What is a good pistol for hunting Whitetail Deer

[Dale Wilkewitz]

I am thinking about switching to a pistol for hunting Whitetail Deer and am wondering what is a good pistol to use for this.

 

[buckey01]

All I can tell you is what is legal in Iowa for whitetails. The handgun must be a .357 magnum of larger, using an expanding-type bullet. The barrel must be 4 inches or longer. The few times that I hunted with a handgun I used my Ruger Red Hawk .44 magnum with hollow point ammo.

 

[Almost_Blameless]

Although you may be able to use .357mag, the real difference 'tween the .357 & 44mag is huge.

Take a look at the two following links/charts ... obviously the .44mag is the energy master between the two.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=20

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=232

I do NOT intend to say that the .357 mag isn't good enough for hunting, it is VERY capable... .44 mag is just the better choice in my view. The .44mag WILL be a heavier recoiling gun, so, the heavier the gun, the milder the felt recoil. The .357 mag will be milder all over.

As for which gun? Ruger makes a couple S.A. hunter models in .44mag, and each is a really nice hunting weapon...

Ruger® New Model Super Blackhawk® Hunter Single-Action Revolver Models

Ruger® New Model Super Blackhawk® Bisley? Hunter Single-Action Revolver Models

Both S&W and Ruger make fine double action revolvers with 6" BBLs that will also make fine hunters, but I always preferred the S.A.'s for hunters...

Good luck with your choices!!

 

[Stengun]

Howdy,

I use a Ruger Super Redhawk .454 Casull with Winchester Supreme 250gr Partition ammo.

This load makes a .44 Mag look like a popgun.

Paul

 

[JohnD13]

My personal favorite is a Blackhawk, 6.5 inch barrel, in .41 magnum, second favorite is a Redhawk, 5 inch barrel, in .44 magnum

 

[jfisch]

You might find some answers in the Hunting section of the forums: Hunting

 

[Almost_Blameless]

Howdy,

I use a Ruger Super Redhawk .454 Casull with Winchester Supreme 250gr Partition ammo.

This load makes a .44 Mag look like a popgun.

Paul

Yikes! I saw a fella shooting that caliber, I think it was a Magnum Research BFR i8n 454....anyhow, when that thing discharged, a very noticable shock wave raised the dirt/dust from the ground for a few yards in front of it.... the recoil was 'noticable' too...lol... and YES, it would make a .44mag look like a popgun!

 

[wolf_fire]

You might find some answers in the Hunting section of the forums: Hunting

You're as helpful as teats on a bull.

 

[cwm1611]

What folks with real whitetail (Penn, Ks, Iowa, etc) don't realize is that the whitetail in Fl are about like antlered German Shepherds. Probably won't take as much as a .41 or .44 to drop them. 185 pounds is the state record -- 70-100 is most common.

 

[jfisch]

You're as helpful as teats on a bull.

It was my way of politely suggesting this was posted in the wrong section.

 

[usmeu25]

I use the Thompson Contender. Origanally it was chambered in .35 Rem ,but after many misfires, and sent back to Thompson several times for head spacing problems. I had it re-chambered to .356 Winchester Now, I wouldn't use any other Handgun for Deer Hunting

Sent from my AT300SE using Tapatalk 4

 

[NavyLCDR]

I would say S&W .460. It's also more versatile because you can shoot .45 Colt and .454 Casull with it. Just make sure and clean the cylinders well after shooting the shorter rounds.