selecting a handgun for hunting hogs, deer,ELK

if your going to carry something that big, and unwieldy in a handgun,
https://www.centerfiresystems.com/p...14-5-black-synthetic-stainless#product_detail
you are forced to add a scope , a shoulder sling,
and in most cases a good sandbag rest or a bi-pod to make it effective much past 100 yards,
making it even less easily handled, without those accessories the handguns close to 5 lbs,
add the additional accessories and its easily over 6 lbs plus
you may as well step up to a carbine, with a shoulder stock,
as that significantly increases the accuracy potential over any handgun config.

ANY RIFLE WILL TEND TO BE FAR MORE ACCURATE THAN MOST PISTOLS
obviously there's a wide range of action designs,
stronger sealed breach action's ,rather than revolver's , either a single shot or repeater
that will be both far easier to aim and hit with, faster to get into action,
but also will provide better ballistics
something like this if you want a pistol caliber
I've handled, and shot those weapons ,
you generally need a bi-pod to use them effectively,
you certainly can't accurately shoot offhand,
and they certainly, are not something you stick in a shoulder or belt holster,
and draw and fire accurately at a moment's notice.
in my opinion and experience, something like the 7.5" barrel x-frame 500 mag with iron sights
is pushing hard on the limits a hunting handgun should have, if its to remain viable and easy to use as a handgun
even that significantly smaller and shorter revolver,
can be made rather unwieldy simply by adding a scope to it.

personally I find a handgun like the 500 mag/7.5" like pictured below,
is about the maximum you can reasonably use in a holster as a primary or back-up handgun.

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https://www.fieldandstream.com/12-lightweight-rifles-for-every-budget/

personally I've found the DWSM 445 to be an excellent choice, and certainly a ruger 480 single action would be a good option.
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once your over 4 lbs in a handgun,
Id consider a carbine rather than a handgun
something like a remington ,weatherby,
tika or browning or savage can all be found weighting under 6 lbs

https://ruger.com/products/no1/specSheets/21311.html
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or something with 3-4 times the effective range

https://ruger.com/products/no1/specSheets/21319.html
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a hunting side arm selection is a vastly different deal,
I have many friends that carry a 10mm pistol for their carry handgun, choice and for personal defense.
While I think the 10mm in several pistol designs,
makes a decent choice if two legged predators are the most likely opponent you'll encounter,
if your talking BEARS, I suggest a heavy caliber revolver, in a minimum of 44 mag,
but a 480 ruger , 460 S&W OR %)) S&W has advantages, many people think the high capacity 10mm with 10-17 cartridge capacity,
has a big advantage,
I've shot enough hogs and deer with my 10mm pistols to know they are 100% lethal when the shooter does his part placing shots correctly , but they have been very obviously not hitting nearly as hard as my 44 mag, 445 DWSM or 500 S&W revolvers
I think its very dubious (use of a 10mm handgun when your life's on the line)
simply because if charged ,
your very unlikely to have the TIME to get off more than 2-4 shots,

before your at bayonet ranges, thus the hits you make in that 2-5 seconds,
you might have had, had better work to stop that bear charge,
and ideally kill the bear, breaking bone and punching deeply through the vitals from any angle.
thus my personal preference for a properly loaded 445 DWSM or the 500 S&W revolvers,
if facing a charging bear.
 
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have you ever been charged by a hog
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https://huntsfish.com/hunting-wild-boar-shoot.html


Ive shot dozens of hogs over several decades, most try hard to avoid hunters and vacate the area your in fast.
now I'll be the first guy to point out that some "charges" guys talk about,
maybe the result of some hog just picking the direction he was headed in and running flat out to escape a perceived threat!
but I'm convinced after decades thats not always true!
I know from decades of hunting hogs that on a rare occasion if you wound a large hog,
he may have revenge on his vindictive, little pig minds agenda!
on one of the first hog hunts I ever went on my buddy was in a tree stand overlooking a field of about 7 acres,
and I was across that field that was covered in densely grown grass, weeds brush, about 2-3 feet thick And tall mostly sawgrass,
covering an area that had been burnt off the year previously.
he had just shot at a large hog with his 12 ga using buck-shot at a range of about 50 yards,
As I was about 1/2 way across that field the hog must have heard me walking as at the shot,
I could see the grass parting like a bow wave from a ship as he headed straight for my location,
while several other smaller bow waves generated by other hogs took off at about 90 degrees, from his route.
I had a 44 mag model 29 loaded with 240-grain hard cast gas check bullets,
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over a stiff load of 19.5 grains of 2400 powder,
I could see the grass parting in a straight line headed in my direction,
but until the hog got to about 30 feet distance I could not see him.
now keep in mind, the ranges where we hunt in Florida seldom exceed 40 yards and 50 yards is a rare long shot,
most shots are taken at under 40 yards , in very thick brush. saw grass palmetto etc.
frankly, I was not ready at the time to repel a charge but as soon as I saw a target I fired and the hog flipped and skidded and kicked a few times,
the body stopping about 10 feet from me I thought Id fired once, but after checking I realized my pistol had two empty cases,
and the hog was hit once in the spine behind the head and once in the ribs further back along the spine,
Id fired twice both double action shots at close range,(at under 35 feet)
with both hard cast 44 bullets passing through that hog that had to weight in the 120-130 lb range,
exiting the lower hog stomach area at different angles and locations.
dressing out the hog we found two buckshot in the left ham.
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on a different hunt a buddy shot at a hog that looked like it dropped instantly he went over and was about to nudge it with his toe when it jumped up and hooked him in the calf causing a 15 stitch slice in his leg
both he with a 9mm and another buddy with a 357 mag revolver stopped further damage, with a hail of bullets,
and a rapid trip to the local hospital resulted from the serious medical damage to his leg, that took months to recover from and it left a damn impressive scar!
 
