Sad news

Handgun Hunters International and the Sixgunner newspaper have ceased as of this last issue. JDJones made the front page announcement. I knew, as JD said, that TRUE handgun hunters are declining. So fellows keep the handloads rolling and your sights sharp because your the last of our kind..... It really sucked writing this post....
PS- As JD says in the issue there are a lot of people who talk the talk. So true....

Sad to hear.. As I await this months issue to arrive.

WOW. I thought our numbers were on the way up. New people keep showing up on this forum on a pretty regular basis. Guess it means I need to step up my part in getting new people started with handguns. Seems like once ya get someone started, there's no looking back. Some fizzle out after the first trip or two to the range, but the ones that really have it in them, you can tell right away.

Thanks for sharing this James. Hopefully it will be motivation to all of us.

I couldn't believe it when I saw my issue today. I will cherish every issue I have accumulated over the years.

It"s a sign of the times, we are a minority,a very small one, the hayday of the late 70" and 80"s is over, to the guy"s that promote this sport, I applaud you, a big thanks to the few guy"s putting the positive spin on handgun hunting, to this day, I can"t believe the people that say to me, YOU HUNT WITH A HANDGUN!!!

I hear this a lot too. I imagine all of us do. But any time I get a chance to talk about hunting with handguns, I take it. And I ALWAYS get that response, or something very similar. I try to turn the "shock value" of it into an invitation to go to the range so they can see what our guns are capable of. Most of the time, they are pretty interested. A few end up going to the range with me, and a few of those have gone on to get their concealed carry license. Only a couple have actually gone on to hunt with a handgun. But it's a start!!

Sad to hear about HHI..0n a more positive note l will say locally IHMSA is alive and well here on the Ga/SC
border...From Augusta l shoot 3 matches a month...
First, second, and fourth Sat..Gainesville Ga,
Patrick, SC and Lincolnton Ga...Numbers are increasing with
younger shooters joining too..Quite a few handgun Hunters in our
midst. Come join US...Short of shooting REAL animals,,Nothing like hearing and seeing those STEEL critters CLANG and fall out to 200 meters

This is sad news as it is one of the few publications that I read cover to cover the minute it gets in. Mine will be in the mail today I hope.

PH

Sad news indeed James...keep the torches lit, fellas.

Hopefully someone will pick up the baton and continue the tradition of the printed word, but Handgun Hunting stories will live on here as many of the stories I read in recent years in the Sixgunner were first recounted here...

I was a charter member of HHI and have written hundreds of stories since 10/79. The club helped make me the hunter I am, plus I got the bonus of developing a close and great relationship with JD. He deserves all our respect for putting handgun hunting "on the map".

. Says it all

Well said Dur...

The amount of response to this topic tells me so much about MY future....

That is a shame. I was never a member, but still find it sad that such a bedrock of handgun hunting go away. Hunting in general is on the downtrend, at least around here, so handgun hunting being a minority of a minority gets a double tap of smackdown.

I also was greeted with the "where is your real deer gun" mentality when I first showed up at camp with only a Contender 7-30 and Ruger 45. I still get funny looks from newbies that show up from time to time. I will never go back to the long gun.

I have passed the handgun bug down to my daughter and eldest granddaughter, but not sure if either will ever hunt with one or hunt at all. I will try.

This is why we need to try to introduce as many people as we can to specialty pistols and big bore handguns. Heck, I've even contemplated joining some other generic hunting forums just so I can discuss handgun hunting with people who might not have ever heard of it (unfortunately, I feel my low kill count wouldn't give me that much credibility).

I became a member in Oct 1986 and have every issue stashed away in my closet. I have gleaned the articles over the years for their load data and cartridge performance on game animals. I will miss Doc Rogers thorough reports on hogs and deer that he has taken with various firearms and cartridges. I would like to say thanks to JD for everything he's done for handgun hunting and for the awesome hand cannons he creates. Thanks to all of you on this forum that have contributed to the "Sixgunner" over the years. HHI may be no longer, but I will help carry on the tradition of hunting with a handgun by encouraging my three sons to accept the challenge.

Endeavor to persevere

You don't need a lot of credibility Chance. I haven't taken a lot of big game with a handgun either. Get them started on small game, and the rest will take care of itself. That's what I have found to work for me with guys that I have gotten started anyway.

I'm taking a break from the revolvers this season so I can try a flintlock. I'll still have a handgun with me, but if I get a shot with a flintlock, I'm gonna take it. If the shot is SUPER close, and I can't move the long flintlock into position without getting busted, I'm gonna use my Springfield XD-M. I've wanted to take a big game animal with a handgun other than a revolver, so the XD-M will get the first crack at it. I don't think I'll ever shoot a center fire rifle again as far as hunting purposes go. I'll always have a handgun of some sort on my side. I might be using a flintlock now and then, but the handguns are pretty special to me.

