Anyone Use A Semi-Auto Handgun For Hunting?

[huntersdog]

Seems, the 10mm is probably the most popular hunting semi-auto handgun these days. What are you folks using in the line of a semi?

[timspawn]

I have a Kimber Desert Warrior (45ACP) that I plan on trying out this year. It is the most accurate handgun I have ever shot. I plan on using it at 25 yards and under on hogs.

[dragon813gt]

Not allowed to use semis for hunting in PA :(

[rintinglen]

Colt Match Woodsman in 22 LR for dusting ground squirrels, (the one in my atavar.) Otherwise, my hunting handguns are round.

[bluelund79]

I do have a Glock 20 with a 6" Lone Wolf barrel for hunting. However, after acquiring a couple of 44mag revolvers over the past 2-3 years, its collecting dust in the safe. Maybe someday I'll use it again, but the revolver is my choice for hunting with a handgun. I wouldn't mind a 1911 in 10mm, as long as it has a fully supported chamber.

[yotebuster1200]

Has anyone tried the 460 Rowland. Seems like it would be a good candidate.

[jmort]

460 Rowland makes a lot of sense for hunting.

[Catshooter]

Around here pocket gophers are a problem (and especially the badgers that dig big holes going for them!). I've used a Glock 27, 19 and a 26. They work well, when I connect.


Cat

[GoodOlBoy]

How is 10mm the most common or popular hunting semi? Even as a sidearm I haven't seen, or even HEARD of a 10mm in Texas in probably 15 years including several years working law enforcement. 9mm, 357 sig, 40 S&W, 45 ACP, yes. Heck I have even seen a few 38 supers lurking. But a 10mm? You are more likely to find a Desert Eagle 357 mag, or 50 DE, and those are pretty darned rare around these parts. Heck I have seen more 44 automags and 45 win mags than 10mms.... Piles of 380s around, 25acps lurking, even seen 32 acps now and then... but 10mm? Now you have me thinking... I mean seriously I know 10mms exist, but I honestly can't remember the last time I saw a gun or ammo in that caliber. I know I have seen 9mm makarov, and 7.62 tokarev...

Anyway.

For hunting with a semiauto handgun I have used (and seen used) both a old buddies browning buckmark 22 (bunny popper) and a 45acp in a 1911A1.

I had a brief gleam in my eye when I read about the .50 GI, but honestly it would be such a pain in the tookas to setup for that 45acp will more than do.

I'm going to have to actually look around and see if somehow I just missed 10mms, seriously it throws me it's been so long since I have seen one.....

GoodOlBoy

[Thumbcocker]

Killed a pile of squirrels back in the day with a 6 7/8" Mark II target model. God I miss that gun.

[BCgunworks]

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04/18/f0b2df326604d72cfa43aa27b2145cf2.jpg

10mm made at BCG

[lbaize3]

GoodOlBoy, come'on south to Orange county and I will show you a S&W 610, a Witness Match, and a Witness Hunter in 10mm. Heck, I'll even take you to the range and let you shoot all three.
Leonard

[MT Gianni]

Killed a lot of jackrabbits and gophers with a Ruger 22. A few ruffed grouse as well, yes it is legal where I live.

[azrednek]

I've hunted with but never successfully with an AMT 45 auto. During a Javalina hunt I crossed paths with another hunter using a 50 Desert Eagle. In our short conversation he claimed to have taken a deer with it.

[Reaper]

HK USP Elite with 260gr. Speer or 10mm G20 with Lone Wolf barrel. The Speer bullet has been discontinued and the HK leads with plain base boolits. I'm rationing the two boxes I have left. The G20 is an awesome hunting handgun. With the addition of .357 SIG and .40 S&W barrels, you can tailor loads for small to medium game.

[GoodOlBoy]

lbaize3 be careful I might just take ya up on that!

Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to run down a 10mm, I honestly can't remember seeing one in a coons age!

GoodOlBoy

[Hickory]

Had my hands on Dan Wesson 1911 in 10mm the other day, well built & solid gun.
Didn't get a chance to shoot it, but, if I ask I might get the opportunity.

[44man]

10mm, yes, just a .41 mag after all. I would use a semi if I had one. The ACP just needs the right bullet. Smaller---NO.

[NSB]

10mm, yes, just a .41 mag after all. I would use a semi if I had one. The ACP just needs the right bullet. Smaller---NO.
It's a 41mag wanna be. Anything the 10mm can do the 41mag will do better.

