Originally Posted By: Gary
So there is a fundamental question here that isn't understood. Why do more people not hunt with a handgun? Or to put it a different way, what is preventing or deterring someone from hunting with a handgun vs. another type of firearm or bow?

Certainly there are some states and localities that this is not possible but it doesn't seem to me to be a significant barrier at the macro level.

Centerfire rifles, muzzle loaders, and shotguns take very little practice to be at least somewhat successful hunting. So time is not a factor here and all of these guns have products at a price point that most anyone can afford. These non-shooters don't spend a lot annually on ammunition.

Bows fit into similar price points and while arrows are not cheap they are fairly durable and can be reused over and over with some care. Cost for practice is also low. There is significantly more time involved in becoming proficient with a bow than the classes of firearms mentioned above. So given the amount of bow hunters, the time required to be proficient wouldn't seem to be the issue and cost is on par with firearms other than handguns.

Handguns also fit into a price range where anyone who can afford either bows or other types of firearms could also afford a hunting handgun with a scope. Significant time is required to become and stay proficient with a handgun. In many cases, unless you're shooting a lot of 22 rimfires, there is also a significant cost to shooting practice and as has been said, it's hard to be really good. Not everyone will develop into an outstanding shot.

So is this the roadblock? Is it the combination of time, money and difficulty? How much of the difficulty is perceived. For all the talk about loving a hunting challenge I sometimes wonder.

I know this... I don't have the answer.


I still believe alot of it is the stigma associated with "handguns". I've talked to an unbelieveable number of hunters and gun owners that are extremely ignorant about everything associated with guns. I've even seen here where people think you can seperate any of the shooting sports from politics and it's not possible. I've had more people stare at me in amazement when they here that every animal on the planet up to and including elephants has been taken with a handgun. I constantly look at bewildered faces when people find out I'm a gunsmith and ask me about doing rifle work and I tell them I only do handguns and specifically Hunting Handguns. I think it boils down to a lack of education and too much indoctrination from the main stream media. The one hope I see is that the "black rifles" have over come their stigma to a large part so there may be hope yet for handguns.

I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them. John Wayne-The Shootist