Don't give up before ya start! I'd say if you feel like you can talk with some people in a different forum, then go for it! If nothing else, if ya don't feel confident talking with them, refer them to this site, and they can browse around for themselves. I think it's a great idea you have!

Guys, Gregg posted a new thread about HHI and Sixgunner. I don't think he knew this one was already going. In his post, he made a statement that reminded me of something. I replied in his thread, but in case you guys don't read that thread because of seeing it here first, I wanted to say it here also.

Gregg raised the point that we are few in numbers, and need to stick together. It reminded me of this:

Falconry is in the same boat as handgun hunting. There aren't a lot of falconers out there. Most of you probably don't know anyone other than me that does it. Nation wide, I think there are less than 5000 licensed individuals, and I'd be willing to bet that there are only about half of those that are actually practicing. But my point is this: Falconry has been around between three and four thousand years, depending on who you talk to. (The earliest records show falcons being given as gifts in Ancient China.) But there are still people doing it today. There may not be a lot of us, but the drive for falconry will always be there for some of us. Same with handgun hunting. I don't believe it will ever go away. There will always be those that think like us. There will always be someone hunting with a handgun, somewhere. Falconry has never had huge numbers of participants, and perhaps handgun hunting never will either. But in my opinion, the reason for both sports not having high numbers, is because it isn't easy. If it were easy, our numbers, both falconers and handgun hunters, would be equal to those hunting with a rifle. This stuff isn't for everyone. But because of those of us that crave it, and can't live without it, it will never die.

We may have lost a publication, but we have not lost who we are.

You are right Raptor, didn't know this was already going.

We have lost a publication but also an identity almost like a brotherhood.

JD and SSK Industries are still going strong and will still sell you that custom barrel or build you that awesome hand cannon.

Yeah, I figured there was more than just a publication to it. But oddly enough, I hadn't heard of it. I've been on this sight for several years, and never heard of it, or at least don't recall it. Had I known about it, I would have joined for sure. Sounds like it certainly served a purpose, and had great members.

For guys like me who are just starting out in the handgun hunting world this is a blow, a loss of information and experince from seasoned hunters that we could have benefited from.

Don't take what I am about to say wrong, but I am surprised that HHI stayed afloat as long as it did. Younger people prefer to get their information from the internet, a newsletter, like a magazine is on the endangered species list, but without the benefit of protection to keep them from extinction. Harris Publications folded a couple of months ago, and the magazine industry as a whole is taking a drubbing. Why? Because of the internet. Folks somehow prefer to get their information from un-vetted sources. This doesn't mean that handgun hunting is somehow getting less popular, it just means younger folks are looking for information from other sources.

I have spent my career promoting my agenda -- handgun hunting -- and can tell you that in the magazines that I do get published, the articles are met with a lot of positive input. I remain optimistic, but we have to look at other types of media now to get information out.

i.e. THIS WEBSITE!!!

I've only been handgun hunting a few years, but this website is working. It is where I got all my information the first couple years I started. That, and from a few of its members through phone conversations and emails.

It's like they say in the business world-- If you don't have a website, you're already dead in the water. We have a website thanks to Dan, and I believe it is working.

This^^^^^

Well said and to the point....

That print media is drying up means that there is less work available for me. So, this saddens me on a number of fronts. That said, we really need to embrace new technologies.

Whit, If I have to take up a collection we will make sure your printed word stay`s available to our people.....

Thanks for the compliment, James! NRA's American Hunter still indulges my handgun hunting agenda and I have a couple of bold multipart pieces coming up that will be both in the printed magazine and the website. So stay tuned. On that note, if you are a gun owner and a handgun hunter, and you are not a member of the NRA, you need to change that as soon as humanly possible for a whole slew of reasons I shouldn't have to explain to you, the least of which is that you can get American Hunter magazine.

All thuough I get some information on the internet I prefer the feel of a good book in my hands.The information is then available to me at any time .With the internet the information can be here today and gone forever tommorow. An E.M.P. burst could right now ruin our society as we know it.Our society would be set back 100 years in a micro second because we depend so much on modern tecnology and computers. So give me a good book,something cold to sip on and a quiet place to rest and read and I am content. J.M.H.O.

I agree, I'm just saying that the younger folks don't rely on vetted, printed information anymore and instead prefer to wade through endless amounts of BS on the internet. That said, if we are to pull more into the fold, we need to embrace technology as well. I still prefer a printed magazine and a book to a website -- easier to take to the bathroom!

Yup, I'm a book freak as well. I've got a library of books on a few different hobbies that I have. Oddly enough, nothing on handguns. I've preferred to get my information from research on this site, and using the "search" function. I guess as far as handgun hunting goes, this website is my "book".

So you just admitted that you don't have any of my books. I'm devastated!😀

You write stuff????

HAHA!!! No, I meant hardbound books. I do have the Big Bore Revolver book.

My Ruger book is a hardback.......

I could, resist, but I just didn't want to...

Haha!