[NSB]

I had an original Coonan in 357mag that would shoot five shot groups at 25yds under 1.5" on a regular basis off sandbags. I shot a couple of deer with it but I never found it to be as comfortable to shoot as either my 586 or 686. It just wasn't as versatile being an auto.

[44man]

It's a 41mag wanna be. Anything the 10mm can do the 41mag will do better.
True but it will work. Maybe not as good as a .41 or .44. It has enough power and penetration. But if you know me I love the .44, .475 more and the .500 JRH best since I fixed the boolit.
I would use the 10 way over a .357 in any case.

[Para82]

I own two Glock 10 MM's, a G29SF and a G20SF with 6 inch Lone wolf barrel for hunting. Shot a 5 point couple years ago with the G20 and it worked fine with Win Silvertips.

[Ithaca Gunner]

I do not hunt with a self loading pistol, however my next build may be a .460 Rowland which should be capable of taking most game in the continental U.S.

[44man]

I hunt with SA revolvers and have used DA like the SRH and only once in my life took two shots. SRH but still cocked it for the second. Shot at a buck and he ran past so fast I could not get a lead on him for the second, ran my arm into the tree. I hit the ham and cut the femoral artery but the first shot was through the heart. He folded. Even with a semi, I would cock the gun for the first and a second would rarely be needed. I would depend on the caliber first. One shot.
The worst hunters here are those with semis. Or those the work a bolt as fast. If I was in battle with an M16, the day I dumped a mag of shells would never happen. I would depend on every shot like with an M1. Never spray and pray.
I get a kick over those Muslim creeps holding a gun overhead, over a berm, running full auto. Stick your head over the berm and I will take you out.

[Combat Diver]

During the 90s used to have two Coonan Model Bs. Used them several times hunting hog it Texas or Whitetails in Kentucky.


CD

[Wolfgang]

This is last years deer. I didn't have any time to practice with the wheelguns but I had been shooting my duty gun a whole lot so I had a lot of confidence with it. Springfield 1911-A1 45 ACP with a handload of a 200 grain XTP over Unique. Shot was at a lasered distance of 42 yards quartering away. Had a complete pass through and the deer was DRT.137374137375

[bigboredad]

I would think the .460 Rowland would make a very acceptable hunting tool and a semi could come in handy with a suicidal hog that thought charging one so armed would be a good idea

[happie2shoot]

I own five guns that shoot 10mm, longest is 6.6'', none of them will beat a good 357 in
fps with a 180gr boolit. you have to compare the best loads in both to make it fair.

I also own nineteen 357s.

If you want to see some good data for both here it is.

This is the best factory version for the 357, read the fine print,
''This ammo is safe to shoot in ANY all steel 357 revolver - this includes J frames''

The load I cast is 187gr form and old LBT mold, has a bigger meplat and two crimp groves, I can get
more power from it than the BBore load.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=100

This is 10mm pull downs of factory ammo, some of them has caused
smiles in the glock barrels. not good

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ak5OC6bPsjO8dEh6eGZ3N3hpUU13SXM5cm9pZy16T 0E#gid=6

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ak5OC6bPsjO8dEh6eGZ3N3hpUU13SXM5cm9pZy16T 0E#gid=7

I also have seven guns that shoot hot 45super and rowland loads, they are more powerful than the 10mm.

Try this link.
https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=100

[kf4zht]

Taken a few squirrels with a ruger mkii 22/45 and put a few deer on the side of the road out of their misery with 9mm and 45. Not hard from 10 ft away when they aren't moving

I might consider hunting with one if I practiced at realistic hunting distances enough. Chances are I would take the 357 or 454 though.

[Markbo]

Ruger MK semi auto's in .22, 1911 in .45 ACP limted to smallish game and a purpose built .460 Rowland. .44 mag power in a 1911 package. Whats not to like? I took an Uncle Mike's kydex and modified it to clear a scope or red dot and hold with light attached. It is a little bulky and certainly not elegant looking, but it is a fine, fine tool.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o10/Markbo_photos/460Rowland3.jpg (http://s116.photobucket.com/user/Markbo_photos/media/460Rowland3.jpg.html)

[Good Cheer]

In about '82 I had a Bernadelli .32ACP with a six inch barrel that was a nice meat gun on camping trips.
Used the 313249 with wheel weights, very little powder and ate well.

