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What was your first handgun kill? #205877 03/07/2020 10:49 AM
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Randy M Offline OP
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As it says, what was your first with a short barrel? Also, how long ago and with what platform/caliber?

Mine was a whitetail doe with a TC Encore 12? .44 magnum and factory load. Roughly 40 yards if I?m remembering correctly. That was 17 (2002) years ago and I?ve been consumed with handgun hunting ever since.


The meat won't fry if the lead don't fly.
Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Randy M] #205878 03/07/2020 11:58 AM
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REDHAWK1954 Offline
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Mine was a four point whitetail here in North Carolina. It was a thirty five yard shot. The handgun was a 10.5 inch super blackhawk 44 mag with my hand load. One shot and I was hooked. Thirteen years ago.

Last edited by REDHAWK1954; 03/07/2020 1:36 PM.

Michael Joe Moore
Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Randy M] #205879 03/07/2020 12:09 PM
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Giblett Offline
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Mid 90's contender 6.5jdj doe prolly 80 yards. Was still a big time duck Hunter back then so it was ducks first deer 2nd then rifles and prairie dogs. Small stint with encore 44 mag and the past 3 years all handgun hunting all the way 10mm-460 sure want a 50 cal. Of some kind

Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Randy M] #205881 03/07/2020 12:45 PM
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cmnash Offline
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My first handgun kill was this deer in 1993. I was 17 years old. I used a TC with a 10 inch 30/30 and 150 grain CoreLokt at about 30-40 yards. I haven't used a rifle since.

Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Franchise] #205883 03/07/2020 12:54 PM
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racksmasher1 Offline
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Whitetail doe;45 yards;S&W 29; 1998;

Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Franchise] #205884 03/07/2020 1:04 PM
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Mine was in 1992, Visting a friend in south Florida. Decided to go chasing some hogs with dogs. Had a Colt 1911 with Black Talon 230g. Ran with the dogs thru the swamps. Dogs corned one in a Palmetto thicket, One between the eyes on a big sow. Guides were impressed. Ran some more and shot a boar running across the road near dark dropped him on second shot. I was done running thru 2 foot of swamp water. Been hooked ever since! Now I use revolvers.

Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: rougerocco] #205885 03/07/2020 3:24 PM
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wvhitman Offline
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Mid 1960s, squirrels and groundhogs with H&R .22LR. First deer 1971-doe, Ruger Blackhawk, .357 Mag.,60 yds. 100% handgun kills since 1978.

Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: wvhitman] #205886 03/07/2020 4:31 PM
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Russell Offline
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Rabbit, 1965, Colt Army Special, 4" .38 special, home cast Lyman 148gr wc/ 3.5grs Unigue.


It's not the gun, but the man behind it.

Sheriff Russell Cottle, Ret.
USMC; 1967-1970; Vietnam-'68-'69
Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Russell] #205888 03/07/2020 4:57 PM
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Seminole Wind Offline
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I'm guessing I was about 6 years old, sixty years ago, and my dad let me shoot at a turtle on a log in our pond with a Colt Police Positive 22 WRF. I hit the turtle and my dad couldn't believe it. I was hooked. The Colt is in my safe today.

Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Russell] #205889 03/07/2020 4:59 PM
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junebug Offline
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Squirrel & groundhog High Standard Sport King .22 early 70's. Big game Doe with 10 in 30-30 40 yds on the run earlt 70's.


junebug
Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Russell] #205890 03/07/2020 4:59 PM
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Don?t remember the first small game, probably a rabbit with a High Standard Centinal .22 LR. I do remember the first Kodiak Island blacktail in 1986. Ruger BH 4-5/8? in .45 LC, 255 Lee RF over 9.5 grains of Unique. Complete pass through at 20 yards.



.


Based on total trigger pull weight, my trigger finger has lifted well over 200 tons....
Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Carpe Diem] #205894 03/07/2020 9:03 PM
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45MAN Offline
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SO FAR I AM GOING TO BE THE EARLIEST AS IN THE LATE 1950's I WAS KILLING WATER TURTLES, WATER SNAKES, GRACKLES AND A RABBIT WITH A PLAINSMAN CO2 BB PISTOL. FIRST CENTERFIRE KILL WAS IN 1972 OR 1973 WHEN I SHOT A REAL NICE 8 POINT BUCK WITH A 7 1/2 INCH RUGER OM 45 COLT AT ABOUT 35 YARDS WHILE LOOKING FOR A BUCK MY DAD HAD SHOT AT.


"ADAPT OR DIE". I USE ALL CAPS, NOT BECAUSE I AM YELLING, BUT BECAUSE IT IS AN OLD HABIT FROM MY ARMY DAYS, PLUS IT IS EASIER TO TYPE AND READ.
Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: 45MAN] #205895 03/08/2020 1:37 AM
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ruger4570 Offline
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About 60 years ago when I was 6 or 7 I killed rabbits with my Dad's High Standard. Around 12 I gave my Dad money to buy me an H&R Sportsman 999. With it I took many rabbits, squirrels, and frogs.
Since then I have used handguns to take ground hogs, coyote, deer, and black bear.

Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Seminole Wind] #205896 03/08/2020 1:44 AM
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H2OBUG Offline
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If it jams force it! If it breaks it needed replacing anyway.
Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: H2OBUG] #205897 03/08/2020 2:31 AM
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KYODE Offline
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About 1998 killed my first deer with a handgun. SS Ruger Redhawk with 2x burris took a smallish 8 point at about 35 yrds from a tree stand. I also used a mk2 comp target model for a few squirrels, but forget which came first 🤦🏻‍♂️

Sadly i went back to rifle for a while, until early 2000s i finally gained enough confidence to stay full handgun. I was actually afraid of getting shots too long and missing an opportunity. There werent many deer around when i was young. I learned i could use a 14? contender out to a couple hundred yrds. I wish i could go back in time, id never use a rifle to start with.

Now......be glad you still have the interest to hunt. I dont for whatever weird reason. Life kids, grand kids, n family are more important to me. Id rather just reload n shoot my guns when i aint working 🤷🏻‍♂️

Have no doubt. I could still kill em if i wanted to.😈 went out a couple times this season. Crosshairs dead on a small 6..... i didnt pull the trigger. If it had been a monster, i might tell a different story. Enjoy it, life can change you.


Kentucky….no place like home.
Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Seminole Wind] #205900 03/08/2020 4:17 AM
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muddydog Offline
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My first was probably a rabbit with a Single six. First game species was a turkey at 65 yds with a Virginian Dragoon in 45 long colt about 1980 or so.

Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: muddydog] #205902 03/08/2020 5:30 AM
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Ernie Offline
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First revolver kill was with a FA 454-Whitetail buck.
First TC kill, Super 14 7mm TCU-Antelope


Ernie the Un-Tactical
Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Ernie] #205903 03/08/2020 11:16 AM
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dhom Offline
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My first big game kill was in the early 80's. One year after JDJ came out with the 45-70 contender. I used a 300 gr Hornady hand load and it was a complete pass through length wise on a spike buck at 40 yards. The load was 30 gr H2400 with a large rifle primer.

Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: dhom] #205914 03/08/2020 9:41 PM
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dave thomas Offline
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first kill with a handgun was a sparrow with a daisy bb pistol looked like a SA colt. 1984 first turkey with smith model 57 41 mag


Ephesians 6:10-18 because we are warriors.
Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: dave thomas] #205915 03/09/2020 3:02 AM
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jamautry Offline
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I used my Ruger Government Target Model 22 to take squirrels and rabbits throughout the 90s. My first big game animal was a medium size feral hog in Albany, Texas in 2001. I used a Freedom Arms Model 83 Field Grade 454 mounted with a Leupold 2.5-8X scope. The shot was 50-60 yards off of my shooting sticks.

Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: jamautry] #205918 03/09/2020 12:06 PM
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Randy M Offline OP
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Great stories everyone!


The meat won't fry if the lead don't fly.
Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Randy M] #205919 03/09/2020 12:25 PM
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First deer was a 5 point buck with a Dan Wesson Supermag in .357 Max with a crudely mounted red dot. 40 yards. Think it was 2012.

Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: jcp161] #205921 03/09/2020 1:10 PM
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Buck_358 Offline
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1996 with my new 14? 309 JDJ Contender barrel took this small 8pt. Load at the time was a 150gr x .030 Hawk SP powdered by a stiff load of Varget ~2400fs. Distance was 125 steps. (no ranger finder back in that day). I remember this well, for ear protection I had those spongy squeeze type press in ear plugs. I could not get them in my ears in time, so I shot without ear plugs ? Ouch!! My ears rang for hours. The buck hit the ground like a sack of hammers DRT.



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Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Buck_358] #205922 03/09/2020 2:35 PM
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Sometime in the mid- to late '70s I acquired this Smith & Wesson CO2 pellet gun. From that day forward, no varmint was safe in the neighborhood. Killed a boatload of rats with it. A good friend had a grove of avocado trees that attracted rats in droves. We used this air pistol and a .22 semi-auto pistol (I still have) loaded with CCI shot shells (it wouldn't cycle them so you would have to wrack the slide after every shot). Whack and stack rat parties...this is where the obsession began.



Max Prasac

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Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Buck_358] #205923 03/09/2020 2:38 PM
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short30 Offline
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First deer was 1982 with an 8 inch Smith and Wesson .38 so it almost had to have been a model 14. It was the first handgun I ever purchased. Shot was about 10 yards on the small doe. Walked up on her along a creek where the water masked my walking and she was in the thick stuff so her view was limited. I saw her from a distance and planned the stalk but she still surprised me when I finally found her up close. She never knew I was there. Later I thought I made a good trade as I traded it for a Marlin 39A, now I obviously regret that trade.


