Any one else ever cheat on thier handgun? I was all set to take an elk with a handgun, I had planed for months. I had even purchased a new FA .454 to be used. I had tried to work up loads and spent many hours at the bench (reloading and shooting)
I had spent many a night tossing and turning playing out the shot in half dreams. Days at work were spent lossed in thought of the perfect shot presenting it's self.
I was ready! On October 15th we headded West from Missouri. My father and I have hunted Grand Mesa National Forest since 1994, missing only two years. We have had limited success on our "do it your self" hunts. I had killed three elk and a mule deer in the ten years we have hunted there.
Four days into the hunt we had yet to see any elk. We normally hunt in muzzle loader season and see enough elk to keep us interested. We have hunted Colorado's rifle in the past and allways vow to return in muzzle loader season the following year. The first three days of the hunt I had sat with my FA revolver in my lap, rifle on my pack. I fully intended to harvest an elk with a handgun. On the fourth morning I saw my first elk of the season. Three cows, barly visible. I was in the dark timber and could only see about sixty yards.
At noon I met up with dad and we ate from our packs, we were one half mile in a hole of black timber and were going to stay after seeing those elk tracks with the elk still in them.
After lunch I left dad in my promising area and was going to still hunt a ways further down the hill for the evening. I had went about a hundred yards when I caught a glimps no actually I saw the whole darn thing at once. There he was bedded in a small opening with the sun shining on him making him appear white. We hunt in an area that requires four points on one side to be legal. I was toting my model 70 super grade 30-06 with the FA revolver on my hip. I raised the rifle to view the rack through the scope. Yep he was legal alright, then I heard the crack of my rifle and felt the shove from the butt. I had done the unthinkable, I had ended my handgun hunt and countless nights and days dreaming. This was a sixty yard, wind in my face, bull facing away sleeping "gimmi" shot
Closer observation revealed a very old 6X7 bull that had avoided many hunters before myself.
My lesson in this is to leave my rifle at home next time.
I was ruly elated at such a bull from public land, but really, why did I bring my rifle?
The bull green scored 300 B&C.

Shawn

First thing is we need pictures. Second I agree with the leave the rifle at home next time. Its always easier to take the shot with the rifle because you probably have more confidence with it.

Congrats on a great bull.

I know sort of how you feel. This year I decided to hunt primarily with my short barreled FA. I nearly always take my 14" 309 JDJ just in case I see something too far but this year I only carried it once or twice early in the season and it never fired a shot. I set up all of my shots so I could reasonably expect the deer to be within 50 yards and it worked pretty well; once nice 8 pt., a spike and several does all fell to the 4 3/4 inch gun. Tomorrow our doe-only season starts and we can shoot em until March 28th.

The bright side is you killed a great bull.

Congratulations,

Gary

I will try to post pictures.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Sagam2ubozU/SWFo4Bmz4dI/AAAAAAAAADA/Zx8sK4bLfRQ/elk08.bmp.jpg

Shawn

it's hard to get used to leaving the rifle behind but your not alone.

The last time I cheated on my handguns was in 1989...since then I have been faithful, other than turkey season, sometime I cheat and grab the long gun...as for leaving the rifles at home... Don't have a problem... Sold 'em to buy handguns back in '95'...I figured if I was a hangun hunter, I didn't need rifles...KRal

KRal, I could never get rid of all my rifles I can, however appreciate selling to fund a project as I do it all the time. I do have my untouchables though.

Shawn

The reason I took my rifel in the first place was incase I saw one out there a ways off. I hunt in dense timber when I elk hunt but I cross open areas to get there sometimes. I have aquired a Contender and plan to put a scope on it when I settle on a barrel and caliber for 150 yards plus shots. Next time there will be no need for a rifle.

Shawn

I did that this year. I shot the Encore pistols all summer long, but I chickened out when season rolled around. I ended up killing a nice 8 with my 257 Wby Mag rifle. I probably would not have been able to kill him with a handgun where I shot him with my rifle. He was a little beyond my comfortable range. Next year I'll have different stand arrangements with the SBH 44 Mag and 15" Encore 45 Colt in mind.

I sold quite a few. The rest my wife and son’s (ages 4 and 1) that they shoot or are going to shoot. I have a funny suppression that the boys will want to get into shortguns, but I want them to start on rifles. There are two rifles that are mine that I WILL NOT sell. One of them is my Granddad’s rifle he had built in 1964. He flew to Belgium to pick up the Browning barrel and Mouser action and had them assemble in DC were he was stationed.

My thoughts are along these lines: If you are a dedicated handgun hunter why would you carry a rifle in the first place? Isn't the reason we hunt with pistols,to try to add another level of challenge to the hunt?I know from experience that if I would carry a rifle and handgun I will inevitably use the rifle EVERYTIME.I never carry a rifle no matter what the situation,I gave up long guns 9 years ago and have never regretted it.As I mentioned previously I did carry both pistol and rifle on one occasion and I used the rifle without a seconds hesitation.Why tempt yourself to begin with.Just my thoughts.Jim

I have never cheated on my handguns. I started in 1991 and since then have sold or traded all my centerfire rifles for handguns.


If the rifle is back at camp you won't be tempted to use it.

