your choice in a hunting revolver should concentrate on...

grumpyvette

Administrator
Staff member
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/

BIG%20BULL..jpg

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)
deer-anatomyghkl.jpg
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http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/i ... 0000690227
lee310v.jpg

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.
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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]
deer-anatomya.jpg


deeranatomyg.jpg

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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
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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.

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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.

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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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Re: your choice in a hunting revolver should concentrate on.

a great deal of a revolvers effectiveness is determined by the bullets used, Ive used hard cast 300 grain in my 44 mag and 445 dwsm for years, either will shoot clear thru most hogs and deer
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/i ... 0152660650
a stiff load of H110 under that bullet makes a hard cast bullet penetrate very well, not much gained after the bullet zips thru and exits by adding more power
http://www.handloads.com/misc/linebaugh ... .tests.asp
some guys carry a heavy caliber revolver for BEAR defense, in remote areas, well a good heavy caliber rifles almost always going to be a superior choice something like a 450 marlin lever action or a good 375 H&H or a 10ga or 12 ga riot gun loaded with slugs, puts you at a bigger advantage in my opinion
but if your looking for a revolver youll want to balance, power and weight and recoil into a package you can handle fast and accurately, its stupid to carry a 500 S&W if you leave it in camp because its too heavy or your afraid of the recoil, youll be far better off with a good 8" 357 mag in your hand than if you left that 500 S&W back in camp
personally I frequent carry a 44 mag or 445 DAN WESSON SUPER MAG, if IM in bear country,
I freely admit to never having stood my ground on a bear charge but I have killed several dozen rather large hogs,here some thoughts
bullets alone do the work on the target but its shot placement that mostly determines the results, heres my experience, hard cast bullets easily zip thru most large hogs and deer,and don,t expend a great deal , (remember large hogs have thick Grissel like armor on shoulder areas) but if you don,t impact the brain, spine or larger bones the effects are not instantaneous, so obviously when your desired result is an instant stop, the CNS (central nervous system ) and larger bones are the desired target,, (the neck/spine junction or brain,seems like an obvious target here) Id concentrate on the spine or skull or neck and shoulder areas, heart and lung or liver shots are almost always fatal but it does little good to mortally wound a bear if he still has mobility and can kill you before the damage proves fatal.
now having used hollow point bullets in the past I can assure you they tend to get a much more dramatic reaction from the game on heart/lung hits, but they also rarely exit or drive nearly as deeply on raking angle shots. Ive used my revolver to kill a few cattle we butchered on a freinds ranch, and a hard cat bullet punches thru and easily exits a steers skull, I don,t expect a bears skull would be so much thicker than a steer that weights as much or more than a bear,or that a properly place shot would not reach and destroy the brain, or spine, but having the presents of mind and nerve to shoot accurately under a bears charge might be difficult for most people.
I doubt a 44 mag properly loaded would have any problem busting thru to vital cns areas , like the brain or spine in the hands of a cool shot, or that given the chance you wont be firing rapid shots in quick succession, so adding power and recoil might be counter productive, to well placed rapidly fired repeat shots, but the added power might be helpful on near misses to vital ares as the more powerful calibers do transfer more energy to surrounding tissue. but any shot that punches thru the brain or forward 1/3rd of the spine should instantly bring resulting cessation of an attack.
your doomed to fail if your just shooting "INTO THE BROWN" with a revolver rather than picking your target
if your just shooting at a large moving mass you better have a M14, or MG42
 
Re: your choice in a hunting revolver should concentrate on.

you really don,t need a cannon, I really think many guys behind the counter at BASS PRO HAVE NEVER HUNTED

