How long have you been hand gun hunting?
Quote from BobT on June 25, 2025, 1:40 pmI thought it would be interesting to see how long everyone has been at this game!
I purchased my first hunting handgun in 1979 shortly after my 21st. birthday. A local shop had a lightly used Contender with the .44 magnum HotShot barrel and a 10” octagon.30-30 barrel. I killed my first handgun deer with that .30-30 and a factory loaded 150 grain Winchester Silvertip. I have been hunting with pistols and revolvers ever since. I don’t hunt exclusively with handguns but I do spend several days a year hunting with them. How about you?
I thought it would be interesting to see how long everyone has been at this game!
I purchased my first hunting handgun in 1979 shortly after my 21st. birthday. A local shop had a lightly used Contender with the .44 magnum HotShot barrel and a 10” octagon.30-30 barrel. I killed my first handgun deer with that .30-30 and a factory loaded 150 grain Winchester Silvertip. I have been hunting with pistols and revolvers ever since. I don’t hunt exclusively with handguns but I do spend several days a year hunting with them. How about you?
Quote from handgunhuntingafield on June 26, 2025, 6:39 amA bit over 20 years. The last 10 have been hunting the west.
started with a 357 SW and haven’t looked back. I still prefer the wheelgun to other options.
after all the time building customs I greatly appreciate buying premium guns that are perfect out of the box.
A bit over 20 years. The last 10 have been hunting the west.
started with a 357 SW and haven’t looked back. I still prefer the wheelgun to other options.
after all the time building customs I greatly appreciate buying premium guns that are perfect out of the box.
Quote from GuyM on June 26, 2025, 7:45 pmGot my first handgun just a few years before you, a 357 magnum Colt Trooper Mk III. I was intent on getting into law enforcement and wanted a good revolver. A S&W would have been just fine. I handloaded for the 357 from the start, still have my old Lee loading kit where ya hammer the case into the sizing die… It can still make good ammo but I use a real press and dies for the past 40 years or so.
That Colt did a fine job on rockchucks, cottontail, jack rabbits and more. I had the old George Lawrence holster company make me a mighty nice holster. Sadly in a stupid attack about 30 years ago I traded the gun and the holster off… 🙁
I’ve had other 22’s, 357’s, 44’s and 45’s since but have mostly taken just small game & varmints.
One exception to that was a mule deer doe that I clobbered with my S&W 629 and 240 gr JHP Federal American Eagle ammo. True to my Marine Corps and law enforcement roots – I automatically double-tapped the doe… Sigh… The first shot had done the trick, but I just sent the second one anyway. Boom Boom, deer down.
That’s the only “big game” animal I’ve ever taken while hunting. I have clobbered a bunch of mule deer at short range with a 45 ACP 1911 while I was on duty. Those were deer that were obviously sick, injured, struck by a car, torn up by dogs, hit by a train, or something was wrong with them. Somebody had to put them down, I often took that duty upon myself. I will say that standard velocity 230 gr Federal Hydra Shocks are not real impressive killers of deer… the later 230 gr bonded Federal +P ammo at 915 fps was much better.
No – I’m not much of a handgun hunter, yet. I think that’s going to change.
Regards, Guy
Got my first handgun just a few years before you, a 357 magnum Colt Trooper Mk III. I was intent on getting into law enforcement and wanted a good revolver. A S&W would have been just fine. I handloaded for the 357 from the start, still have my old Lee loading kit where ya hammer the case into the sizing die… It can still make good ammo but I use a real press and dies for the past 40 years or so.
That Colt did a fine job on rockchucks, cottontail, jack rabbits and more. I had the old George Lawrence holster company make me a mighty nice holster. Sadly in a stupid attack about 30 years ago I traded the gun and the holster off… 🙁
I’ve had other 22’s, 357’s, 44’s and 45’s since but have mostly taken just small game & varmints.
One exception to that was a mule deer doe that I clobbered with my S&W 629 and 240 gr JHP Federal American Eagle ammo. True to my Marine Corps and law enforcement roots – I automatically double-tapped the doe… Sigh… The first shot had done the trick, but I just sent the second one anyway. Boom Boom, deer down.
That’s the only “big game” animal I’ve ever taken while hunting. I have clobbered a bunch of mule deer at short range with a 45 ACP 1911 while I was on duty. Those were deer that were obviously sick, injured, struck by a car, torn up by dogs, hit by a train, or something was wrong with them. Somebody had to put them down, I often took that duty upon myself. I will say that standard velocity 230 gr Federal Hydra Shocks are not real impressive killers of deer… the later 230 gr bonded Federal +P ammo at 915 fps was much better.
No – I’m not much of a handgun hunter, yet. I think that’s going to change.
