Its always been my contention that your choice in a hunting revolver should concentrate on accuracy,
with reasonable power ,
rather than just maximum power!
if you can,t consistently and precisely place your shots,
where you intended to power is almost irrelevant...
and yes that will require you practice enough to be comfortable in placing your shots in about a 5" circle,
if you can,t do that you either need more practice or,
limit the range you hunt , or take shots to the distance you can consistently do that!
for some reason many guys who are new to the sport seem to think that the newer 460 and 500 S&W magnums or a 454 cassul mag revolver are required to hunt big game,
if anything I think those revolvers may occasionally do more to discourage new hunters than to add to their efficiency.
now thats not to say those are not very effective tools in experienced hands,
but hunting with a revolver is mostly a game of locating and stalking and knowing how to get reasonably close to game,
....many revolvers have more than adequate penetration and enough power,
and obviously each hunters skill level will vary.
I've seen an ELK killed at about 70 yards with a S&W 8" 41 mag revolver with a single shot.
damn near every big game animal on the planet has been effectively dispatched with a 44 mag revolver.
trust me when I say that once your looking down the revolver sights at something like this.ELK below,..your constant practice or lack of practice shows up,
in spades, hes big and he won,t drop easily to a shot thats not been well placed but even a 357 mag can kill him, but any big game even well hit big game is generally not going to drop at the shot impact with any revolver cartridge,
quite as frequently or as rapidly as like sometimes happens with a rifle,
so never assume you missed if game runs, check it out carefully.
think more like archery, its 100% lethal IF THE SHOTS WELL PLACED,
but it takes a few seconds to take full effect.
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/best-holographic-sights/
If what I see at the local ranges is a good indication, under field condition,s most guys will have a problem maintaining acceptable hunting accuracy past 70-100 yards.
I've also found that a longer barrel with its longer sight radias makes shots taken under less than ideal lighting conditions far easier, so ID suggest a 6" barrel as a realistic MINIMUM length for a hunting revolver and a 7.5"-10" as even better, in a revolver used as a primary hunting tool. (which is different than carrying a revolver as a rifle back-up)
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/i ... 0000690227
heres the LEE 310 withs wide frontal impact nose area,
I use in my 44 mag loaded over 21 grains of h110,
or in my 445 dwsm over 30 grains of h110 it makes an effective load
http://www.handloads.com/misc/linebaugh ... .tests.asp
http://www.garrettcartridges.com/44hammerhead.html
IF YOU PLACE a bullet into the arteries over the heart or thru the lungs on any deer or elk and the caliber you used is going to be far less important than the bullet placement, any 357,41,44 mag or larger revolver you can consistently do that with will kill deer & ELK.
EVEN a 357 mag with proper loads has more than enough power to kill game, and Id be first guy to say that the larger and heavier bullets from the more powerful cartridges do tend to produce larger wounds and do tend to get quicker results. thats why I tend to recommend the 41-44 mags as a minimum on ELK. and theres certainly some advantage in the harder hitting calibers IF YOU CAN CONSISTENTLY PLACE YOUR SHOTS
but a well placed shot is the key , and within reasonable limits ,its not the power level of the revolver, in most hunts, that will make or break the hunt.
I can,t even list the times I see guys at the local range with a new 454 cassul or 500 S&W , who are intimidated after firing a few shots, yes those are very impressive revolvers and a 460 S&W or 500 S&W are excellent tools in skilled hands, but if that revolver can,t be used to consistently hit the paper backer on the target frame ,let alone the bulls-eye on the target, its never going to be a great tool for hunting.
just keep in mind that most successful handgun hunters operate much like archery hunters, in that they try to get in close and make the first shot count, and knowing how to use camo and know that watching the wind direction are factors that play a larger part in success than they may with a rifle.
bullets performance is dependent on a good knowledge of the games anatomy and very precise ,and correct shot placement.
a shot thru the green dot will be quickly fatal, place the shot a bit higher and forward to destroy the shoulder and spine if your more concerned with anchoring the animal quickly than maximizing the venison,you pack out, like the lower picture[/b]
place your shots where it does the most damage to the vitals, and powers not as critical to success
its worked for me for the last 4 plus decades and its worked for everyone else I hunt with
Accuracy like that usually results in the owner leaving the revolver in the gun safe or eventually giving up on hunting with it, or selling it.