I was recently at a local bass pro shops just to browse, the new hand gun selections and be shocked at the prices, , while Im standing there,amazed at the higher prices, a guy comes to the counter and says to the sales guy that he wants to purchase a powerful handgun to hunt hogs with, as on his first hog hunt he used a borrowed 45acp commander pistol and was less than impressed, with it , as it took him 4 shots to kill a 220 lb hog, the clerk without asking a single question about the range the hog was shot at, where the bullets hit, or any other info, reaches for a 500 S&W that costs $1475,
the guy looking to buy the hog handgun says , that is a lot more expensive than he had hoped to pay and far too large to holster comfortably, but asked about the ammo cost, the clerk, just reaches for a taurus, revolver
again the guy asked about ammo cost and availability and he was again ignored, I started asking the guy about his hunt, where he hit the hog , how far away, it was, the ammo he used etc, trying to get some idea as to the conditions under which he had shot the hog, I found that as usual the shot placement was not ideal (IT RARELY IS ON MOVING TARGETS FIRED AT BY EXCITED FIRST TIME HUNTERS) and ranges were well under 20 yards,
I suggested the guy purchase a 6.5"----8 3/8" 44mag S&W revolver that was listed as $749-$800 on the display, as it was one of the few stainless 44 mag double action revolvers in 44 mag on display for under $1000 and buy some double tap 300 grain ammo,, or damn near any commercial full power loads, with a 240grain or heavier bullet, or better yet learn to hand load his own ammo, and assured him that if he placed his shots carefully that a 44 mag loaded correctly would be fully adequate on any hogs as ID shot well over a dozen or more, in the last few years alone, with a similar combo and most required only one hit
it was rather obvious that the clerk was not happy with my advice as he acted like he worked on commission and he could care less what worked as long as it was expensive, he kept muttering something about the 454 cassul and 500 S&W would be better for hunting grizzles in Alaska...
I assure the guy that the 44 mag was 100% capable of shooting clear thru hogs and dropping them very effectively with the ammo suggested , then I walked away, I don,t know if he purchased the 44 mag but in my opinion it was a far better choice for the application
why does the 44 and 41 mag now get little respect

thats the second time Ive had the clerks who don,t seem, to have much experience, push the more expensive guns as options, vs the the best values , or reasonable choices get pissed off at my advice.
I turn to the guy and tell him , don,t be miss informed a 41 or 44 mag loaded with the correct ammo is a truly effective choice, and while its true the 454 cassuls more powerful theres not much gained with that extra energy if its all expended on the ground past the game after the bullet exits...then walk away, Im reasonably sure the clerks pissed but I don,t care.
with the correct loads and in skilled hands a 41 mag or 44 mag will prove very effective, if you think back a bit Im sure you'll remember hearing stories of when the first 357 mag revolvers came out, the publicity, resulted in guys killing moose and black bear on hunts with even a 357 mag

I sure remember hearing stories of when the first 357 mag revolvers came out, the publicity, resulted in guys killing moose and black bear on hunts with even a 357 mag, theres no doubt a 41 and 44 mag exceed the 357 mag, in power when correctly loaded,and Ive YET to recover a hard cast 300 grain 44 mag slug from ANY game Ive shot
 
Ive used a S&W revolver chambered in 44 mag for 4 plus decades, a 300 grain lyman or lee gas check bullet sized .431
cast from 95% WW alloy and 5% tin over 21 grains of h110 may not be exotic but its reliable
I hand load for my B.I.L. and his 357 mag, and several guys with 45 lc, and 445 DWSM,and 500 S&W mags,
its shot placement,and the skill and persistence of the guy holding the hand gun, that matters.
power is not all that critical, they are all lethal in skilled hands.
now theres zero question that a 500 mag is far more powerful, than the 357 mag,
but hit a deer or hog correctly with either one, and they tend to drop rather rapidly.
theres zero question the 500 mag hits a lot harder , that does not result in a deader deer or hog, but it may result in getting faster results
once your revolver and ammo of choice easily punches holes completely through game from most angles,
you are adept at placing bullets where they should go and youve got a good knowledge of the games anatomy,and you can quickly place your shots accurately,
at common ranges, and the projectiles reliably expand during the process more power is not a huge benefit in my opinion

