I am new to hunting big game with a handgun, though I have hunted squirrels with a .22 revolver in my youth and taken deer and turkeys with rifle and shotgun over the years since. A recent surprise encounter with a big boar while toting only a .22, however, has made me reconsider having a bigger hunting handgun on my hip.

I plan to hunt whitetail deer and hogs with whatever handgun I pick. My major requirements are:
(1) Enough energy for hogs and deer out to 200 yds, and if feasible given other constraints below, elk too
(2) Flatter trajectory than 30-06, preferably with a point blank range around 250-300 yds
(3) Light enough recoil that my wife, who's comfortable with 30-30 recoil but shys away from my 300WSM long gun, wouldn't mind shooting a rifle chambered in the same caliber as my pistol-to-be

Right now I'm thinking about getting T/C Encore in 7mm-08 Remington. Thoughts or recommendations?

Thanks in advance for any ideas and assistance you can provide

7mm-08 will do the job, but I prefer a little more oomph!
If I was wanting something in a 15" encore and a rifle for my better half , I would look either at a 284 winchester or a 308 winchester, and lean more towards the 308. Out to 200 yds it will do a great job and easy to reload as well. and 308 ammo is available almost anywhere
nmhunter

I think a 308 Encore would be about your best bet given your requirements but keep in mind that hunting handguns are specialty items. Typically you would want 3 to 4 different calibers to cover all the bases effectively from small varmints to larger big and or dangerous game unless you keep the distances close. If you're willing to keep shots to 100 yards on deer & hogs and 50-75 yards on elk then a 44 Magnum will do it all with the proper bullets and placement. There are lots of guns that fit the bill for #1 but if elk is a real consideration then I personally would want something in 338 or larger that could generate about 2500 ft/lbs of energy. Item #2 describes a long range setup with a pretty big cartridge and you're essentially talking about a custom wildcat rig either in the encore or a bolt gun. For example, the .375 JDJ which has enough power for elephant is really only a 225-250 yard handgun in my opinion because of the bullet fall-off after that distance.

Since you are wanting extreme flat trajectory that is capable of taking big game too, with a recoil level your wife would happy with you should consider using a muzzle brake.
Gary had some good thoughts about multiple barrels or handguns.
If you want a specialty handgun to shoot flatter than a 30-06 rifle, with low recoil the closest thing I can think of is a 6.5-284, possibly a 6.5WSM.
I don't recommend a WSM for an Encore.
Now you are talking a bolt rig, falling block or rotary breech action (Competitor will be making a larger action soon to handle the WSM's).
A 280 Rem AI would work well in a Encore, but you will need a brake (Holland's QD) for sure to manage recoil.
Barrel length & weight are also determining factors for managabilty recoil wise, but are less practical for long field or mountain carry.
I would have to check Exbal to really see if the cartridges I mentioned shoot flatter than a 06 rifle (not sure).
A rifle cartridge in a handgun usually will lose from 200-300 fps in muzzle velocity.
If you are comparing 06 handgun MV's against these other handgun cartridges we can find several that will beat it.
But you need to shoot a 30-06 SP to equal the performance of a 308 rifle.
In a bolt rig SP the 7.82 Patriot will outperform a 30-06 rifle, but the recoil factor is more than your wife will want, even with a brake (especially in a sporter barrel).
Give us a litlte more info about what specific perforamnce you want equal or beat in a 308 cal.
Bullet weight & MV. That will help me anyway.

Carefull Comming down the path of the Encore and or Contender will deffenatly get you where you want to be, with multiple Bbls to do spacific tasks. This also leads you down the path of "never enough Bbls" . The advice given by Dan and Ernie (ernie's evil /evil ) is sound and really what we all have to face in our addictions to handgun hunting. I have a small game 17HRM, mid range 6.5TCU, and a thumper 375JDJ. These Bbls are for the Contender and I'm happy (basically) with them. But I'm also at the begining of my first real custom job Bbl, thanks to Ernie's advice I have a good system in the works (Ernie has great ideas that will make you WANT to spend money ). Any how, I think the 7-08 Encore is good for some of what your looking for.

You need to decide how far down this road you want to travel. There are far to many combinations to try to list, Your handloading ability, wildcat interests, cost range, pistol style preference, and so on. Have a look at the picture area and see what others have used and on what. Find a friend that may have a few to try out and get a feel for. Many paths to follow, this site and the others like it are just the trail heads, they will take you as far as you want to go, and maybe a bit farther hehe.

Good luck on your personal quest

"(Evil/Evil )"???
The 7mm-08 and 260 Rem should fit many of the paramaters and will work for elk too.

Agreed with the 7mm08.
Coyotes to elk.
Of coarse maybe not elk at 200 yards but still.
Managable recoil for your wife too.
JMO

Thanks to everyone for all of your replies.