now obviously theres some guys that eventually master the required skills with their hand cannons and those guys represent a minority in the field.
many times Ive advised potential new guys wanting to enter the sports ranks to buy a 357-41-44 mag with a 6"-7.5"-8"-10" barrel length and get into reloading because its going to take a great deal of ammo,to acquire the skill and that takes constant , PRACTICE, practice takes CHEAPER AMMO, and thats where reloading can easily save you 30%-70% in cost especially if you cast your own bullets.
make darn sure you use a hard alloy and crimp the bullets firmly in the cases,as the last thing you need is the recoil letting the unfired cartridge bullets move forward in the cases to solidly lock up the revolver, Ive used a mix alloy of about 20% Linotype/75% wheel weights and 5% tin, with excellent results, its soft enough to rivet and expand but only slowly and bullets tend to drive deep and exit.
a good hard cast bullet load in a 357,41,44 mag or something like a 480 ruger or 454 cassul,will shoot clear thru most deer, or ELK.
its not a power issue , thats going to cause a problem for most hunters, its difficulty most guys have ,getting in close and properly placing their shot that's the required skill and challenge in this type of hunting.
http://www.handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=30
while I can tell you from experience that theres a noticeable difference in the reaction of deer and hogs that were shot in similar vital areas,with a good 357 mag hand load and a similar 44 mag revolver and hand loads BOTH are 100% lethal in the hands of a decent shot when loaded with fairly heavy for caliber hard cast bullets and a 357 mag loaded with 158-170-180 grain hard cast gas-check bullets does a decent job on game if you know anatomy and can place shots accurately, look closely at the hand load data and believe me when I say that with the proper hand loads you could effectively use a 6"-8"10" barrel 357 mag revolver to kill even ELK at ranges under 100 yards with a good hard cast bullet pushed to 1350 -1450 plus fps
(where the law allows the calibers use)
http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=357 Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/3...um-358-diameter-180-grain-flat-nose-gas-check
when I started hunting with a revolver I purchased a 357 magnum with a 8 3/8" barrel and I found that it was an excellent choice, it was economical to shoot and reload for and I eventually master the skill to hit a gallon jug almost every time at ranges up to 120 yards from a sitting position in the field, it killed both hogs and deer very effectively..I carried it and hunted with that for many years.its the lightest in weight and much easier to carry for days at a time in the field.
Ive been on several dozen hand gun hunts for deer and hogs in the last few years and recently a few hunts for ELK, and Ill point out that handgun hunting has a lot of similarity's with ARCHERY HUNTING, in that your reasonable shot range will be fairly short compared to use of a decent rifle.
most archery hunters try to make shots at under 45 -50 yards and dropping the ranges to 20-30 yards increases their odds of making a successful shot very noticeably in my experience.
while a good hunting revolver is not as limited in skilled hands its a rather rare hunter in my experience that should be taking shots at much over 120 yards and most hunters (if watching the results at the local range is a valid representation)would be far more successful if limiting shots to the range they consistently place a shot into a 6" paper plate EVERY TIME!, which if you watch most guys will be at no more than 75 yards in many cases.
POWERS SELDOM AN ISSUE, even a 357 mag with the standard 158 grain loads at about 1400fps can easily kill an ELK with a single well placed shot at 75-100 yards, the larger calibers have a power advantage but its the shot placement more than the power levels that count.
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/i ... 0000690227
Ive used a S&W 10.5/8" 44 mag revolver similar to this one for many years( interchangeably with my 357 revolver,depending on the area hunted)VERY SUCCESSFULLY , the 44 mag using 300 grain,hard cast lead bullets over 20 grains of H110 powder.
IVE recently purchased(about 12 years ago) this dan wesson 445 super mag that uses the same 44 caliber bullets but a longer case to add an additional 200fps to the revolvers power, but its been , the slightly increased accuracy not the power thats been the biggest help.
now you see Ive used three different revolvers and three different power levels, and while the 44 mag revolver probably has the most kills both the others have proven fully up to the job.the 357 mags lightest in weight and much easier to carry for days at a time in the field, but all the revolvers tend to be much easier to carry than a rifle in thick brush or when climbing step canyons or dragging out game, and a good shoulder holster has proven to be the most comfortable way to carry any of them.
