Handgun hunting : Starting up.....advices needed

[Bluejay]

Hi Folks,
had this bug since quite a long time, that is to hunt with a handgun.
No experience at all, so I am pulling your jackets on the best set up (Caliber-Brand and model-Barrel length-Scope or no scope.....etc.).

Game up to deer size animal.

I'd be oriented to a .357 Mag. revolver with a 6" barrel, but again, I have no experience on handguns, unlike rifles for which I feel to have some knowledge.

I was checking out Ruger and S&W, and I quite like the GP100...

Standing by for your hints and tips.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers

 

[longwinters]

To me 357 is too small for deer size game unless the distance is real close. I have had a couple of them plus a 44 mag and ended up with the Thompson Contender single shot pistol, scoped, in the 7-30 Waters caliber. Of course you probably know they have many different calibers to choose from. But the hunting calibers they offer are efficient to at least 100 yds.

Long

 

[JD338]

Bluejay,

Long is spot on. In a revolver, go with a 44 Rem Mag or 454 Casull shooting 240-250 gr Bullets or 300 gr hard lead cast bullets.
In a single shot like the T/C Contender or Encore, look at the 7x30 Waters and 7mm-08.
The revolvers will be good out to 100-125 yds and the single shots oout to 200-300 yds.

JD338

 

[nomosendero]

In a revolver, I would strongly suggest a 44 mag. If recoil is a concern, buy a heavier one like the Super Red Hawk & practice some with lighter loads. The SRH is not bad at all & if you use a scope, the recoil will be even less.

I like 44's alot & I like my Cont. in 30-30AI for some longer shots, but I would start with the 44.

 

[Bluejay]

Thanks for your replies.

From your suggestions I think the best that suits my needs will be a single shot pistol, since more accurate at longer ranges.

What kind of group can a "Good Shot" make at 200 yds. for example?

What's the difference between the Contender and the Encore?

Which one of the two would you suggest?

What about barrel length?

I saw the Contender has a shorter barrel compared to the Encore.

With this kinda gun, I'd definitely mount a scope ( a 4x ?). Any advices?

Caliber wise I was more oriented on a smaller one (243 Win...) but I guess the 7-08 or 7x30 Waters will be a little more efficient in case of a non-perfect shot placement.

Cheers :wink:

 

[longwinters]

AT 100 yds my Contender 7-30 Waters, off of the bench, will shoot at .600. Other shooters like JD will do better than that. The 7-30 Waters is good for deer size game out to about 225 yds. I will be bear hunting with mine this fall but the shot will be less than 100 yds. Probably more like 50 yds.

The Encore pistol is basically for higher pressure calibers. Like 243, 7m-08, 308 etc... The Contender is for milder pressure calibers like 30-30, 7-30 and 45-70.

I don't know how much you know about them, but you can buy different barrels/calibers and swap them out in about 5 minutes. Barrels can be ordered in different lengths, with the most common Contender barrels being about 14" long and the Encore about 15" long.

I would guess that most would scope with some type of variable from 2x6 or a bit more. Most would shoot these pistols off of shooting stix or bipod.

Long

 

[JD338]

Bluejay,

The T/C Contenders are VERY accurate, sometimes downright scarry!
The pic below is my 6.5JDJ using 120 gr Nosler BT's.

I have alos shot groups with my 7x30 Waters that are in the .2"s.

Last month I shot a 3 shot group that measured 2.25" at 300 yds. I should have taken a pic of it before I fired the last two shots that opened up the group to over 5". :evil:

JD338

 

[nomosendero]

I always thought the 6.5JDJ would be a great round, it would do some of the things I do with the 30-30AI, with less recoil & a lttle flatter as well.

 

[JD338]

nomosendero,

I kinda stumbled into this chambering. Since I already have the 7x30 Waters, didn't think I really needed a true wildcat.
Boy, I'm really glad I bought this barrel. The 6.5JDJ is truely an amazing round.
Loading and fireforming cases is a snap. Accuracy is fantastic and it shoots pretty flat out to 300 yds with plenty of energy for deer and antelope. Recoil is quite mild too. :grin:

JD338

 

[TScottW99]

This will be my first year hunting with a handgun. Have been carrying one for work since I was 17 and joined the Seabees.

This year I will be hunting with a T/C Encore pro-hunter with a 12" .480Ruger barrel and a Leupold 2X scope. Unless I get some loads worked up quick I will be using the Hornady 325 XTP load. It is shooting very well in this gun. The pic below was when I had a Millet red dot on it....

 

[Alaska]

I like the Ruger Alaskan and Super Blackhawk in 44 Mag. Ruger can digest heavy loads better than the S&W revolvers.

 

[Larry in SD]

The Encore pistol is basically for higher pressure calibers. Like 243, 7m-08, 308 etc... The Contender is for milder pressure calibers like 30-30, 7-30 and 45-70.

I don't know how much you know about them, but you can buy different barrels/calibers and swap them out in about 5 minutes. Barrels can be ordered in different lengths, with the most common Contender barrels being about 14" long and the Encore about 15" long.

