I'm going to develop a proposed handgun hunting course for professional hunters and I would value input from the folks here.

I have a 10 minute list of items but I'm sure you guys will think of things I haven't. If you want to contribute send me a topic and a couple of sentences describing the idea / key points that should be conveyed / taught.

The audience are the professional hunters in Namibia who have expensive experience with rifles and probably personal handguns but not hunting with them.

Go for it!

Gary

Just because I hunt with a handgun does NOT mean I have to be 10' away to hit EXACTLY where I am aiming.

That thought process from rifle hunters chaps my arse!!!

This probably isn't the kind of stuff you are referring to, but it was the first thing in my mind, so I said it.

This is part of the reason for the PH training course. A common question from a guide / outfitter /ph is, "how far can you hit something with that", almost in those exact words. What they really should ask is how far are you comfortable shooting and do you use sticks? The answer will be somewhat different for every hunter and if they don't qualify it, then it's a very dubious answer to an open ended question.

In 2001 I achieved a gold medal in the mens compound devision while shooting for the University of Texas. I currently hunt with a 4&5/8 inch Ruger Blackhawk chambered in .41 magnum as I have never seen a bow that could, or would, duplicate the game taking performance at ranges over 50 yards and beyond that the .41 magnum provides. It is inconceivable to me that, under any circumstances, a bow should be judged a sufficient hunting utensil and a modern hunting handgun, in a moderate calibre be deemed unfit to take game.

Gary when I was headed to RSA in 1999 (which got cancealed do to health reasons) the biggest concern they had was if the handgun was powerful enough to kill game such as kudu or zebra. I assured them that it would take elk or moose and even a big bear they agreed to let me handgun hunt. Basicaly they just hadn't seen a powerful handgun at work.

The effective range issue also came up. I told them I would limit my shots to 100 meters at which distance I would shoot a elk. I also voluntered to take them to the shooting range and show them how effective the gun could be. They were going to be in the US for a few weeks. They were going to take me up on it but something came up and we never got to do it. Hope this helps. reflex264

Most people refer to and think of a handgun as a defensive tool for self preservation of sorts. I can not count the number of times I have read that in combat situations the only thing a handgun is good for is fighting the persons way to a rifle. That sort of thinking has spread over time and people that have never even considered a handgun as a viable hunting tool maintain that mind set.

In a nutshell most people have not been properly introduced to the uses of a proper handgun loaded with proper ammunition in the hands of someone dedicated enough to learn how to use it.

It is hard to wash away these preconceived notions and with most people they have to be shown. I know when I first started hunting with Handguns in 1982 no one in my part of the country believed they were a viable tool and in fact had to be shown.

To my mind the biggest quality a dedicated handgun hunter can possess is dedication. By that I mean that they can not be like the majority of hunters out there that are not gun nuts so to speak and only shoot a couple rounds per year to verify their zero prior to hunting season. To me handgun hunting requires dedication to not only ones skill level but using the right cartridge and load for the task at hand.

Didn't mean to ramble on but just a few thoughts.

Larry

Gary,

No experience with Africa here, but I have seen enough videos of rifle hunters before dangerous game hunts to know that many Ph's run the client to the range when they arrive to check zero. I suspect that most are assessing the ability of the hunter for range as well. I know ammo quantities imported tend to the low side, but this seems like a reasonable step.

Craig

If a person is going to hunt with a handgun here or in Africa, we owe it to ourselves and the game we hunt to be as proficiant with that gun as possible. Know your limitations and stick to them, but work to improve them, [put in the range time] That PH has every right to ask how good you are and at what distance, he is the one that has to follows up wounded game,and protect your a** and his. Be brutaly honest with yourself and the PH on your abilitys. It is an expensive trip and anyone who goes and does not put in the time to know their guns [inside and out] and their abilities is asking for trouble. J.M.H.O. With my open sighted revolvers 70 yds and in off a good rest, with scoped [straight wall case ] guns 100 to 125 off a damn good rest depending on conditions. JMHO

Hey Gary. I have heard from Merina Lamprecht and Namibia sounds hopeful. Have you heard any more on the progress of the new rules? reflex264

I have always looked at the 458winmag at 100yds compared to my handgun load at five yards.Then on game I say if that bear is 100yds from my handgun would I feel just as well trying to take him at 300yds with the 458wm as far as power goes and both guns a for sure on target good hit.Just threw out the numbers but you get the idea for range/power TKO.

A few points working on the basis that the PHs already know about hunting but have little specific knowledge about hunting with handguns.
i. Hunting handgun configurations: Big Bore Revolver vs Bolt Actions vs Single Shots.
ii. Sighting systems: Partridge/ghost ring/red-dot/scope
iii. Hunting cartridges: Straight wall vs Bottle neck. Heavy low velocity vs light high velocity. Terminal effects. Velocities typical to cartridge types and barrel lengths.
iv. Projectile types: Hard Cast/Jacketed Hollow Points/ Mono-metal etc. Strengths and weaknesses of each type.
v. Trajectory implications relative to choice of handgun and cartridge selection. Implications for engagement range and terminal effect. (More significant for handgunners than rifle shooters)
vi. Shooting positions and aids. Different field positions and improvised supports. Use of sticks. Effect on group position when using rests. Importance of maintaining the same grip irrespective of position or support.
vii. Carry methods: Holsters, slings, packs etc. Holster materials and safety. Noise issues. When to have the handgun in hand vs when to be holstered.