Hunting pistol
05-26-2008, 04:32 PM
#11
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Waldorf Maryland USA
Posts: 668
RE: Hunting pistol
Well the thing is I live in southern Maryland where rifles are not allowed for deer season and I thought it would be a great alternive for the general firearm season. I love and shoot compeditively with pistols (action pistol) not bullseye and truely would love to use a pistol for deer. Ammo doesn't matter because reloading is a passion almost as much as shooting itself. I'm thinking the S&W 460 XVR 8 and 3/8 barrel, it has a removable compinsator. Another problem we in Maryland have is for deer hunting the barrel must be 6 inches or longer. The 629 in the 8 3/8 44 mag also interisted me but wasn't as sexy. The 9 1/2 Super Redhawk looks good also but is only available in the dull grey in the 480.
05-26-2008, 04:44 PM
#12
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: El Dorado, Arkansas
Posts: 2,174
RE: Hunting pistol
Well, the grey stainless, like mine,is not a flashy " pretty " gun, but it is less noticable.
But there is nothing wrong with the others either. I honestly do not believe that you would go arong with the .44, the .480,or the .460. I really am impressed with the .460's ballistics. If you are looking for a longer range gun, that one would be at the top of the list.
Just be sure you get what you want, or you might wind up having to do it again soon after.
MET
But there is nothing wrong with the others either. I honestly do not believe that you would go arong with the .44, the .480,or the .460. I really am impressed with the .460's ballistics. If you are looking for a longer range gun, that one would be at the top of the list.
Just be sure you get what you want, or you might wind up having to do it again soon after.
MET
05-26-2008, 05:19 PM
#13
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Huntin' In Colorado
Posts: 2,910
RE: Hunting pistol
ORIGINAL: MichaelT.
Well, the grey stainless, like mine,is not a flashy " pretty " gun, but it is less noticable.
But there is nothing wrong with the others either. I honestly do not believe that you would go arong with the .44, the .480,or the .460. I really am impressed with the .460's ballistics. If you are looking for a longer range gun, that one would be at the top of the list.
Just be sure you get what you want, or you might wind up having to do it again soon after.
MET
Well, the grey stainless, like mine,is not a flashy " pretty " gun, but it is less noticable.
But there is nothing wrong with the others either. I honestly do not believe that you would go arong with the .44, the .480,or the .460. I really am impressed with the .460's ballistics. If you are looking for a longer range gun, that one would be at the top of the list.
Just be sure you get what you want, or you might wind up having to do it again soon after.
MET
05-27-2008, 07:59 PM
#14
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Columbia, Md.
Posts: 1,211
RE: Hunting pistol
Crimedog, I also live in MD and the bad news is this:
Handgun Regulations
Modern and muzzleloading handguns may be used to hunt forest game (handgun hunting for turkey only during the fall season), upland game (except dove and woodcock) and coyote, fisher, fox, nutria, opossum, raccoon, skunk, woodchuck. However, modern handguns may be used to hunt deer only in those counties where the use of a breech-loading rifle for deer hunting is permitted with the exception that modern handguns may be used to hunt deer throughout Frederick County. Any modern handgun used for deer hunting must have a barrel length of 6 inches or more and use ammunition which produces a muzzle energy of 700 foot-pounds or more.
As far as pistols go, I think my next purchase will be a Ruger Super Redhawk in .454 Casull. I like the Target Grey color and the ring mounts. It's only available in the 7-1/2" barrel now. If you want to go plinking, you can shoot cheaper .45 Colt rounds through it. The .454 Casull and .45 Colt rounds are easier to find also.
I was considering the .460 S&W but everyone I talked to did not like the recoil although the ballistics look better. If you can shoot a .460, I would do that before buying one.
Good luck
Handgun Regulations
Modern and muzzleloading handguns may be used to hunt forest game (handgun hunting for turkey only during the fall season), upland game (except dove and woodcock) and coyote, fisher, fox, nutria, opossum, raccoon, skunk, woodchuck. However, modern handguns may be used to hunt deer only in those counties where the use of a breech-loading rifle for deer hunting is permitted with the exception that modern handguns may be used to hunt deer throughout Frederick County. Any modern handgun used for deer hunting must have a barrel length of 6 inches or more and use ammunition which produces a muzzle energy of 700 foot-pounds or more.
As far as pistols go, I think my next purchase will be a Ruger Super Redhawk in .454 Casull. I like the Target Grey color and the ring mounts. It's only available in the 7-1/2" barrel now. If you want to go plinking, you can shoot cheaper .45 Colt rounds through it. The .454 Casull and .45 Colt rounds are easier to find also.
I was considering the .460 S&W but everyone I talked to did not like the recoil although the ballistics look better. If you can shoot a .460, I would do that before buying one.
Good luck
05-28-2008, 06:44 AM
#15
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Nekoosa Wi USA
Posts: 6,066
RE: Hunting pistol
44 mag is all you need for most american game. with the exception of Elk and a couple other large dangerous games such as Grizzly bears. the 460 is a nice gun but a bit of over kill unless you shoto 454 out of it, which I also recomend. Dont even think about the 500, I will never in my life go through the agony of picking one up and firing one shot out of it.
