The ultimate handgun hunt?

What, in your eyes, is the ultimate handgun hunt? You know, the one where you open the thread, see the picture, and then you clap your hands, stomp your foot, or say "Shut the front door!". What incredible animal, exotic location, or impossible adventure would it take?

For me, it would be one of the mountain sheep with an iron sighted revolver. To $pend the money, climb the mountains, suffer the elements, and yet cling to the limits of the revolver, would take skills, guts and resolve I don't know that I have.

I want to hear the ideas,dreams and aspirations of others

To be able to bring "my handguns" into Australia and hunt..Water Buffalo, Bantang, Wild Boar, Feral Goat, Rusa and Sambar Deer......Outback Safari...plus, I'd love to catch all the snakes that I'd come across

My dream hunt is a dry ground lion hunt in the desert Southwest. Horseback with a pack of hounds. I'll be toting my .44 special with Barranti holster and El Paso ssddlery belt and cartridge slide.

I have done this hunt three times already. I got a bobcat one year, but never a lion.

I'll try to add pics later

I believe that Africa is still the holy grail. Elephant is number one on my list - with a .500 of some sort, up close and personal.

Monster Muley on a diy backpacking trip.

At this stage of the game - a mountain nyala or markhor would be tops for me.

I assumed your place would be somewhere that was high in the hills!

Siberian tiger.... polar bear.... jaguar.... in that order.....

There are many on my list, but I think the absolute "ultimate" handgun hunt would have to include horses & a pack string, pulling company into a remote mountain tent camp with multiple-species Bull moose, Caribou, sheep & Elk tags (all) in a guys pocket... and at that, to be there as a time unlimited, month long trial of an outing too; the way Elmer, Jack & the men of old used to do it

That be the Ultimate "style" handgun hunt for sure

Coming home at the end with 60" moose, full curl sheep, and a double bez palmated old Bou on the horses hitched in a row behind you ... well, boys .. that be heaven. THAT be the one to pop your eyes out upon opening its thread for reading, with drop your jaw photos and a story with it to last two lifetimes. Guaranteed.

That's what I'm shootin' for 😉 ... SA buckled on in good leather all the way. Nothin in the world better..

Australia

Like Mark, a mtn. nyala would be great, but at my age and $70,000+ I'll settle for this

12 yds., full charge, .416 Taylor Encore. Biggest buzz of my life!!

Mine would be what Major D. B. Wesson did the year the 357Magnum

was introduced. That Summer he killed EVERY species of Big Game

in North America except a Polar Bear using Smith&Wesson's new

357Magnum revolver and cartridge. I remember the story saying he

took 250rds of 158gr swc/gc Remington ammo for the trip. Story

was originally in Argosy magazine 1935/1936.. l read a reprint

of it in the early 70s. lnspired me to buy a S&W 44magnum 8''

revolver for hunting deer..

Old Colt, I like your dream hunt!!!! Makes me rethink mine.

Old Colt, you and Rob could be brothers, my dream hunt would be a monster deer hunt in PA or Ohio, big big Bucks haunt me, i have been pretty fortunate in my tenure as a handgun hunter!

Alaskan brown bear.

Excellent! These are all good answers.

A traditional Big 5 African Safari like they did it 80-100 years ago. Off in the Bush in East Africa for 3 to 6 months with a White hunter and full staff. That would be amazing.

A one on one Elephant or Hippo with the revolver. On land, not in the Water! The 480 with a 420 gr cast would be my gun of choice.

Dick

Wow! some of you guys have some great ones. I am more simple, Probably my would be- Moose, Elk, Caribou and Black Bear.

A black bear is at the top of my list right now.

This!!

I changed my mind, Tradmark's hunt sounds more fun....and longer!

Dick

Saw a percussion ''Howdah'' pistol in a gun shop the other day.

This one was a 20 gauge, or about 60 caliber. l remember reading

about those early black powder, pre cartridge days in Africa. lt

seems the most popular calibers were 2, 4, and 8 bore or gauge.