4144r.jpg
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deer-anatomyghkl.jpg


suggested bullet weights
357 mag= 158 grain-180 grain
41 mag= 220 grain-250 grain
44 mag= 270 grain-320 grain
45 caliber -300 grain-350 grain
480 caliber 350 grain-400 grain
50 caliber 400 grain-480 grain
don,t think a 357 mag can,t be effective, it is,
but its not in the same class as the larger magnums
btw back in the 1970s my B.I.L. started talking about buying a 44 mag revolver ,
to replace his 8.3/8" mod 27 357 mag, so I loaned him my 44 and took his 357 mag on loan,
he purchased a couple boxes of 44 mag ammo and went out and shot a few beer cans too get a feel for my revolver...

on the first hunt , I was using his 357 mag, I was using a reasonably warm 158 grain factory ammo
we were both sitting on a tree stand , that was a sheet of plywood in a large oak,
and a nice 4x4 white tail walked out, at about 70 yards,

I took careful aim, squeezed off a shot, the buck broke into a frantic dash for the next county,
but went nose first into the dirt inside of 25 yards on the second bound... my B.I.L, decided on the spot..
to ask for his revolver back... and had decided on the spot his need for a larger caliber revolver was just not, all that pressing.
he had lacked confidence in his revolver, but realized it was shot placement not power that was critical.
 
there,s always a compromise, being made when selecting any hunting hand-gun, between, ease of handling, power ,recoil and accuracy, you can maintain , that determines what you can hunt and how far your comfortable in making accurate shot placement.
what many guys don,t seem to grasp well is the concept that theres a difference between a pistol that can be depended on to provide a lethal wound in skilled hands, from close range on a broadside shot to the heart/lungs,at 40 -50 yards, where 10"-12" of penetration is all thats required, and one thats got the power , accuracy and penetration that can reasonably be expected to quickly and efficiently cause an animal to drop with a well placed hit, at any reasonable range from 20-150 yards and from a raking angle that might require 2 feet of hide and muscle to be penetrated before the vital organs are destroyed.
I doubt anyone would reasonably argue that you could not kill an elk with a pistol chambered in, 357 mag, m1 carbine (ruger made both), the fact is beyond question that a perfectly placed shot from a reasonable fairly close,range with the correct ammo from those common defensive calibers, one would provide a mortal wound and devastating internal damage,on game like a large hog or an elk.
a knowledge of the games anatomy, shot placement and bullet construction are more important than power, but having the ability to punch through a reasonable amount of muscle and bone to reach the vitals increases the pistols chances of being used successfully.
that is NOT the same thing by any stretch as saying either of those cartridge;s could be expected to be used, nearly as effectively as something in the 44-mag-500 mag range that would easily out penetrate the smaller cartridge.
theres a reason that they generally don,t use a 270 win on cape buffalo and elephant but do use cartridges like a 375 H&H and 458 Win, and its mostly related to the reasonably expected penetration, and inertial mass the projectiles have.
the same basic concept in hand guns applies , experiences has shown that your much more likely to succeed at mortally wounding a large game animal with both proper shot placement (critical even with a 458 mag rifle) and a projectile that can reasonably be expected to punch through about 24"-to-36" of ballistic gel.
you can,t ignore physics and at some point a lack of mass and inertia limits penetration limiting what you can reasonably expect to accomplish from a pistol at an un-expected range and angles on large game.
from my experience most game I've hit with a 300 grain 44 mag turned and ran as you might expect with archery equipment,
but they did not travel far,(a few yards) BEFORE COLLAPSING, theres no question a revolvers lethal but its not a 300 mag or 340 mag.
theres zero question that a heavier caliber like a 480 ruger,460 or 500 S&W hits harder, but at some point
(and in my opinion that points when your bullets consistently exit the game after passing through the game at all reasonable ranges and angles) added power while useful is not necessarily a huge improvement.
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moving through the brush without alarming the game is a learned skill,
first you can,t beat the deers nose so that forces you to hunt with the wind flowing toward you
or no more than 45 degrees or so from strait toward you,
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.
the pictures below are more open areas but might give you some ideas,
killing deer is easy enough, its getting in close enough to do the job un-detected thats a bit more difficult.
sawp1a.jpg

