# Hand gun hunting.



## Lisa (May 17, 2006)

As I understand it, handgun hunting is legal in some states.  

Who here handgun hunts and what is it you like about it as opposed to hunting with a rifle?

It is illegal to hunt with a handgun in Canada.  My husband who is an avid hunter would love to some day be able to handgun hunt.  Maybe someday I will surprise him with a trip somewhere


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## Grenadier (May 17, 2006)

I used to do some boar hunting, using a Glock 20 (10 mm) with a custom 6.5" barrel.  I did manage to bag a few smaller boar with this gun, using my own 200 grain Speer TMJ handloads.  

My friend that was with me had a .41 magnum, which is a better cartridge for small boar.  No doubt, the .41 magnum is a stronger cartridge than the 10 mm, but with the right powders and recipes, you can push that 10 mm performance (very safely, not even exceeding SAAMI max loads) to deeply into the heart of .41 magnum territory.  

I enjoyed the fact that it was more of a challenge to handgun hunt.  It was also a great chance for me to test the true capabilities of the 10 mm cartridge, which most factory loads are rather anemic.  By doing some research, one can really unlock the potential of this cartridge.  Note: at no time did I ever exceed the maximum recommended powder charge from the powder manufacturers.


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## bydand (May 18, 2006)

Love to handgun hunt.  There is a bit more challange to it and you have to know your weapon a bit better than rifle or shotgunning.  I've hunted partridge with my .22 (find them on the ground not on the wing), up to deer with my .44 Mag. (marginal I know with factory loads, but haven't used one of those in 15 years.).  Anything to do with shooting and I'm interested, what can I say.


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## Phil Elmore (May 18, 2006)

In the portion of New York State where I live, you cannot hunt with a rifle -- only shotguns and handguns, the idea being that the shotgun slug or handgun bullet cannot travel as far as a rifle bullet and thus there is less chance of hitting densely populated areas (or some such nonsense -- in practice it doesn't make much real difference).

My father and I handgun hunted deer a couple of times with .44 magnum revolvers; he has a Ruger Blackhawk (or Super Blackhawk, I can't remember) with a seven-and-one-half-inch barrel with which he has taken at least two bucks.


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## Cruentus (May 18, 2006)

I plan to go handgun hunting sometime soon; maybe this year. Probably just small game with 22's. It sounds like a lot of fun!


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## Lisa (May 18, 2006)

My husband wants me to convey that he is very very jealous.


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## dubljay (May 18, 2006)

Phil Elmore said:
			
		

> My father and I handgun hunted deer a couple of times with .44 magnum revolvers; he has a Ruger Blackhawk (or Super Blackhawk, I can't remember) with a seven-and-one-half-inch barrel with which he has taken at least two bucks.




I've been considering hunting with my (father's ) Ruger Blackhawk .45 Long Colt.  Though I don't know much about handguns... The blackhawk is a pretty nice firing gun (atleast the .45 LC) The .44 mag has to be pretty sweet.


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## bydand (May 19, 2006)

Phil Elmore said:
			
		

> he has a Ruger Blackhawk (or Super Blackhawk, I can't remember) with a seven-and-one-half-inch barrel with which he has taken at least two bucks.



Sounds like the twin to the Super-Blackhawk I have.  The one thing anybody has to give Bill Ruger is that his firearms last forever.  I have shot way over 10,000 rounds out of mine and it is still as tight as the day I brought it home.  Phil, if you load your own, a nice hunting round can be had using Hornady's 300 gr. XTP sitting on some Hogdon H-110, nice mushrooming and my .44 loves them!  With the Super-Blackhawk you can seat them at the 1st groove and not the normal "pistol" groove, it shortens the gap to the forcing cone and the accuracy goes up.  This is the load I use when I am fishing out in Bear country and just want some ooomph in the springtime, then for deer in the Fall.


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## Lisa (May 19, 2006)

The hand gun hunting sound pretty cool.  I am not much of a hunter myself but I love to take advantage of the rewards.  Nothing better then deer sausage, IMHO. 

Hunting wild board would be cool, I think, with a hand gun.  I hear they are nasty critters and will charge at ya, given the chance.


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## Don Roley (May 22, 2006)

Grenadier said:
			
		

> I used to do some boar hunting, using a Glock 20 (10 mm) with a custom 6.5" barrel.



I thought that there were laws in most states restricting the amount of ammo you could have in your weapon while hunting. I remember seeing a Garand that had a bar welded into the magazine to restrict it to five rounds and that was the reason I was given. Is it only for long arms? If five round is the max, then even most revolvers are against the law.


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## Grenadier (May 23, 2006)

Don Roley said:
			
		

> I thought that there were laws in most states restricting the amount of ammo you could have in your weapon while hunting.


 
This depends from state to state, and even possibly from locality to locality.  