I would guess that most would scope with some type of variable from 2x6 or a bit more. Most would shoot these pistols off of shooting stix or bipod.

Long

That pretty much says it all. With a 15" Barrel the Encore is about a pound heavier than the G2 Contender with a 14" Barrel. I have tried and tried with a couple of Encores, but the Contender (and the newer G2 Contender) just feel soooo much better to me. I like the size, weight and balance of the Contender much, much better.

The Encore can be had in cartridges from the .223 all the way up to the Belted Magnums whereas like has been stated the Contender (and G2 Contender) are restricted to lower pressure cartridges. Actually the buzz term in regards to suitable cartridges for the Contender is Case Head Thrust, ie as the diameter of the body of the cartridge case increases, pressure must be decreased to limit reward case head thrust to the frame other wise frames can and will be stretched.

I currently have 3 new Stainless-Steel G2 Contender Handgun Frames with 3 Barrels (and one on the way). I have the following barrels:

Stainless-Steel Super 14 .22 LR Match with a 3x12x Burris LER Handgun Scope

Stainless-Steel Super 14 .223 Remington with a 3x12x Burris LER Handgun Scope

Blued 10" Bull Barrel .30 Herrett with a 2.5x8x Weaver Handgun Scope

The one on the way I ordered before Christmas. It is a T/C Custom Shop Stainless-Steel 14" .30-30 Ackley Improved. It too is going to wear a 2.5x8x Weaver Handgun Scope. This will be the second 14" .30-30 Ackley Improved Contender I have had. The first started out life as a 14" .30 Herrett with a 1 in 14" rifling twist that I had SSK Industries rechamber to .30-30 Ackley Improved for me. In that first barrel I tried 2 different bullets (125gr. & 150gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips) with IMR-4198, H-4198, H-322, W-748, AA #2230 & IMR-3031 (IMR-3031 with the 150gr. Noslers).

When I did my part right, off the bench at 100 yards with it's perferred powder charge behind the 125gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips this barrel would print 5 shot groups of 3/4" or less with amazing regularity. Not sure if it was due to the slow rifling twist or not, but I could not get the 150's to shoot less than 1 1/2" at 100 yards.

I have taken a few Whitetails with the 125gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips from the .30-30 AI, and bullet performance has always been great. The longest shot I made with this combo was on a 3x3 Whitetail Buck at a lasered 286 yards. At the shot the Buck dropped in it's tracks. The shot was quartering towards me, and the bullet entered a little higher than I wanted it to right behind the near side should. To my surprise the exit was through the meaty portion of the off side rear ham, leaving about a 1 1/2" exit hole through the meat.

However the best shot I saw with the .30-30 AI was when my youngest daughter (who was 17 at the time) shot a dandy Whitetail Doe at 200 yards. This was a perfect broadside shot. My daughter hit the doe a little high, but it didn't matter. The shot was through the ribs behind the front shoulder. Like I said it was a little high, but below the back bone. The doe dropped in her tracks and never so much as twitched. The exit hole was a little bigger than a quarter.

I too have used the 7-30 Waters, but in a 10" Bull Barrel Contender. I killed 5 Whitetails with the 7-30 Waters ovre a couple years, one being a really nice 4x4 Whitetail Buck at a range that I won't even repeat (let's just say it was way farther than I thought it was). The only load I used in the 7-30 Waters was 120gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded with W-748. Accuracy was about the same as what I obtained from my .30-30 Ackley Improved. In my experience the 120gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip in this caliber is a little tough if Impact Velocities fall below 1800 FPS, and to get good expansion hitting bone is a good thing.

I kind of really got long winded there. Sorry about that.

Back to the topic at hand. In my opinion if this is your first go round with Hunting with Handguns, personally I would opt for either a T/C Encore or G2 Contender. The very first barrel I would buy is a .22 LR. With the .22 LR the Guns are the same Weight & Size (for the most part) and you can get in tons of PRACTICE in the off season. This will help you develope not only the skills needed, but will also allow you to find the shooting positions, method that best suits you and the type of hunting you are going to be doing. For the most part you can shoot up over 500 rounds of .22 LR ammo for less than the price of a box of centerfire ammo.

With a Scope Mount (I use Weaver or T/C Weaver Syle Mounts) for each barrel it is quite simple to have one scope, one frame and several barrels and switch them per the season and or you needs. Yes my barrels each have their own scope, but that is not how it started out many years ago.

Whether you choose an Encore or a G2 Contender is a personal preference. One thing that may or may not be a factor is if you Handload or shoot Factory Ammo. Obviously if you shoot strictly Factory Ammo cartridge selection is easier for the Encore.

Since 1982 I have hunted with Handguns chambered in the following cartridges:

.22 LR
.223 Remington
6mm-223
6mm T/CU
.243 Winchester
.250 Savage
7-30 Waters
7mm I.H.M.S.A.
.284 Winchester
.30 Herrett (haven't actually hunted with it yet)
.30-30 Winchester
.30-30 Ackley Improved

as well as the .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum and .45 ACP & .45 SUPER.