BTW Ive used almost exclusively hard cast bullets in my revolvers as they work exceedingly well and give consisted results and usually exit the far side on game where the jacketed hollow points tend to shred in transit thru the game and sometimes fail to exit.
I would strongly suggest selecting a 6"-10" barrel pistol or revolver for any serious hunting application to maximize velocity and to provide a good sight radias.
http://www.ballistics101.com/357_magnum.php
(while certainly not a power house choice, Or something Id recommend),
in the hands of a skilled hunter I has taken about everything in north America at one time or another)
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=357 Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=
http://www.ballistics101.com/10mm.php
(not bad for a compact auto pistol used for hunting and with proper hand loads certainly useful)
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=10 mm&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=
http://www.ballistics101.com/41_magnum.php
(great choice if recoil bothers you, provided you hand load )
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=41 Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=
http://www.ballistics101.com/44_magnum.php
(without doubt the least expensive and most effective choice for most people)
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=44 Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=
http://www.ballistics101.com/454_casull.php
(great choice if recoil does not bother you, provided you hand load )
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=454 Casull&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=
http://www.ballistics101.com/460_sw.php
(great choice if recoil does not bother you, provided you hand load )
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=460 SqqqW Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=
http://www.ballistics101.com/480_ruger.php
(great choice if recoil does not bother you, provided you hand load )
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=480 Ruger&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=
http://www.ballistics101.com/500_sw.php
(great choice if recoil does not bother you, provided you hand load )
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=500 SqqqW Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=
http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/defau ... er&Source=
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.357_Magnum
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/i ... 0000690322
http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/defau ... er&Source=
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.44_Magnum
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...you-cast-and-hunt-with-bullets-you-made.6802/
http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/defau ... er&Source=
http://www.sixguns.com/tests/tt445sm.htm
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/i ... 0152660650
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/i ... 0000690227
http://www.shootingtimes.com/handgun_re ... ndex3.html
with reasonable power ,
rather than just maximum power!
if you can,t consistently and precisely place your shots,
where you intended to power is almost irrelevant...
and yes that will require you practice enough to be comfortable in placing your shots in about a 5" circle,
if you can,t do that you either need more practice or,
limit the range you hunt , or take shots to the distance you can consistently do that!
for some reason many guys who are new to the sport seem to think that the newer 460 and 500 S&W magnums or a 454 cassul mag revolver are required to hunt big game,
if anything I think those revolvers may occasionally do more to discourage new hunters than to add to their efficiency.
now thats not to say those are not very effective tools in experienced hands,
but hunting with a revolver is mostly a game of locating and stalking and knowing how to get reasonably close to game,
....many revolvers have more than adequate penetration and enough power,
and obviously each hunters skill level will vary.
I've seen an ELK killed at about 70 yards with a S&W 8" 41 mag revolver with a single shot.
damn near every big game animal on the planet has been effectively dispatched with a 44 mag revolver.
trust me when I say that once your looking down the revolver sights at something like this.ELK below,..your constant practice or lack of practice shows up,
in spades, hes big and he won,t drop easily to a shot thats not been well placed but even a 357 mag can kill him, but any big game even well hit big game is generally not going to drop at the shot impact with any revolver cartridge,
quite as frequently or as rapidly as like sometimes happens with a rifle,
so never assume you missed if game runs, check it out carefully.
think more like archery, its 100% lethal IF THE SHOTS WELL PLACED,
but it takes a few seconds to take full effect.
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/best-holographic-sights/
If what I see at the local ranges is a good indication, under field condition,s most guys will have a problem maintaining acceptable hunting accuracy past 70-100 yards.
I've also found that a longer barrel with its longer sight radias makes shots taken under less than ideal lighting conditions far easier, so ID suggest a 6" barrel as a realistic MINIMUM length for a hunting revolver and a 7.5"-10" as even better, in a revolver used as a primary hunting tool. (which is different than carrying a revolver as a rifle back-up)
I was asked why I don.t own a ruger 480 handgun?
