Best 6 Heavy Pistols
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Maniacmechanic1
solid fixture here in the forum
related threads,
keep in mind the projectile does ALL the damage, and a revolver ,
will have limitations due the cylinder length and rifling twist rates and forcing cone design.
the average revolver Ive hunted with seems to work rather well,
is a hard cast gas check bullet in about the .240-.270
sectional density range is pushed to ideally about 1350-1500 fps.
this frequently results in near max penetration, obviously the alloy used in casting matters,
Ive generally found 95% wheel weights and 5% pure tin is a decent compromise lyno type is also a good alloy.
push the projectile to impact much over 1700 fps and expansion tends to reduce penetration
personally I rather enjoy the challenge involved with, getting in close to game and while I found ARCHERY to be fun,
Ive never become super proficient with a bow, 3"-4" diam. 40 yard groups are doable,
but at least for me, remain a challenge even after decades of practice and hunting for decades.
but I think I found my nitch with a big bore revolver, I started with a ruger single action, I was not overly impressed ,
(back in the early 1960s as the cylinder pin on my revolver frequently worked loose & accuracy was not exceptional )
but by the early 1970s I'd purchased a 8.375 " 44 S&W and learned to cast and reload bullets,
my revolver skills were improving a great deal,after thousands of cartridges fired,
in the mid 1980s I had purchased a 10.5/8" S&W silhouette revolver and a bit later a 10" DWSM in 445 caliber
I was never an exceptional shot, but 2"-3" 50 yard groups from a sitting position, were not at all difficult ,
and I rapidly found that the 300-330 grain hard cast gas check bullets,
in the 44 caliber revolvers used with iron sights, provided impressive performance on game.
Ive never had any problem with a revolver used with heavy gas check, hard cast bullets and any lack of lethality on game.
loaded over a stiff load of H110 or in some cases 2400 the 44 cal revolvers, were very lethal on everything I shot at under the 70 yard self imposed limits Id set.
I also acquired a couple 8.3/8" 357 mag revolvers, they were fun plinkers and yes,they were lethal on deer and hogs with a 158-175 grain hard cast gas check bullet.
BTW Ive tried the 480 ruger, 454 cassul 460 and 500 S&W revolvers , the 480 ruger has impressive performance and does not require a huge heavy revolver ,
the 445 dwsm and S&W 460/500 are rather large and heavy revolvers.
I personally think the 480 ruger cartridge, is potentially the best compromise, power and revolver size, in the revolvers larger than the 44 mag
the 500 S&W is impressive but theres no need to max it out , a 440-480 grain hard cast bullet at only about 1200 fps would devastate any game at the ranges I prefer to hunt at.
If you hand load and cast, the 480 ruger, 460 & 500 S&W all have amazing potential
this level of performance is not really required, and mildly hot 480 ruger and 445 DWSM handloads can match the energy level
several friend have decided to use single shot break action pistols like contenders, these work well,
in the 35-500 caliber range from what I see, one guy I hunt with has a contender in a 14" barrel in 35 rem, whos certainly doing well.
and provide good accuracy and a huge range in cartridge choice, each of us finds what he likes.
btw
bullet weight x vel x vel divided by 450240 gives you muzzle energy. if youve got a revolver that packs a 280-440 grain bullet ,
and is fast enough to provide about 1100 ft lbs of muzzle energy it will prove devastating, on game with the correct projectile.
most ammo in the shorter barrel length, 44 mag falls just short of that with most loads , in guns with less than a 8" barrel,
but I've shot and killed 2 elk with a 44 mag 10" revolver, and 300 grain bullets and the bullets zip through and exit so it certainly has the required punch.
so how many of you gentlemen have found hunting with a handgun rather interesting/ rewarding?
think about this question "how much better a hunter would you be.
".if the game you hunted had the realistic potential to rush in and kill you if it saw you before you could get off a shot?"
having that mindset helps,
I took a local guy into an area I have access to to hunt hogs with a pistol,
he had borrowed my EAA 45 acp and I had a mod 686 357 mag 8.375 inch revolver,
hogs in florida are on private land, are considered pests/vermin and may be shot all year.
