Oldtimr

I am not so sure that people think they "need" more power with handgun ammo. I suspect it is that they just want more power because it is available. I cannot tell you how many deer I took with my .308, however I wanted a 45-70 for many years and after I bought one I used it for both deer and hogs and the fact of the matter is that the 45-70 killed deer and did no more damage to the meat than my .308. No one needs 600 HP under their hood, but it is available and legal so people have one. No one needs a two million dollar home, buy they are out there and if someone can afford to buy one, how are they hurting anyone else? That is the beauty of living in a country that has freedom and liberty, we have choices. What is wrong with people wanting to try something different so long as it is not something that be inhumane? We cavetch, and complain about government interference in out lives and than complain about people who take advantage of the freedoms we have. Handgun or long gun, there are many choices, how is that a bad thing?

TN Lone Wolf

I don't know, I've seen a lot of incorrect information put forth by non handgun hunters - and some handgun hunters too - about the capabilities of some handgun cartridges. I understand, looking at the muzzle energy figures they're all pretty anemic compared to rifles. However, what I think people tend to forget is ft-lbs of energy doesn't kill deer; a wound channel through the heart and/or lungs does. And a 357 or 44 with the proper bullet and bullet placement will put a hole through the average deer's vitals at surprisingly longer ranges than most hunters give them credit for. After all, while those bullets may be going much slower than a typical deer rifle bullet, but they weigh two to three times as much.

My biggest concern is that someone who's interested in trying out handgun hunting will go straight to a handgun that's far too powerful for them to handle, either by thinking it's necessary for the type of hunting they're pursuing or because they're just drawn to that particular cartridge. I speak from experience, having started with a 460 S&W, having never previously shot anything larger than a 9mm. I developed a flinch and some bad shooting habits that took a while to overcome. While I was dedicated enough to overcome them, some hunters wouldn't be. It's kind of like giving a prospective hunter with next to no shooting experience a 300 or 338 Win Mag rifle to start out with, rather than something like a 243 or 30-30. You can lose a potential hunter that way, and as a big handgun hunting advocate, I hate the thought of someone giving up on handgun hunting before even giving it a proper try because they can't seem to get to the point they can shoot a powerful handgun well.

I wholeheartedly agree with you though. We should definitely embrace the options we have and fight for our freedom to choose. But with that freedom to choose, we should also be mindful to guide others not to get in over their heads with their choices.