jrbsr

What does every one consider a good Cal. for pistol?

When I think of a Cal. 357 Magnum comes to mind.

I have a Smith & Wesson Model 19 in 357 Magnum with a 5 1/2 in barrel blued

When some one says pistol Cal. thats what comes to mind .

I use it for Deer but im thinking of moving up to 41 Magnum.

What does every one else use ????

johnch

I would move up . The 5 1/2 " SW 19 can kill deer ,but it will wear out quickly with FULL power loads and range muy be kept to 50 yd or less and shot placement must be perfict.
The 41 mag is a great deer round . Practice !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I use a Ruger Redhawlk in 44 mag ,a Ruger super redhawlk in 454 and a TC Contender in 357 MAX

schunter270

I use a Ruger Super Redhawk IN 44 mag.

James B

For deer hunting I would go with the 44 mag all the way. There is nothing wrong with the 41 but the 44 can do all that the 41 can and more.

Deleted User

[Deleted by Admins]

Ruger-Redhawk

One question. When did S&W start making the Model 19 Combat Magnum with a 5 1/2"bbl?All I even knew or heard of were 2 1/2", 4" and 6".I haven't dealt with S&W for several years and never heard they started a 5 1/2"bbl M-19

Ruger Redhawk

Ruger-Redhawk

I haven't been here for awhile. This question has been asked many times. Like I've replied many times before. IMHO is the 357 mag is to light for whitetails. I put a 41 mag as a min. You'll be much better off getting one of the following.45 Colt ,44 mag, 454 Casull or the 480 Ruger.

Ruger Redhawk

GordonGekko

My preference in a revolver is a 44 mag, or 45 colt if that floats your boat...41 is a reasonable minumum in my opinion.

I use a 7mm-08 T/C Encore...but cut my teeth handgun hunting with a 44 mag.

driftrider

I'd go right to the .44 Mag. The .41Mag is a fine caliber, and certainly enough gun to hunt whitetails at reasonable handgun ranges, but another factor you should consider, unless you're made of money, is the cost and availability and selection of ammo (this goes for a handloader too, as .41cal bullets are harder to find, have fewer options and cost as much or more from what I've seen). .44Mag is to the handgun hunting world what the .30-06 is to rifle hunters. Because of its more than adequate performance coupled with relatively inexpensive and readily available ammo, one can hardly go wrong with a .44 Mag for anything up to Elk sized game.

If you do handload (and I firmly believe that everyone should), another option not to be overlooked is the .45 Colt. It's making a strong comeback since the recent interest in "Cowboy Action Shooting," and with the newer ultra-strong revolvers (like the Ruger Blackhawk, Redhawk and Super Redhawk, as well as the T/C Contender single shot), the .45 Colt can be safely handloaded to well beyond the limits set for revolvers of the smokeless transition era. I load .45 Colt loads with 250gr bullets (for my SRH .454 Casull) up to velocities of 1250fps or better (my chronographs busted[:@]), which gives the .44 Mag a run for its money.

Now, if you want a real heavy hitter, without mortgaging the house, you could go with the Ruger SRH in .454 Casull. Mine will easily launch a 240gr XTP-Mag at 1700fps or better, and thats considered a moderate load. I've seen data that has the 240grainers trucking out a 7.5" bbl at over 1900fps! The downside to all that power is stout recoil. The .454 Casull definately takes dicipline and practice to master. The good news is that the .454 will readily accept the much lighter .45 Colt ammo, making it a very versatile caliber option.

Good luck,

Mike

loboman7x57

i use 45 colt in a ruger blackhawk. my handloaded 260 grain speer hollow points are going 1400 fps. they really do a number on michigan whitetails. not to mention they make water filled milk jugs jump 10 or 12 feet in the air.