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Q:
My friend thinks the ultimate test of a true hunter is to take down some Big Game with a handgun. I think he's insane. What's the overall consensus out there about handgun hunting?
Question by MeHuntFood. Uploaded on January 06, 2009
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Answers (64)
Your friend sounds like an ass. Always act with honor and integrity while showing the utmost respect for your prey.
Handgun hunting just adds another challenge to hunting. I have not done it but would like to someday.
I love hunting with a handgun, but ultimate test? That may suit his standard but may not be acceptable for anyone else. Figure you have to be accurate within your confident range. That might depend on the caliber, the barrel length, whether or not it is scoped, and how good your eyes are. Open sights are probably no different than bow range for most of us (but look up Elmer Keith). Set your own standards.
handguns have their time and place...the ultimate test? I dont think so...
try an atlatl!
I believe it would be quite the test and with such guns as a S&W 500 it is very possible.
I don’t know about using a handgun for Big Game hunting such as Brown/Grizzly bear, but I do find that a 22 pistol with one bullet and a good pair of tennis shoes is all you need for self protection. In case of bear attack, shoot your buddy in the ankle and run like hell!
What’s the deference between using a bow or handgun? It’s still up close and personal!
I think that a bow would be more challenging than a handgun but I don't know. I have never hunted with a hand gun or bow. I think that maybe your friend is just trying to get a rise out of you or talk you into a hand gun trip with him some where.
Your friend sounds like a complete idiot. First it is inethical and you probably won't have a clean kill.
No that's not the answer if you want a real test shoot a recurve or long bow with traditional broadheads. I have had several pistols that would kill at 75 yards. thats about 4 times farther than a recurve at 20 yards or so. Not really a test at all IMO
the ultimate test is when you spend a lot of money for a hunt. and your on your last day. in the last 20 minutes of light, and you make a 700 yd shot, on a once in lifetime animal. now thats an ultimate shot.
I agree with brad, a bow is the way to go, especially a long bow. They are hard to hold back, no sights and take alot of practice.
I think it is with a bow. Its always been a dream of mine to take down a grizzly with a bow
I thinks its just like bowhunting, just another way to shoot an animal.
I guess the real test of a hunter would be to sit in the tree until the unsuspecting buck walked under it. At that moment leap off the limb and cut his throat with your Bowie while hanging on so you won't have to follow the blood trail. Alternately you might try hoisting a large boulder into the tree and just drop it on him. I have killed two mule deer bucks on purpose with my short barreled .44 magnum mainly to see if I could do it. I also shot a buck antelope with the same revolver but it had previously been hit with a .30 cal rifle that day without adequate followup by someone. I basically just wanted to finish it off. I do have several friends who rather routinely kill bucks and bulls with various revolvers but its not my thing.
I don't think handgun hunting is unethical at all. I have killed several deer with my 44 mag. Longest shot was 65 yards. I think bow hunting is more challenging. My longest bow kill is 32 yards. Shortest shot I ever took was about 20 feet straight down with my 7mm mag. Buck walked right under my stand.
As long as he matches the load with the game there is nothing wrong with using a handgun.
The test of a true hunter is how he handles himself in the field.
Nate
A big enough handgun is a perfectly suitable hunting tool, but there are much greater challenges - compounds, crossbows, recurves and longbows, spears, knives, clubs, rocks, bare hands.
I can kill them with a good stare, but only out to 15 yards or so.
if its a big enough caliber its fine
i cant remember the name of the company now but they offer a single shot pistol in 375 hh mag
I haven't done it but once I turn 21, I'm going to use my dad's 41 mag. for deer.
Took a deer with my .480 Ruger. Laid it out. Archery hunting is more challenging still. Just a different tool for the job.
I say the ultimate is using the bow to kill your prey....
As long as you use enough gun to do the job, most people recomment a 44 Magnum for large animals, the 480 Ruger may have an edge if it;s and extremely large or dangerous animal I have fired the S&W 500 at targets, but am not confident with it so I will stick with my Super Red Hawk.
I only take it out as a backup weapon, but I am confident in shooting it. I fire 50 rounds a week as practice.
I find a bow to be much more challenging than a handgun but I would not consider a hunter less of a hunter if they used a rifle.
i do a lot of handgun hunting . and have yet to meet an animal that thought my hand gun was lacking in power . especially when i put the 444. marlin on the contender
The true test of a hunter is not whether you can put a bullet or an arrow in a small space from as far away as possible -- you can test that at the range -- but how close you can get to the animal in the woods without bait and whether you can make a clean shot with whatever tool you choose to use. That's why they call it "hunting" and not "killing."
i have never tried it personally but i think it would be alot of fun
If he can take it down respectfully and fast, he is awesome. A TRUE test of hunting is taking a buck with a blade.
It's a real challenge to take big game with a handgun. Especially if all you ever do is hunt them with a rifle.
I usually carry both a rifle and a handgun when I go whitetail hunting.
A couple of time I have shot pigs at a really close range (under 30 yards) with my .30-06. I double longed them and they didn't run more than 40 or 50 yards before they died in thick brush. But the bullet made a clean exit (just punched a small hole)and they left no blood trail. This lead me to believe I had missed and almost impossible to track. Hard for me to imagine missing but it is not out of the realm of possibilities (that's humor folks). I didn't know I had killed them until I saw the buzzards a week later. Thank goodness I haven't had that happen on a deer... yet... knock on wood.