Concerning Gary's comments on close range shooting:

Where the hogs surprised me was in a grown up creek bottom, at very close range. The boar grunted and huffed while staring me down from about 50 yards away. This is pretty typical terrain for about 3/4 of the acreage I usually hunt, with the rest being fields and meadows where longer shots are possible.

Besides an Encore in 7mm-08 or something similar for the requirements outlined in my original post above, I'm also considering, strictly for short range shots, a SA XD 40S&W (see my related post http://www.handgunhunt.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=15192&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&vc=1 ).

XD-40 is legal where I hunt whitetails and looking at 357, 44, and 40S&W energies and trajectories it seems like XD-40 would pack sufficient punch for deer or hogs at 50 yards or less. Plus autoloading might come in handy if Mr. Big Pig decides to charge...

Maybe I need an Encore 7mm-08 for open terrain and bigger animals *and* an XD-40 for very close work on whitetails and pigs? I'm sure my wife will love it if I come to that conclusion. The only thing I have going for me in that regard is that she was with me during the hog stand-off and she only had a stick!

jmo...i would not use a 40 s&w on a deer unless it was 15 FEET away max and then only with a head shot from a solid rest!! in no way does the 40 have enough energy or the xd enough accuracy to ensure a humane kill at 50 yds in the field. i almost wish those stupid energy and trajectory charts didn't exist because they are only meant as a relative comparison between like cartidges not killing power on animals under field conditions. heck, i wouldn't even consider the 357 as minimal unless used with 158 gr xtp's or 180gr cast. the bullets used in all 40 s&w loads are designed for defense against humans and are in no way sufficient for deer...expansion-wise or penetration-wise. there are so many better choices available. if you're looking for fast follow-up shots get a double action s&w or ruger 44 or even a desert eagle if you want a semi and practice like hell. in a pig rush you won't feel the recoil and when hunting whitetails you can rest assured you have enough gun. a deer or pig is not being respected as they should be if it's running away to die a slow and miserable death with 8 or 9 40's in it's gut.

my preference would be to split that up into 3 separate barrels. one for deer, one for hogs, and one for long range. one might get by easily with one or two......but the more the merrier.

a host of calibers come to mind and depend if in the contender or encore. just a few ideas, with some only being available on a custom basis.
7-30waters
30-30AI
35rem
338JDJ
358JDJ

7mm-08
.308
30-06 improved
338win mag
358win

Thanks for your post, bisleyfan44. I've also been considering .44 Mag and appreciate your take on things.

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"(Evil/Evil )"???

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What's the matter Ernie, never been called Evil before? You sit back and give great info, that can't be good (my wife tells me that all the time)!!!

I was wondering when yu would respond to that.

My wife's announced she wants to head to the Colorado high country in September and ML hunt for elk rather than rifle hunt in Oct/Nov, so...

...this has started me thinking about how this might change my handgun plans. I'm still leaning heavily towards a T/C Encore, but if I'm not going to elk hunt with this particular barrel, could I go with 243 Win instead of 7mm-08 for deer and pigs?

Our deer in these parts are usually 150 lbs or less, but the hogs can push 300 lbs and obviously are tough critters. Will 243 be sufficient pig medicine?

BTW, for the elk hunt, I'm thinking 209x50 ML barrel (see " 50 cal ML handgun legal in CO" for a related post about that). Two new barrels are always better than one, right?

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Two new barrels are always better than one, right?

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I see it starting... Never leave Bbls alone in the dark... they tend to multiply, or is that when they are exposed to sunlight? Maybe both, bah who knows Welcome to the addiction

I buy my barrels in groups of 3, seems to be better luck.

Welcome Brother to your first step upon the slippery slope!!
Deer and hogs at close range? No-brainer, a good .44 mag revolver. Miss that angry pig up close (and that's easier than it sounds!!) and you'll be glad for those 5 backup rounds in the cylinder! Keep the barrel to 4 5/8 to 6", buy a good cross draw belt holster. As for the deer/elk/wife thing, nothing with .30-30 recoil is all that suitable for elk at anything more than bowhunting range, but it has been done. A 6.5 JDJ barrel will get it done inside 100 yds. with 129 gr. Nosler partition handloads, and won't break her wrists doin' it. For you, a .375 JDJ will take anything that walks or crawls on this planet. For more reach, go to an Encore in .30-06 and have SSK bore the chamber out to .30-06 JDJ. How does 2750 fps with 165 gr. handloads sound? Or 2900 fps w/ a premium 150 gr. like a Barnes or a Swift Scirocco? That's rifle performance from a 15" handgun barrel, and adequate for elk as long as you aren't pottin' them across wide canyons.

Keyman (non sibi sed partiae) Not Self-But Country