Amen to the above.

What !!!!! No John Wayne.....

I like doing it both ways (in your face and at distance) with handguns.

Me and handgun hunting:

Well, I was a fanatic bow hunter from early childhood. My dad had a bunch of 16mm Fred Bear films, I loved them. I was a big kid and got a Bear Grizzly 45lbs recurve before I was old enough to get a hunting license, not very good mind you, but I shot damn near every day and killed rabbits (deer, elk, moose, grizzly bears, you know how that goes) on a semi-regular basis. Had a rifle, 30-30 and an auto-loading 12ga.and dad's 1911 from WWII. Meat on the table was a must if I were going to spend time "messing around" when I was old enough to hunt legally.

Fast forward to 1978, meet REAL bear, 1911 not so impressive any more, Discover Ruger, specifically Super Blackhawk in 44mag, 7.5 barrel, hell-fire and you just knew it would kill something. Still mostly a semi-successful bow hunter that fills the freezer every year, generally with a succession of different rifles and calibers of rifles and styles of shotgun always looking for the ?one?. Kill a few does with the 44, hey this could work.

Pretty much it until I got seriously into the guiding business at 34. Now I'm hunting for other people, then I switched over to guiding/outfitting fly fishing full time, more money and steadier work stream. Bow season is prime fall fishing, bow hunting fades. Then come the injuries, first from winter contracting jobs, Montana's generally have several "professions" listed on their business cards. Then serious repetitive stress injuries from rowing 300 pound fisherman down fast flowing rivers, and yes casting. Worked Montana, Chile, Montana too many cycles and destroyed my right elbow and have recurrent carpel problems in right wrist, but only with a fly rod or nail gun, my 44 mag. and new best friend 454 have never bothered me.

By 2000 I was done, injury and I was tired of my clients whining and drinking and acting like shitheads in restaurants that my friends work in. Went full on into contracting and made a couple of buckets of money.

Started really serious hunting, two Namibian safaris, never took a contract during Montana rifle season, just hunted for 5 weeks. Shortened the barrel on the 44mag. Took a couple of elk, more like they committed subside, and more deer with 240gr stuff. Kill moose with 44mag. Brain goes, this is not a fluke, this can work, under a 100yds. Hum, more like bow hunting, hunting period, less like American Sniper? Deliberately kill bear, deer try for elk, and mountain goat, have way lots of fun even if I so "fulfill" with a 270 or 9.3x62, some things and weather conditions are actually better served by a good rifle.

Playing at my table at a gun show, gun of the year, typical Montanan I guess, 60% gun ownership, 10 or more guns owned by a lot of nice folks, long hunting seasons, no limitations on private sales, guns move around. Millennial moron wants to trade a NIB Ruger 454 Casull 7.5 inch bbl with half a box of Buffalo Bore and factory grips for a rifle worth about half what the revolver is worth. I'm smart enough to take advantage of stupid.

Meet my little friend! Hogue grips, load up some 45LC, have had a couple of Single action 45's over the years so dies and a few bullets on hand. Love a first trigger pull, buy a box of XTP-MAG 240?s, 50 brass at a gun show and ROCK AND ROLL BABY! This just kicks butt! Ultra-dot, more practice, refined loads (still always refining loads) KILL DEER like a 270, cool. I'm getting old and doing more back-pack hunting, not less, one gun easier to pack on trails, sheep hunt, over the counter here. (Next year for sure I've got it dialed in now.)

Eastern Montana looses it appeal, too long a drive, mountains 15 mins, 5000 elk, 1000?s deer within 3hrs, lots of bear, great bird hunting, you get it.

So, what am I running now:
Rifles: The perfect one, Precious, Antonio Zoli over/under combination 12ga/7x57R, could write volumes on how well this has worked out. Short version, 7x7 B&C mulie, 350 bear, limits of every game bird, ducks, turkey, and lots of dead whitetails on the same walk.

The perfect ones cousin, 12ga/222 Rem. Coyotes, turkey, birds, general foraging.

9.3x62, think 375 but handles well in a "regular sized" rifle and kills like 375. Shot length wise through two elk at 75 and 125 yds, Primarily AFRICA. I might handgun hunt next trip if Namibia opens to hand gunning, RSA just too overpriced just to say I did it with my 454.

CZ 452 22LR, gophers.

The most boring gun in the world: Basically an F-Class, sub-MOA 14 pound monster in a270. Culling does in grain fields, you're allowed 8 total deer now used to be unlimited, 13 does one year, mostly 300 to 600yds. shots, head or neck.

The 44Mag. Sold it to my best friend; he needs to start handgun hunting.

Some concealable stuff: Nuff said.

The 454: excited about bear in the mountains. Have 48 days to get into shape.

The 45/45ACP: Fishing, hiking, fun stuff.

I think as we age the aesthetics of hunting become do much more important to us. I'll always be able to fill my freezer in Montana, just too many opportunities not to. How I do it is what counts now, handgun, better than a bow, more interesting than a rifle, well some anyway, Precious could be listening?

PAUL TUNKIS, sounds like you have had a lot of fun!