In Nevada, you get a deer tag on a average of once every 3 years. It took me 8 years to get my antelope tag and 10 years for elk. This year I hunted antelope 6 hard days with a hand gun before surrendering to the Remington 700 25-06 (550 yrd shot). Mule deer hunt this October was pretty much the same story, carried the super 14 for 5 days, snow storm hit on the last day of my hunt, so, out came the Remington 700 30-06. And wouldn't you know it, a 80 yrd shot on a fast walking forkhorn. When tags are hard to come by, and your hunting area is a 8 hour drive towning a camp trailer, a rifle kill is better than nothing...

When you do not own a center-fire rifle it makes it hard to cheat on your handguns

I will soon have a XP that I will be able to convert to a rifle but doubt I will ever hunt with it.

Have I ever cheated w/ rifles?? Heck YES!! For the most part I like ANYTHING that goes bang. In fact, just got done assembling a M98 .257 Roberts. During the last ten hunting seasons I have taken somewhere around 50 to 60 deer...that includes a BUNCH from out of state crop damage hunts. Maybe eight of those have been with rifles...and I enjoyed eating them just as much as handgun harveted deer.

IMO...ain't nuttin wrong with using a rifle from time to time...after handgun hunting for so long, you'll realize how much easier shooting game is with a rifle. Heck...even Tiger Woods probably enjoys taekin' it easy and playing a game of mini-golf from time to time.

I love hunting with anything. This year I hunted strictly with my 44. I seen quite a few deer that were way to long for my handgun. I nailed 3 this year with my 243 WSSM, from 220 yards to 425 yards. I am a hunter, I will use whatever I have in my hands. Next year I will still hunt hard as hell with my 44.

Hunting is hunting and it sounds like a good time.I would trade all my hunts/guns for another hunt with my dad.This year for me I committed to handgun only.I practiced and loaded a lot.At times I got frustrated but never faltered,even when folks called me crazy.I know if I carried a rifle my handgun would never leave the holster.I have tried that before and only one one occassion was I able to avoid temptation.I have 30 years of hunting under my belt and all but one with mostly a rifle,and I agree with what others have said it's the familiarity and confidence that that rifle hit your shoulder and took the game like I am sure it has many times before.Congradulations on a nice animal.

Sometimes i have no choice but to hunt with a rifle--like damage control hunts for coyotes. I'm currently hunting a rancher's place for a couple problem dogs that r killing his cats, believe it or not.

I like to use single shot rifles and muzzleloaders, too. This year I only hunted with handguns when it was legal and had an exceptional season with them, for me anyways.

To each his own, I say. Congrats on a great bull! I might have done the same thing as you if I had one that size in front of me while carrying a rifle.

Here's the pic of your bull, BTW. I couldn't get the pic to appear so just posted the link (there were a few extra digits in your posted link that I removed) .

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Sagam2ubozU/SWFo4Bmz4dI/AAAAAAAAADA/Zx8sK4bLfRQ/elk08.jpg

I hunt with any available tool, handgun, rifle, and bow. I enjoy the sport too much to limit myself.

I'm in the same boat. My other hunting weapons are traditonal bows and traditional muzzleloaders, so my handguns are my "long range" guns. Rifles have never really caught my attention.

Congratulations on a successful hunt. I can understand wanting to increase your odds on a expensive out of state hunt. If you are determined to take an elk with your FA, then leave the rifle behind next time. You will be forced to turn those "rifle only shots" into "handgun shots" by getting closer. To me thats the best part of the hunt, no matter what type of weapon I'm hunting with. You might blow more opportunities and sometimes eat tag soup at the end of the season by having to get close, but there is nothing like the feeling you have when you are successful. If you are happy using a rifle too, keep doing what your doing and wait for an opportunity to use the handgun.

I pretty much like everything that goes bang and leaves a big hole,although I haven't shot a deer with a rifle in 3 yrs. (ML excluded) But this is the last toy I built,it's a 338Edge, 300RUM blown out to 338. Basically a poor mans lapua.

This is my best deer with a pistol so far,244yds out of a treestand with my .260 XP-100R, European mount looks Great.

Here is the deer I took this year.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Sagam2ubozU/SWFxu8yGBQI/AAAAAAAAAEo/UI2knC6_zJI/08deer.jpg
I deer hunted handgun only (and archery) this year.

Shawn

Until one year I filled my buch tag with my rifle then I left it in camp so I wouldn't be tempted again and went out and filled my antlerless tag with little spike. After that I never took a rifle again unless I was going rifle hunting. That was just one season in the last 10 or 11 years.

I'm afraid to cheat on mine. I'm afraid they will shoot me if they found out. Honestly, I cheat alot. I love shooting everything from DCM/CMP Hi-Power to US Military rifles to my big 30-378 and 300 RUM's. I'm a sucker for a slut rifle too!!

I must honestly say I love fiddling with wildcats - handgun or rifle!

Nice Buck Elkbelch! What kind of gun is that?

Jeremy, that is a Ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter in .44 mag. I have taken a few deer with it. It is the first generation and I have had zero problems with it. I shoot 300 grn XTPs over H110 and it groups well to 100 yds.

When I missed a doe with my revolver this year I kept telling myself that I would of had that deer if I had my shotgun,but I stuck with it and got one the last day of the early season with my revolver. I leave the shotgun at home so I don't take the easy way out.