| Looking for a Challenge? Try Handgun Hunting | « Back |
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Author: Article & Photos by Jeff Davis
Source: Whitetails Unlimited Magazine
For the past few years I’ve been in a futile quest to take a deer with a handgun. I’ve planned, researched, bought gear, trained, practiced, and put in the time, but no, nada, zip, bupkis. It’s hardly the first time I’ve tried and failed – well, not exactly failed; let’s just say that I haven’t yet achieved success.
I thought this might make an interesting story for Whitetails Unlimited Magazine, but it was incomplete. I really needed a riveting tale detailing my hunt – you know, that edge-of-the-seat, thrill-a-minute story of me overcoming incredible odds, persevering with outstanding outdoor skills and marksmanship, ending with that photographic Hero Shot of me and my Monster Buck.
It’s just not the same story when I produce paragraph after paragraph, detailing my wet butt, hours and hours of tedium, and a stale peanut butter sandwich instead of fresh backstraps.
In fact, a year ago in our magazine production meeting I had this story on the budget and said that I’ve got everything lined up and ready to go except for one thing – I really needed to actually shoot a deer with a handgun to complete the story. Pete Gerl, my boss, looked me right in the eye and said, “So, we’re never going to see this story?”
 Large-caliber hunting handguns are heavy, but this Galco Kodiak Hunter holster is designed to hold even the largest, scoped handgun (this is a S&W .460 Magnum) secure and comfortable on the hunter’s chest, while still being accessible and quiet while drawing it when needed. |
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Yes, I walked right into that one, and if any of my friends ever lobbed me a soft floater over the plate like that, I would have hit it out of the park too. Well, Pete left that meeting with a twinkle in his eye, and me determined to get my deer that season. Then I got COVID a week before opening day, and that was that – another year of frustration.
However, I’m done waiting and I’m getting this story out of my ‘tomorrow file.’ If you’ve ever thought about heading afield with a handgun here is what I’ve learned, and I hope you have more success than I’ve had so far. However, I am hooked and rest assured that when I do fill my tag with a hand cannon, there will be a spellbinding story about my adventure, complete with a Hero Shot photograph. I just hope it’s not a 3-pointer.
Many hunters, as they mature season after season, start looking for more challenge. Many take up archery hunting, where the distances are much shorter and hunting skills are more important. I have some rifles I can use with confidence out to 350-400 yards, but with a supported, scoped handgun my outer limit is 125 yards. With open sights, it’s half of that. That’s fine for me, because where I’m hunting in the woods of northern Wisconsin I rarely have a shot longer than 100 yards anyway.
Yes, archery hunting is great, but I’m a handgun fan and shooting at game is a greater challenge than shooting at paper. Just like my archery friends who are enthusiastic about stick and string, it’s easy for a gun guy to get hooked on handguns. You will need much more preparation, practice, and knowledge before getting into the woods, and the chances for frustration and failure are much greater. And those conditions are acceptable for me, because the potential reward is worth it.
Before you get started, be sure to check out and fully understand all laws and regulations about handgun hunting in your area. They can vary widely. There is usually a minimum caliber, barrel length, and/or velocity requirement, and seasons vary from state to state, or even regions within a state. In Wisconsin, handguns are legal during the firearm deer season, with a 6-inch barrel (5½ inches for semiautos, measured from crown to bolt face) and in a centerfire caliber larger than .22. Essentially, any cartridge that would be legal in a rifle caliber is also legal to hunt in a handgun.
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 This Ruger .41 Magnum New Model Blackhawk is a single action revolver, requiring the hunter to manually cock the hammer to shoot each round. This is not a problem in a hunting situation. The .41 Magnum is less popular than some other calibers, but has less recoil than other magnum choices while still having more than enough power, if the hunter can make an accurate shot. |
There may also be laws concerning transport or concealed carry that apply to handguns – so get educated, and ask questions. In my opinion, Wisconsin’s concealed carry law has some serious deficiencies, and could cause problems for an uneducated hunter. For instance, if you have a Concealed Carry License in my state, you are good to go, including having a loaded handgun inside a vehicle, which is absolutely prohibited for a long gun in this state. However, if you do not have a CCL and you are hunting with a handgun deep in the woods, with no one within miles of you, and your coat covers your holstered handgun, you are committing a crime – carrying a concealed handgun.
Is it worth the hassle? That’s up to you, but I already have to research the hunting regulations each year because they change anyway, sometimes drastically and seemingly without notice. Take the time to understand the regulations, and do it early, before the season is in front of you.