First Handgun Deer: ~1982 8" S&W .38Spl
SW 7.5" 686-7 with Matchdot II
SBHH .45LC 7.5"
Contender G2 .35-30/30 (Bellm), .22LR, .22 Hornet, 25-35
Glock 40 10mm; G21 Poly80 w/ 9 inch barrel (in work)
Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: short30] #205929 03/09/2020 6:23 PM
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First handgun kill was a feral hog in 1994 with a Smith & Wesson
8 3/8" Model 27 using a Lyman #358429 Keith bullet.


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Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Sawfish] #205930 03/09/2020 6:44 PM
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In 1998 I killed an opossum with my dad's Ruger Single Six .22LR.

Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: RBO21] #205932 03/09/2020 7:12 PM
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Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: dasbear] #205934 03/09/2020 11:53 PM
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Don?t recall my first small game, with rimfire stuff. But first Centerfire kill was a turkey witha Ruger Redhawk, 87-88, 44mag, 240 Nosler jhp, 22gr 2400, Leupold 2x at about 50 yards with low neck shot.

Trapr


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Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Bigbrowndog] #205937 03/10/2020 1:01 AM
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WiseGuy Offline
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96' large doe with a TC 35 Rem. The shot was roughly 50yds. It has since been rechambered to a 358JDJ


Bigger ain't always better....according to who???
Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: WiseGuy] #205941 03/10/2020 3:05 AM
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Been awhile, but probably a fox squirrel with a S&W Model 53 in .22 Jet, but using .22 LR in the inserts. That handgun took everything from cottonmouth moccasins to coyotes and was my only handgun for years. Squirrels, rabbits, snakes, (many snakes), armadillos, a couple skunks, one bat (flying), and at least two coyotes. I shot it about 99% of the time with LR in the chamber inserts because as a kid I could not afford the .22 Jets. I foolishly traded it for a High Standard auto. A good gun in its own right, but not nearly as valuable as the Model 53.

Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Drycreek3189] #205946 03/10/2020 2:58 PM
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Colt Python using Winchester 158gr JHP ammunition.. There was`ent much cammo in those day`s.....


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Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Seminole Wind] #205960 03/11/2020 3:43 AM
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Zee Offline
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Whitetail button buck.
.44 Mag
10.5in Ruger SBH
2x Pentax Scope
240gr Remington Factory Ammo
35ish yards

I was 16 years old.


"To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Zee] #205971 03/11/2020 6:14 PM
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Shortgun Offline
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1992 8pt. With a T/C Contender 10? in 41 magnum, purchased in 1979, factory Remington 210gr. sp at about 30 yds. Still have the T/C and it?s still my best buck with a handgun to date.

Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: dave thomas] #205982 03/12/2020 6:15 PM
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Craig44 Offline
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I was probably about 8yrs old (~1982?) when I started shooting rats in the barn where we raised cows. I had one of those Crosman C02 pistols that looked like a Colt Python.

Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Gregg Richter] #206071 03/19/2020 1:45 PM
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T Pull Offline
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Bought a used Thompson Contender around '81 in 22WMR-a Super 14 that had been cut to 12.5 and crowned, put a 2-6 Bushnell on it. Killed my first handgun Squirrel with it. It's still my favorite Squirrel gun(much more accurate than I am).

Last edited by T Pull; 03/20/2020 11:30 AM.
Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: T Pull] #206102 03/21/2020 3:27 AM
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Franchise Offline
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Randy, hopefully you don't mind, I'll post my first big game animal with a pistol. It was a WT doe with a Freedom Arms Model 555 50 AE with a 300 gr Sampson IMI load. Middle 90's. From there, my love of harnessing as much power as possible in a handgun as been my addiction.


The Eyes are Useless, When The Mind Is Blind
Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Franchise] #206126 03/22/2020 3:29 AM
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PythonHunter Offline
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My first handgun kill was a mouse that tried to escape the range target shed in about 1995. Smoked him with a Colt Diamondback .22 LR at about 5 yards. Followed him up with a second mouse about 5 seconds later with a second at about 7 yards for my first double too yet.

First big game, a busted up little 5x5 WT buck with a Colt Anaconda in .45 LC. Wish I still had that gun. Still have the Diamondback.

PH

Last edited by PythonHunter; 03/22/2020 3:30 AM.
Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: Randy M] #206128 03/22/2020 2:25 PM
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357Herrett Offline
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Mine was with a Remington XP-100 chambered in 7mm BR. Decided to go on a last minute hunt on some National Forest in WV and right at dark I had a doe come out of a laurel patch to feed on a white oak flat. She was 60 Yards broadside and she was DRT when the gun went off.

This year I was able to take a few squirrels with my T/C contender in 17hmr
Squirrels with the 17 HMR



Last edited by 357Herrett; 03/22/2020 2:35 PM.
Re: What was your first handgun kill? [Re: 357Herrett] #206146 03/22/2020 11:22 PM
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S.B. Offline
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If I had to guess(50 years back) it was probably either rabbit or squirrel with a S&W model 18?
Steve


"The Original Point and Click Interface was a Smith & Wesson."
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