I was walking into one of the areas I hunt rather regularly
, its mostly a long ago abandoned orange groove and sugar cane field of about 4200 acres
Im thinking how out of sync it seems with most guys that the skills I've learned,
have become due to decades of learning how to hunt,,
using the basic and effective hunting skill set!
you must see the game well before it sees YOU,
the goal has zero to do with distance covered, reaching that next fire break or old road,
its all about being totally aware of your surroundings, and remaining un-detected by the local wild life
, this can,t be accomplished if you , simply walk through an area.
as I walk in, too the area we hunt, with a new guy I'm teaching,
I try to teach him the basics,
as I walk into the area I move slowly and quietly,
I sure don,t walk at a steady pace,
I take 5-7 steps, hesitate,I try to plan where I stand ,next to old trees,after each few steps taken,
I never walk in the open areas, I stop and observer every 30-45 seconds,
sometimes for 2-5 minutes, time goes by before I will move forward,
I try to stop close too trees when I can, as it tends to break your visual outline,
I stoop and look at a lower eye site level every few stops,
I move as little as possible, while my eyes slowly sweep the area visually at the extent of my vision range,
over between 270-360 degrees, yes that requires I slowly pivot my head and body,
given the opportunity I will sit on a stump or larger rock for 10-15 minutes to listen and watch,
I listen, I almost sub consciously,, watch and feel the breeze, before I continue,
I listen and look... this is obviously a behavior pattern learned long ago
I can see the newer guy wants to plod along, consistently step after step,
I have difficulty in getting across the concept of stealth,
as if he some how thinks the goal is to get someplace as fast as he can, on the most direct route he can find.
that might be his goal, but I can,t imagine where he thinks hes destined to go to!
the goal here is to observe, too be, and remain, totally aware of your surroundings,
this is obviously a rather unique concept to most people,
that and you never move in a consistent strait line, you slowly change the path,
you zig, or zag as required, watch the breeze , everything down wind knows your there,
change directions 45-70-90 degrees every 4th or 5th stop and rest cycle,
you remain alert, you observe and you damn sure try not to either be detected or predictable,
theres no place, you have too reach, no due date or schedule to maintain! my dad was a good instructor, he often said,
its only a deer or maybe an elk, but hunt like it was a man eating 600 lb tiger and its kill or be killed and your only weapons a spear.
you get into a mind set, it takes constant observation and remaining constantly aware of your surroundings,
something, in a skill set, most modern men have ignored learning for decades.
it took me HOURS to get the new guy to even start to grasp the concept,
in minutes he got bored, he wanted to cover ground, to see the next clearing...
to do so he would invariably have to move through the area at a rate that would almost instantly reveal his presents,
in and his direction of travel too any deer or hog in that acreage.
after he seemed to grasp the idea, at least marginally,
we started to after about 30-45 minutes see several groups of hogs, and later a few does wandering through the well over grown brush.
I pointed out tracks, I showed him how to find places to break up his visual outline,
but mostly I tried to get across the idea that the key was observing his surroundings without the upsetting or influencing the local wild life.
after we got back to the truck, several hours later he admitted,
he had never seen so much game, and until that trip never seen game that was not at a dead run...
so it was a productive few hours
(no we never saw anything worth shooting this time,
but it was well worth the time spent and rather enjoyable)
use of several methods obviously boost your odds,
\
a decent climbing tree stand,(if the area and trees available permit the use of course)
gets your scent well up out of the local area ,dispersed in the breeze and provides you a great view in many areas
use your skill,experience and tools available too boost your odds,
each area will be unique, you must adapt to succeed,some areas make still hunting with a pistol a decent option, others are better hunted with a tree stand and a flat trajectory rifle
https://www.beartoothbullets.com/rescources/calculators/php/density.htm?bw=450&bd=.500
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/44-mag.7500/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/445-dan-wesson-revolvers.1992/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/1-2in-holes.14800/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ing-a-handgun-for-hunting-hogs-deer-elk.1864/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ns-power-accuracy-effective-range-cost.13280/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/44-mag-reload-info.3409/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...do-i-need-here-for-a-500-s-w-reloading.11917/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...tance-to-use-hard-cast-lead-projectiles.9875/
keep in mind the projectile does ALL the damage, and a revolver ,
will have limitations due the cylinder length and rifling twist rates and forcing cone design.