[44man]

I do not like a .357! Why? Bullet, boolit choices, same as the .41 when it came out. Know friends that hunt deer with the .357 and they lost too many. Wrong bullet.
Nothing wrong with a semi. Even the ACP with the right bullet works.
But I would prefer a DE in .50 AE. At the least a .44 mag. Not to say a 10 will not work, it will be the bullet and load. Deer are not the same as people. Do not shoot deer with carry loads. Shoot deer with deer loads.

[kf4zht]

Ok, now I have to have a 460 Rowland...

Are you guys building dedicated guns or swapping calibers back and forth?

[odfairfaxsub]

I shot a doe a year ago w my 1911. Love me some 45acp

[roverboy]

This is last years deer. I didn't have any time to practice with the wheelguns but I had been shooting my duty gun a whole lot so I had a lot of confidence with it. Springfield 1911-A1 45 ACP with a handload of a 200 grain XTP over Unique. Shot was at a lasered distance of 42 yards quartering away. Had a complete pass through and the deer was DRT.137374137375

Sounds like you got a good load there. A lot of people don't like the .45 ACP much for deer but, the ballistics on paper really don't show it justice. Congratulations.

[jmort]

I have known a couple guys who used .45 acp for deer and it worked well. As for the .357, it works real good for deer so I will respectfully disagree with .44 man on that. I have posted it before, but James Gates, who has for sure, been there, done that, says this

"The Hunter/Shooter that says a properly loaded .357 Magnum is not a viable huntingcartridge for medium game is either uninformed or "has never used one...JCG"
ConclusionI can only hope that I have cleared the air concerning the use of the .357 Magnum onmedium game. There are other considerations like controllability. If you can't shoot well,you can't hit well! Even with a full power heavy castbullet loads, the .357 Magnum's recoil can be controlled well. Is it better than largercaliber? Maybe and maybe not! Again the controllability factor comes into play! Is itcapable of use on wild hogs and deer? Absolutely!James C Gates - Dixie Slugs"

[flyingrhino]

460 Rowland makes a lot of sense for hunting.

I put the 460 Rowland in my Kimber Custom Gold Match. Use it for hogs. I REALLY like it.

[jmort]

^^^ I have no doubt.

[44man]

Never said the .357 was bad, just boolit choices. That has been the only reason I have not hunted deer with one but it is the best for creeps ever made. We have come a long way with cast.

[jmort]

For sure, the majority of .357 bullets are not hunting bullets. And that was the point you made. Makes sense. Gates designed his own WFN .357. A LBT WFN 180 grain .357 would be a good hunting bullet.

[Wolfgang]

Sounds like you got a good load there. A lot of people don't like the .45 ACP much for deer but, the ballistics on paper really don't show it justice. Congratulations.


The gun and load worked well. The normal carry load that I use on duty, 230 grain Gold Dots, would have worked well too I'm sure but I went after a bit more speed and my handload grouped better than the factory loads too. Anytime you can get 200 or more grains of lead scooting along at 900 fps or better and can put it where it needs to be, there will be venison on the table.

[TxPhred]

A Kimber STS II Target in 10mm. Going to try Corbon Bullets for Pigs.

[Markbo]

Ok, now I have to have a 460 Rowland...

Are you guys building dedicated guns or swapping calibers back and forth?

Sorry I didnt see this sooner. Mine is purpose built but Clark sells them as uppers so there is no reason you couldnt have a multi-caliber gun. It is fun to shoot, but it is not pleasant. ;)

[3 gun Gus]

In Penna. you can blast a squirel out of a tree with a semi auto 12 gauge, but not with a semi auto 22LR pistol.

Gus

[jhalcott]

Does a Ruger Mk2 count? I often take one of these 22long rifle handguns for ground hogs near buildings or homes.

[warboar_21]

I have used a Ruger MKII to kill more jack rabbits than I could begin to count. I've also used two 1911's in 45ACP, and one in 10mm to kill Rabbits and ground squirrels. The only medium sized game I have taken with a handgun was a deer taken with a 6" model 66 and a factory loaded 158gr JSP. One shot and it ran a short distance, maybe 25yds if that.

[Ruger45Bisley]

I've got two, 10mm and .45 Super. The .45 Super is a beast with a 250gr XTP @ 1300 fps!

http://i.imgur.com/M0HOX1f.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/XpsQ7Xy.jpg