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next remember the

heres a few tips in no particular order

(1) watch the wind, your scent will flow down wind far faster than you can still hunt thus you need to keep any breezes in your face,
carry a small can of unscented talc powder to check wind , just drop a puff of powder and watch the wind move it

(2)learn to shoot skeet, it comes in handy when you need to react and shoot a fast moving game

(3) wash your clothes with non-scented detergent without color brightners and add a couple table spoons of baking soda to a large trash bag , and maybe a couple handsful of pine needles,
store the clean clothes in the trash bag
Ideally, change into those camo clothes as close to the hunt area as you can so you have less potential to pick up non-woodland odors like food and smoke and fuel

(4)if theres any decent trees use a tree stand thats at least 20-25 feet tall as it tends to disperse scent above the game
once up in a tree stand be patient, it may take your observing for several hours a day for several days, before you see game
if you don,t see game in three days change locations by at least several hundred yards.

(5) if still hunting, walk in an irregular pattern, take 5-6 steps stop, for 1-2 minutes minimum,
4-5 minutes is better, look over 360 degrees and try to stop near brush that breaks up your outline
take notes and use a map to sketch out game trail locations, food plots, bedding areas,
stay alert, learn the topography of the area
if you start aimlessly walking around, plodding step after step... not being observant,
game will detect and avoid your area, and you very quickly

(6)sight in your rifle to hit a inch or two high at 100 yards

(7) a lower power scope in the 2,5X -4x range with a 40mm-50mm front lens and heavy cross hairs helps in lower light and tends to increase your odds of seeing game.

(8) try to keep your arrival in the area quiet, slamming car doors, radios,playing , flashing head lights ,on, engines idling, loud talking is counter productive.

(9) never piss anywhere near your tree stand

(10) carry anything you need in a backpack, ideally in several larger zip-loc bags to limit odors
many things you never thought of like a leather knife sheath , rain ponchos,and foods, retain odors

(11)try to get into decent physical shape, you will not be dragging out game if you have a heart attack under the physical stress.
your not trying to look over the whole area, your trying to find game, slow down and be observant watch the wind and be aware of everything around you in all 360 degrees
you need to see game before it sees you, that won,t happen if your strolling aimlessly through the area like a human in a shopping mall.

(12) don,t expect even well hit game to drop instantly, when hit!
follow up on every shot you take, its very common for even well hit game to travel 20-60 yards after a bullet impact to the vitals
even a 10 ga slug through both lungs won,t always instantly drop game in its tracks every time.

read this thread
https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/whi...xperience.html


one of the big parts is reason number (1) and number (5) you won,t sound like a human,
humans just plow through, deer are in no hurry, if you move through brush like that.
(a couple yards , stop and observe, wait several minutes... repeat ) you don,t sound like a hunter)


if you get frustrated or have little patients see number (4) (this is usually much more productive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=469&v=sBuLJRd8C84

a couple of drops of cover scent on your boot toes and soals may give you a couple extra seconds to shoot as the game might hesitate to identify you
but most people just don,t have the patients to still hunt correctly, if you plow through brush trying to cover distance, the game instantly recognizes the sound as danger


https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/tinks-10-skunk-scent
 
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learning to accurately shoot any magnum revolver takes practice, its a learned skill,
I recently spent some time at a local range with a buddy that I handload his 500 mag for ,
who purchased and uses a 7.5" barrel 500 S&W revolver.
he claims it much easier to shoot that a ruger single action 6.5" bisley 454 cassul he owns
we found that the lee 440 grain, 50 cal,gas check bullet mold throws a projectile thats about 470 grain weight
I found that 22 grains of blue dot powder is under that projectile very consistently accurate.
at the local range we temporarily exchanged revolvers thus allowing both of us to try out the other guys revolver
the 500 S&W he owns is certainly consistently accurate, but its rather massive heavy and I doubt a beginning handgun enthusiast,
would be able to handle the recoil or hit anything past 20 yards except by luck.
it takes frequent practice to master a magnum revolver like a 445 dwsm , 454 casull or 500 mag,
if you want to place shots in lets ,say a 5"-6" max group size you'll want to maintain at 100 yards to remain consistently effective,
and thats not nearly as easy shooting from field positions as it is off a bench rest at a range.
he found my 44 mag revolver quite accurate and has decided to start looking for a similar revolver.
I let several of the guys at the range who showed interest shoot my 445 DWSM and my friend did something similar,
21716c.bmp.jpg