Remember the ''bore or gauge'' were the diameter of a round ball

in a pound of lead. Now it seems ''four bore'' was considered the

most common General Purpose caliber capable of taking all 'Big 5.'

The ''8 Bore'' was considered capable of only taking the big CATS.

Now an ''8 bore'' doesn't seem too punishing to me. Two ounces

isn't that much more than an ounce & 7/8 high brass 12 Gauge

duck or turkey load these days. But l cant lmagine pulling the

trigger on a FOUR BORE. That's 4 ounces or 1750 GRAINS. Even tho

some of these guns weighed 15-20 pounds, the recoil was simply

BRUTAL. Throw in the smoke from 2 hundred grains of black powder.

l can see why its called DANGEROUS GAME!!

I can imagine shooting a marauding tiger off an elephant's back with that howdah would be pretty epic.

Alaska moose

No doubt and with a high pucker factor!

My brother and I deer hunted for 21 years on a lease on the Chattahoochee River in SW Georgia. The property sold in 2000 and we can no longer hunt there. My ultimate handgun hunt would be one weekend there during the December whitetail rut.

My ultimate hunt would be either elk or red stag. Have no desire to hunt Africa.

My ultimate hunt would be any big game revolver hunt with my friend James who shares a love for handguns and pig eradication.

I'd be content to take a nice bull moose with an iron sighted revolver.

Mine would be similar to Old Colt's, only I don't need as many animals. Taking a pack string back into the Alaskan bush for an open sighted handgun hunt on a bull Moose.

Spending a couple weeks in a wall tent, getting up early to feed and saddle the horses in the dark, and riding out in search of Moose. Calling one in to handgun range... that would be the ultimate. I would use a FA, either the 454 or 475.

Dan

American bison

If you don't mind me asking, why would that be? There is a plethora of game one can hunt there that makes it very much worthwhile from a variety standpoint, not to mention the dangerous game options as well. Just curious.

Red stag is also on my list of desirables. I think Argentina would be a great place to get one.

I guess it never even interested me. Call me crazy.

I?ve never had any desire to hunt Africa either. Too many cool and tasty animals here in the U.S. to hunt.

Also, and I really don?t want to get into a philosophical debate over this but it seems Africa is primarily about the kill for an American. I know all the meat gets used, but unless I?m wrong...we can?t bring the meat back ourselves. For me, it just doesn?t suit me to kill for the sake of only a trophy on the wall.

Cape buffalo with a revolver, or Nile Croc with a single shot JDJ. Going to Africa with a bow this year for plains game, will "check it out". The expense there starts when you pull the trigger. Years ago, Dall with a 257jdj in Alaska would have been great, but after 3 successful rifle sheep hunts, kidding myself if I thought I could do it again. Knees need help.... Tried Gemsbuck in NM with a 358jdj when I drew a tag in White Sands, and almost did it...but they were too skittish, so went to the '06 and got the job done. Best meat you will EVER eat, (and you can't bring any back from Africa)!

I would love to take a Cape Buffalo with a revolver. In Africa, or on a game farm here in America as part of the management of a herd. I saw where a Cape Buffalo herd was being established here in America and the time for a guided management hunt could be in the near future.
I do not like the bugs and such of Africa so an American soil hunt for Cape Buffalo would be great for me.

The hunt that I believe would be most impressive to do with a handgun is definitely a mountain sheep/goat/ibex/etc. with a revolver. Climbing plus stalking plus weather plus altitude means you need to be a hard man (or woman) to do it.

For me, the dream has always been Africa. Of course, if I could take my modern handguns but hunt in the traditional early 20th century style (long hunts, big camps), that would be the dream.

Coming in at a close second would be a free-range bison hunt.

There's a big ranch called the 777 (or Triple 7) near Action Outdoor Adventures of Hondo, Texas (where we conduct the Bovine Bash) that has Cape buffalo to hunt. They are $50,000.00 a head. You can fly to Africa and kill four for that money and have money left over for flights, taxidermy, etc. I hunted South Africa in May and didn't get harassed or bitten by any insects. I cannot say the same thing for Hondo, Texas this last year where mosquitoes and chiggers went to town on many of us. Go to Africa, you will not regret it!

