I've been bouncing this around in my head for a while now. I've been think about game harvesting with a handgun, and what's the average distance most mid sized game are taken at. I know that the distance will vary, depending on terrain, and location you hunt. But I think this could be a very helpful thread to folks who are either new to this sport, or plan to hunt in a unfamiliar areas.
This year I have decided to hunt with an open sighted revolver, and my effective range is about 30yrds. I hunt I'm NY, so the cover can be heavy at time, limiting the distance you can shoot.
As you reply back to this thread. I ask that you give the type of firearm you plan to hunt with, scoped or not, and the terrain you hunt on. Along with the distance you plan to shoot EFFECTIVELY at. Please don't brag or exaggerate, we all know how hunters/fishermen can stretch the truth.
I hope this thread can give us all a little insight into our fellow handguns hunters homeland, and the challenges they face in the pursuit of game. .

15" TC Encore, .460S&W Magnum scoped with a 2x Nikon.

I'm in south Arkansas river bottoms with shots being held to 100 yards and less. I'm also a bowhunter so I like getting close--within 50 yards-- and can see myself using this handgun on the bow stand as well.

Thank JB, I'm right there with you brother. I've always loved archery, and have harvested many of game with it.
It always fascinated me that the average bow kill is only 13yrds. I honestly believe that's what drew many of us into handgun hunting, the challenge of getting close.

I live just a bit north of where the Ozarks begin,as the saying goes "where the prairie meets the hills" rolling hills covered in hardwoods with occasional small open pastures. most of my hunting is for small game, squirrels and a few whistle pigs with my Taurus .22 revolvers topped with Simmons reddots. most shots are well under 25 yards. I deer hunt in the same terrain with shots out to 75-100 yards usually less 50-60 yards. my go to firearm for deer is my .44 Raging Bull topped with a BSA 2-7x32 scope but this year I will be using my recently acquired Redhawk Hunter with a Millett reddot. my grandson will be using a GP100 with an Ultradot.

WV is not just all woods. Have to hunt the fringes.

Typical shots 100-500 yds. That's why I carry my 6.5/.284 XP in buck season.

I never know from one day to the next what gun I will be in the mood to carry. The biggest deciding factor for what shot distance I'm comfortable with is what type of cover I'm in. This can be anything from heavy brush/timber where you can't see 30 yards to above timberline where you can see for miles. I have had elk at 5 yards with no opening for a shot in heavy cover.

The majority of the time I carry a scoped revolver. With a 2X scope I often have a hard time finding game and a shooting lane in heavy cover past 50 yards (sometimes much less). An open sighted gun makes it even harder. A 4X scope helps quite a bit in finding the game and an opening for the shot. With either power scope I limit myself to 100 yards. The longest shot I have taken on game with a scoped revolver was a small mulie buck at 85 yards. With the exception of that buck and a doe antelope I shot with a 7-30 Waters Contender at 95 yards, all of the animals I have shot with a handgun have been 50 yards and under.

Got to say, the photos of the land you guy shared with us, makes me a little jealous. Pretty nice looking hunting spots.
This is awesome, please keep sharing. I think there's a lot of beginning handgun hunters out there, that find themselves afraid to try the handgun, because they think they have to be able to shoot a mile to be able to harvest.
Thank you for sharing.

I do most of my hunting on foot in the woods and my Bisley 45 Colt rides on my belt every minute I am in the field. I will throw a slinged Contender or Striker over my shoulder if I am going to hunt in the open. Closest shot has been a black bear at 15 yards, and the furthest to date a whitetail doe at just shy of 200 with my Waters.

IMO you have to be willing and have the discipline to pass up animals that are not in your effective range no matter what you are hunting with. Even when that means passing on game that would be an easy shot with a rifle but out of your effective range with a handgun. For me that often means going home (or finishing the season) with a tag in my pocket. Long range shooting is very impressive, but I'm more impressed by someone who can stalk to within 20 yards or less of an animal.

For me the getting close is more important than the taking of the game.I'm under fifty yards now no matter what I'm carrying.

I agree, that's why I lost interest in long distance shooting many moons ago. Handgun hunting is not for everyone for sure. My goal in this thread was more to show everyone on here, old and new alike, not to get frustrated when you struggle with that harvest.
Traditional archers generally don't measure their harvest by its size, as much as the harvest it's self. I agree with that, it's about the beauty of the harvest, not about the trophy quality.

