First post here, hope to learn a thing or two.

I want to get into handgun hunting and have a bunch of questions. I have been hunting for a little over 20 years now and have been a traditional bowhunter for the last 5 years. i use to shoot competition pistol in and out of the military about 12 years ago, never got into it really serious though (just used stock guns). I own a couple S&W wheel guns in 38, one is a 686 with 6" barrel and the other is my CCW and is a 642.

So here are a few questions.

1, with my 686 with hot hand loads would it even be capable if effectively killing deer 30-40 yards and in? i understand a 38 is pretty light and am fully expecting this question to get shot down right out of the gate...

2, what is the effective range of a 357 Mag on deer?

3, are scopes really the ticket? what about red dots?

4, what?s the outer limit for most handgun hunting? i'm very used to myself imposed 25 yards and in since i have been hunting with a recurve and i believe that my help me here vs a rifle hunter who is use to taking 100-300 yard shots on the norm.

i'm ready to be schooled in handgun hunting...

Max distance is determined by several factors.
The impact velocity of said bullet. It must be going fast enough for it perform like it was designed.
Your ability to shoot in field conditions under stress to put the bullet in the vital consistently.
What type(s) of field rests will you use? Field accuracy and distance is dependent on how solid of a field rest you have.
LER scopes, dot scopes, and reflex optics all have pros/cons.
Personally, I can shoot further than more accurate with an optic than I can with irons.

Not sure on the rest, i assume some sort of shooting sticks. I understand effective range is limited by your personal abilities also, but what I?m asking is how capable and what is the bullets ballistic/real world effectiveness on whitetails. let?s say a scoped 6" barrel revolver and factory 158 grain ammo or like Buffalo Bore 180 grain ammo? at what distance would the bullet become inadequate (leaving human error aside)?

I wouldn't take a shot over 100 yards with a 357 mag, and would prefer closer to 50. A 38 Special with +P loads and a good bullet is viable but I'd limit it to 50 yards and under. The real limiting factor is the shooter's ability to put it in the right place.

I like red dot sights on my revolvers. They are lighter, smaller and faster on target for me than a scope. No issues with eye relief, nor parallax either with a dot.

With a revolver I tend to keep it within 100 yards. With a scoped specialty pistol and a good rest one can stretch it a lot further.

Welcome aboard!

Sam,

The 686 with factory 357 mag loads can get it done on deer and hogs alike. I've used everything from the Barnes 140 gr XPB to various 158gr SP's and HP's.





Most of my 357's are scoped, but I do have a red dot on one 6" 686 - in my options, the red dot options (both reflex and tube designs) are perfect for 357 hunting applications.

very cool. what are some decent guns? i have a somewhat limited budget, say around $650 or less. what are some new and used options? I heard Taurus had some quality problems, still the case?

SChunter, whats the farthest you would shoot a whitetail with a 357? of course assuming you had a good rest and everything was right?

Are you looking to stay in the 357 caliber, or are you open to other caliber options?

Sam - my longest shot to date on a whitetail with a 357 - 145 yards.

Admittedly, that's a LOOONG shot with the .357, but I had practiced further and knew the combo was up to the task (scoped 9" FA).

FA, eh? Would that have been one of those "353 Casull" loads then?

i'm not stuck on the 357, i think it's a cool cal but i most likely will end up with a 44 mag.

It was a "353 Casull" platform, but that deer was taken with a factory Federal .357 with the 140 XPB.

Now I do have some Taffin loads that would disassemble the 686's in short order. They leave even the 357 Max behind. Brass life is, umm, brief

.

Cool!

Nicely done!

3.) Depends on your preferences. If you only intend to shoot out to, say, 50 yards, and you can consistently hit the target at that range with open sights, there's really no reason to get a scope or dot sight.

4.) Depends on the gun, the cartridge, the optics, and the shooter's skill. For example, I could probably take a white-tailed deer at 150 yards with my 300 Win Mag Encore with my level of skill, maybe 200 yards if I get my act together, although the gun itself is capable of so much more. On a similar note, I've limited myself to about 30 yards with my open sighted 460.

Sam. Lets keep things simple to start with. If you apply your archery discipline to hunting situations with your iron sighted 357 revolver you will be fine. Since you are already an accomplished handgun shooter I assume you can hit a target with your current weapon. I suggest you limit your safe shooting distance to no more that the distance you can comfortably keep your shots on a 6" disk in hunting conditions. Probably no more than 40 - 50 yards initially. Heavy 158 grain JHP or cast SWC loads should be fine in the heart / lung area. Pick your shot placement like you would for archery hunting. Pass on marginal shots. Bigger calibers, optical sights and the like can certainly increase your effective range and allow you to kill game as will improving your marksmanship through practice but good hunting skills and careful shot selection and bullet placement are more important than better gear.
Looking forward a larger caliber revolver would be a great investment. Optics are an option and they do make it easier to hit what you are aiming at. They do allow you to extend your effective killing distance with just about any gun. If you wish to hunt at distances greater than 100 yards or more I would consider a flatter shooting single shot or a super magnum revolver like a 460S&W. I do the bulk of my big game hunting with 44 magnums - iron sights if the shots are to be under 50 yards - scoped if I expect a longer shot. I switch to a caliber appropriate scoped T/C Contender if the shooting is expected to be beyond 100 yards. (Caliber appropriate means a big hole all the way through!)

That's good advice, but to be clear, I do not have a 357 currently. i have a 6" 38 s&w and i am looking to buy a hunting revolver.