Redhawk,

I got really sick when I was 30, and ended up in the hospital, not as bad as cancer but a life altering experience. Came out after 2 weeks said SCREW WORKING for ever and dying with a unfulfilled Bucket List. Cost me wife #2.

Told #3 this is me, I don't work for you, or anyone else, you've got a degree, want a $5,000.00 sofa, get a job and buy it, I will sit on it if you let me, otherwise. the floor is fine. I pay half the expenses' you pay half, the rest of MY MONEY IS MY MONEY just like yours is yours.

$5,000 will get me to Africa, Alaska, Canada or not working hunting season here for 5 years or more. Your choice, I've made mine period. 25 years this coming Sept. I think we've had maybe 2 fights, never about money.

if you are a hand gunner you will always be hunting. Even if its concealed at the Mini-mart. No, the "ready" for it when you didn't realize you needed to be. Moose prime example, rifle against tree get 5 gal bucket from truck head to creek to get water to boil and ready for dinner and a early night after 9 days of not seeing a bull moose. water bucket half full, bull steps out onto trail 500yds from camp. looking and moving, 44mag raises to the occasion and a SHIDTT moment is avoided when I kill the objective of my desire instead of lamenting as to why I didn't bring my rifle with me... because I didn't have to, I had the perfect tool for the situation on my hip!

4pounds,4oz plus a bit of extra ammo is vastly better than ANY rifle ever dreamt of at 8000 to 10000 feet on shear cliffs and sand/rock concretions and rock falls where you can now use both hands to keep from falling to your death... two climbing sticks and guess what If you can kill it with a bow, done that, a handgun is an absolute Piece of Cake. Shot placement is critical, it is always critical, that is the nature of the dead-serious game we play with our food. I am so much better with my 454 than ANY bow I ever shot and out to 100yds, really with a bow, consistently?

Spring Bear season opens on April 15th her in Montana, I've always tried to make some significance with that date and killing a bear. Some deeply hidden analogy with the IRS or Gov. in general or just a day to char you up after a major trauma.

Taxes done and checks mailed off, I can run the hell away from everything again for a few days and do what I love, hunt, sleep till noon on Thursday after staying out till 0-dark at night trying to find a bear on a logging road or clear-cut.
try calling one in to 25yds that will get your blood pressure up and running.

Packing out anything from anywhere. Been there done a lot of that. How many of us bring a 44mag or 45lc heavy load t for Protection against bears when we are removing a carcass we created with our rifle or bow? Why not just skip the preliminaries and pack out with the most efficient weapon ever devised: The Modern Hunting handgun, I like double actions but singles are excellent and a cheaper way to see if you like a specific caliber or not, or the general manufacturing standards of a gun maker before committing to a customized weapon in that caliber based on their designs and metallurgy. Remember if you could have done it with a bow, you could have done it with a good handgun at two or three times the distance and have it be just as DRT as most smaller caliber rifles.

It all started for me with the 1960 issue of Outdoor life,
and a Pioneer Handgun Hunter named Al Goerg.
I read that article thru and thru several times,
I then ordered a signed copy of his book,
which was read cover to cover numerous times.
The seed was planted and quickly grew from there.

Started with a Ruger Single Six, 22 LR/22 Mag dual cylinders and the then new Bushnell Phantom scope being hawked. Got one after saving the funds from my paper route, mounted it and I was in hog heaven.

Grey Digger ground squirrels were fair game at any time, found out real quick, the Phantom scope mount didn't work too well in holding a zero, off to the local gun shop to see what could adapted to make it work, no dice, nothing would work.

Local gunsmith listened to what I wanted to do,
he stated that "I have the perfect rig for you" and pulled out a Ruger Auto, 4" bbl, 22 LR,
to show me, but no scope was on it.
After I explained to him I wanted it scoped, he said no problem,
what about a Weaver Long base scope mount T/D into the frame?
You can mount the scope to it and still have the iron sights etc.

The light bulb just got a lot brighter......

I explained to him that I would have to make payments on the Ruger and for the gunsmithing work etc. He said OK.

Every month I made a payment, after a couple months of hard work on the paper route and picking up any or all glass bottles I could get my hands on (2 to 5 cent bounty per bottle),
my Ruger Auto and gun work was payed off and a couple of boxes of ammo was thrown in by the gunsmith.

Went home and told mom what I had just bought, she said, OK and be safe with it.
(I found out later that the gunsmith had talked to my mom about the Ruger pistol and they had talked it over etc, sneaky Mom).

After several months of burning ammo at the Grey Diggers,
I found that they were mostly safe out past 50-75 yards with the iron sights.

Back to the gun shop and explaining to the smith that I needed scope on the Ruger for better long range shooting.

No pistol scope were available except the Phamtom scope.
I told him I had a scope, but could not get it mounted,
"Bring it in and I'll see what I can do".

Several days later, he called and said to come pick up the pistol.
He adapted a Weaver rings to fit the scope and mount.
After zeroing, pop cans and Grey Diggers were not safe out to 100yds.