The reality is that hunting tactics, techniques, and skills are mostly the same as hunting with a rifle or muzzleloader, with the exception being your effective range for a confident killing shot is reduced. What that range is depends completely on how much you practice, and how good you get. Having a solid support – with shooting sticks, braced on a solid platform, or even improvising a support by shooting off your forearm while holding onto a tree – will greatly improve your accuracy. Get to the range, shoot from hunting positions wearing the same clothes you will have on while hunting, and determine the maximum range where you will hit a 4-inch to 6-inch target every time.
Over the last few decades there has been a huge expansion of both the ammunition designed for big-game hunting and the handguns used to launch those bullets. At the top of the list are the .460 S&W Magnum and .500 S&W Magnum, which have enough power to take any big game in North America. For deer, the base (for me) is the .357 Magnum, and while there are smaller calibers that would be legal, I’ve always thought the phrase ‘bring enough gun’ is good advice.
 The Ruger Super Redhawk is available in .44 Magnum and .454 Casull, and stainless steel is a durable option for hunters. However, stainless steel can still corrode, so be sure to take care of whatever firearm you use. |
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The .44 Remington Magnum has become a popular standard for deer hunting with a handgun, much like the .30-06 is for rifles. It is time-tested, solid, dependable, and there are many options for both the guns and ammunition. It has plenty of power, a well-placed shot will be quickly lethal, and while recoil is stout it is certainly manageable.
But there are many options, just like there are with rifles. I’ve hunted deer using rifles with at least seven different calibers, with five different action types, in addition to two muzzleloading calibers and three shotgun gauges. So too with handguns; I’ve headed afield with single action, double action, single-shot, and semiauto handguns, in five different calibers. The fact that I cook a lot of tag soup is not because of a lack of suitable hardware.
You may well have a proper handgun in the back of your gun locker, or would be able to borrow one from a friend or relative. You do not need to head out to spend a lot of money on a new gun, particularly if you are not sure you are going to do this more than once. However, you will need to spend some money on ammunition, because accuracy is the key to handgun hunting, and the only way to get proficient at shooting is by sending rounds downrange.
I understand that this is perhaps the worst occasion in my lifetime to tell someone to go buy ammunition, particularly handgun ammo. The ammo shortage right now is crazy, but after watching it closely over the last few months it seems like some hunting calibers are generally available, if still expensive. I have regularly seen ammo available for .500 and .460 Magnums, 10mm, and even .41 Magnum. Much more scarce is .357 and .44 Magnum, although I’ve been able to find both the past few months, in limited quantity and bullet types, with some regular searching. Keep looking; it will get better (I hope!).
Semiautomatic: This is the most popular action type in general use today, but it has serious issues for use as a deer hunting handgun. Most do not have barrels long enough to meet legal requirements, and few semiautos are built to handle hunting-level ammunition. While a .45-caliber round is plenty big enough, the velocity is lacking for hunting in most semiautos. However, the 10mm is having a resurgence in popularity and has established itself as a viable hunting platform for deer and hog-sized game. Developed in the mid-1980s it had a brief career as an issue sidearm for the FBI, but was replaced after a few years. However, many ammunition companies have recently developed outstanding hunting loads for the platform, and it ranks around a .41 Magnum in power.
Revolvers: The most popular platform for most hunters. They are robust, simple, reliable, easy to use, and easily handle heavy magnum calibers. They range in cost from low to very high, and are available in every handgun caliber. If you can’t find a revolver you like, perhaps you will never be happy.
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 Many companies make rifles chambered for handgun ammunition, from .357 Magnum through .460 Magnum. This .44 Magnum Henry Big Boy and Smith & Wesson revolver make a versatile combo for hunting deer. |
Single Action: Most recognizable as the old, cowboy-style revolver, single action revolvers are excellent handguns for hunting. Many hunters are not fond of the rounded grips, particularly with larger or magnum calibers, as the recoil causes the gun to slide in the hand after firing. However, many replacement grips are available and are easy to install. Single action revolvers are available in many calibers and generally cost less than double action or semiautos.
Double Action: This type of handgun can be fired either by cocking the hammer to the rear, or by pulling the trigger to cock the hammer and fire in one motion with the trigger finger. It takes much more effort to fire double action, making accuracy a problem because of the extremely long trigger travel and the effort it takes to cock the hammer using the trigger. Most higher-end DA revolvers have excellent triggers when firing in single action mode. Shown at left is a stainless steel Ruger Super Redhawk in .44 Magnum.
Single-Shot: There are several special-purpose single-shot hunting handguns, the most prominent being the Thompson/Center Contender. This platform was first introduced in 1967 and has been popular for decades. The current production is called the T/C G2 Contender. Available in 40 calibers, the barrels are interchangeable and range from .17 HMR to .45-70, so there’s an appropriate option for whatever you plan to hunt. I shot a Contender once in .308, and it was an interesting experience. You may note I said I shot it once, and it’s a rare occurrence that I turn down shooting someone else’s ammo, but once was enough for me. Please note that my problem was not the Contender, it was the recoil from the rifle caliber. I’ve shot Contenders many times, with more appropriate handgun ammunition, and they are an outstanding option.
