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Bagged my first deer with a handgun this past fall #9549519 01/26/15
Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 2,040 N.E. Minn. KeithNyst OP Campfire Regular
OP KeithNyst Campfire Regular Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 2,040 N.E. Minn.	I've been hunting whitetail since 1966. This past year I decided to try handgun hunting. I picked up a Contender in 7-30 Waters and worked up loads in the summer; found the best loads using Nosler 120 grain ballistic tips over Hodgdon 4895. Happy to report I bagged this nice 8-pointer late in the afternoon on opening day; shot was at 100 yards. The buck dropped in his tracks. First pic is the buck. Second pic is the grouping of the Nosler 120 BTs at 100 yards with the Contender with 14" 7-30 Waters barrel on it.

GB1

Re: Bagged my first deer with a handgun this past fall KeithNyst #9549622 01/27/15
Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 4,742 C. Calif macrabbit Campfire Tracker
macrabbit Campfire Tracker Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 4,742 C. Calif	That deserves a pat on the back. Campfire Pistolero x2 Only one human captain has ever survived battle with a Minbari fleet. He is behind me. You are in front of me. If you value your lives, be somewhere else. -Ambassador Delenn, Babylon 5

Re: Bagged my first deer with a handgun this past fall macrabbit #9549695 01/27/15
Joined: Dec 2014 Posts: 325 A little outside Burnet, TX P PVT Campfire Member
PVT Campfire Member P Joined: Dec 2014 Posts: 325 A little outside Burnet, TX	Well done! I've been hunting the last couple years with a Ruger Blackhawk Hunter and Leuopold 2X handgun scope. I've been keeping my range 75 yards or less. Been thinking about a Contender. You obviously like yours.

Re: Bagged my first deer with a handgun this past fall macrabbit #9549696 01/27/15
Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 1,958 N. Idaho B bigswede358 Campfire Regular
bigswede358 Campfire Regular B Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 1,958 N. Idaho	Very nicely done. Killing a deer with my SBH is on my bucket list, but come deer season I always forget to take. Maybe this year, ha.

Re: Bagged my first deer with a handgun this past fall bigswede358 #9549697 01/27/15
Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 1,958 N. Idaho B bigswede358 Campfire Regular
bigswede358 Campfire Regular B Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 1,958 N. Idaho	Did you use a scope or irons?

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Re: Bagged my first deer with a handgun this past fall bigswede358 #9549772 01/27/15
Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 57,474 Alaska R rost495 Campfire Kahuna
rost495 Campfire Kahuna R Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 57,474 Alaska	Those things are like a rifle without the buttstock. I carry and use one at times too. Sometimes how accurate they can be is flat scary considering they are a handgun basically. We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....

Re: Bagged my first deer with a handgun this past fall rost495 #9549811 01/27/15
Joined: Nov 2012 Posts: 109 Pennsylvania S Steve_in_PA Campfire Member
Steve_in_PA Campfire Member S Joined: Nov 2012 Posts: 109 Pennsylvania	Congrats! Although this was not my first deer with a handgun, it was my first deer using a T/C Contender, which also happens to be chambered in 7-30 Waters. I used a Hornady 139gr SST over Varget to take this deer. Nosler 120gr BT's over Varget was also a very, very accurate load from my T/C.

Re: Bagged my first deer with a handgun this past fall KeithNyst #9550081 01/27/15
Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 24,627 Midwest SKane Campfire Ranger
SKane Campfire Ranger Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 24,627 Midwest	Nice job, Keith. And nice buck! WWP53D

Re: Bagged my first deer with a handgun this past fall bigswede358 #9550147 01/27/15
Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 2,040 N.E. Minn. KeithNyst OP Campfire Regular
OP KeithNyst Campfire Regular Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 2,040 N.E. Minn.	Originally Posted by bigswede358 Did you use a scope or irons? I use a scope on it; mine looks exactly like the one Steve_in-PA posted above.

Re: Bagged my first deer with a handgun this past fall KeithNyst #9550231 01/27/15
Joined: Oct 2004 Posts: 25,838 Western N.Y. D dvdegeorge Campfire Ranger
dvdegeorge Campfire Ranger D Joined: Oct 2004 Posts: 25,838 Western N.Y.	Congrats welcome to the club! My dog is a member of the "Turd Like Clan" Covert Trail Cameras are JUNK 3 Time Dinkathon Champion #DinkGOAT

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Re: Bagged my first deer with a handgun this past fall dvdegeorge #9550366 01/27/15
Joined: Feb 2013 Posts: 2,533 Wyoming W wyoming260 Campfire Regular
wyoming260 Campfire Regular W Joined: Feb 2013 Posts: 2,533 Wyoming	I used to own an xp 100 in 7mm br. ( same as 730 waters in performance) that I took a handful of deer with. I thought the results were perfect. I used 140 gr ballistic tips and the dee all dropped pretty close with plenty of damage. I kinda wish I had that gun back.

Re: Bagged my first deer with a handgun this past fall wyoming260 #9550872 01/27/15
Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 1,958 N. Idaho B bigswede358 Campfire Regular
bigswede358 Campfire Regular B Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 1,958 N. Idaho	Awesome pics guys. Makes me want to practice up more for next fall.

Re: Bagged my first deer with a handgun this past fall bigswede358 #9551405 01/27/15
Joined: Nov 2004 Posts: 21,689 Kentucky C CrimsonTide Campfire Ranger
CrimsonTide Campfire Ranger C Joined: Nov 2004 Posts: 21,689 Kentucky	Great job to the OP. I'm a fan of the Waters, but never got a chance to take a deer with the couple I have owned. "The number one problem with America is, a whole lot of people need shot, and nobody is shooting them." -Master Chief Hershel Davis

Re: Bagged my first deer with a handgun this past fall KeithNyst #9552082 01/27/15
Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 5,749 Georgia G GeorgiaBoy Campfire Tracker
GeorgiaBoy Campfire Tracker G Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 5,749 Georgia	Very nice! 7-30 Waters is a neat round.

Re: Bagged my first deer with a handgun this past fall GeorgiaBoy #9556102 01/29/15
Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 9,567 grottoes ,virginia,usa srwshooter Campfire Outfitter
srwshooter Campfire Outfitter Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 9,567 grottoes ,virginia,usa	my xp100 in 221 fireball has taken a few out over the years.

Re: Bagged my first deer with a handgun this past fall KeithNyst #9556218 01/29/15
Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 2,961 Park Rapids, MN M mmgravy Campfire Regular
mmgravy Campfire Regular M Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 2,961 Park Rapids, MN	Good job!!

Re: Bagged my first deer with a handgun this past fall KeithNyst #9579963 02/06/15
Joined: Jan 2012 Posts: 75 Between Niagara Falls and Buff... Q QwackerWacker Campfire Greenhorn
QwackerWacker Campfire Greenhorn Q Joined: Jan 2012 Posts: 75 Between Niagara Falls and Buff...	Awesome' here's mine taken at about 150yds with an old 10" T/C contender in 357 Herrett using a Barnes 140gr XPB bullet Last edited by Chrissy; 02/06/15.

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