Here's the 777 price list:

https://www.777ranch.com/hunting/pricing/

AFTER 11 AFRICAN SAFARIS, AND NOW @ 74 WITH ONE REPLACED KNEE AND A GIMP OTHER KNEE, SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL AFRICAN HUNTS I WOULD LIKE TO REPEAT, OR NEW HUNTS, ENTAIL MORE WALKING THAN I MAY BE UP TO. I ALWAYS WANTED TO DO A BEAR HUNT OFF A BOAT IN ALASKA, GOOD FOOD, WARM SHOWERS, MAFNIFICENT SCENERY, ..... IF MY WHELLS WERE GOOD, MAYBE AFRICA FOR MORE CAPE BUFFALO, OR AN ELEPHANT, OR A LORD DERBY ELAND, OR .....

Too rich for my blood. Looks like Africa someday. And I will take insect repellent lotion with me. LOL

Hahahahaha! Too rich for my blood as well!

I think some fail to grasp that Africa is an experience to be evaluated in its entirety. The sounds, smells, cultures, terrain, rich game variety, fantastic foods. The experience is a whole lot more than shooting game, and well worth the effort to make it there.

I agree completely! The experience as a whole is to savored.

I would like very much to hunt moose and bear in Alaska.

I'd take having a perfect wind this coming Saturday morning and getting a perfect shot at the nice 10 point I have on camera. Success would be up to me.

But since we're dreaming ... a hunt out West for Mule deer or Elk where the land makes you feel small.

P

Whit, I?m sure it is breathtaking there, and I believe you,i have been asked 3 Times to go, its just not my bag, I prefer to do other hunts, money only goes so far.

I think it really has to be experienced to be understood in its entirety. I don?t deride anyone?s dreams, but you might not know what you?re missing. I will say that it can be remarkably affordable if you do your homework. You can hunt a whole lot of plains game for the price of a trophy whitetail in Texas. There are a lot of myths floating around about Africa and how expensive it is. Oh you can go nuts and spend a lot of money, but you can do the same thing in Alaska.

Gentlemen, here?s hoping your dream hunts are realized!

I'm also on the side of having no desire to hunt Africa. The game doesn't interest me, the terrain, temperature and the culture. I live in the northeast and I would rather immerse myself in western hunts for western game like elk, lion, bobcat, mule deer, bobcat.....in the mountains of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. Or the desert southwest..Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada. On horseback with a pack of hounds or a pack string. Living out of a wall tent cooking over an open fire with Dutch ovens and cast iron while the horses are hobbled outside with the bell on, or tied to the highline.

.44 magnum or .44 special on my hip. Encore pistol in 7mm-08 in my bandidos holster.
Riding in my saddle and even on my own horses!!!!

Listening to the Hounds work a track.


THAT is my dream hunting.

That's a great point. I've never had Africa in my sights to hunt but I think an African Safari would be amazing.

Also, and this has stuck with me for years. A former colleague of mine said this..."Don't go to Africa until you can afford to go back".

And finally, the TOP FIVE reasons to hunt Africa (that really needs no explanation or justification):

Spencer, that's some good choices! Since I've lived here all my life I've been able to live that dream every year but I've always knew how lucky I've been to be able to do it, I've never taken it for granted.
And like Max said, you need to look into Africa before giving up on a Safari, you can do one for plains game & have a great hunt for 3-4-5 animals for what you can pay for one animal in Alaska. Also in Alaska you might not even see that animal but you're still going to pay for it. Not so in Africa.
Just seeing Africa, the people, the sights, the rivers, etc. You can just enjoy the culture & not even hunt for days & have a blast, it's just so different but don't wait too long, it's changing. Nothing like sitting around the Braii at night with friends after a day of hunting & swapping stories in Africa.

