This is my second year of chasing deer, in hopes of getting my first deer with a handgun. I've been hunting with handguns for over 30 years, but never gave a thought to hunting deer with one. I figured that I've killed nearly everything else with a handgun, so why not a deer. Plus, I've killed deer with everything except a handgun.

I was standing just inside the woods, looking across a ravine and listening. After hearing several shots in the distance, I see a buck and 3 does walking along the south edge, traveling west. Suddenly, they spook, decide to back-track and come into the woods with me. They didn't seem to be interested in crossing the ravine, so as they walked by I rested my .44 Mag. Ruger Super Redhawk on a sapling. The buck hesitated, I settled the red dot on his shoulder and squeezed the trigger.

At the recoil the buck walked off, while the does ran off to the east and this was at 9:10 a.m. I wasn't totally sure I'd hit him, even though the shot felt good. I waited 10 minutes and decided to slowly cross the ravine and check for blood. No blood, but I noticed the does running off, while the buck was bedding down. I crept one foot at a time, toward him, while he got up and bedded back down 5x...over the next 2 hours. I closed the distance from 80 yards to 40 yards.

Around 11:00 he got up and bedded on the other side of some blown down trees. I kept creeping closer, one foot at a time and by 12:15 he'd stood up and laid back down for the 7th time. The last time was in his 5th bed, facing to my right, while his chest was toward me. There was the shot that I'd been waiting to present itself. He looked my way, while I leaned against a sapling for a rest, settled the red dot on his brisket at 40 yards and squeezed the trigger.

When the Ruger recoiled, the buck rocked onto his back and I ran up to him. He attempted to get up and was throwing his rack at me...I was 10 feet from him. I gave him a second to settle, he moved his head away from his vitals and I shot him through the lungs. I'm getting him mounted in a "sneak mount", but it wont' be back until April.
I'll never forget this hunt with a handgun.





Bowhunter57

Congratulations Bowhunter! Had you hit him the 1st shot?

That's what I'm talkin' about! Congrats!

Nice buck!

Nice buck. Congrats.

Nothing like you're first handgun kill. It gets habit forming. My last deer kill, #2166 with handgun, was just as exciting as #1.

Awesome, congrats!

Good looking buck & congrats!

Bowhunter - congratulations on your first of many!!

Congratulations on the harvest! Nice deer.

Congrats on a nice buck.

He"s a dandy.

Nice buck!

Jeff686,
Thank you and yes, I hit him in where I was aiming...on the shoulder. His left leg and shoulder was busted up pretty good, but the shot was just enough too far forward that no vitals were hit.

I'm going to try some Hornady XTP 240gr. JHP bullets...or something similar, next year.

Bowhunter57

Congratulations nice buck

Congratulations on your first deer with a handgun. I just got my first deer with a handgun last weekend, and I can't wait to hit the woods again this weekend.

Hey Bowhunter, what ammo were you using when you took the buck? I too hunt with a Ruger 44, and always seem to enjoy ammo performance reports, be they good or bad.

Congrats on a fine starter!

Boot,
The "ammo" would be my own reloads that I've put together. A 240gr. hard cast SWC with 19.0 gr. of 2400, that produce a 1" group at 50 yards. Great accuracy, but I'm not impressed with the lack of killing power, compared to jacketed hollow point bullets.

I have several hunting buddies that have killed deer with 240gr. JHP bullets and are reporting much quicker kills. I will be changing to a JHP bullet, for next year.

Bowhunter57

Congrats bowhunter57! I really like the Ruger Super Redhawk in all flavors!