Pistol Caliber for Deer
 

I am looking to buy a TC Encore pistol to hunt deer with. I am thinking the .308 would be about right, as far a round that could kill a deer at 200 yards but also have manageable recoil for a pistol.Does anybody have any thoughts on a different caliber?

Or should I look into buying a 11-87 slug gun?

RE: Pistol Caliber for Deer
 

It would probably be just a personal preference. I had rather have a rifle shooting rifle cartridges or a shotgun over a pistol, and especially a rifle for the 200 yard shots. I've shot a friends .270 pistol some and really wouldn't care to deer hunt with it over a rifle/shotgun.

RE: Pistol Caliber for Deer
 

7mm tcu or maybe the new 30 cal tc cartridge. 200 yards is a long poke though. you better have a steady rest, like a bipod, and practice like crazy. I would stick with a 44 mag and keep shots uner 75 yards.

RE: Pistol Caliber for Deer
 

Savage used to make a bolt-action pistol (Striker)in a variety of calibers. They only dropped it last year or the one before, so there's plenty out there.

RE: Pistol Caliber for Deer
 

Look at your hunting regs first. Some states regulate handguns based on caliber, some regulate based on muzzle velocityetc.

If I were you and you really want to pistol hunt go with the 44 mag as stated earlier and shoot close 75 yds or less. I am only comfortable with my 44 out to about 30-40 yds but thats me.

RE: Pistol Caliber for Deer
 

with open sights I agree, but with a scope, i would trust my self anyway to go 75.

RE: Pistol Caliber for Deer
 

With a good rest, you should stay around 100 yds. If you are a real steady, good shot, might be 125 with a scoped 44. mag. The 45 long colt is good from 50 to 75 yards for me. The 22 mag, in the head for hogs.

RE: Pistol Caliber for Deer
 

.44 mag is plenty, dropped him in his tracks.
I would be comfortable to 75-100 yards with steady rest and 50-60 free hand.
Keep the rifle for your 200 yard attempts...

RE: Pistol Caliber for Deer
 

That it fits a given pistol doesn't make it a "pistol caliber", try hunting deer with a .308 in any gun here, you'll find yourself staring through bars. Rifles are for 200 yard shots anyway, not pistols.

RE: Pistol Caliber for Deer
 

I have the contender with a 223 and 44 mag 14" barrell scoped that I hope to try out this year..

RE: Pistol Caliber for Deer
 

I have a scoped Ruger .480 super redhawk and an 11-87 slug/shotgun...I much prefer hunting with the shotgun. The long eye relief on the handgun really makes it much more of a challenge...I am probably good out to 100 yards but I still like the shotgun far better if I want to kill something.

RE: Pistol Caliber for Deer
 

Not that there is anything wrong with the TCE, but I agree with the others. I'd use a rifle for 200 yard work.

To me, handgun hunting is a revolver without a scope. I have a 44mag. It does the job.

RE: Pistol Caliber for Deer
 

.44mag, .480ruger, .45, .357mag?,

RE: Pistol Caliber for Deer
 

I shoota TC in the 308 and 200 yds isa far shot.At 75 yds it shoots a tight group.I would not shoot at a deer any further then that.

RE: Pistol Caliber for Deer
 

Get a S&W 460 and you can be accurate and deadly out to 250 yards. The recoil really sucks though!

RE: Pistol Caliber for Deer
 

I,m looking at the TC also .
I,m going with the 7mm-08 cal.
Nice shooting with little kick ...

RE: Pistol Caliber for Deer
 

I have a 45/70 in two different models. The 45/70 is an outstanding deer pistol. It is extremely accurated when it is topped with a Leupold pistol scope. Some models have almost as much power a muzzleloader. The recoil is quite stiff, but it's not as sharp and painful as the .308.

RE: Pistol Caliber for Deer
 

I am new to pistol hunting and still have a lot to learn. But I went with an Encore .308 pistol with a Bushnell 3200 2x6x32 scope.

I got humbled quickly and it took me a good 3-4 shooting sessions to get it on good . But I finally got it shooting fist size groups at 100 yrs with 10-12 Ballistic Silvertip 150's. Recoil is managable to me..........pretty brutal while sighting in but not very noticable on one or two shots hunting. I really never thought that I would be able to shoot real long shots(200 or so), but it is amazing how quickly it started coming together (however Idid get the trigger worked). But after some practice............I ended up shooting a small hog at 163 yrds with a crappy rest and rilled it. So I am thinking.......in a shooting house with a sand bag ............200 may not be "all" that impossible !!

I like this gun so much I just orered some custom laminate grips and a Leupold 2x8x32 for it . Supposedly the Leupold is the absolute best pistol scope ..........so we will see !!

Good luck !!!