I was asked why I don't own a ruger 480 handgun? like many other people ,I think its a good newer pistol and a ,a darn good, newer cartridge. but in my case other options are marginally better in my case. I own a couple 44 mag revolvers, a 500 S&W, and a couple 445 DWSM revolvers, making...
garage.grumpysperformance.com
heres the LEE 310 withs wide frontal impact nose area,
I use in my 44 mag loaded over 21 grains of h110,
or in my 445 dwsm over 30 grains of h110 it makes an effective load
http://www.handloads.com/misc/linebaugh ... .tests.asp
http://www.garrettcartridges.com/44hammerhead.html
Ruger Super Blackhawk .480 Ruger, Best Large Bore Revolver
The Ruger Super Blackhawk .480 Ruger is the best large bore revolver by far. Read our review, watch video of Ruger Super Blackhawk .480 and see photos.
warriorsandsheepdogs.com
IF YOU PLACE a bullet into the arteries over the heart or thru the lungs on any deer or elk and the caliber you used is going to be far less important than the bullet placement, any 357,41,44 mag or larger revolver you can consistently do that with will kill deer & ELK.
EVEN a 357 mag with proper loads has more than enough power to kill game, and Id be first guy to say that the larger and heavier bullets from the more powerful cartridges do tend to produce larger wounds and do tend to get quicker results. thats why I tend to recommend the 41-44 mags as a minimum on ELK. and theres certainly some advantage in the harder hitting calibers IF YOU CAN CONSISTENTLY PLACE YOUR SHOTS
but a well placed shot is the key , and within reasonable limits ,its not the power level of the revolver, in most hunts, that will make or break the hunt.
I can,t even list the times I see guys at the local range with a new 454 cassul or 500 S&W , who are intimidated after firing a few shots, yes those are very impressive revolvers and a 460 S&W or 500 S&W are excellent tools in skilled hands, but if that revolver can,t be used to consistently hit the paper backer on the target frame ,let alone the bulls-eye on the target, its never going to be a great tool for hunting.
just keep in mind that most successful handgun hunters operate much like archery hunters, in that they try to get in close and make the first shot count, and knowing how to use camo and know that watching the wind direction are factors that play a larger part in success than they may with a rifle.
bullets performance is dependent on a good knowledge of the games anatomy and very precise ,and correct shot placement.
a shot thru the green dot will be quickly fatal, place the shot a bit higher and forward to destroy the shoulder and spine if your more concerned with anchoring the animal quickly than maximizing the venison,you pack out, like the lower picture[/b]
place your shots where it does the most damage to the vitals, and powers not as critical to success
its worked for me for the last 4 plus decades and its worked for everyone else I hunt with
Accuracy like that usually results in the owner leaving the revolver in the gun safe or eventually giving up on hunting with it, or selling it.
now obviously theres some guys that eventually master the required skills with their hand cannons and those guys represent a minority in the field.
many times Ive advised potential new guys wanting to enter the sports ranks to buy a 357-41-44 mag with a 6"-7.5"-8"-10" barrel length and get into reloading because its going to take a great deal of ammo,to acquire the skill and that takes constant , PRACTICE, practice takes CHEAPER AMMO, and thats where reloading can easily save you 30%-70% in cost especially if you cast your own bullets.
make darn sure you use a hard alloy and crimp the bullets firmly in the cases,as the last thing you need is the recoil letting the unfired cartridge bullets move forward in the cases to solidly lock up the revolver, Ive used a mix alloy of about 20% Linotype/75% wheel weights and 5% tin, with excellent results, its soft enough to rivet and expand but only slowly and bullets tend to drive deep and exit.
a good hard cast bullet load in a 357,41,44 mag or something like a 480 ruger or 454 cassul,will shoot clear thru most deer, or ELK.
its not a power issue , thats going to cause a problem for most hunters, its difficulty most guys have ,getting in close and properly placing their shot that's the required skill and challenge in this type of hunting.
http://www.handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=30
while I can tell you from experience that theres a noticeable difference in the reaction of deer and hogs that were shot in similar vital areas,with a good 357 mag hand load and a similar 44 mag revolver and hand loads BOTH are 100% lethal in the hands of a decent shot when loaded with fairly heavy for caliber hard cast bullets and a 357 mag loaded with 158-170-180 grain hard cast gas-check bullets does a decent job on game if you know anatomy and can place shots accurately, look closely at the hand load data and believe me when I say that with the proper hand loads you could effectively use a 6"-8"10" barrel 357 mag revolver to kill even ELK at ranges under 100 yards with a good hard cast bullet pushed to 1350 -1450 plus fps
(where the law allows the calibers use)
http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=357 Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/3...um-358-diameter-180-grain-flat-nose-gas-check
when I started hunting with a revolver I purchased a 357 magnum with a 8 3/8" barrel and I found that it was an excellent choice, it was economical to shoot and reload for and I eventually master the skill to hit a gallon jug almost every time at ranges up to 120 yards from a sitting position in the field, it killed both hogs and deer very effectively..I carried it and hunted with that for many years.its the lightest in weight and much easier to carry for days at a time in the field.
