How many of you just started handgun hunting this year? If you are new at how have you prepared for this comming season? How long did it take you to get proficient enough with your handgun to try hunting with it?

No shame in being a newbee. We all were at some point in time. I will never forget my first handgun deer and would love to hear about each of yours as you succeed this season. reflex264

Here was my first handgun deer. I know its small but to this day it is one of my most exciting hunts. I even had brown hair when I killed it!

I am still pretty new...got a handgun about 10 months ago.

I had shot ccw handguns fairly extensivly so the transition to hunting with a handgun was fairly natural. Thus far I have several hundred rounds through my super blackhawk hunter. To me the biggest thing to remember is the range at which I am able to shoot.

I started late last year, managed to take a doe with my 44. Technically, this season hasn't started yet, so I got less than 12 mos "handgunning" only, but learned quick last year about hunting in thick woods with a scope. After some trial and error, and ALOT of just sitting in different parts of the woods, I ended up with a reflex sight, and have learned to shoot with both eyes open. I've practiced quite a bit, and am confident those very early or last minute bucks won't slip away due to scope blackout this fall. Good luck to all, and a double dose of luck to all us "noobs"! Lol.

This is my first year to go handgun only. I've been to the range at least once a week. I shoot six rounds with my SBHH 44, then six with my Single Six Hunter, both with Ultradots. Over and over. Standing, sitting, kneeling. Three weeks ago started shooting from tree stand at camp. Not going to shoot over 50 yards this season.

I'm new to handgunning this year. Not new to hunting. I bought an encore muzzleloader, which now has a set of pachmyer grips and a 15" 7mm-08 barrel. I haven't done my part with practice, so more than likely I won't actually hunt with it this year. Tough to not use it, but I think it's the right thing. I'm trying to teach my boys (7 and 10) to be ethical hunters, so I need to be an ethical hunter as well.I also got a Ruger Charger to play with, so we'll be getting after the small game too.

HMMMM guess thats me .I am a rookie ... I have 2 thousand plus 22 shells through the 22/45 , 1800 through the glock 21 and 200 through the .44.I practice all positions out to 50yds still knowing my shots will be 25-30 yds max. I will be using my shooting sticks in my blind and in my tree stands .I practice both.Shooting sbh plane old Iron sights......Long shots really wont be an option as I can only see 25 yds in most of my stands as my hunting property is 15 years regrowth from clear cutting ....

New to handgun hunting here this year. Deer season is open but no shot at one with he pistol yet, although I have been out with it. Will hunt again this weekend. Using a FA83 6 inch 44 magnum with a Bushnell variable scope. I have been shooting a long time. I will be using a DIY shooting sticks either from a ground blind or stand. Sighted in a 50 yards and I can put it on a paper plate.

I didn't start hunting until, as an adult, I moved back to PA. I shot my first deer, a doe, with a T/C Contender chambered in 30-30 at about 35 yards. That was 17 years ago. I sold that handgun after hunting that season and have been a rifleman since. However, I recently purchased a G2 in 300 Whisper, worked up a hand load w/ a 125 gr Nosler ballistic tip, and will use it this year. I have been practicing with the .22 LR barrel on the G2 and will switch back to practicing with the 300 Whisper closer to hunting season. My self-imposed limit for this year will be 75 yards. I consider myself a newbie.

Totally new larger game hunter here…at 43! Yeah, I know…! I discovered this great site about a month ago and have been grazing the pages since. Also, saw the post about the Big Bore book and now have that nice work in my possession.

I’ve been playing with this Blackhawk 45 and reloads for several years now and am completely confident with it. I’ve worked my father-in-law property for many years prior to his death… Now the place is up for sale and figure this’ll be my last chance to take a deer here till I get an invite or lease…

Last season, I took a turkey with my Buckmark 22… Clean shot to the head/spine. Also got a coyote with the Blackhawk. Now, the plan is to put some meat in the freezer.

The 45’s action and trigger is all slicked up, throats bored and now mounted with a 2x Burris scope. Lots of practice and now is the time. I’m ready for some action here in Texas…!

-Will

I am new this year, in fact just bought the wheel gun this last month. I have put about 200 rounds through it and was shooting about 3" in groups with iron sights at 30 yards and with a rest, out of the box. I am putting an ultradot on it though as i cannot see well enough now at 53 for the iron sights. I plan on doing as much prep shooting as I can but live in town and we have no range to shoot in. Have to drive a ways to get a place to shoot. I am huntng with a .44 Taurus.

WELCOME all you New B's! You all sound good and on the right track! WTG!

Stick around here and the guys/gals will help you all they can. A lot of good guys/gals and good advice right here on

handgunhunt.com

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... BUT (isn't there usually one of those???)

...then there's me: 'the spoiler.' Believe It Or Not: I'm just trying to help Mr. Gary keep this 'best on the net site for handgun hunters' on track: truthful, factual, and all in between... and... I am not perfect; the only man on earth that was perfect was Jesus...