Dick

Preach on brother. I couldnt say it better myself! Ive done the alaska and do the elk all the time and love both! I went to africa the first time with gary smith. He told me on the plane. It just smells different. He was right. There was an immediate allure. I felt it when i was young reading capstick. I didnt know how it would infect me until i went the first time. Its hard to put into words home it feels to chase a cape buff and put it down and drive back to camp on the land rover with the unique smells of the foliage and animals with the cool wind nipping your face watching a perfect sunset over the acacia trees. Wondering if you will come across a great representative and get a shot on another animal on your list. Then be back in camp knowing that there could be a leopard or lion watching you walk back to your hut before hitting the sack. Then doing it again for 9 or 10 more days. My cousin went and felt the same way and took a lionness a kudu and an impala all for under 10k counting the flight. Its just something i would implore anyone saving for a hunt to not consider it. Its just hard to equal!

Agreed. There is just something about Africa. Something at the very root of our nature as human beings. It gets in your blood. When you're there you know its where man was designed to be. And when its time to leave, you know you'll be coming back.

I would suggest those of you that have not considered an African hunt to at least give it a look. I hunted the Eastern Cape SA for 8 days, took 6 nice animals and had a fantastic adventure for about the price of an Elk hunt. Like the others have said, it?s an experience well beyond the hunt itself. Check out my 3 stories in the articles section. My PH is a native to South Africa and he made the hunt and adventure of it all a fantastic event for me. The terrain where we were is very similar to the Southwest. I mentioned the mountain terrain and the challenging climbs that we have in the US so he took me on a Warthog hunt to a lost valley that he said he rarely hunts because of the difficulty. It was awesome. All of my animals were spot and stalk with lots of miles walked.

BESIDES ALL THE PRO "HUNT AFRICA" COMMENTS BY SIXSHOT, TRADMARK, WHITWORTH, BILLA AND OTHERS, I WANT TO ADD: 1) THE PH's (USUALLY WHITE) KNOW THEIR STUFF AND USUALLY MAKE YOU HUNT HARDER THAN YOU WANT TO. 2) THE BLACK TRACKERS ARE INCREDIBLE BUSHMEN AND TRACKERS. TO WATCH THEM TRACK IS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE, AND THEIR SENSE OF DIRECTION IS BETTER THAN A GPS. AFTER A 4 OR 5 HOUR MEANDERING HIKE TRACKING, WHEN IT IS TIME TO GO GET THE VEHICHLE, A TRACKER WILL GO BACK TO IT IN A STRAIGHTLINE.

I have no doubt that Africa is amazing. A booking agent came very close to convincing me once. I just can't see a Range Rover taking the place of a fine horse. 😉

Dan

Hahahahaha! But can you see Cape buffalo taking the place of an elk? I can! LOL!

It?s still worth doing, Dan!

Muddy, I'm with you!!!

Guys, that's the thing about Africa, you can do it your way, Land Rover, or on your feet, they will accommodate you. I suppose you could ride a Zebra if you wanted!
My choice was to walk & we walked every single day, right out the front door of the hunting lodge. Myself & Willem, my PH would leave at daylight & head in a new direction because that's how I wanted to hunt. We hunted like that for 14 days, my choice.
Only once did we ever get in a safari truck & that was a night hunt for Spring Hares. That was also the night I had an Aardvark get so close to my side of the truck I almost crapped my chaps, except I wasn't wearing chaps! That day we also drove over to a beyond huge Baobab tree that we could all walk inside! Incredible! To me, shooting from a truck would be like kissing your sister. Now traveling in a safari truck & finding animals & then stalking is very common & really the best way to hunt.
And like Rey said, those trackers! I think they could sort out a single drop of water in a full glass!

Dick

A poor man's Cape Buffalo in America is the American Bison. So that could be an awesome hunt and great meat to eat hunt with one of my big bore revolvers.

I've priced bison and for a true trophy-sized bull, you will have to pay top dollar. More than a water buffalo, but much easier to kill. I wish they were cheaper...

I would classify water buffalo as a poor man's Cape buffalo as they are cantankerous, and similarly built (and usually bigger). If you can find a ranch that offers water buffalo (I know they're not indigenous), it will more approximate a Cape buffalo hunt from a "pucker factor" perspective.

However, bison are American and frankly they taste fantastic. Meat bison are usually priced decently, but they won't have much size to them.