the average revolver Ive hunted with seems to work rather well,
is a hard cast gas check bullet in about the .240-.270
sectional density range is pushed to ideally about 1350-1500 fps.
this frequently results in near max penetration, obviously the alloy used in casting matters,
Ive generally found 95% wheel weights and 5% pure tin is a decent compromise lyno type is also a good alloy.
push the projectile to impact much over 1700 fps and expansion tends to reduce penetration
personally I rather enjoy the challenge involved with, getting in close to game and while I found ARCHERY to be fun,
Ive never become super proficient with a bow, 3"-4" diam. 40 yard groups are doable,
but at least for me, remain a challenge even after decades of practice and hunting for decades.
but I think I found my nitch with a big bore revolver, I started with a ruger single action, I was not overly impressed ,
(back in the early 1960s as the cylinder pin on my revolver frequently worked loose & accuracy was not exceptional )
but by the early 1970s I'd purchased a 8.375 " 44 S&W and learned to cast and reload bullets,
my revolver skills were improving a great deal,after thousands of cartridges fired,
in the mid 1980s I had purchased a 10.5/8" S&W silhouette revolver and a bit later a 10" DWSM in 445 caliber
I was never an exceptional shot, but 2"-3" 50 yard groups from a sitting position, were not at all difficult ,
and I rapidly found that the 300-330 grain hard cast gas check bullets,
in the 44 caliber revolvers used with iron sights, provided impressive performance on game.
Ive never had any problem with a revolver used with heavy gas check, hard cast bullets and any lack of lethality on game.
loaded over a stiff load of H110 or in some cases 2400 the 44 cal revolvers, were very lethal on everything I shot at under the 70 yard self imposed limits Id set.
I also acquired a couple 8.3/8" 357 mag revolvers, they were fun plinkers and yes,they were lethal on deer and hogs with a 158-175 grain hard cast gas check bullet.
BTW Ive tried the 480 ruger, 454 cassul 460 and 500 S&W revolvers , the 480 ruger has impressive performance and does not require a huge heavy revolver ,
the 445 dwsm and S&W 460/500 are rather large and heavy revolvers.
I personally think the 480 ruger cartridge, is potentially the best compromise, power and revolver size, in the revolvers larger than the 44 mag
the 500 S&W is impressive but theres no need to max it out , a 440-480 grain hard cast bullet at only about 1200 fps would devastate any game at the ranges I prefer to hunt at.
If you hand load and cast, the 480 ruger, 460 & 500 S&W all have amazing potential
this level of performance is not really required, and mildly hot 480 ruger and 445 DWSM handloads can match the energy level
several friend have decided to use single shot break action pistols like contenders, these work well,
in the 35-500 caliber range from what I see, one guy I hunt with has a contender in a 14" barrel in 35 rem, whos certainly doing well.
and provide good accuracy and a huge range in cartridge choice, each of us finds what he likes.
btw
bullet weight x vel x vel divided by 450240 gives you muzzle energy. if youve got a revolver that packs a 280-440 grain bullet ,
and is fast enough to provide about 1100 ft lbs of muzzle energy it will prove devastating, on game with the correct projectile.
most ammo in the shorter barrel length, 44 mag falls just short of that with most loads , in guns with less than a 8" barrel,
but I've shot and killed 2 elk with a 44 mag 10" revolver, and 300 grain bullets and the bullets zip through and exit so it certainly has the required punch.
so how many of you gentlemen have found hunting with a handgun rather interesting/ rewarding?
think about this question "how much better a hunter would you be.
".if the game you hunted had the realistic potential to rush in and kill you if it saw you before you could get off a shot?"
having that mindset helps,
I took a local guy into an area I have access to to hunt hogs with a pistol,
he had borrowed my EAA 45 acp and I had a mod 686 357 mag 8.375 inch revolver,
hogs in florida are on private land, are considered pests/vermin and may be shot all year.