BION I do and will try and share any and all of my experience as well as inexperience to help my "family" on this site.

Gregg

Hello and Welcome Iron Will,

You are off to a pretty fast start: a turkey and a coyote with a handgun. IMO these are both handgun trophies that are difficult to obtain.

Keep up the good work; and keep us posted!

I have been hunting small game with a S&W 22A for a couple years now but this is my first year to have something larger in my arsenal. As for work I have done, I still have a ways to go, for deer I need to make a bullet choice and need to fine tune my sighting a bit, I won't be using my revovler until January since that is when the antlerless season is here in Kansas and I had already bought my archery tag, as of now I am getting about a 4in group at 30yards and do not plan on shooting any farther than that and shouldn't have too since all my stands are set up for archery hunting within that range. If my indecision on bullet selection keeps at it I may just wait another year.I am pretty new to revovlers and don't want to get too far in before I'm ready its not fair for the game and I would like to have more range time, "perfect practice makes perfect" kind of thing

Cookie you have the right attitude and mindset to do well at this game. You can't hardly go wrong with the Hornady xtp bullet for starters from about 240 grn. on up if your gun likes them. Run them from 1000 fps. on up . I know they are [supposed ]to expand at somewhat slower speeds than that but I prefer to err on the side of caution and push them harder. They are also cheaper to shoot than most of the good, hard cast I have seen.
That will leave you all next year to experiment with other designs while you chomp on deer sandwiches.Good luck all and good hunting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just started about 4 months ago. I am debating on whether to give this years elk hunt a shot ( no pun intended) or stick with the long gun. I may just go for it.

Dewphd, if you decide to go with handguns, leave the rifle at home. I toted a rifle with my handgun a couple times, and it seems you'll always want to pick up the rifle. After I just carried my 44, and no rifle, I got an understanding of handgun hunting, and the different set of challenges, and skills required. Imho, handgunning is alot more fun. Good luck this season, and post up some pics of your handgun successes!

Sound advice. I will post some pics even if the hunt is not successful!

Thanks.

Dewphd, that is good advice from Boot. When I first started handgun hunting, I found that if I also brought a rifle, it was too easy mentally to listen to that little voice in the back of my head that kept saying: "you're gonna screw up, use the rifle." If you have already been using the rifle for hunting, it is a big mental step to actually just trust the handgun only, and it isn't a real easy decision for some.

So if you think you are ready for that big step, leave the long gun at home.

WTF, I am going to go for it! I have been practicing and feel ready. I know it will be a challenge but that is why I hunt. I do not need to kill something to have an enjoyable hunt.

Thanks!

Go get 'em tiger, you got the right mindset.

Been shooting handguns for years and rifle hunting for years just no handgun hunting.....yet. I've done a fair amount of varmint hunting with a 44 Mag over the years, jack rabbits, pd's, carp, etc. Recently moved to north Texas and I want to go pig hunting with my FA83 44. The idea sounds like fun.

I started handgun hunting in 1988 with a 22 LR Contender for squirrels. I took my first deer in 1995 with a Ruger SBH. In 1998 I started handgun hunting exclusively.

I put together a Encore this summer for rock chucks and coyote , then sold a rifle to get another pistol last month , A Ruger super black hawk . but also have a Smith 617 10shot .22 for small game . I am 56 and just started hunting with pistols .

ruger .44 mag



.223 MGM barrel 1/12 , 12''



.22

Just got serious about it this year. Little things so far, rabbits and such. Going to try a whitetail next Sunday. I have a Bisley hunter with a new barrel and a DMAX 454 with a new barrel and new Bisley grip frame that I haven't shot yet. Oh, and there is the Encore 300 Win. Mag and 7-08 that I trade Rod out of.

I'm trying it for the first time this year. All the bowhunters in my club have moved-on to the rifle stands now that firearms season has started, so I'm moving-in behind them on the bow stands with my handgun. much more fun moving lighter and faster !!

I have been hunting since age 9 but I am new to handgun hunting at age 43. I don't know what took me so long to get started in this great sport but here I am. This will be my first season hunting with my handguns. It will be a mid December doe hunt I'm so excited! I"ll be hunting with my 10" barreled ruger super blackhawk and a 6 1/2" barreled new model blackhawk both in.44 mag. I have shot handguns all my adult life so getting proficient with these two was no long process thank goodness. I shoot both of them regularly out too a hundred yards but will restrict my hunting shots to 50 to 75 yds to negate any error on my part like nerves;adrenalin and the list goes on lol. Good luck too all you guys in your endeavors and wish me luck in mine!

I think that one of the appeals in handgun hunting is the convenience. I also believe that there is a lot of appeal in the challenge. It is a bit like bow hunting, you have to get closer, you need to be familiar with your weapon and you need to be committed to practice often to maintain a level of proficiency.

grey owl .. what you described is "effective" range, it is different for all of us. We need to determine what that so we can be the best hunters we can be.