hunting pistol
 

I am looking into getting a hunting pistol. I am looking at a .357 magnum. I do not know a lot about revolvers. I looking for this gun to be mainly a backup gun while bow hunting and during rifle season. In WI you need a 5 inch barrel. What I am looking for is what brand in the best. I am looking in the $500-$600 range.

thanks,
Schooter

A good quality single action revolver with adjustable sights is what I like for field carry. You can find a Ruger Blackhawk stainless for somewhere around $550.

http://www.ruger.com/products/newMod...ss/models.html

I wouldn't recommend a .357 if you plan on using it for deer. IMO there is insuffient power for deer with that cartridge. You would be better off with a .44 or .45. The .357 would be fine at very close range or for coyotes and such.

X2 on the 44 magnum.

X3 on .44mag. The .357mag works, but it's very limited for effective range.

X2 on the Ruger super Blackhawk. Fantastic single action revolver. The Redhawk and super Redhawk are fantastic revolvers if you are looking for a double action.

Don't overlook the 41 mag and 10mm.

General consensus is that it takes about 800 ft lbs. of energy to kill a deer. That being said, the 357 is on the very weak side of that at the muzzle, using the right bullet.
I'd start with the 44 mag and go up from there.

Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 mag.

This is mine, I paid right at $600 new for it, you should be able to find a used or a blued one for arround $500.

If you do choose either the Blackhawk or the Super Blackhawk (the .44 mag version of the BH), you might want to look at used revolvers. The BH and the SBH are so rugged that it would be hard to damage one unless it was used often as a hammer for large nails.

The SBH is fairly easily found on the used market. The BH can be found but it does not seem as common as the SBH.

If you choose the .357 BH you can use .38 Special ammo for light loads, and the SBH can fire .44 Special ammo. .38 Special ammo is usually easy to find at a good price.

Fun thing is, some of the super black hawks can be scope mounted. that is a pretty cool if you wanted to hunt with it, but idk about the effectiveness of a scope for a backup. stick with the .44, and if nothing else, you can quote some dirty harry lines as you put something down with it.

Be sure to check your local laws before you buy gun on that premise. I say that only because in Iowa you can't carry a firearm while bow hunting.
All that aside, go for the .44mag and pick a revolver that fits your hand well.

have you given thought of a t/c encore it;s a single shot but can used with different barrels all the way up to s&w 500 but i prefer the 460 s&w it;s capable of takeing any animal in north america. the recoil is not much more than a 44 mag & also with a 460 you can shoot 45 long colt opr 454 casull. just a thought

The 41 yes. Not sure on the 10mm. I am not talking power wise, for I have 1, one in a STI and the other is a RIA Tact2, on order. The reason I said not sure on the 10 is that would be in a semi-auto. here in Illinois, we are not allowed to use a semi to deer hunt with. Just wheel guns and single shots. Just trying to keep out of the Wardens retirement plan!!!!

I've already voiced my support for the Ruger Super Blackhawk or Super Redhawk, but I thought I'd give a tip of the hat to the S&W 629 also if the Rugers don't tickle your fancy, he11 of a wheelgun.

I use 41 rem mags S&W 57' and 657's and like Nomercy said the S&W 629 44mag is a nice wheel gun for all around hunting purposes.

After an incident where my Remington 7400 jammed after critically wounding a large buck (that I did not want walking off), I pulled a Colt 45 Auto off my hip and finished the 12-point at 70 yards (the 185 grain Golden Saber +P performed amazingly)...

The Colt 45 is a personal defense gun (primarily) and a backup (secondarily)...

That said...

Avoid the .357 for work on deer (it would easily finish a deer, but would not be appropriate IMO for a primary gun)... the 10mm, 41 Magnum, 44 Magnum, and 45 Long Colt are the calibers you should consider...454 if you are really dedicated and looking more for a primary... Although I carry a .45ACP during rifle season, I would not recommend it as a primary...

My favorite hunting handgun is the Ruger Blackhawk convertible in 45 LC / 45 ACP with a 5.5 inch barrel. 45 LC standard/SSA loads are great for practice, use Corbon or Buffalo Bore loads for hunting ***these are heavy loads***

As mentioned consult your hunting regs to make sure whatever you are using is legal...

Sight in at 50 yards, but keep your shooting to a range where you can consistently put the rounds in a pie pan...

I'm a big time pistol hunter and the 357 will do the job in certain situations but I don't recommend it. If you're dead set on a revolver, you'll not go wrong with a Ruger in either, 44mag, 454 Casull or 480.

460 !!!! can shoot 454's,445lc best of 3 worlds if sticking with revolver

I definitely agree with the T/C. I have a T/C in a 30-06 caliber and I love it. It has a 15 inch barrel and with the scope I m very comfortable with it out to 150 yards or so. I took a doe with it lastt
year at 132 yards. Hit her about 3 inches back of where I wanted to and she only ran about 50 yards.