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glock 20/10mm with aftermarket barrel for more effective cast bullet use/accuracy
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https://www.lonewolfdist.com/4882/10mm-45acp-barrels/aw-2010th


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why on earth, this guy in that video, did not put a second arrow on the bowstring,
the second he released the first,
shot and draw it and aim it in anticipation,
and have it ready for that potential charge?
thats like archery hunting 101 !
like with every other weapon, you keep shooting until the game drops as long as its in range
even a less than ideally placed body shot on a wounded game animal is better,
than standing helplessly and useless and clueless , unprepared as the game charges or runs away!


If he could not learn that skill (a fast second shot with a bow)
he might want to spend $69 on a back-up plan to repel,
what might have been very expensive personal bodily damage
cold steel makes a semi-decent boar spear with a crossguard to keep the vindictive boar from advancing up the shaft once stuck through the body
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while its been my experience that most hogs will immediately,
try to be as far as possible from any hunter they see,, and youll seldom get a shot still hunting,
as they will generally detect you before you can get a decent shot.
much of my local area is very well stocked with wild or feral hogs
many farmers will let you shoot hogs on their property if you ask , look like your responsible and
offer free cases of beer.
the larger hogs (boar or sows) are potentially a threat, once they are cornered or wounded.
so approach a wounded or presumably dead hog ready to shoot, if that's required.
now Its been my experience that hogs stick to the thicker brush in daylight,
and you just don,t get shots much over 30-40 yards.
thus a reasonable handgun, iron-sighted rifle, or shotgun work rather well and scoped rifles are not always ,
as useful, BECAUSE IN THICKER AREAS THE LOCAL HOGS SEEM TO PREFER,
ranges can frequently be in the under 10-15 yard ranges,

I've talked to a great many of the local guys and they seem to shoot most hogs from tree stands while in theory waiting for deer.
if your 15-25 ft up in a tree stand your scent does not seem to be as easily detected.
know a few guys that say they can attract hogs to an area with bait,
rancid milk and molasses, cattle feed , and 3 day old frozen shrimp and molasses, raw peanuts and mollases are popular from what I hear.

https://www.jacksonville.com/article...ORTS/801239392

https://www.hogmanoutdoors.com/blog/...ing-feral-hogs

https://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/ga...hog%20hunting.

http://www.floridasportsman.com/2020...ke%20to%20dig.

(mostly private property)
but thats not legal in many areas
I generally hunt deer in preference to hogs , but some local guys just love hogs
while I prefer a magnum handgun, lever action rifles and 12 ga shotguns are the more common firearms used locally
 





more than a few guys I hunt with vastly prefer a pistol caliber carbine over a handgun,
(most just find its a hell of a lot easier to hit well consistently with a carbine than a handgun,)
mostly because few handload and practice frequently

 
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Wow there is a huge amount of information in this thread. :)
I will mention a few things lol. I feel for the average person the .44 Mag handgun can be used well with a little bit of practice. Anything larger and the recoil gets to be a bit much without far more practice of said firearm.
The .41 and .44 Magnum and 45 Colt are very close except for being able to purchase off of the shelf ammo then I would stick with the .44 Magnum where as the .41 Magnum and 45 Colt are pretty much a hand loading thing.

And as mentioned the Lee 310Gr was expressly designed as a hunting bullet and fills that roll very well and has proven for myself to be accurate. But as mentioned with weight comes recoil.

It worked well from a Ruger Bisley Hunter and a Smith 629-2 and a 629 Classic. Not to mention a Marlin 1894 in .44 Mag. It would also probably be a good bullet for the .444 Marlin. :)

My favorite rounds are the .38Sp/357 Magnum .44 Magnum in handgun rounds. For rifles I like the 357 Magnum 35 Rem .358 Winchester 35 Whelen Ackley/Imp and of course the old 45-70 Government all of which are easy to purchase and or cast your own bullets for and to load and will cover anything that roams the earth.