I'm a traditional archer also. Being able to use a handgun or muzzleloader for anything farther than 30 yards seems like long range to me. I remember the first year I hunted with a muzzleloader after years of backpack hunting the same area with a longbow. I shot a bull elk at 60 yards and almost felt like it was cheating!

I hunt mostly Pa. and my shots are generally under 100yds. Mostly 60 yds or less. My revolver deer have been under 60 yds. but, my longest shot with a 30-30 contender was a shot at 170 yds on a red fox and 125yds on a whitetail. My bow hunting average shot has probably at 25 yds.

Average, wow...I would have to think about that

Just figured mine to 229 yards for deer. Only one was under 100. Hope to change that this year. Shorter short guns will be used.

I hunt in the thick woods of Missouri. My longest shot has been 65-70 yards across a high power line clear cut, but most are point blank to about 35 yards. I have been effectively using a 10" .357 mag. T/C Contender (that prefers jacketed bullets)with open sights for a number of years now. Before that I used a 6" Ruger GP100 or a Ruger Blackhawk. These guns I used with open sights at 35 yards and less. I like to hunt all game the same way no matter if using a bow, pistol, or rifle. I try to get as close as possible!...

Edit...I have used other pistols and cartridges, but the .357 has been my constant companion through the years, and has killed deer just fine!

Here in western ny my hunting is short range. 60 yds max most shots are between 20 and 40 yds. Not to say if I hunted field edges I couldnt get 200 yds. Not my kind of hunting.... deer can see me alot easier at 100 yds than I can see them.

Hey hdom,
Your hunting area is very similar to mine, the only difference is yours is probably a little more hilly. Not to mention a lot more hunting pressure. I've heard it said that in Pa., when you shot a deer, you wanted to hit it in the shoulders and break it down. Because if it made it over the hill, another hunter would shoot it and take it;)

Hey MOHunter,
The 357 is a great round. I personally think most folks underestimate it. Missouri sounds like it's pretty thick to hunt in. It's funny, I always imagined it a lot more open, with rolling crop field. See, if I didn't get a chance to hear it from you, I would have been completely mistaken, Thank you.

NYTracker,
Your in my backyard brother;)

My average distance for all weapons (which for me means rifle and muzzleloader) involving all big game and coyotes I've killed is 137 yards.
Muzzleloader only average: 50 yards.
Rifle only average: 157 yards.
Only counting game taken from the farm I live on, where 99.9% of my hunting takes place: 151 yards.

Handgun only average: N/A

The farm I hunt consists of about 180 acres, 60 of which are woods ranging from wide open to dang near impenetrable. The remaining 120 acres are fields ranging from a half acre to over 30 acres. Depending on where I hunt, I could expect deer anywhere from 10 feet (which has actually happened on more than one occasion) to 550 yards in one field. I use a scoped 460 revolver, but in spite of this my personal limit is a mere 50 yards. Heck, I'd prefer the deer get no further than 30 yards if I'm to make a shot. While the revolver could certainly stretch out further, this handgunner would rather not take any unnecessary risks.

linebaugh,,,,,What you heard is pretty close. There is hunters everywhere on gamelands. It looks like a pumkin patch. Anchoring a whitetail is a good idea.

TN Lone Wolf, I'm right there with you my friend. I would rather have them real close, then to risk a marginal hit. Thank you for the input.

I was down near Union City during gun season last year, and the comment about a pumpkin patch was a true visual. I seen more orange from the thruway then you would ever believe. One guy had a ladder stand literally about 50yards from the thruway. I could almost read the caliber of the gun he was using, Lol.

To begin with, thank you to everyone who has participated so far. And if you haven't, and would like to throw you two cents in, please do.
I have to work today, but when I get home, I'm going to tall up what we have so far and figure out an average distance for what we fellow hand gunners shoot at. Thank you guys for all your input so far.

I set up in the woods,my shot distance varies from 15-100 yards, my farthest shots have been 90 yards,if i"m set up on a field, which I don"t do unless I"m on a hunt out of state, using a one of the T/C"s, the shot distance increases quite a bit.I would say a all around average for my New York hunting is 50-60 yards.

Linebaugh I am in Horseheads... I hunt in stueben county.

I use a .44 Mag Super Blackhawk with open sights and keep my shots within 35 yards.