Guys, get your passports in order and book a hunt in Africa, you will not regret it!

I HAVE KILLED AMERICAN BISON ANS WATER BUFFALO (BOTH AT THE YO RANCH IN TEXAS) WITH REVOLVERS, AND 3 CAPE BUFFALO IN ZIMBABWE (ALSO WITH REVOLVERS), AND HAVE TRACKED MANY MORE CAPES, AND BELIEVE ME WHEN I TELL YOU THAT THE ADRENALIN RUSH FROM TRACKING AND SHOOTING DANGEROUS GAME SUCH AS THE CAPE BUFFALO FAR EXCEEDS ANY OTHER BOVINE, DEER OR ANTELOPE HUNT I HAVE EVER BEEN ON. I GO TO ALASKA TO HUNT BEARS, USUALLY SPRING TIME BLACK BEAR OVER BAIT. BLACK BEARS ARE DANGEROUS BUT YOU ARE ALSO HUNTING AMONG THE BROWN BEARS AND I HAVE HAD THEM COME IN WITHIN YARDS OF OUR STAND. THE BROWNS/GRIZZLIES ARE REAL BAD ASSES AND TO BE AROUND THEM GETS MY ADRENALINE GOING. LATELY, IN SOME AREAS, ALASKA HAS ALLOWED THE SHOOTING OF BROWNS/GRIZZLIES OVER BAIT IN THE SPRING. PLANNING TO GO IN MAY AND WILL HAVE AN APPROPRIATE TAG IN HAND FOR WHATEVER BEAR PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY.

I have to readily admit that some of the diciest moments I?ve had hunting bovines were in Hondo, Texas. We?ve had numerous ?incidents? with both Watusi and water buffalo. The most aggressive animal I faced was that blonde water buffalo from the Bash two years ago (ask tradmark about that one). There?s trouble in Texas if you seek it!

You "hit the nail on the head" with that one Rey.... Nothing I`ve experienced compares to what I felt as I made my way through a maze of alders and finding brown bear hair at eye level. Or walking a trail to find a large bedded area and have your guide say "imagine waking that big boy"....Yes... it gets that blood flowing.... I wish you the best of luck on your upcoming hunt...
PS- wish I was going with you

The Texas hunt for transplanted water buffalo sounds like a great plan and your personal experiences would prove that out. The opportunity to do so will be an adventure I look forward to.

Jeff, it?s definitely a worthwhile experience in my humble opinion. Bison is also really attractive to me as the meat is fantastic. I wouldn?t be opposed to a big woolly head on my wall as well!! Also fantastic!

All of the hunts mentioned here sound great. Where to begin?!?

This is a fun thread! lots of cool hunts, and some re-occuring themes it seems.

Just to piggy back on what many have stated already, Africa is an amazing experience in itself. I am lucky enough to have been to Tanzania (didn't get to hunt) and the landscape, people, culture, and creatures are all spectacular.

That being said, I would love to go back with my FA 454 in hand, and if I am dreaming big, do a 21 day safari in Mozambique or Tanzania in some of the old school real "wild" locations left on the Dark continent.

Equally as exciting and dream worthy for me would be to do a 21 day "safari" in Alaska (or Canada if we're dreaming!) and hunt moose, caribou, black bear, grizzly,and dall sheep.

I wild, fair chase bison someday would be amazing too

All of this sounds great to me!

A great discussion. Many wonderful hunts mentioned. Perhaps this shows that there really are no ?bad? hunts. One of each please !!!

true, but lions, cape buff, leopards, rhinos, and as on one of my safaris, agressive hippos a few miles from water dont kill land rovers so i think that may have something to do with their choice of hunting transportation 😁

Yup, it?s a beautifully hostile place! That?s what makes it so appealing.