allowing several guys try a few shots with his 500 mag, it was obvious that neither revolver was something a less experienced person,
would easily master, in fact even my 44 mag seemed to be pushing past the limits most guys were comfortable with,
44magcarb.jpg

as even at 50 yards most of the guys who tried to shoot groups were not impressing anyone with the results.


https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2...um-501-diameter-440-grain-flat-nose-gas-check

gascheckmn3.png

with any decent quality hunting revolver, youll need a durable functional holster
https://www.opticsplanet.com/desantis-right-hand-black-black-mamba-m40ba05z0.html

btw if you buy the holster buy this belt youll need it with that holster
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PDBK6J7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
opplanet-desantis-right-hand-black-black-mamba-m40ba05z0-fdfeff.jpg



http://www.opticsplanet.com/desantis-right-hand-black-black-mamba-m40ba05z0.html
$77

S&W5007.5.jpg


but its certainly not something that persistent practice and improve markedly
 
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I was asked why a revolver, why not a 45 acp pistol,
for defensive use a 45 acp might be very effective,
but I personally don,t hold it in high regard,for hunting large game/
For that application, Ill grab a 357,or 44 mag almost every time, as a side arm,
many years ago I purchased a ATM long slide and worked up a very accurate load with a hollow point bullet,
in that particular gun, 7 grains of unique under a 200 grain bullet and federal primers produced consistently,
2" 25 yard groups
in one of my less brilliant moments,
I decided to try using it on a deer hunt
atmhard.png

http://www.reloadammo.com/45loads.htm
on my first successful hunt, I shot a 4 point buck at about 30 yards in the heart/lung area ,
the bullet hit where I aimed and while it was 100% fatal,
the deer ran about 60 yards after bullet impact
I was not impressed, but you can,t base your opinion on a single hunt,
about a year later I used that pistol on a couple hogs that weighed about 90 lbs each,
yes it was lethal, but again, the game ran after bullet impact, much further than it generally did when I used a 357 mag revolver and 158 grain soft points over a stiff load of 2400 powder
now don,t think I don,t like the 45 acp,
I still occasionally hunt hogs with my

EAA/CZ 45 acp, its effective but its not really impressive in how fast it tends to drop game at times,

eaa_witness_steel.jpg


Ive used mostly magnum revolvers for hunting big game
in my opinion the one tip to success is get into under 70 yards before you fire and spend a great deal of time at your local range practicing at 60 and 100 yard targets,
shooting from field positions not shooting off a bench rest.
shot placement with any handgun cartridge is critical to getting consistently decent results
and if your using iron open sights ranges should be limited at under 100 yards in my opinion
hard cast bullets of proper design and weight work reasonably well,
remember critical, precise shot placement and a good knowledge of the anatomy of the game helps immensely
and heavy for caliber, hard cast projectiles provide deep penetration,
Id suggest you think of handgun hunting as similar to archery your lethality is dependent on precise shot placement, and yes even a hard cast 158 grain bullet from a 6"-8" revolver, 357 mag bullet seems to work better and more consistently in my experience than a 45 acp
suggested bullet weights
357 mag= 158 grain-180 grain
41 mag= 220 grain-250 grain
44 mag= 270 grain-320 grain
45 caliber -300 grain-350 grain
480 caliber 350 grain-400 grain
50 caliber 400 grain-480 grain