I was walking into one of the areas I hunt rather regularly
, its mostly a long ago abandoned orange groove and sugar cane field of about 4200 acres
Im thinking how out of sync it seems with most guys that the skills I've learned,
have become due to decades of learning how to hunt,,
using the basic and effective hunting skill set!
you must see the game well before it sees YOU,
the goal has zero to do with distance covered, reaching that next fire break or old road,
its all about being totally aware of your surroundings, and remaining un-detected by the local wild life
, this can,t be accomplished if you , simply walk through an area.
as I walk in, too the area we hunt, with a new guy I'm teaching,
I try to teach him the basics,
as I walk into the area I move slowly and quietly,
I sure don,t walk at a steady pace,
I take 5-7 steps, hesitate,I try to plan where I stand ,next to old trees,after each few steps taken,
I never walk in the open areas, I stop and observer every 30-45 seconds,
sometimes for 2-5 minutes, time goes by before I will move forward,
I try to stop close too trees when I can, as it tends to break your visual outline,
I stoop and look at a lower eye site level every few stops,
I move as little as possible, while my eyes slowly sweep the area visually at the extent of my vision range,
over between 270-360 degrees, yes that requires I slowly pivot my head and body,
given the opportunity I will sit on a stump or larger rock for 10-15 minutes to listen and watch,
I listen, I almost sub consciously,, watch and feel the breeze, before I continue,
I listen and look... this is obviously a behavior pattern learned long ago
I can see the newer guy wants to plod along, consistently step after step,
I have difficulty in getting across the concept of stealth,
as if he some how thinks the goal is to get someplace as fast as he can, on the most direct route he can find.
that might be his goal, but I can,t imagine where he thinks hes destined to go to!
the goal here is to observe, too be, and remain, totally aware of your surroundings,
this is obviously a rather unique concept to most people,
that and you never move in a consistent strait line, you slowly change the path,
you zig, or zag as required, watch the breeze , everything down wind knows your there,
change directions 45-70-90 degrees every 4th or 5th stop and rest cycle,
you remain alert, you observe and you damn sure try not to either be detected or predictable,
theres no place, you have too reach, no due date or schedule to maintain! my dad was a good instructor, he often said,
its only a deer or maybe an elk, but hunt like it was a man eating 600 lb tiger and its kill or be killed and your only weapons a spear.
you get into a mind set, it takes constant observation and remaining constantly aware of your surroundings,
something, in a skill set, most modern men have ignored learning for decades.
it took me HOURS to get the new guy to even start to grasp the concept,
in minutes he got bored, he wanted to cover ground, to see the next clearing...
to do so he would invariably have to move through the area at a rate that would almost instantly reveal his presents,
in and his direction of travel too any deer or hog in that acreage.
after he seemed to grasp the idea, at least marginally,
we started to after about 30-45 minutes see several groups of hogs, and later a few does wandering through the well over grown brush.
I pointed out tracks, I showed him how to find places to break up his visual outline,
but mostly I tried to get across the idea that the key was observing his surroundings without the upsetting or influencing the local wild life.
after we got back to the truck, several hours later he admitted,
he had never seen so much game, and until that trip never seen game that was not at a dead run...
so it was a productive few hours
(no we never saw anything worth shooting this time,
but it was well worth the time spent and rather enjoyable)
use of several methods obviously boost your odds,
\
a decent climbing tree stand,(if the area and trees available permit the use of course)
gets your scent well up out of the local area ,dispersed in the breeze and provides you a great view in many areas
use your skill,experience and tools available too boost your odds,
each area will be unique, you must adapt to succeed,some areas make still hunting with a pistol a decent option, others are better hunted with a tree stand and a flat trajectory rifle
https://www.beartoothbullets.com/rescources/calculators/php/density.htm?bw=450&bd=.500
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/44-mag.7500/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/445-dan-wesson-revolvers.1992/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/1-2in-holes.14800/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ing-a-handgun-for-hunting-hogs-deer-elk.1864/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ns-power-accuracy-effective-range-cost.13280/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/44-mag-reload-info.3409/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...do-i-need-here-for-a-500-s-w-reloading.11917/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...tance-to-use-hard-cast-lead-projectiles.9875/
Last edited:
I think your perhaps missing the intended point!