I have both books and am looking for more on the subject.

Hope you all have a great Independence Day weekend!

New one coming out in the fall about hunting revolvers.

COOL!

I seriously didn't know ya had a Ruger book! Oops!!!

James, just read this. Wow, sad time for sure. I still have all the copies I ever received. JD did my first custom handgun I own. And several of my contenders. I am doing my best to recruit more hand gunners. Been pretty successful so far. My daughter has become a fair handguner. Hoping she bags her first deer this year with her 357. Going to have some custom work done on it for her after the season is over. Keep the tech lit gentlemen.

Good to hear!!!

Havent checked my mail box. in a week Sad news indeed. I my self had hoped to grace the pages of The Sixgunner some day. but with 3 kids and limited time to hunt I was not able to make it happen. I look forward to reading the last issue tomorrow on my day off.

I don't think there is a decrease in the amount of hand gun hunters. There may be a decrease in the number of customers he deals with. Personally I have introduced several hunters to our sport and am working on some more. I think hand-gunning is safe.

It was indeed sad news to read about the end of HHI and the Sixgunner. It is even sadder to read the comments on the HG hunting and shooting sites like "I always meant to join, but never did" or "I always wanted to write a story and have it published, but I was too busy". No offense intended to anyone, but this is an object lesson that failure to act can have unpleasant consequences. Hopefully, that will not be the case in the upcoming election.

Unfortunately, we saw the signs and knew that this was coming. I remember joining HHI in 1997, I absolutely loved reading about all the handgun hunts in The Sixgunner. I will miss it, but hell, I miss all the magazines and books about handgun hunting

I haven't been online much in months so this is the first I've heard of this. That's too bad. I'll take some blame in this. I was an HHI member for a while and let my membership lapse. Around that time issues of the Sixgunner were pretty small so I didn't feel like I was getting as much as I used to. The magazine was member driven and I never tried contributing an article either so I'll take a little more blame. Its one of those things you take for granted assuming its always going to be there.



I applaud your effort to get people involved in handgun hunting. I do think numbers are down in all methods of hunting that increase the challenge/difficulty of hunting. I do not hunt exclusively with handguns. I enjoy hunting with traditional muzzleloaders (both flintlock and cappers) and traditional archery (longbows/recurves). I even hunted rifle season a couple years ago with a scoped 375JDJ carbine.

I've introduced quite a few people to handguns, traditional muzzleloaders and traditional archery. They always have fun shooting them but if they decide to pursue hunting opt for scoped inlines, compound bows or scoped rifles. This is not meant to insult anyone who hunts with any of those weapons (myself included on the recent use of a scoped rifle) hopefully I can explain my point.

The impression I usually get is that they like the idea of a challenge but they don't want to put the effort into developing the skill it takes to become proficient with them. They aren't willing to pass on shots that are outside the limitations of those weapons. It seems that success at all costs is the name of the game now. I think hunting shows on TV are partly responsible for this. Years ago it seemed like these shows tried to show ethical behavior and shots. When I dumped those channels about a year ago it was not unusual to see people taking "hail marry" shots at game and admitting it. I did a post here about a show "Meet the McMillans" that was the last straw for me. I see a lot of younger hunters today that mimic this behavior. They would rather risk wounding an animal with an iffy shot and losing it than passing on a bad shot. Being able to get their hands on that animal and getting a "hero" pic to brag about is all that matters.

Now that people are mad at me about my inline/compound comments let me explain. I have nothing against either of these weapons. The problem comes when people start turning them into long range weapons. Muzzleloading and archery seasons were meant to be primitive seasons. In many states they take place during the elk rut, etc when animals are often very active and easier to stalk within close range of.

I'm not a snob with the weapons I choose to hunt with. I would rather someone use a weapon they are comfortable and proficient with. The problem comes when those primitive weapons are turned into "long range" weapons. I've seen people on TV and know a couple guys who take 100+ yard shots on game with compound bows. Even if a shot was perfect at release, the animal can easily take a couple steps by the time the arrow reaches it resulting in a gut or rear ham shot. Just because they can do it on the range doesn't mean its a good idea on game. The same is true for people using pelleted sabots and optics to make a muzzleloader equal to a scoped centerfire rifle. People want the luxury of hunting additional seasons but don't want to accept the limitations and the challenge of "short range weapons".

Sorry for a long drawn out rant!

"The impression I usually get is that they like the idea of a challenge but they don't want to put the effort into developing the skill it takes to become proficient with them".

pab, I`ve seen the same..... This is why I end my post with:
"Handgun hunters HAVE to be good".........

Yup. And if someone is too lazy to get proficient, they should find a new hobby like needle point or basket weaving.

I don't have a problem with folks using whatever is legal for that state/hunting season.
I don't have a problem of whether they kill at short medium or at distance.
The only problem I have is when someone isn't proficient or safe at what they are using and at the distance they are using it at.

yeah....or use a rifle!

Agreed!