1964 and a new XP-100, 221 Fireball was added with a 2x scope,
Grey Diggers, Jack Raqbbits and Yeller Dogs didn't stand a chance
out past 200yds.

Fast forward to 1969 and a New Colt Trooper 357 Mag, 6" bbl,
was in my hot grubbies with a Leupold 2x scope mounted on the bbl.
Wild hogs were fair game then, along with a couple of Black Bears treed by my friends hounds.

Then a Ruger Blackhawk 30 Carbine and a Ruger Hawkeye, 256 were added,
all scoped and being used on any critter legal to shoot, I could get in my sights.

Numerous wild hogs and feral goats were laid to rest and brought home for the dinner table along with untold number of Grey tree squirrels and Cottontail rabbits thrown in.

Forward to 1973, moved to NV has a Govt Hunter and Trapper, as the ADC work in Calif shut down.
Nv did not at that time legalize handgun hunting,
Rick Brigham, Fred Hersey and I legalize handgun hunting in 1973.

Numerous Mule deer were taken by us, for the next several years.

Then I finally drew a Nelson Desert sheep tag in 1980,
Using a TC 6mm Ugalde pistol, 14" bbl, I took the first legal Desert sheep, BC score of 168+".

In 1982, I drew a Antelope (speed goat tag), which scored 86-6/8 BC score, using a Ugalde XP-100 pistol, 15" bbl in 250 Savage.

Every year for the next few years, Mule deer were the main targets, as I don't have very good luck in drawing trophy tags.

In 2013, I finally drew a Bull Elk tag, using a SP Rem pistol, 284 w a 18", a very nice 6x6 bull, 360"+ score was taken, along with a 29"+ cheater Mule deer.

In 2014, I drew a cow elk tag and filled it using the SP 284 pistol along with a nice 4x4 Mulie.

If I live long enough,
I hope to draw a Calif and Rocky Mtn sheep along with a Mtn Goat tag, to fill a NV Grand Slam of all it's Trophy Big Game animals.

In the mean time, Rock Chucks, Jack Rabbits, Pop Guts (squirrels) and Yeller Dogs are still fair game usings pistols.

Tia,
Don

NvReloader....Where have you been ? You are long past due to being on here.....I'd like to be the first to welcome you...

Charlie

Hi Paul. Welcome to the site! While I agree in principal with this sentiment, I have to take issue with the smaller caliber rifle comment as I have taken enough big game and seen a bunch taken with properly loaded big-bore revolvers and they compare favorably to big-bore rifles IMHO. Or are you talking about thin-skinned light game like whitetail? While I would agree that deer respond to light and fast, I have not experienced the same phenomenon on much heavier game. Or did I read your post wrong?

We're giving something up to the range potential of the rifle, but putting the hurt on animals in the 1,000-lb plus range is better accomplished (in my experience) by let's say a .475 Linebaugh or a .500 JRH than even many of the larger bore rifles. Just my humble opinion.

Yes, I should have been clearer I guess. The vast majority of hunters only hunt deer, specifically whitetail as their "big game" and frankly, deer don't take a lot of "killing".

My guiding experience has taught me that the average client (actually MORE motivated to be weapons proficient than the "average Joe Hunter") does not practice enough with his weapon, any weapon, to be really proficient with it, and rifles are easier to master than a hot 357, or any of the real big bores (I think serious stuff STARTS a 4 in the name.) You ever offer to let some guy at the range take a few shots with your 475 or 500, did they demure? Yep, no takers, they do "just fine" with a 8 to 10 pound 270, 25-06, 243 and god forbid the guys that kill a couple of dozen southern whitetail does every year with a 223 and think it works on "big game" Hopefully, that's where they will do the least amount of damage to the reputation of hunters as louts that wound game because if it doesn't recoil they might shoot it enough to place their shots reasonably well at distances under 200 yards.

Elk in black timber with a 243 or my 454? 454 every time, and frankly I'd actually prefer my 9.3x62 with 286gr Partitions, on a purely technical basis. I know that I can get her done with the 454 and a really good handgun is a joy to work with in any close quarters situation IF you have the skills. Called black bear at dead close range, handgun heaven, or shidt your shorts country for even many experienced "clients".

Thanks for the clarification, Paul!

Getting back into it after a shoulder injury hurts to shoot a rifle! Love the challenge even with a rifle I love to get in close for the kill. Don't care for bow hunting.

I got my first gun when I was 5 when we moved to the country, and started hunting the following year. Early on I carried a 22 handgun (dads High Standard) for sitting rabbits or close squirrels. When I was about 14 I gave my dad the money to get me an H&R 999 Sportsman 22 break action. Shot thousands of rounds through that gun, taking many species of small game.

Since then I have had many SA and DA guns as well as Contenders and Encores. So far I have taken a handfull of coyotes, two Does, and a 160" buck with my 44's, and one black bear with my SRH 480.

I have 3 handguns for big game right now. A 12" 44 Encore with a 2x Nikon, A custom 5" Ruger Super redhawk 44 with a 30mm Ultradot, and a 4" Ruger GP100 357 with fire optic sights. Hoping to add a 10" Encore barrel in 357.