Ive used a longer barrel 44 mag revolver , loaded with a 310 grain lee gas check bullet on most hunts over 21 grains of h110 powder
its zipped through most deer and hogs and Ive taken two elk in 50 years with it. (both at under 70 yards)in both cases the bullets exited the far side chest
in both cases a lower chest hit was selected,

dwsmwbraker.png

293ss&w.jpg

from what Ive seen, the 500 mag is significantly heavier, noticeably more powerful, and it hits considerably harder, its also far heavier,
I reload for several guys that own them,
the 500 S&W revolvers are harder to control and less easy to use, and since a 44 mag is fully up to killing an elk and leaves an exit on a chest hit elk I doubt its more lethal.
500s&w.jpg


I hand load and cast bullets for 3 guys that own and hunt with 500 S&W mag revolvers
22 grains of blue dot powder under a 440 grain hard cast bullet works ok.
https://leeprecision.com/mold-dc-c501-440-rf.html

those revolvers are excellent as far as accuracy and have all the power you need,
but in my opinion loading them with anything other than a 350 grain too 500 grain hard cast ,GAS CHECK,bullet,
and pushing them past about 1400 fps-1500 fps makes them recoil too hard,
and adds little too nothing to their potential lethality,
as even at that level they zip though hogs and deer at 100 yards and with iron sights,
most people are hard pressed to shoot well enough past that distance.
44magcarb.jpg


Ive also used and own a 10" dan wesson 445 super mag, it shoots the same 44 projectiles as the 44 mag but at about 1550 fps vs about 1350 fps in the 44 mag
https://leeprecision.com/mold-dc-c-430-310-rf.html
the 445 DWSM is noticeably more accurate but like the 500 mag its a noticeably heavy pistol
21716c.bmp.jpg


4144r.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKTeEmNUkjw&feature=emb_logo

according to info Ive seen the guy in the video is using a 44 mag with 300 grain hornady hollow point bullets
 
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obviously the result of someone who tried shooting a live round on a previously squib load leaving a bullet in the barrel
or some other barrel obstruction, I hope no one was injured?

and yeah a decent gunsmith might be able to replace the damaged barrel
it sure looks like that barrel obstruction was about 2"- 3" back from the revolvers muzzle
seeing the barrel bend pattern

anything mechanical can be destroyed if improperly used
read this link & watch the related videos

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/be-aware-of-squib-load-dangers.16273/

btw this is one place where properly sized hard cast bullets in properly assembled hand-loads have a very SLIGHTLY larger safety margin.... a properly sized and lubed cast bullet has MUCH lower friction and takes a bit less pressure to exit the barrel, thus even a hand-load with significantly lower than ideal powder levels will in most cases exit the muzzle, something a JACKETED bullet is marginally less inclined to do if you fail to load the proper powder charge.
that lower rate of bore to projectile friction and the rifling always being constantly bathed in a micro thick film of bullet lube from the previous cast bullets that tends to be mostly removed by the previous projectiles and replaced by each new projectile leaving a lube film and redepositing its own layer of lube in the rifling grooves, helps reduce bore wear also


the bullet on the left is as cast, the bullet on the right has a gas check base and lube
(the blue waxy stuff filling the bullet grooves in the picture)
the gas check protects the projectile base and seals and tends to push lube forced out of the bullet lube groves into the rifling surface
Copydg.jpg
 
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here are some videos comparing common handgun cartridges being used for defensive use on mostly bears,
personally Id rather use a bit larger caliber , if faced with a charging bear,
but many people find the larger magnum revolvers too hard to use both fast and accurately, and,
only HITS TO THE VITALS AND SKELETAL STRUCTURE count,
so they may have a point,
but Id rather carry a 44 mag, 480 ruger or 500 S&W loaded with hard cast bullets,
and depend on that first or maybe first two shots , hitting center mass,
and deep penetration, rather than a hail storm of smaller projectiles,
simply because you may only get off one or two shots in the time allowed
If your attacked ranges will be very short and time measured in seconds,
and if your using a handgun vs a rifle or shotgun, at point blank ranges,
your already at a disadvantage.
(no I don't think this is a major concern, as in 50 years of hunting,
every bear I've seen ,was happy to vacate the area once they knew I was there)






 
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