My apologies. As was stated earlier, heavy .38+p in your current gun will kill if you treat it like an archery shot. For a budget minded, dedicated, hunting revolver I would go Ruger 44 magnum. 7 1/2" barrel or longer. I would start with iron sights but find someone that will let you shoot a gun with a dot or a low power scope before you commit to optics. A 41 mag or a 45LC will be just as effective for deer sized game.

A Ruger with removable scope rings is you best choice. Either SA or DA is fine. Buy what you prefer or can afford.

Will you reload or use "factory" ammo?
I am new to this also, but have taken the contender route rather then revolver. If I was looking at revolvers and wanted to buy 1 gun that would suite my needs for a long time (ie, not need to upgrade in the near future, regardless of game), I would head to the Buffalo Bore web site and peruse their loads for various calibers with a concentration on the full power and +P loads with a focus on what guns they say will handle those loads and use that as one factor in the equation of what pistol I was looking for. (I got some of their full power and +P 45 colt loads to shoot in the 45/410 barrel on the contender. the +p load was ~ 300 gn at ~ 1400 fps I believe, lots of disclaimers about only using in short list of modern guns they provided)

Another factor I would look for is the availability of light(er) loads for range time and other fun or the ability to shoot other cartridges (ie. 45 colt and 454 casull)to make it easier to find ammo in different situations.

Welcome aboard.... hang on to your wallet... bunch of enablers here they will have you spending your kids college funds. Alot of good info here. Being relatively new to handgun hunting i will defer to the better informed seniors of this group. But be aware I started handgun hunting 4 years ago i now have 7 handguns... reload and started casting bullets . I have to work overtime at least 4 days a week to ssustain my habit.

x2

Work a second job
Sell-
extra cars
motorcycles
boats
Plasma
Get a paper route
Better yet get your kids a paper route
Take a rifle to a gun show - come home with a handgun.
Whatever it takes!

lol i have been warned!!! Went to a pawn shot yesterday and they had a super blackhawk in 44 mag, some holster wear and normal use but the barrel and crown are great, it locked up tight but it has this stupid square trigger guard that i can tell will rip my finger off, he wanted $450... He also had a brand new super blackhawk in 41 mag and it has a 4 5/8" barrel, not sure how effective a 41 with a 4.6" barrel is but it felt nice, he had it marked right at rugers suggested retail ($625) but i think he could be talked down to about $550.

The standard plow handle Super Blackhawk can be "fixed" for my hand with a set of Pachmayer grips. They fill the space behind the trigger guard and allow the gun to set higher in your hand. I consider them a must have.

I like the Presentation grips on the RSB but many like the Gripper style better. I think either will work well.

what do you think about a 41 mag with a 4 5/8" barrel for a hunging revolver?

i plan to use factory loads starting out then work into reloading

The 44 mag is only .019" larger. And the 41 is a bit easier on the shooter to boot ;-)

what about the 4 5/8" barrel?

I prefer a longer barrel for my primary hunting gun. Especially with iron sights. Longer sight radius = more precision in sight alignment. The 41 mag 4 5/8" will kill deer just fine. If you decide on the shorter barrel I would strongly suggest a red dot sight over irons to extend your maximum shooting distance.

My dad has a 4 5/8" RSB 44 mag with a 2x Leupold scope that is an effective deer killer out to 100 yards (beyond that in the right hands)

ok so i'm picking up that the only real negative part in a 4 5/8" barrel for a 100 yards and in gun is the short sight radius and if i put a scope/red dot on it then it would eliminate the problem.

Thats how I see it. I would refrain from taking a hunting situation shot with a 4 5/8" iron sighted gun beyond 50 yards even though my groups at the range tell me I probably could make the shot. Within 50 yards the shorter barrel should serve you but only you know your skill level to make the shot.

Billa, if it was scoped would you take a 100 yard shot?

A scope lengthens my hunting distances, IF, I am capable of putting the shot in the vitals from whatever field rests I am using AND IF the impact velocity is sufficient for the bullet to do it's job.
A systems approach

There should not be an issue with the gun, if you are up to the task.



This could be challenging as the 41 mag ammo can be on the endangered species list at times, as well as loading components. If factory ammo is to be used, I'd personally go with the 44 mag, due to the abundance of ammo.

I would take a clear shot with a good rest at 100 yards with a 4 5/8", 41 mag -2x scope. I have taken Whitetails at 100 yards with a 2x scope on a 6" 44 magnum

Even so, I prefer the longer barrel and the 44 magnum so I would buy that one!

I carry a 4 5/8th Blackhawk .45 always when hunting . It is my 60 yd and under gun [altho I shoot it to 100 and beyond on targets] I also carry a scoped bolt, single shot,or cannon breech for longer shots. If this will be your primary hunting revolver go with the longer barrel for reasons already mentioned.

41 ammo is next to impossible to find here in the grest communist state of new york.... and net purchase carries its own problems. .. thank you zar cuomo... quality 44 mag ammo can be difficult sometimes ... thats why I started reloading and casting. I would choose the 44mag sbh. I used packmayer decelerator grips on mine to get rid of the bloodletting of the squared of trigger guard. That said i traded up my sbh for a sbh hunter model a year later and couldnt be any happier. Personally I would get a hunter model if you wanted a dedicated hunting gun. They come in 44 mag standard and bisley model , 41 bisley , and the ever elusive, and expensive 45lc bisley .