First deer with a handgun

[161]

Not a trophy, but I'm happy. Had a doe tag to fill. 75 yards with a SBH 44 Mag. LEE 310 18 gr. 296. A little high but it never moved.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o719/Warren_Wethington/20141222_173032_zps1144fc4b.jpg (http://s1339.photobucket.com/user/Warren_Wethington/media/20141222_173032_zps1144fc4b.jpg.html)

[richhodg66]

Good job! You just gotta love a Blackhawk.

[shoot-n-lead]

Good job...and good eatin'.

And, any handgun deer is a trophy.

[nagantguy]

Real pretty wheel gun and good shooting I shoot the same load with h110 in sbh and win carbine. Its a hammer, kills all out of its weight class.

[TXGunNut]

Good job, looks like a spine shot to me. Very little meat damage and an effective stopper when you hit the spine like that. I prefer the meat of a doe or young buck any day, I've supported my share of taxidermists and see no need for any more mounts any time soon. Nicely done, enjoy that prime venison!

[tdoyka]

nice deer!!!

[DrCaveman]

Nice job!

At 75 yds, with that load, where on the deer did you hold? What are the optics? Distance sighted in?

I have dang dear the same SBH, curious about the specifics. That is one of the boolits i am liking best, but ive been giving it a bit more powder. Maybe i should try loading down a bit

Again, nice hunting, good meat score. That is what its all about

[phonejack]

Impressed !

[Thumbcocker]

Congratulations.

[44man]

The Lee 310 shoots best with 21.5 gr of 296 and a Fed 150 primer---YEAH, standard primer.
Last year I had 5 shots left, put them in the same revolver shown, during the week I shot 3 deer and had 2 shots left. I love the big Ruger!
I use an Ultra Dot.
Sight an inch high at 50 yards, dead on at 75 and just a few inches low at 100. Best dang deer boolit, crimp in the lower groove. Even behind the shoulder shots will put a deer down in less then 30 yards.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Very nice. Hope to get my revolver out this season to put a deer down.

[pworley1]

Nice!

[44man]

Have to do it guys! I ONLY deer hunt with revolvers, sold the rifle. Don't pack a revolver with a rifle, just take the revolver. I can't pull my bows anymore so the revolver lets me go to work. Lets me extend reach from 20 yards to over 100.

[Grandpas50AE]

Have to do it guys! I ONLY deer hunt with revolvers, sold the rifle. Don't pack a revolver with a rifle, just take the revolver. I can't pull my bows anymore so the revolver lets me go to work. Lets me extend reach from 20 yards to over 100.

I have the same problem, can't draw the bow any more. I've been hunting with handguns-only for quite a few years now (around 20) and can't remember how many deer my best friend, myself, my brothers, and a few others in our deer camp have taken with a SBH or S&W29 using the Lyman 429244 GC boolit. Never lost a deer with them yet.

[**oneshot**]

Awesome!!! Welcome to handgun hunting, It's addictive.

[Blammer]

Good shooting!

[fatnhappy]

You'll never look back. Congrats on breaking your cherry.

I used to have a honey hole where using a handgun was my preferred method of hunting. Sadly they turned it into a golf course 8 or 10 years ago.

[Treetop]

Elmer Keith actually liked a high lung shot, he said several times in print, that the high lung shot animal would not travel as far as a heart shot animal. His theory was that the high lung shot allows the heart to fill the lungs quicker and "fuller" than a lower heart shot.

In any case, I have been shooting deer, purposely, high in the lungs for several years now, and now I prefer that shot. Elmer probably killed or was present at as many kills as anyone, and learned how to kill effectively and write it up so the rest of us could learn from his experiences.

Nice shooting, 161! I have an OM Super Blackhawk and I love mine also! Enjoy those delicious backstraps! Tt.

[Grendl]

"Shoot them high and watch them die; shoot them low and watch them go" just a little saying that was taught to me as youngster in the northern PA woods

[Wolfer]

I tend to take the shot they give me.

[MrWolf]

Nice shot and congrats!

[white eagle]

nice shot excellent deer wtg
your wheel gun looks like mine
I took a deer similar to yours last year about the same distance I recall correctly

[mizzouri1]

congrats!!!
I'm still lookin for my first with my BH SS 357, what optics are you using??

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Nice deer and good shooting!

[Charlie U.]

Congrats!
Love those long nosed Rugers.

