the creekbed with nowhere to hide so I just sat down. The deer went into a little grove of trees about 30 yards ahead of me in the shade.. I could see the deer quite clearly feeding behind a small bus but when I looked through the two power Leupold scope the deer just disappeared...I could still see the bush and the trees behind the deer but it was like the Vampire in the mirror, though the glass the deer was just invisible.

Finally after about ten minutes of this game the deer just came out of the shade and started walking directly toward me with the wind blowing directly from me to the deer. Touched off the round at 30 FEET and the deer dropped right there...

Still have no clue why I could see every detail under the shaded area through the scope but the deer...

Bob

I love a scope for all kinds of work but gave up on them for hunting. I hunt mostly from tree stands and in the mornings and evenings when it gets dim, I can't see the cross hairs or deer at all. I found the original black hole! Long eye relief scopes just don't work like a rifle scope in dim light. If I wait for full sun, the deer are long gone.
I went to the Ultra Dot and will never look back.

I hunted some with a couple of handguns but only used the iron sights. I used a 6 inch barrel Colt Python .357 mag and a model 29 Smith & Wesson with 8&3/8th's barrel in 44 magnum. Both did OK on whitetail deer in the woods. Most shots were under 30yds and the 44 mag had the upper hand over the .357 caliber.

I now have a Smith & Wesson .460 caliber and it is at least 2 steps ahead of the 44 magnum. I generally shoot the 240 grain bullets at around 1600fps to 1900fps. I may end up taking it elk hunting this year up in Colorado, using heavier bullets around 300 grain.

Andy,

If you're concerned with flare you can put a sunshade on the scope. I haven't had the trouble you describe with scopes, but sometimes a bright sun behind me will make a red dot fade out. An inch or two of sun shade solves the problem. In cheap guy mode, even a short piece of bike tire inner-tube stretched over the scope will work.

I prefer open sights on my revolvers i hunt with and only use a scope on my Encore Pistol in 7mm-08. I have never had a problem, but i use Leupold Pistol Scopes when i use a scope on a handgun. Much more fun to get closer and use open sights. Last deer i took was with my Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 mag with 4-3/4 inch barrel. I prefer shorter barrels on my hunting handguns.

Nice! That same model is my woods (and sometimes town) carry gun. I haven't whacked a deer with it yet but got one with a similar .44 mag vaquero. Sure is handier than a rifle when you need both hands to claw your way up out of ravines or through brush, huh?

I have several scoped handguns I spend a lot of time with working up loads and so on but when hunting day comes I seem to leave them behind in favor of iron sights. The improved accuracy with the scope usually isn't as important as the better handling of a handgun with irons. 50-75 yards dead is 50-75 yards dead. Before I get to distances the optical sights help, I also need sandbags and a bench.

... but we're all a little different. Handgun hunters more different than most and usually proud of it!!

Tom

Since you're in SW NH, you might try stopping by Trader John's in Winchester and tapping that the experience/expertise of the guys that hang out there and BS about such things.

Jeff

Never had that problem.

Thanks for all the input and feedback!



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I've been by there several times. Mostly to stock up on reloading supplies. I've purchased a several guns there too. I never got the impression anyone was open for a BS session or small talk there.

The atmosphere is much nicer at Pelletier's in Jaffrey or State Line Guns in Mason.

I only have a 32" sleeve length. Never found a handgun scope that had reasonable eye relief for me. Got a good quality red dot. My world of handgun hunting is now a better place. Much faster and more accurate. Plus my arms aren't extended as far as they will go.