As with rifles, there are a few things that can make your handgun hunt more comfortable, efficient, or safer.
Scopes and Sights: Open sights will work, but my effective range at least doubles with a scope or red-dot sight. Many handguns intended for hunting have Picatinny-style rails, and scopes mount the same on them as on a rifle. Handgun scopes are designed for very long eye relief, so you’ll need to get a handgun-specific scope. Heavy magnums will beat up a scope, so it is good advice to spend the money to get optics that can stand up to the pounding. When I got a S&W .460 Magnum I was advised to buy top-end steel rings and one of only two scopes then on the market, as other handgun scopes had failed in short order. After several hundred rounds that Bushnell scope is still there, and the rings have been solid.
Red-dot sights are an excellent tool on top of a handgun, but for me they take a little getting used to when acquiring the sight picture. Most shooters do not seem to have this problem, so I spend some extra time prehunt working on it, and even after settling into my stand I practice several times to be ready.
 Red dot sights are a useful option that will extend your effective range. This Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum Hunter is purpose-built for hunting, with a longer barrel, factory-tuned trigger, muzzle brake, recoil absorbing grips, and an integral Picatinny rail that makes mounting the Hawke red dot sight a breeze. |
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Holsters: For me a holster is a necessity, for both comfort and safety. I want to have the trigger covered and a secure strap to keep the firearm in place and hammer down no matter what happens. However, it must also be accessible and easily drawn should a deer approach. I’m a big fan of Galco holsters, and regularly use both belt and chest models, and I have one friend who swears by his shoulder holster.
The Galco Kodiak Hunter model securely holds my biggest revolver (.460 Magnum with an 8-inch barrel) with a scope on my chest and lets me get it into action quickly and quietly. The only problem with this holster is that it is (almost) too good looking to take into the field, where it gets beat up. Their DAO holster is a favorite for revolvers on the belt, and can be worn either strong side or cross draw, if that is more comfortable or easier to access while seated in a stand. Another chest model is the Great Alaskan, which is great for either revolvers or a semiauto. In Alaska and some other wilderness areas, carrying a bear gun is advisable while fishing or hiking, and this holster makes that easy.
A chance meeting with Michael Sturgeon of Ghost Town Leather in Palmer, Alaska, resulted in my custom-made chest rig that has also been a favorite for big, heavy handguns. I’m a big guy and sometimes wear heavy coats to hunt in bitter cold, and this design works well for that. He has made several other items for me, for other uses.
Shooting Sticks: I think a support of some kind is essential for handgun hunting, and I’ve been using shooting sticks for some time for all kinds of hunting. My Primos Trigger Stick Gen3 is a favorite – fast to put into use, durable, and solid. Again, practice with it under hunting conditions; you don’t want to find out it won’t fit in your stand on opening morning!
While safety is an important consideration in any type of hunting, there are additional factors involved when using handguns. Pay attention to safety issues!
It is incredibly easy to loose control of where a handgun muzzle is pointing. Like at your foot, leg, or other hand, or at someone else, or a cow, dog, building, or your vehicle. Always pay attention, be extra safe, and Always Treat Your Firearm As If It Were Loaded.
Having said that, be ready for a catastrophic accident. Get trained and keep a tourniquet and clotting agent in your first aid pack (that you ALWAYS take with you while hunting), know where the closest hospital is, and have your (fully charged) cell phone with you.
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 Don’t EVER hold a revolver near the front of the cylinder! The area where the cylinder meets the barrel has a tiny gap where hot gasses can escape and can cause serious injury. Your hands should be touching each other when firing a handgun. |
Hearing protection is very important. A few years ago I started to use hearing protection while hunting, and while it is a pain and I haven’t found a great solution yet, I wish I had done it years earlier. Because of shorter barrels, handguns can produce more noise closer to your ears than rifles, and the report from some magnum handguns can rattle your teeth. Protect your hearing!
Large-caliber revolvers, and the .460 Magnum in particular, eject gasses through the gap between the cylinder and the barrel. If you have your hand in this area you may be injured, and in the case of the .460, it can actually shred the tissue off your finger or hand. This is no joke – in the one case that I saw, it did not result in permanent damage, but it was a frightening trip to the emergency room. Do NOT ever have your hand anywhere near the front of a revolver cylinder.
I’ve spent a lot of time, effort, and money on this Quixotic path, but I regret none of it. I have developed skills and knowledge, but so far I’ve focused on the hardware and the tools, and perhaps neglected the more basic hunting skills that apply to hunting regardless of the tool used. So it’s back to the basics of hunting, and I’ll be packing my camera, ready to capture that Hero Shot of me and my trophy.
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