Good luck with your quest. From here on out the work starts.

Larry

 

[Larry in SD]

PS

Here are my babies.

is a photo of my Stainless-Steel Super 14 G2 Contender .22 LR Match with the 3x12x Burris LER Handgun Scope. I use this Handgun for Small Varmints and Bench Rest Shooting at a local Indoor Shooting Range.

is a photo my Stainless-Steel Super 14 G2 Contender .223 Remington with the 3x12x Burris LER Handgun Scope. This is my GO TO, and ONLY Varmint Gun. I use it for everything from Gophers, to Crows, to Prairie Dogs, to Jackrabbits, to Coyotes.

is a buddies 15" Stainless-Steel T/C Encore in .284 Winchester topped with a 3x12x Burris LER Handgun Scope. I used this Handgun shooting 140gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips to harvest a 4x4 Whitetail Buck on opening day in November 07.

is a photo of my 10" Blued Bull Barrel on a Stainless-Steel G2 Contender Frame with the 2.5x8x Weaver Handgun Scope. I bought this barrel #1 cause I got a great buy on the Barrel, RCBS Dies and 150 rounds of ammo, and #2 I prefer 10" Barrels when walking shelterbelts or sloughs when I may have to take a shot from a less than ideal rested position.

Again, good luck in your quest.

Larry

 

[JD338]

Larry in SD

Very nice collection. The 284 Win really intreages me.
Is the last photo the 30 Herrett?

JD338

 

[Larry in SD]

Thanks

Yep the last pic is of the 10" .30 Herrett.

The .284 is not mine, but rather belongs to a good friend of mine. He had ankle surgery back in September so never applied for a Deer License this year. As such since I did most of the accuracy testing and all of the load developement with this and a previous .284 (an HS Precision Pro 2000 Handgun) he offered to let me be the first one to take a Whitetail with this .284.

We are shooting a 140gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip over H-4831SC, with Federal Gold Medal Match Primers in Winchester Brass to a muzzle velocity of 2665 GPS. While I was practicing for this years Deer Season I shot a 3 shot 100 yard group with this .284 off the bench that measured .451" center to center. That was the best group I ever fired with this .284, as most groups (5 shots) measured between 3/4" to 1".

Recoil is not nearly as bad as you'd expect, but then the 15" Encore is a pound heavier than a 14" Contender, and the 3x12x Burris LER Handgun Scope is heavy.

Thanks again.

Larry

 

[JD338]

We are shooting a 140gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip over H-4831SC, with Federal Gold Medal Match Primers in Winchester Brass to a muzzle velocity of 2665 GPS. While I was practicing for this years Deer Season I shot a 3 shot 100 yard group with this .284 off the bench that measured .451" center to center. That was the best group I ever fired with this .284, as most groups (5 shots) measured between 3/4" to 1".

Recoil is not nearly as bad as you'd expect, but then the 15" Encore is a pound heavier than a 14" Contender, and the 3x12x Burris LER Handgun Scope is heavy.

Thanks again.

Larry

Thanks Larry!

I would think the recoil of the 284 Win in the Encore would be similar to the 7x30 Waters in the Contender. 2665 fps is pretty impressive too.
I'm getting that itch again....

JD338

 

[Larry in SD]

Ya know now that you made that comparison, I would have to say the recoil of the 15" .284 Encore is about the same as the recoil from the 10" Bull Barre 7-30 Waters Contender I had. However there is a huge difference in performance.

I have had it happen to me a couple times, and do not know if it is going to be a big problem, but with the .284's rebated rim I have had the rim jump the extractor a couple times and the rim ended up in front of the extractor as I loaded a round in the chamber.

Yes I have been pleased with the performance. This barrel is off at the gunsmiths as I type this to get rethroated. When we had this barrel rechambered originally I had specified the dimensions I wanted the throat set at. I even asked the gunsmith if he wanted me to send some dummy rounds with the 140gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips seated per how I wanted them to end up. Well he said I did not need to send the dummy rounds and he would throat it to my Cartridge Overall Length with the 140gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips.

When the barrel arrived after being rechambered I was totally taken aback when I measured the throat and found out I was going to have to seat my bullets 3/16" deeper in the case than I wanted them. Well there wasn't time to send it in to be throated as I had instructed, so I just loaded the bullets way deeper in the case than I would have liked to.

In the process of all of this the gunsmith that did the rechamber is no longer working for the gunshop he was working for when he did the rechamber. The good news is the owner of the gunshop that did the original agreed to fix the throating problem.

After our Deer Season closed we shipped off this .284 Barrel to be rethroated (with some dummy rounds included this time). I am hoping we can bump the velocity a little more once I can seat the bullets out of the powder space in the .284 brass.

I know other guys that are shooting .284 Speciality Pistols and they are indeed getting more velocity than I am out of this Encore.

Larry