[161]

I had a SBH just like this one back in the 80s except no scope. But I could see back then too. Never shot anything with it other than paper and old car bodies. Should have kept it but had a 6 inch SW 29 turn my head. I have a six inch steel plate and I sighted the gun in so that with a 6 o'clock hold it hit in the upper half of the plate at 75. Still high at 100. So I could probably drop it down some. I didn't get out this fall to shoot like I wanted. I held what I thought was center right behind the shoulder and let fly. The scope is a cheap NcStar $40.00 2.5X with lite cross-hairs. I'm sure it will fail, I want a better scope we'll see how the money goes this summer. 44man I know you like 21-21.5 but I tried that with WW standard primers. Had a few pierced primers so I backed down. It did shoot very well though. That load of 21 gr. 296 shook the ever living piss out of my 4 inch 629. And me also.

[smilin jack]

Nice shooting 161. Those standard sized deer sure eat good.

I hunted deer with my 4" 44 Raging Bull for a week vacation in early general season this year but never got a shot or saw a deer. It was too hot and dry. I was carrying Lee cast 255gr SWC flat base with 18.5 gr of H2400. It is a handfull but keeps them on target at 50 yards with iron sights. The pistol is titanium and very light weight.

John and I still have doe tags good until the end of February 2015 so may get one yet. I did get a little buck with the M77 Ruger in 06 handloads during late general season.

Dave

[44man]

I had a SBH just like this one back in the 80s except no scope. But I could see back then too. Never shot anything with it other than paper and old car bodies. Should have kept it but had a 6 inch SW 29 turn my head. I have a six inch steel plate and I sighted the gun in so that with a 6 o'clock hold it hit in the upper half of the plate at 75. Still high at 100. So I could probably drop it down some. I didn't get out this fall to shoot like I wanted. I held what I thought was center right behind the shoulder and let fly. The scope is a cheap NcStar $40.00 2.5X with lite cross-hairs. I'm sure it will fail, I want a better scope we'll see how the money goes this summer. 44man I know you like 21-21.5 but I tried that with WW standard primers. Had a few pierced primers so I backed down. It did shoot very well though. That load of 21 gr. 296 shook the ever living piss out of my 4 inch 629. And me also.
Strange you pierced a primer, maybe the firing pin? I have run Fed primers to max in the .454 without even a flat one. Been shooting the 150 in Rugers since 1980. I switch to the 155 with the .475 and up. The cut down .460 brass in the .454 loves a 155.
I do not recommend over 265 gr boolits in a S&W. Anything heavier can unlock the cylinder from inertia. The 310 is Ruger country. Amazingly accurate and a wonderful deer boolit.
The reason I don't like a scope for deer is I can't see deer or cross hairs when light is dim and then if it brightens up, I see all my shakes. I need a rest for them. The red dots make an old fart shoot good! :bigsmyl2: Ultra Dots will stand up to any recoil, cheap ones can break.
Now get out there and shoot more deer! You did great and joined a good club.

[Hickok]

You are hooked now! Perfect shot. I like to aim for the shoulder area right up the front leg when handgun hunting with cast boolits. Depending on the angle, I always try for one or both shoulders.

If you would, tell me about the base mount you have on the SBH, and the attachment, any drilling or tapping ?

[44man]

I have a Burris or Loopy on mine, can't remember but the very best is a Weigand, need to drill and tap. It is long enough to take any scope or dot while mine is short between rings so the straight Ultra Dot 4 minute scope will fit but some won't because of large turrets.
Don't use the base with barrel clamps, they mar the barrel. Recoil will beat grooves in the barrel.

[JSH]

Good job! Any deer with a wheel gun is a trophy.
Las 44 man mentions sounds like a firing pin to me also. If it has done this on numerous occasions it very well could have had a a burr and is now eroding. Have seen this once before. Primers would have hole in all but cat sneeze loads. You might take a loop and look at all of your fired primers in that gun.
Sawone other thing similar to that with some kind of foreign made brass. Pockets were a bit shallow.

[Hickok]

Thanks 44man, I have used Burris scopes on my Contenders, and they have always held up.

I have a SBH .44 and was thinking of scoping it. I thought it would have to be drilled and tapped, just wanting to know for sure.

My 60 year old eyes don't always see the front sight under hunting conditions like they use to!

[44man]

Thanks 44man, I have used Burris scopes on my Contenders, and they have always held up.

I have a SBH .44 and was thinking of scoping it. I thought it would have to be drilled and tapped, just wanting to know for sure.