 
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Id point out that revolvers tend to have a noticeably longer sight radias
and a 8" or longer barrel revolver (S&W) in 357 mag or 44 mag or 445 dwsm, or 500 S&W mag
generally has a significant advantage in the quality of the sights, ( while hunting)
over the typical semi auto handgun like a glock 10mm or cz 45 that I typically carry concealed
NORINKO SELLS THOUSAND'S OF ak 47 SEMI AUTO CLONES AND SPORTER RIFLE CLONES AND DESPITE WHAT THE LIBERAL NEWS SAYS,

NO RIFLE OR FIREARM LAWS HAVE ANY EFFECT ON REDUCING CRIME RATES
CRIMINALS BY DEFINITION IGNORE LAWS

Norinco-Hunter-AK-Sporter-in-7-62x39-Mint-and-Unfired_101181379_70986_000CB174115C175B.JPG


BTW THESE NORINCO AK SEMI AUTO SPORTER CLONES MAKE A REALLY NICE , FLORIDA LEGAL,
HOG HUNTING RIFLE WITH A 5 SHOT CAPACITY MAGAZINE

many older guys have and use the marlin/ruger 44 mag lever actions with very good results
personally I vastly prefer the hard cast gas check 310 grain LEE bullet over 21 grains of H110 for hogs
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the 357mag ,41mag and 44 mag revolvers, are very popular loaded with hard cast bullets
(mostly heavy for caliber designs work best) if your into handguns, as ranges tend to be under 30-40 yards,
in heavy cover with 15-25 yards shots being very common in my experience.





 
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keep in mind the vast majority of hog hunting terrain, you'll see walk hunting , in many southern states,
tends to be rather thick brush under a tree cover, or at least hip high grass, or thick brush, and swampy areas hogs really prefer
and thus your ability to see them makes effective ranges tend to be well under 50-70 yards

if you watch the video, its interesting, info, they ask you to comment on the attack and how the hunters handled the repeated attacks
obviously , we did not get enough info on the ammo used, the real conditions, distances, etc. we are told only that a 30/06 and 30/30 were used, nor where the hunters hit the bear to make rational & logical comments, based on facts and the damage done, or lack of damage to the bears anatomy.
now granted they stated its in the early 1950s so bullet tech sucked. (and its obvious shot placement sucked) , no bear takes repeated shots to the vital organs (even from a 30/30 or 30/06) and remains functional very long.
now in the 1980s-to- today, if hunting elk, I generally carry a 375 H&H or 340wby, or a 358 win BLR all loaded with 250-270 grain bullets , and a 44 mag revolver loaded with 310 grain hard cast bullets a big improvement over the guns and ammo quoted they used.
maybe I've been lucky , but every bear I've seen, or my buddy's have seen, or confronted in 5 decades ran at the sight of hunters, or at least after a gunshot to the ground, near them



 
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keep in mind when looking at the video, he's shooting a clay block, thats far easier to punch through,
than an elks shoulder or a bears shoulder or skull, he used a 125 grain hollow point in the 357 mag that expanded almost instantly
something that would be good for personal defense or hunting deer if a chest/lung shot , where the vitals in a deer or human are well within 9"-12" of the surface skin on most shot angles, on clay blocks the expansion looks very impressive,
If that shot were made on an elk or bear and a shoulder and the surrounding muscle must be penetrated, a fast expanding hollow point bullet, well, it's unlikely to penetrate to the vitals on larger heavy muscled game like ELK and BEARS.
notice how the 180 grain 10mm expanded much slower, as its heavier and moving slower, and will in most cases penetrare noticeably deeper!
changing the projectile design in either handgun would noticeably alter the results
and swapping to a 170 grain hard cast gas check bullet design in the 357 mag, or a 180-200 grain hard cast bullet in the 10mm would greatly increase the potential penetration

keep in mind the PROJECTILE DESIGN IS CRITICAL as it does ALL THE WORK, and SHOT PLACEMENT is CRITICAL, simply because the projectile can't be effective if not placed where it can do the most damage.
you must also select a projectile designed to maximize results on its intended target thus you must know the intended targets anatomy and where the vitals are located internally, a bullet designed break bone and penetrate to the vitals on a large bear will zip through a human opponent, causing less than ideal internal damage, a bullet designed to max internal damage on a human opponent might expand far to rapidly on a BEAR! to ever reach the vitals!
the ammo/ projectile type used has a huge effect on both expansion and penetration,
you need to select or taylor the ammo you use to the intended game,
and yes shot placements critical
critical defense ammos good for
reliable expansion ,
but a
terrible choice for hunting large
heavily muscled game!
like defense from large angry bears or heavily muscled and large bone's in elk!
cast bullets like these cast from 95% WW alloy and 5% pure tin penetrate well.

Id certainly suggest use of a 6" aftermarket barrel on a glock 10mm or a 6"-8" barrel on a 357 mag revolver

357 mag

10mm
 
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one of the better and more dependable hunting handguns if your into semi auto 10mm handguns

IF YOUR INTO REVOLVERS THE S&W & RUGER 10mm revolvers are a good option



having killed an elk in the past with a 44 mag revolver using lee 310 grain hard cast bullets over 21 grains of H110 powder, and having the bullet punch through that elk and exit I think if your limited to a handgun its a decent option
yes there are much more powerful revolvers but many people don't shoot those nearly as well.
 
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