How I wish I could hunt one of these big cats with a handgun

THERE WAS A RESTAURANT ACROSS THE RIVER IN MEXICO THAT HAD A HUGE FULL SIZE MOUNTED JAGUAR. JAGUARS EXIST DOWN SOUTH NOT EVEN 100 MILES FROM BROWNSVILLE. WITH BALLS AND MONEY YOU CAN STILL HUNT THEM (ILLEGALLY) BUT THEN YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THEM. THE LAST JAGUAR IN THE U.S. WAS KILLED SHORTLY AFTER WW II ABOUT 20 MILES FROM BROWNSVILLE.

might have the balls but I don`t have the money

JAMES: "THE BALLS" IS A REFERENCE TO THE VENUE OF THE HUNT AS PARTS OF TAMAULIPAS CAN BE REALLY DANGEROUS, AND THE "UNDERGROUND" NATURE OF THE NON-SANCTIONED HUNT, AND NOT JUST THE DANGER IN HUNTING ANY OF THE BIG CATS. THERE WERE SOME TEXAS LION HUNTERS THAT RAN DOGS AND WERE RUMORED TO BE HUNTING JAGUAR IN SOUTH AMERICA, AND EVEN SNOW LEOPARD IN THE HIMALAYAS.

I see what you mean Rey... mine aren't that big....

Aw, come on James, you only live once & with that accent they would think you were part of a South American cartel anyway!!

Dick

Only a guy from Idaho could come up with that

Alaskan Moose for me. I've got elk, black bear, deer, turkeys, marmots, and some other stuff, but never hunted moose. Gun would be my FA .454. I like hunting with revolvers. I do use a Vortex Viper as I can't see open sights to well anymore.

Another critter I love to get a shot at...

Africa handgun hunt for me

By the way...I have hunted all over North America, with bow, handgun, and rifle, but my African trip (page 4 of this thread) was courtesy of a raffle at an outdoor show! You can also pick up good deals at many of the Elk Foundation banquets, Sheep foundation, and Safari Club, at some of the auctions. My hunt was free for 3 animals, so I extended it to 10 days, 5 animals, as well as taking one of my sons (who paid for his own animals after 3....man, he loved it, and had it "in the budget"...! So, it can be done, and with the cost of hunts in the US now, it can be reasonable. JUST DON'T FLY THROUGH THE NETHERLANDS WITH GUNS....CAN BE A BIG PROBLEM. We flew direct to Africa, which can be done via New York or Atlanta easily.

Pretty much anything in Africa or Alaska.

James what is that??

Spot and stalk pronghorn antelope with my 475 Linebaugh.

Ross Seyfried loved to hunt the speed goat of the prairie.

8 or 10 pt south texas deer over 20 inches wide with short horns with my 460,black bear over bait with the Stealth Hunter and mountain lion with my 610

Black bear and mountain lion with hounds for me. Probably too old and fat to keep up now but I like tracking and hunting over hounds.

Gun choice wouldn't matter so much but probably my 629 PC .44 magnum or the FA .454.

A wolf

A pig hunt from a blind (during daylight hours)where they just keep coming all day and you can keep shootin all day!

I?d have to say, an Alaskan Brown Bear hunt and an African Plains Game with a Cape Buff thrown in. That doesn?t seem to be asking for too much! 😉 memtb

I agree

I want one more trip to Africa for hyena, eland, nyala and maybe a cape buffalo or a croc. A moose in Alaska would be awesome too. But my ultimate is making Christmas hunts to the YO with my wife, daughters, son-in-laws and grandkids! Nothing finer than watching them get the passion.

My dream is a Cape Buffalo fair chase in Africa with my 5 inch 460 Smith and Wesson magnum and Buffalo Bore Dangerous Game loads. And one more with my 6.5 inch 500 Smith and Wesson loaded with the same Buffalo Bore Dangerous Game factory loads. I would carry my model 329 PD loaded also with 260 grain Buffalo Bore Dangerous Game loads as back-up.

My dream hunt is a Squirrel hunt in the morning and a deer or pig hunt in the evening. I would use my Contender 10 inch barrels in 22LR /44Mag. I?m am looking into going at the end of this year. I retire from working for the U.S. Air Force after 40 years and this will be my retirement gift to myself. I?m thinking Texas or Missouri.

One more hunt with my dad. I wouldn't care where or what for.

One more deer or squirrel hunt with my dad would be great too.