My 60 year old eyes don't always see the front sight under hunting conditions like they use to!
I see the Grinch bouncing on open sights. Furry bugger that shakes them. Red dots keep me hunting.
A scope in dim light needs a 5mm exit pupil to your eye but the long eye relief disperses it before it gets to your eye. Had a 1X pistol scope long ago that worked but they are hard to find now. Seems 2X and up is all you find.
It is easy to drill and tap for a Weigand, Even will not cost that much to have it done. Best base ever made.

[Tar Heel]

Time to join HHI! Nice looking deer.

http://sskindustries.com/h-h-i/

[DougGuy]

Nice shot, nice deer! I have taken more deer with my 7 1/2" SBH than any other firearm I own. The 310 is the boolit of choice now, and it's all I load for it. 17.0gr of good old Hercules 2400 puts the 310 in the sweet spot, right up under 1200f/s at the muzzle so it should be doing about 1170 at 35 ~ 40yds which is the perfect hunting distance for a handgun hunt.


I tend to take the shot they give me.

^^^^ Same here!

[taco650]

Congrats!

Also, my blue 80's vintage SBH likes the Lee 310FP over 18-18.5 of H110. I've tried it with more H110 but didn't like hanging onto the gun when they went off lol!

[44man]

Congrats!

Also, my blue 80's vintage SBH likes the Lee 310FP over 18-18.5 of H110. I've tried it with more H110 but didn't like hanging onto the gun when they went off lol!
Need to shoot the .475 and .500's to see what a weak recoil the .44 has. :bigsmyl2: My favorite now is the .500 JRH with a 440 gr at 1350 fps. The .44 is a BB gun!

[taco650]

Need to shoot the .475 and .500's to see what a weak recoil the .44 has. :bigsmyl2: My favorite now is the .500 JRH with a 440 gr at 1350 fps. The .44 is a BB gun!

I suppose you're right when comparing the 44mag to the 475 & 500's ha ha!

[NVScouter]

Congrats!

[LAH]

Not a trophy

A 75 yard deer is a trophy. Congrats.

[TCLouis]

Looks like a trophy and good eats too.

[Bongo]

Congrats! Our alternative meathods season just ended yesterday here in Missouri. I can't make up my mind which boolit to have in the cylinder when I take my SBH out next fall. I just cast several of the Devastator booits but I love the Keith boolit too. Anyone done a broadside shot on a mature whitetail with the Devastator? I'm curious as to how much lung tissue is removed from the body with proper boolit placement. I prefer double lung / heart region shots no matter the choice of weapon. There are some large wild hogs in my hunting area and I always have packed Keith boolits for them.

[44man]

All will work, the only thing I avoid is any bullet/boolit that stops inside a deer.

[Hickok]

All will work, the only thing I avoid is any bullet/boolit that stops inside a deer.44man, my exact same opinion over many years of handgun hunting. One shot, two holes. I want blood on the ground, the more the better.:grin:

[jmort]

Elmer's conclusion as well, one hole in and one hole out.

[Uncle R.]

All will work, the only thing I avoid is any bullet/boolit that stops inside a deer.


44man, my exact same opinion over many years of handgun hunting. One shot, two holes. I want blood on the ground, the more the better.:grin:


Elmer's conclusion as well, one hole in and one hole out.

Yes, yes and yes.
<
I've heard all the arguments about wasted energy and reduced killing power when there's an exit hole.
I've heard that a bullet that stops inside kills better because there's more expansion, more damage of critical tissue, more energy dump.
All true - sometimes.
But sometimes things don't go as planned.
Sometimes excrement occurs. Hunt long enough and you'll see amazing exceptions to the ordinary.
For those hopefully rare occasions when things don't go as planned - I want an exit wound. I want a blood trail.
<
Uncle R.

[SSGOldfart]

Congrats[smilie=w:

[161]

Well I went back out to the blind. The night I shot the deer it was overcast I had about 15 minutes of shooting time left. So it was getting dark early. What I thought was 75 yards was really about 50 in the daylight. Can't judge distance very well but at least I'm honest. ;)

[taco650]

Well I went back out to the blind. The night I shot the deer it was overcast I had about 15 minutes of shooting time left. So it was getting dark early. What I thought was 75 yards was really about 50 in the daylight. Can't judge distance very well but at least I'm honest. ;)

Main thing is you filled your tag with our own handgun and own loads. Light conditions will affect distance judging but you hit the deer and now you have meat in the freezer. Enjoy!

[Blackdog]

Meat in the freezer. A comforting thing on a cold January night. Congrats!