Regards, Guy
Quote from BlueAvenger on July 6, 2025, 5:24 pmTurned 18 49 years ago. First buy of the day was a .22rf / .22wm convertible. Lost count of what I have had since then. Most were Ruger black Hawks and TCs
Turned 18 49 years ago. First buy of the day was a .22rf / .22wm convertible. Lost count of what I have had since then. Most were Ruger black Hawks and TCs
Quote from Guest on July 7, 2025, 6:43 amI started handgun hunting in 1978 with a Dakota .357. I still rifle hunted at about 30% of the time up until sometime in the 90s. Now the only time I rifle hunt is with family and friends guns that I inherited.
I started handgun hunting in 1978 with a Dakota .357. I still rifle hunted at about 30% of the time up until sometime in the 90s. Now the only time I rifle hunt is with family and friends guns that I inherited.
Quote from Guest on July 13, 2025, 7:16 pmStarted in late 90’s and made it my main focus for about the last 10 years. Small game and whitetails in WI mostly.
Started in late 90’s and made it my main focus for about the last 10 years. Small game and whitetails in WI mostly.
Quote from bengineer on July 29, 2025, 11:44 amI made my first handgun kills with a Ruger new model BH in 357 in about 1986. I was 12 and could finally hunt big game. I still remember the ranch and the corral where all the cottontails were. My brother and I killed a pile of em and the farmer’s chickens ate them. I was and still am amazed at what a chicken will eat, and how quickly.
My first big game kill was a 130ish whitetail at just over 100 yards. 1991, with my Dad’s 16″ 45/70 contender barrel. I bought it for him for his birthday or father’s day that year and quickly found that I had bought myself a gift for his holiday. I used a 300ish grain GC cast bullet from a farmer on whose land we had previously hunted. It was a flat nose, almost a swc shape. I was using 4198, and I expect the bullet was going 1600 fps. It was not a max load, which often would open the action in the contender, but it was sufficient. I was across a little ravine, after seeing him a few finger ridges away from up the mountain. I raced to this finger, guessing where he’d be and came in just behind him. I plopped down and rested the open sighted pistol over my pack and squeezed as he stood looking at me across the ravine. He disappeared, as did everything else when that gun went off, and I found him about 20′ from where the first pieces of lung were found on the ground. My dad was amazed, being a medium bore shooter. I got exactly what I expected based on the writings of several old boys who had done it already, and one who had been there. Of course, I was more sure then than I am now, having shot a lot of things and guns and lived 30 more years, because of youth and good writing.
Last fall, after a couple dry runs, I got to take a pronghorn buck that had already shed his sheaths near the end of October. 99 yds with 180 NOE FN from a 7-1/2″ Freedom 97 with a red dot. I missed a bit high and broke the spine above the shoulder. My 15 year old son and 6 year old daughter were along. She is already a budding handgun hunter, at least in her heart and mind. I was 7′ tall to her that day and I hope to repeat that again and again for both of us.
Not all my handgunning results in hunts or kills, but after the 2025 HHA shoot in Newcastle, I am planning to use handguns way more often.
I made my first handgun kills with a Ruger new model BH in 357 in about 1986. I was 12 and could finally hunt big game. I still remember the ranch and the corral where all the cottontails were. My brother and I killed a pile of em and the farmer’s chickens ate them. I was and still am amazed at what a chicken will eat, and how quickly.
My first big game kill was a 130ish whitetail at just over 100 yards. 1991, with my Dad’s 16″ 45/70 contender barrel. I bought it for him for his birthday or father’s day that year and quickly found that I had bought myself a gift for his holiday. I used a 300ish grain GC cast bullet from a farmer on whose land we had previously hunted. It was a flat nose, almost a swc shape. I was using 4198, and I expect the bullet was going 1600 fps. It was not a max load, which often would open the action in the contender, but it was sufficient. I was across a little ravine, after seeing him a few finger ridges away from up the mountain. I raced to this finger, guessing where he’d be and came in just behind him. I plopped down and rested the open sighted pistol over my pack and squeezed as he stood looking at me across the ravine. He disappeared, as did everything else when that gun went off, and I found him about 20′ from where the first pieces of lung were found on the ground. My dad was amazed, being a medium bore shooter. I got exactly what I expected based on the writings of several old boys who had done it already, and one who had been there. Of course, I was more sure then than I am now, having shot a lot of things and guns and lived 30 more years, because of youth and good writing.
Last fall, after a couple dry runs, I got to take a pronghorn buck that had already shed his sheaths near the end of October. 99 yds with 180 NOE FN from a 7-1/2″ Freedom 97 with a red dot. I missed a bit high and broke the spine above the shoulder. My 15 year old son and 6 year old daughter were along. She is already a budding handgun hunter, at least in her heart and mind. I was 7′ tall to her that day and I hope to repeat that again and again for both of us.
Not all my handgunning results in hunts or kills, but after the 2025 HHA shoot in Newcastle, I am planning to use handguns way more often.