Handgun Hunting Support

How many of you would like to have it back?

  • YES, I strongly support it.

    Votes: 464 88.7%

  • I do not know what to think.

    Votes: 22 4.2%

  • NO, I would newer support it.

    Votes: 37 7.1%
  • Total voters
    523
John Y Cannuck said:
Why are you shooting at deer with a kill zone smaller than 12"?
You need practice :D
What I said still goes.

Foxer, you've lost this discussion. It's clear to everyone, but yourself.
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Yes, Dear.......:rolleyes:
 
Just for giggles, I took a few shots at 50 yards wiht a 45 wiht a 5" barrel.

This is kneeling, wiht one elbow on the knee. A far better position , one that many handgun hunters in the USA favour, is sitting, wiht both elbows supported.

Leopardhide0361-copy.jpg


Top and bottom shots are 7.5" apart.

I probably woudl have had a better group if I had pinned a target on it, but I sorta wanted to emulate a deer- no bullseye;) So i aimed for dead centre (windage) and placed the top of the front post on the middle "crease" in the cardboard.

No shot was more than 4" from POA. This will kill a deer.

Oh yeah...

I had not picked up a pistol in over 3 months...:p

A bit more proactice, I am sure I coudl do better.:dancingbanana:
 
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A bit more proactice, I am sure I coudl do better.
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Actually, i'm a little surprised you didn't do better this time, maybe just an 'off day' or something. I have very little difficulty believing you can shoot better than that most days.

But this highlights the concern - this is a competent, practiced shooter, shooting from a favorable position, in 'easy' conditions (no rain, snow, not exhausted from hiking, not jacked up on adrenaline, etc). Yes - it passes the '8 inch pie plate' test, but barely. And that's at 50 yards - had the animal been at 75 yards 2 of those shots could well be 'wounds'. (or misses of course, which while annoying isn't a problem).

Now, there is no doubt in my mind that if gatehouse put his mind to it and practiced a bit, he'd likely shrink that group by half and be able to do that with consistency. And if you add a scope, maybe better (or less practice).

But i know for a cast iron fact if he'd picked up a rifle (even with irons) that'd have been a 1 - 2 inch group or close to it. Even if he hadn't shot that rifle in 3 months. Hell, I can keep it to 1-2 inches with irons and gatehouse is a better shooter than i am.

Obviously pistols require a helluva lot more practice and control than a rifle to deliver a lethal shot with consistency. So you can see where people would be concerned that guys might be going into the woods with really marginal skills, skills that leave virtually no room for error or 'bad luck'. And that's where the fears people might wound more game than they would with a rifle come from.

That has to be addressed.
 
I doubt very much I woudl shoot past 50 yards (at an animal) wiht an iron sighted pistol..

But hte fact is, from a marginally stable position, I woudl have killed a deer at 50 yards wiht every single shot, without practice for 3 months.

Imagine would I coudl have done if I sat down, supported BOTH elbows, and practiced for a week? it's not complicated to obtain hunting accuracy wiht a handgun.

The same concerns about "marginal skills" can be applied to bows...And they are allowed. That is the way to adress them...
 
Why yes, yes they do. I don't have any links right handy but have seen plenty of holstered red-dotted revolvers.
 
You can practice with a handgun much more than a big rifle because they don't hurt as much and are fun.
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You may be shooting the wrong rifle i think :) it' shouldn't hurt, and it should be fun with both.
 
Gatehouse said:
Just for giggles, I took a few shots at 50 yards wiht a 45 wiht a 5" barrel.

This is kneeling, wiht one elbow on the knee. A far better position , one that many handgun hunters in the USA favour, is sitting, wiht both elbows supported.

Leopardhide0361-copy.jpg


Top and bottom shots are 7.5" apart.

I probably woudl have had a better group if I had pinned a target on it, but I sorta wanted to emulate a deer- no bullseye;) So i aimed for dead centre (windage) and placed the top of the front post on the middle "crease" in the cardboard.

No shot was more than 4" from POA. This will kill a deer.

Oh yeah...

I had not picked up a pistol in over 3 months...:p

A bit more proactice, I am sure I coudl do better.:dancingbanana:
Click to expand...

Just for our own personal curiosity, something along this line might be a good idea for a lot of us to try. Shooting a couple of targets with what you'd use hunting with hunting loads and say two positions five shots each. One target two handed and one from 'a' rest position at 50 yds/M distance. To start out with lets say with a handgun and load suitable for Deer and Black Bear. Comments or thoughts? Could even post the results.
 
Johnn Peterson said:
Just for our own personal curiosity, something along this line might be a good idea for a lot of us to try. Shooting a couple of targets with what you'd use hunting with hunting loads and say two positions five shots each. One target two handed and one from 'a' rest position at 50 yds/M distance. To start out with lets say with a handgun and load suitable for Deer and Black Bear. Comments or thoughts? Could even post the results.
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I was trying (unsuccessfully) to get out to the range this afternoon with my Contender(scoped, in 35 remington) to do this very thing. I planned both 50 and 100yrds.

For those that want to try and hone these skills, I suggest Handgun Silhouette. A real eye opener and invaluable skill developer.IMHO.
 
Foxer said:
You may be shooting the wrong rifle i think :) it' shouldn't hurt, and it should be fun with both.
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My go to hunting rifle is a 375 HH mag and it hurts a bit to shoot lots. As has been previously stated in this thread, shooting a rifle accurately is easier than shooting a pistol. Therefore to me anyway handguns are more fun to shoot as they present more of a challenge (that can be met with practice) and gosh-darn it they're so cool. Looking forward to getting back into it.
 
joe-nwt said:
I was trying (unsuccessfully) to get out to the range this afternoon with my Contender(scoped, in 35 remington) to do this very thing. I planned both 50 and 100yrds.

For those that want to try and hone these skills, I suggest Handgun Silhouette. A real eye opener and invaluable skill developer.IMHO.
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I used to be involved in Silhouette shooting but I think it's died out a little locally, plus I got 'into' archery and a few other things. A short while ago I did get a 'lesson' at one of the local ranges. I was testing some .500 S&W loads, off a bench rest at 20yds and was quite pleased with the results. The guy I get my cast bullets from was out and he also has a 500 S&W. Anyway, he proceeded, two handed, to take five shots at a steel ram that was propped up at the 200yrd butts. One under, one over and the three remaining shots were hits!! JEEZ!! Suddenly my results seemed somewhat insignificant. The guy can shoot.
 
I think it's funny htat we quibble about killing power and accuracy, when it's legal to use a spear, rock or machete (in BC, anyway)
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That'd be because nobody does :) It hasn't been a problem of late :D
 
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