RE: Best Handgun hunting caliber
 

Nope. Especially a 5 shot custom cylinder 45 Colt.

RE: Best Handgun hunting caliber
 

Recoiljunky, Here are some MSRP' s.Of course these prices are easy to beat doing a little searching.For the Redhawks w/o scope rings and cutouts 645.00 w/ rings and cutouts 685.00.SRH in 454 Casull 775.00. Redhawks Blued w/o rings 585.00 w/rings 625.00 For more inf. go to www.ruger-firearms.com
Ruger Redhawk

RE: Best Handgun hunting caliber
 

How about the .35 Remington ?

RE: Best Handgun hunting caliber
 

The price increase for Ruger 454s is a little more than I thought, but still probably worth it in my opinion.

I' ve never tried a 35 Remington. To be honest, I' ve never even heard of it. What' s it all about? Shot anything with one? How does it compare to the 357 mag?

RE: Best Handgun hunting caliber
 

44 Remington Mag.

RE: Best Handgun hunting caliber
 

Recoiljunky, The 35 Remington according to the new Speer manual is a much better round then the 30-30 Win.It uses a .357 bullet.For hunting if shots are limited to 150 yards you would be well equipped. There are loads for rifles and handguns.125 grain bullet coming out 18" bbl is over 2000 FPS.158grain same barrel from 1500-1700 FPS.220grain .358 bullet travels around 1900 FPS.You have a wide range of bullet choices. It just can' t compare to a 357 mag.
Ruger Redhawk

RE: Best Handgun hunting caliber
 

Great post!!
I looking for my first hand gun to hunt with. I have narrowed my selection to a S&W .44mag but have not decided on the barrel length. Do you suggest the 6-1/2 or 8-3/8. Please indicate why you prefer one over the other!!

Thanks and good hunting!!
jt

RE: Best Handgun hunting caliber
 

For a hunting handgun I prefer the longer barrel.You have a longer sight radius which is better if you' re using open sights. You' ll gain a little velocity with the longer barrel.My SRH in 454 Casull has a 9.5" bbl.The one drawback is it' s heavier to carry.The weight helps tame the recoil of these powerful cartridges.The older Smith' s were nice guns.If that' s what you are set on I would go with the 8 3/8" over the 6-6 1/2" Check the Ruger Redhawk and SRH' s out. I think they are a much stronger gun then the S&W' s and will hold up better using Max loaded cartridges.Taurus is another option with their Ragin Bull..Try different guns out and see which one feels the best to you.The longer barrel might feel muzzle heavy to you and shorter barrel might be better in your case.
Ruger Redhawk

RE: Best Handgun hunting caliber
 

Thanks for the info RR. The 35 Remington must not have much of a presence in this area, then again handgun hunting is not too popular around here.

Mathew, I' ve got a S&W 629 Classic with a 6.5" barrel. It' s a shooter! It' s true that the S&W is not designed to be as durable as the Ruger but the trigger is crisp and clean. I like the length because it provides a good sight radius while allowing the gun to remain portable. I' ve never tried a barrel longer than 7.5" but I would imagine they get a little clumsey. JMHO

RE: Best Handgun hunting caliber
 

I agree with recoilj. if discussing revolvers. For a single-shot, I' d opt for the .35 Rem., or even a .45/70.....