I have taken 4 big game animals with a scoped FA 454 revolver (whitetail, mule deer, antelope, and a Corsican ram).
Average distance would be 70-75 yards with the whitetail being the shortest at 45 yards.
With SP's it would be hard to come up with an average, but guessing 350-400 yards.

My handgun choice and distance varies. Sometimes 200 yard shots are possible, but not the norm. Most areas I hunt are very thick and a 50 yard shot would be considered long. I've killed deer with a handgun from 5-239 yards, but would say on average, my shots are 15-40 yards (that's a swag estimation).

On the farm I hunt over 30 yrs my average has been under 50 yds.
Shots have ranged from 140 yds to straight down.Calibers are 308..35 rem ,358 jdj, 30-30,.480Ruger, .45 colt, 45-70.Contenders, Savage Striker ,and revolvers.

Ok, so here are the talley's so far. If you figure in the two longer shooter who commented on this thread. The average shot distance is 60yards.
But if you take the longer range factor out, the average drops to 46 yards.
I can honestly say, the outcome was right about where I figured it would be. Thank you to all who have commented on this thread, and if anyone else would like to throw their two cents is, please do. I'll try to keep figuring the average, as best I can.

If handgun hunting becomes as addictive as archery has been, I'm done for.

If handgun hunting becomes as addictive as archery has been, I'm done for.[/quote]

Ummm, I think I'm pretty close to it. The only thing that's stopping this is the shortage of reloading supplies. I have enough bullets and powder, but I'm affraid to use it. I feel like I should be on the next episode of hoarders;)
But seriously, with the difficulty of getting bullets, I can't waist the ones I have on practice. This makes me hesitant to hunt with the gun I really want to "my 475 Linebaugh,".

Open sighted revolvers 100 yards and under, maybe even closer to 75. Encore with scope 300 yards and under with a good rest. Idaho can have some pretty long shots. I prefer spot and stalk.

I will generally try to set up so I'm 75 to 100 yards away from where I expect to see game. My average is probably going to be about 75 yards away.

Hey Gary,
We're talking a scoped pistol, correct? I know from my past experience with silhouette pistol shooting, shot that far with open sights are generally left up to experts, and dumb luck;)

I try to get as close as possible whenever I can. The farthest shots I have taken on a game animal is 125 yards and that was with a red dot-type sight. So, anywhere from 20 yards on up to not much past 100 yards if I can avoid it. I don't use a scope on any of my revolvers.

Thank you for you input. As far as the revolvers with no scopes, I'm right there with you. However I did kill my first deer with a scoped SRH. I'm actually committing to attempting to harvest one with my open sighted Freedom Arms this season. Wish me luck:)

Linebaugh,


Your post had me thinking, so I reviewed the past couple of seasons to get some averages on both my Single Shots and un/scoped revolvers. I hunt in the swamps of NC and SC primarily, and my hunting tracts are conducive to close ranges and wheelgun hunting. That being said, I have suffered from XP and TC affliction, so they get taken sometimes locally when the shots "could" stretch further, or when they're lonely. Plus, it's a rarity when I carry just one to the stand.

I take an annual trip to Texas to a buddies ranch, so the TX data can skew ranges to the longer side, for both specialty pistols and wheelguns.

In 2013, my average big game harvest with scoped single shots was 93 yards (total of 3 - one with 6.5-284 XP, other 2 with subsonic Canned 300 Whisper). My scoped revolver average distance was just shy of that, at just over 91 yards (3 with .357 and 1 with 44)

In 2012, the single shots lengthened the gap more, with the single shots averaging 105 yards (3 total - 2 with 6.5/284 XP, one Hush gun), and the scoped revolvers coming in at 53 yards (6 total - 3 with .357, 3 with .41)

In 2011, single shots were only used in long(er) range options, taking one deer at 219 (6.5/270 JDJ). Scoped revolvers (.41 and 44) averaged 37 yards and unscoped revolvers @ 31 (.454 and 500 WE)

In 2010, single shots averaged 62 (3 with the 6.5/270 JDJ), with scoped revolvers (4 total - 3 with the 41 and 1 with the Casull) coming in just under at 59.

After this review, it appears that the big boomers are needing to get out and play more. Look to see some "playing time" from an unscoped 475 Linebaugh, scoped 475 Linebaugh, red dot 500WE and scoped Casulls!