Ive been on several dozen hand gun hunts for deer and hogs in the last few years and recently a few hunts for ELK, and Ill point out that handgun hunting has a lot of similarity's with ARCHERY HUNTING, in that your reasonable shot range will be fairly short compared to use of a decent rifle.
most archery hunters try to make shots at under 45 -50 yards and dropping the ranges to 20-30 yards increases their odds of making a successful shot very noticeably in my experience.
while a good hunting revolver is not as limited in skilled hands its a rather rare hunter in my experience that should be taking shots at much over 120 yards and most hunters (if watching the results at the local range is a valid representation)would be far more successful if limiting shots to the range they consistently place a shot into a 6" paper plate EVERY TIME!, which if you watch most guys will be at no more than 75 yards in many cases.
POWERS SELDOM AN ISSUE, even a 357 mag with the standard 158 grain loads at about 1400fps can easily kill an ELK with a single well placed shot at 75-100 yards, the larger calibers have a power advantage but its the shot placement more than the power levels that count.
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/i ... 0000690227
Ive used a S&W 10.5/8" 44 mag revolver similar to this one for many years( interchangeably with my 357 revolver,depending on the area hunted)VERY SUCCESSFULLY , the 44 mag using 300 grain,hard cast lead bullets over 20 grains of H110 powder.
IVE recently purchased(about 12 years ago) this dan wesson 445 super mag that uses the same 44 caliber bullets but a longer case to add an additional 200fps to the revolvers power, but its been , the slightly increased accuracy not the power thats been the biggest help.
now you see Ive used three different revolvers and three different power levels, and while the 44 mag revolver probably has the most kills both the others have proven fully up to the job.the 357 mags lightest in weight and much easier to carry for days at a time in the field, but all the revolvers tend to be much easier to carry than a rifle in thick brush or when climbing step canyons or dragging out game, and a good shoulder holster has proven to be the most comfortable way to carry any of them.
BTW Ive used almost exclusively hard cast bullets in my revolvers as they work exceedingly well and give consisted results and usually exit the far side on game where the jacketed hollow points tend to shred in transit thru the game and sometimes fail to exit.
I would strongly suggest selecting a 6"-10" barrel pistol or revolver for any serious hunting application to maximize velocity and to provide a good sight radias.
http://www.ballistics101.com/357_magnum.php
(while certainly not a power house choice, Or something Id recommend),
in the hands of a skilled hunter I has taken about everything in north America at one time or another)
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=357 Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=
http://www.ballistics101.com/10mm.php
(not bad for a compact auto pistol used for hunting and with proper hand loads certainly useful)
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=10 mm&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=
http://www.ballistics101.com/41_magnum.php
(great choice if recoil bothers you, provided you hand load )
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=41 Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=
http://www.ballistics101.com/44_magnum.php
(without doubt the least expensive and most effective choice for most people)
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=44 Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=
http://www.ballistics101.com/454_casull.php
(great choice if recoil does not bother you, provided you hand load )
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=454 Casull&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=
http://www.ballistics101.com/460_sw.php
(great choice if recoil does not bother you, provided you hand load )
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=460 SqqqW Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=
http://www.ballistics101.com/480_ruger.php
(great choice if recoil does not bother you, provided you hand load )
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=480 Ruger&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=
http://www.ballistics101.com/500_sw.php
(great choice if recoil does not bother you, provided you hand load )
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=500 SqqqW Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=
http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/defau ... er&Source=
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.357_Magnum
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/i ... 0000690322
http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/defau ... er&Source=
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.44_Magnum
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...you-cast-and-hunt-with-bullets-you-made.6802/
http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/defau ... er&Source=
http://www.sixguns.com/tests/tt445sm.htm
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/i ... 0152660650
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/i ... 0000690227
http://www.shootingtimes.com/handgun_re ... ndex3.html
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