Ruger .44 Magnum Bisley gets my vote.Ammo is easier to find,costs a little less than other large caliber handgun loads and has a great selection of bullet weights for various game species.

Are you planning on using the pistol as a hunting back up during bow season, or are you planning on bow hunting during rifle season and using the pistol as a back up only then? I know that since they passed concealed carry, you can carry during bow season, but I did not know you could use the pistol to actually shoot a deer (unless the pistol was otherwise legal and you had an appropriate tag).

I am pretty much sure you can't buy a heavy gun as per the laws..so go for a light one and have fun staying into the limits..

????:eek2:

ALL blackhawks can mount scopes, not just the HUNTER, but the Hunter comes with Ruger's mounts/rings....WEAVER makes an excellent scope mount for the SB/Blackhawk, it is Weaver model number 48638....have owned .357 and three .44's....only problem with .357 is the bullet is a little short, even at 180 grains for the diameter....wants to tumble at 50 yds......the 44 is hard to beat as perfect deer pistol....got a new SB today, 5.5 inch stainless...gonna shoot tomorrow....good luck.

I used to do some deer hunting with a revolver in my native CO. Mine was a Ruger single action in 41 Mag. It would put them down if I did my job right and directed the bullets properly. I traded that pistol and a bunch of others off years ago on a double rifle.

My current pistol for hunting deer is one of the older T/C Contenders. I've got 3 barrels for it, 357 mag, 45 Long Colt/410 and a 7mm TCU. I haven't shot any deer with the 357 Mag barrel but the 45 Long Colt has dropped a few. Mostly I use the 7mm TCU. I topped it with a Leupold 2x pistol scope and use a handloaded 120 Gr Nosler BT bullet. It has proven quite effective on deer and I intend on trying it on pronghorn in the next year or 2.

On a side note, hunting bunnies with the 410 barrel is a lot of fun too.

I hunt with a Ruger Black Hawk in 44 mag that has done great on hogs and deer. I also have some Smith 357s, my favorite is a 686. I have had equal results with a 357 on hogs and deer. If you are going after something bigger, you might not consider the 357.

I use a 41 Ruger new model BlackHawk I shoot a 175 grn silver tip hollow point and It is very comfortable to shoot , it will take down anything n the north American continent.
Good luck , in my opinion a 357 will also work as a backup sidearm I have taken down many big hogs and 1 deer with my mod 28 4 " bbl 357 mag,
bullet placement is the ticket, no matter how big a slug you sling if you are not on target you will not kill.

Actually when the .357 was first developed, it was successfully used to kill all of the species of North American big game animals, including the big bears.

I have a Blackhawk .357 and a S&W Model 66 .357, a blued and a stainless .44 Super Blackhawks, and a couple of .45s. I've carried each of them as back-up and as primary hunting pistols. So far I've only killed two animals with pistols. Both were black bears, both were spot and stalk hunts, and both were one shot kills, one with a .44 mag and the other with a 1911 .45 acp.

A number of years ago a friend and I were fishing in a creek in the backcountry in NW Montana. He was carrying a .357 and I had my .44 mag. When we stopped for lunch we decided to do a little plinking. We set some rocks up against a bank about 20 yds away. The rocks were flat and about the thickness and half the size of a brick.

When we shot the rocks, the .357 would knock them over but the .44 would shatter them into gravel.

As a back up weapon, either a .357 or a .44 would work fine. Some people cannot handle the recoil of a .44.

I don't think a game warden would take too kindly to a deer in archery season that had a bullet hole in it.

Hands down. Glock 20 10MM... with a Lone Wolf 6" barrel

I don't have to deal with the 5 inch rule so my belt gun is a S&W 629 4 inch.
If I had to have more barrel to be legal I'd use my Super Blackhawk 5 1/2 inch.
240 grain hard cast semi wadcutter loaded to 1325 MV.

Best thing is to get to a range and to see what you can handle. I was little nervous shooting a .44 magnum the first time, but actually found it wasn't that bad. It was a Ruger Redhawk with a longer barrel (not sure the length) - a bigger and heavier pistol that soaked up the recoil pretty good. I actually found it more pleasant to shoot than my friends compact SIG in .40 cal.

People hear horror stories and get afraid for no good reason. I'm not a huge guy (6 foot, 175 pounds) and the .44 mag was very pleasant to shoot. We weren't shooting super hot loads, but in my mind, shooting a moderate .44 mag load is better than a hot .357 load.

Depends on if your state allows the use of a semi-auto to hunt with. Here in Illinois, we are not allowed to use a semi to deer hunt with, just revolvers and single shots. I will agree with the 10mm. Its a beast to hunt with. In some instances, better than the 45 ACP.

I have a tc encore in .308, recoil isn't bad and I can shoot 2" groups, off hand with iron sights at 100 yds. awesome gun. I agree .357 mag will kill a deer but so will a .22 long rifle. The problem is tracking or finding a blood trail. With low velocity rounds go to the big caliber rounds.

FRITZ1, nice revolver. I too agree that the .44 is a good choice.