if you think hunting is designed as a display of your longer range rifle skills
certainly you should posses and cultivate those skills,
but you do tend too lose something the archery and handgun hunter is deeply immersed in.
skills our grand parents and fathers would generally have acquired growing up.
most hunters are far LESS OBSERVANT, than they really should be,
most hunters move too fast, and have not developed the skills or knowledge,too HUNT,
they rely on technology and the vastly increased range of a modern rifle,.
in many cases it might as well be a video game,they use technology,
as a crutch to compensate,for the lack of observational skills,
and most "HUNTERS" rely on the modern weapon's ,
most carry and rely on a rifle for big game hunts,
and its ability to strike a lethal wound at long distance,
to compensate for the INABILITY to find and get in close to the quarry.
if a hunter was forced, by his weapons inability to kill past a modest range he would be forced,
to learn the traditional skills that modern technology makes all but un-necessary,
no real need to watch the wind and your odor if you can reach the game from 400-800 plus yards
no need to learn to cover ground quietly, or hide your presents , if you can stumble around until
you spot game on a distant ridge or meadow, pull out that lazer range finder, pocket ballistic calculator ,60x spotting scope,
and 12 x-24 x scope.
sit down and let the computer do the calcs.,
impressive technology, hell yes
,impressive rifle skills, perhaps,
but not really traditional hunting
I'm not suggesting you fail to take full advantage of technology,
only that you spend a good deal of time learning the older companion skills,
and take the effort too gain a true appreciation for HUNTING,
and knowledge of the quarry.
I try hard to constantly improve on my rather admittedly flawed and less than ideal writing,
punctuation and paragraph style.
trust me its a steep, up-hill battle even my previous secretary never failed to mention repeatedly.
but I constantly set records in my states engineering and sales departments,
for over three decades,
so while admittedly unique, & obviously flawed and energetic,
the over all results have some documented advantages
yes I'm aware it needs work, yes I do try, but I type as the thoughts flow.
if you think hunting is designed as a display of your longer range rifle skills
certainly you should posses and cultivate those skills,
but you do tend too lose something the archery and handgun hunter is deeply immersed in.
skills our grand parents and fathers would generally have acquired growing up.
most hunters are far LESS OBSERVANT, than they really should be,
most hunters move too fast, and have not developed the skills or knowledge,too HUNT,
they rely on technology and the vastly increased range of a modern rifle,.
in many cases it might as well be a video game,they use technology,
as a crutch to compensate,for the lack of observational skills,
and most "HUNTERS" rely on the modern weapon's ,
most carry and rely on a rifle for big game hunts,
and its ability to strike a lethal wound at long distance,
to compensate for the INABILITY to find and get in close to the quarry.
if a hunter was forced, by his weapons inability to kill past a modest range he would be forced,
to learn the traditional skills that modern technology makes all but un-necessary,
no real need to watch the wind and your odor if you can reach the game from 400-800 plus yards
no need to learn to cover ground quietly, or hide your presents , if you can stumble around until
you spot game on a distant ridge or meadow, pull out that lazer range finder, pocket ballistic calculator ,60x spotting scope,
and 12 x-24 x scope.
sit down and let the computer do the calcs.,
impressive technology, hell yes
,impressive rifle skills, perhaps,
but not really traditional hunting
I'm not suggesting you fail to take full advantage of technology,
only that you spend a good deal of time learning the older companion skills,
and take the effort too gain a true appreciation for HUNTING,
and knowledge of the quarry.
I try hard to constantly improve on my rather admittedly flawed and less than ideal writing,
punctuation and paragraph style.
trust me its a steep, up-hill battle even my previous secretary never failed to mention repeatedly.
but I constantly set records in my states engineering and sales departments,
for over three decades,
so while admittedly unique, & obviously flawed and energetic,
the over all results have some documented advantages
yes I'm aware it needs work, yes I do try, but I type as the thoughts flow.
Last edited:
