Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns have you used a handgun and had mixed results on game?

bfr, I believe you have the voice of wisdom on this. Good post.

well for what it's worth on the carbine vs revolver, i have loaded cast bullets in .41magnum, 44magnum, and .45colt for use in marlin levers. The velocity numbers are quite above the same bullet in the revolver.
I call the marlin .45colt the "light" 45.70. It pretty much is.
i went back to my notes and found the following:
RCBS scovill 270 saa, cast to 283grains, wheelweights:
9.5 grains of unique they were also sized to .454
Marline 1894 cowboy carbine
1. 1159fps
2. 1170fps
3. 1181fps
4. 1182fps
5. 1187fps
That's kind of what i meant about a 45/70 light.

go get em! make it a 180! good luck.

Hi, I'm the new guy here (second post). Been mainly hunting with handguns for the past 15 years now, and harvested a lot of whitetails during this time with .44 magnum handguns.

Along the way I've tried a lot of bullets and finally settled on what works for me. I don't know if it will apply for you or not . . . for the advertisers don't necessarily agree with what I prefer! LOL

Last year I took it pretty hard when I couldn't find the first deer in 15 years since switching to the Federal Cast Core 300 grain hardcast lead flat nose .44 mag cartridge. The shot was only about 45 yards and the shot was good and clean . . . I simply had no blood trail. A week later we found my buck, about 400 yards away. Still . . . my string had ended, and it HATE leaving a deer in the woods as bad as I do having to track it!

As someone else mentioned, a heavy flatnose hard cast bullet will virtually always do the job, and do it very fast. IF they run at all, generally the deer I shoot run no further than 40 yards. Of course, I've never recovered a bullet . . . you WILL get an exit wound. A non-expanding bullet also doesn't damage as much meat either.

This round proved extremely accurate too for me in my 6" holosight topped S&W Model 29-5 revolver too.

Velcom to the fire.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/74...-300-grain-castcore-flat-point-box-of-20
this federal 44 mag ammo looks like a good selection,if you don,t hand load, but id point out that with cast flat nose bullets performance is dependent on a good knowledge of the games anatomy and very precise ,and correct shot placement.
a shot thru the green dot will be quickly fatal, place the shot a bit higher and forward to destroy the shoulder and spine if your more concerned with anchoring the animal quickly than maximizing the venison,you pack out

Hello
I like to handgun hunt. I have been know to use caliber's that most feel are not adequate to hunt with, but to me it all comes down to shooter accuracy and Bullet Placement. I have alway's been a Fan of the .32 caliber. That said I have a S&W revolver chambered in the new hot Federal .327 Magnum cartridge. I took a large Bob-cat with it about Four year's ago now. I used a Handloaded cartridge with a Sierra Sport's master Hollow Point bullet. The shot was a True 35 Yard shot and the cat dropped Dead after one shot. I shot well over 400 round's of the exact same handload that I killed that cat with just a week prior to bagging him in the woods. I would not settle until I was getting one hole ragged results at the 25 Yard line. My Practice led to my accuracy in the woods I knew what the round & Gun could do if I did my part and it all ended well. My next quest will be to drop a white Tail with the same gun and same round. I don't feel I need a Howitzer to kill an Over sized Goat with horn's of thin skinned nature...I Plan on making a head shot on a Deer when the time is right, just because I can and have in the past... TheGeneral

I'm still one who can't recommend a head shot. Small target, quite mobile.