Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Light big game hunters

Thanks for that info JB, my 44 with 255's at 1030 is very pleasant to shoot, with what I'm gathering, it would be hard for a deer to contain that bullet, I fired one at 15 yards into three half gallon mixed nut containers of water, two metal coffee cans full of water and caught the bullet in the last one gallon apple cider vinegar jug of water, shot em all lengthways, only water yes, but had to be near 4 feet of straight line penetration, the meplat on the GT Bullets 255gr Keith had only slightly expanded, I think it's going to be a fine drill bit on game.

Dang on the 1000 bucks, what a deal, I just had to pay 2K for mine, I think it's money well spent for such a fine built revolver, it feels/works like a mini bank vault in hand.

Reloader28, Thanks, I can say I was more than pleased at the penetration AND expansion I got from the 180gr XTP at a lowly and easy to shoot 1011 fps in the 44 Special.

AK375DGR, I cant get those images to load, looks like a nice revolver nonetheless.

I cant wait to try that 'great minds and all that' this season SOTG.

Those are a great looking set of grips. Who is the maker?

gunner500,

That $1000 was a long time ago, 97 or 98.

I always wanted a .22 in the 97, I bought a 83 .22 in the 7.5” varmint configuration off the shelf at a local store, turned out to be too heavy and bulky for me. If my eyes were still good, I think I’d order a 7.5” 97 in .22 set up for silhouette and use shooting sticks.

The square notch and bead front make a good set up, the rear V isn’t as precise.

You will have a lot of enjoyment with the 97, it’s as good as it gets.

JB

Yea,,,,, Ok, they are Eagle Grips, Bisley-GunFighter's.......
LJ

10-4 JB, Thanks for the info, I bought a FA 83 in 454 about that time, it was barely used with a nice leather belt rig, oddly enough it was a thousand bucks too, so guess I have a had a good deal on one FA revolver, the 454 is a hammer, the 97 is an enjoyable revolver that will get much more use.

Gunner, nice looking FA. That quote might be by Linebaugh but EK, Skeeter, and John Taffin been saying the same for years. Your farming getting in the way of your casting? Anyway looks like some fun , last fall I picked up a flattop Ruger Blackhawk 4 3/4'" 44 Special and it is a nice shooter also. With the Keith style bullets it shoots real well. MB

Thanks Magnum Bob, knew I'd heard/read it referenced several times over the decades, just couldn't pinpoint origin, LOL on the Farm, no, I'm covered up casting for 8 different Sharps rifles, even for a 58 caliber round ball Hawken rifle, have never thought about casting for a revolver.

That said, I did throw a feed sack on the ground last week, a makeshift log in the hunting woods, fired prone at 50 yards, the little FA 44 Special kept them all in a group a little smaller than a ball cap, minus bill, the revolver is capable of much better, that's all on me, i'll take that for some 5 to 40 yard deer hunting with the 255gr Keith leaving at 1030 fps.

Understand not enough hrs in a day stuff Gunner but remember Elmer said 1 tin to 16 lead was the perfect alloy for big bore. 44 and 45 caliber pistol bullets. I am a big fan of heading to my casting setup when it clouds up and screws me out of other outdoor activities. MB

Thanks and good to know MB, I happen to have about 50lbs left of 16 to 1 alloy, just used some to cast up some 715gr 50-90 Sharps paper patch bullets, iirc GT Bullets alloy is 96/2/2 for the 255gr Keith bullets I have, betting 96% pure lead, 2% tin, 2% antimony, they seem plenty hard for hunting and don't lead my bore.

The don't lead my bore thing I'm real big on. Do cast more than enough sometimes but like making my own. MB

If I was long gun hunting and a pig or a deer was close enough to shoot them with a handgun, I’d just mentally congratulate myself for getting an easy shot and shoot it with the rifle. I sold off my S&W 629 Classic because there is nothing that I could do with a handgun that I couldn’t do better with a rifle. My buddy tried that once when he had his .270 and a Ruger Blackhawk and he lost the deer when he shot it with the handgun. A Special is a nice cartridge, but it sure doesn’t hit like a magnum. I shot water filled gallon milk jugs with both cartridges with that 629 and the results were way different.

You bet MB, every grain of lead I load into the chambers I want coming out on the way to the target, I may look in to casting for this 44 Special.

Windfall, I can appreciate that, but, this bullet already shot through near 5 feet of water jugs, the deer will have a half inch hole through it with exit, couple that with me taking one or both shoulders and the bone shrapnel that goes with a hit like that, it wont go far, plus, any iffy shots wont be taken.

That said, the same spot i'm talking about hunting this revolver in i had a doe deer less than 6 yards, longbow drawn, didn't shoot her, still cool as hell to get that close.