05-28-2008, 04:12 PM
#17
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Maine
Posts: 1,327
RE: Hunting pistol
ORIGINAL: MichaelT.
Glad everyone has an opinion ..... that way at least someone has a chance to agree with you.
I bought mine for none of your reasons. I bought mine because it had better ballistics, it is very strong, and because I got a heck of a deal on it. It is worth more now than I paid for it...
SO maybe you should not let your own conscience be the judge of others. If those are your issues, they don't necessarily represent the issues of others..... but thanks for your concern...
And BTW, my gun is not ported.... I would not own a ported handgun. I own a rifle, and it nearly made me deaf in a matter of shots.
MET
Glad everyone has an opinion ..... that way at least someone has a chance to agree with you.
I bought mine for none of your reasons. I bought mine because it had better ballistics, it is very strong, and because I got a heck of a deal on it. It is worth more now than I paid for it...
SO maybe you should not let your own conscience be the judge of others. If those are your issues, they don't necessarily represent the issues of others..... but thanks for your concern...
And BTW, my gun is not ported.... I would not own a ported handgun. I own a rifle, and it nearly made me deaf in a matter of shots.
MET
I just happen to have such an opinion which is from the observation of many owners of these cannons. The manner in which they regard the firearms, how they talk of them and the manner in which they use them bring me to that opinion - my opinion. I should mention that initially I was to exclude the 480 from the other 2 chambers as it seems those with the 480 are not as the others are. Maybe because it's not on a huge framed behemouth and isn't a "magnum". Seems that I touched a nerve byit's inclusion. First to jump...
Regardless I still see these as I stated before. No different than the truck lifted, wearing waaay to big of ribber and over-chromed and over-loud just to turn heads. Compensating for something?
I wonder though, if such cannons are no neccessary where were all it's proponents when the 460 and 500s weren't around? Were these folks buying the custom Limbaughs and such? After all if such power was so neccessary for them surely it's worth the money.
thanx for your opinion also.
05-29-2008, 12:22 AM
#19
Site Bouncer
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Illinois
Posts: 4,099
RE: Hunting pistol
I think the 44mag is the ".30-06 of pistol chambering" in that you can find ammo anywhere and it will kill anything on the North American continent including big bears but won't punish you in the process. When I hit the woods I take either my .44mag or .45Colt. I've shot the .500 S&W as well as the .460 and own a .454, all are heavy hitting pistols and probably would make fine hunting guns butall are too big and heavy when fitted with long barrels and scopes. My Ruger .44mag Super Blackhawk Hunter is heavy enough.
If you don't have a problem lugging around a revolver that size then have at it but at that point I'd rather a Contender chambered in a rifle cartridge, at least I'd have more power and range. One thing to remember when picking a hunting pistol....accruacy. All those full magnum hand cannons won't do you a squat of good if you can't hit what you're aiming at. The only way to become proficient with your hunting pistol is to shoot it. Practicing with a "Mega Magnum" is not an easy task and can lead to lots of problems with your shooting form due to theheavy recoil, not to mention heavy on your pocket book to keep it fed as well. With the .44mag recoil is controllable even with heavy +p rounds and ammo is available and cheaper than the mega magnums by far.
One last thing to consider....optics. Yeah it's cool to put on one of them high magnification pistol scopes but unless you are only hunting from a stand where you have access to some kind of shooting rest, you will find anything over 4x to be difficult to hold steady. Forget about an offhand shot with anything higher than 4x (even that's a stretch) it ain't gonna happen!You will also notice a drastic reduction in field of view at the higher magnifications, making finding your quarry more difficult. I recommend a good quality scope in a fixed 2x or 4xwith an even better mount and rings. MyRuger SBH Hunter sports a Leupold FX-II 4x28and I find it has the right balance between magnification, field of view and steadiness, either freehand or from some sort of a rest.
Good luck with you search and welcome to the world of pistol hunting....it's a blast!
If you don't have a problem lugging around a revolver that size then have at it but at that point I'd rather a Contender chambered in a rifle cartridge, at least I'd have more power and range. One thing to remember when picking a hunting pistol....accruacy. All those full magnum hand cannons won't do you a squat of good if you can't hit what you're aiming at. The only way to become proficient with your hunting pistol is to shoot it. Practicing with a "Mega Magnum" is not an easy task and can lead to lots of problems with your shooting form due to theheavy recoil, not to mention heavy on your pocket book to keep it fed as well. With the .44mag recoil is controllable even with heavy +p rounds and ammo is available and cheaper than the mega magnums by far.
One last thing to consider....optics. Yeah it's cool to put on one of them high magnification pistol scopes but unless you are only hunting from a stand where you have access to some kind of shooting rest, you will find anything over 4x to be difficult to hold steady. Forget about an offhand shot with anything higher than 4x (even that's a stretch) it ain't gonna happen!You will also notice a drastic reduction in field of view at the higher magnifications, making finding your quarry more difficult. I recommend a good quality scope in a fixed 2x or 4xwith an even better mount and rings. MyRuger SBH Hunter sports a Leupold FX-II 4x28and I find it has the right balance between magnification, field of view and steadiness, either freehand or from some sort of a rest.
Good luck with you search and welcome to the world of pistol hunting....it's a blast!