For example, if I recall correctly, Michigan has a law where you may not have more than 9 rounds of ammo in your magazine + barrel for handguns, but didn't require plastic plugs.  

Maine insists on castrated magazine capacities for semiautomatic firearms, unless it's a handgun with a barrel length of under 8 inches, or any kind of .22 rimfire.  

It's quite a patchwork of laws, but the resources are out there, and one should always be sure of the local laws, without fail.


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## Lisa (Jun 4, 2006)

I looked into sending my husband on one of those "all inclusive" handgun hunting trips...lets just say his wish to handgun hunt will have to remain a dream, the prices were WWAAAYYY out of any budget we might have.

Someday, maybe as a retirement gift.


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## John Bishop (Jun 17, 2006)

I love handgun hunting.  Been hunting for over 40 years. First with rifles and shotguns, then about 10 years of bowhunting.   Loved the challenge of the silent stalk.
Really missed the smell of gunpowder though, so decided to go back to firearms.  Still wanted the challenge of close in stalking, so went to handgun hunting.  Other then birds, I hunt everything else with handguns.  Rabbits and squirrels with a Browning Buckmark .22 auto.  Deer and coyote with a Thompson Contender.  And wild pigs and bear with a Freedom Arms .454 Casull revolver.


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## Don Roley (Jun 17, 2006)

I have always wanted to go wild boar shooting with handguns. Massaad Ayoob recomended it IIRC. When I visited Catalina Island in Claifornia, I remember hearing something about wild boars that were allowed to be hunted, but I could not find out any information about the legalities in time to do anything about it.

John Bishop, as someone who has gone after both boars and rabbits, what are the differences between the two? The strengths and weaknesses of both? I would think that rabbits would be faster and harder to hit, but less chance of injury and thus less adreneline. Is that correct or do you feel the same while hunting both?


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## Grenadier (Jun 17, 2006)

Don Roley said:
			
		

> I could not find out any information about the legalities in time to do anything about it.


 
You really should speak with the folks at this forum:

http://www.californiapredatorsclub.com/

Everything you probably needed to know, and they seem like a good group of folks.  



> I would think that rabbits would be faster and harder to hit


 
Heh.  Don't underestimate the speed of boars.  When they start running, they can get to some very impressive speeds, indeed.


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## John Bishop (Jun 18, 2006)

Don Roley said:
			
		

> I have always wanted to go wild boar shooting with handguns. Massaad Ayoob recomended it IIRC. When I visited Catalina Island in Claifornia, I remember hearing something about wild boars that were allowed to be hunted, but I could not find out any information about the legalities in time to do anything about it.
> 
> John Bishop, as someone who has gone after both boars and rabbits, what are the differences between the two? The strengths and weaknesses of both? I would think that rabbits would be faster and harder to hit, but less chance of injury and thus less adreneline. Is that correct or do you feel the same while hunting both?



The challenge of bow or handgun hunting any species is the fact that they all have far superior senses then humans.  Their hearing and sense of smell is very acute.  And their eyesight is telescopic, although only black and white.  So you have to stalk into shooting range without being detected by the animal.  You wear clothing that breaks up your outline.  You move slowly and quietly with the wind in your face.  You move when the animal is not looking in your direction.  You make sure there are not other animals that will see your stalk and flush, thus warning your prey.  The last 100 yards of a stalk may take a hour or so, depending how open the area is.  Each step you check to make sure your not stepping on a dry leaf, twig, or pebble that will make noise.  When the animal lifts it's head from eating, or looks your way, you freeze.  Because they only see in black and white, they may not be able to tell your human if you have good camoflage, and a good background behind you.   So they will stare at you for several minutes to see if you move.  Deer will snort, or stamp their feet trying to make you move.  Eventually they'll either go back to eating, or move on if they suspect your human or preditor.
Of course rabbits, like most non-preditors pose no risk to the hunter.  They do have very good senses.  One thing they will do that many large animals won't, is to freeze and try to blend into the background, hoping the hunter will walk by without seeing them.  And I believe that hunters probably walk past 5-6 rabbits for every one they flush, or spot before it flushes.  
Pigs are considered idea game for bow and handgun hunters, because of their poor eyesight.  They have excellent hearing and smell, but their eyesight for stationary objects is weak.  But they can detect movement very well at long and short distances.  And if they see you move they'll run, even though they may not know what you are.   
Most times a boar charges he's just trying to leave the area, and dosen't see the hunter between him and where he wants to go.  But if you corner one or wound one,  and they do see you, they will charge swinging their head side to side.  They don't actually try to bite you, but since their tusks protrude outside their jaws they can swing their head and slice you.  (Much like a escrimador)  Their tusks are razor sharp and will cut thru your pants and slice you at about calf height. 
Anyway, it's very rare that hunters get cut by boars, but they do kill hunting dogs quite often when they're cornered.


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