So last season I started to carry both a rifle and pistol. Had a cull spike come in at 20 yards and made my first pistol harvest. It was very exciting.
I guess I should have not used "usually" in my earlier statement. That makes it sound as if I have always done it. But I carried both starting the middle of 2 seasons ago. It just feels like I learned a lesson from the lost pigs and feel like I'm a seasoned veteran now. I'm still a young pup though.
I have not done it but this year I'm going to try to do it!!!
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
Only as a back up.
I still think it is a stunt, and not something to be encouraged. I wonder who gave grant77 all those +1's.
I gota say this is not a good idea. For one handguns don't have as much strength as a long rifle no matter how big the bullet is. It still won't have what it takes to make a clean kill. Then the accuracy of a hand gun is know where near that of a rifle. In the end it comes down to killing for meat and sport or killing to kill. In my book killing to kill is not OK. That is just my opinion. We do live in the US and all sorts of opinions are allowed.
Try hunting grizzly's with a bow.
Not the ultimate test of a true hunter.
Gnaw a spear to take your game.
I would say using a knife on wild boar would be the ultimate test
Post an Answer
handguns have their time and place...the ultimate test? I dont think so...
try an atlatl!
I don’t know about using a handgun for Big Game hunting such as Brown/Grizzly bear, but I do find that a 22 pistol with one bullet and a good pair of tennis shoes is all you need for self protection. In case of bear attack, shoot your buddy in the ankle and run like hell!
I guess the real test of a hunter would be to sit in the tree until the unsuspecting buck walked under it. At that moment leap off the limb and cut his throat with your Bowie while hanging on so you won't have to follow the blood trail. Alternately you might try hoisting a large boulder into the tree and just drop it on him. I have killed two mule deer bucks on purpose with my short barreled .44 magnum mainly to see if I could do it. I also shot a buck antelope with the same revolver but it had previously been hit with a .30 cal rifle that day without adequate followup by someone. I basically just wanted to finish it off. I do have several friends who rather routinely kill bucks and bulls with various revolvers but its not my thing.
A big enough handgun is a perfectly suitable hunting tool, but there are much greater challenges - compounds, crossbows, recurves and longbows, spears, knives, clubs, rocks, bare hands.
I can kill them with a good stare, but only out to 15 yards or so.
Your friend sounds like an ass. Always act with honor and integrity while showing the utmost respect for your prey.
What’s the deference between using a bow or handgun? It’s still up close and personal!
I think that a bow would be more challenging than a handgun but I don't know. I have never hunted with a hand gun or bow. I think that maybe your friend is just trying to get a rise out of you or talk you into a hand gun trip with him some where.
No that's not the answer if you want a real test shoot a recurve or long bow with traditional broadheads. I have had several pistols that would kill at 75 yards. thats about 4 times farther than a recurve at 20 yards or so. Not really a test at all IMO
I think it is with a bow. Its always been a dream of mine to take down a grizzly with a bow
Took a deer with my .480 Ruger. Laid it out. Archery hunting is more challenging still. Just a different tool for the job.
Handgun hunting just adds another challenge to hunting. I have not done it but would like to someday.
I love hunting with a handgun, but ultimate test? That may suit his standard but may not be acceptable for anyone else. Figure you have to be accurate within your confident range. That might depend on the caliber, the barrel length, whether or not it is scoped, and how good your eyes are. Open sights are probably no different than bow range for most of us (but look up Elmer Keith). Set your own standards.
I believe it would be quite the test and with such guns as a S&W 500 it is very possible.
Your friend sounds like a complete idiot. First it is inethical and you probably won't have a clean kill.
the ultimate test is when you spend a lot of money for a hunt. and your on your last day. in the last 20 minutes of light, and you make a 700 yd shot, on a once in lifetime animal. now thats an ultimate shot.
I agree with brad, a bow is the way to go, especially a long bow. They are hard to hold back, no sights and take alot of practice.
I thinks its just like bowhunting, just another way to shoot an animal.
I don't think handgun hunting is unethical at all. I have killed several deer with my 44 mag. Longest shot was 65 yards. I think bow hunting is more challenging. My longest bow kill is 32 yards. Shortest shot I ever took was about 20 feet straight down with my 7mm mag. Buck walked right under my stand.
As long as he matches the load with the game there is nothing wrong with using a handgun.
The test of a true hunter is how he handles himself in the field.
Nate
if its a big enough caliber its fine
i cant remember the name of the company now but they offer a single shot pistol in 375 hh mag
I haven't done it but once I turn 21, I'm going to use my dad's 41 mag. for deer.
I say the ultimate is using the bow to kill your prey....
The true test of a hunter is not whether you can put a bullet or an arrow in a small space from as far away as possible -- you can test that at the range -- but how close you can get to the animal in the woods without bait and whether you can make a clean shot with whatever tool you choose to use. That's why they call it "hunting" and not "killing."
i have never tried it personally but i think it would be alot of fun
It's a real challenge to take big game with a handgun. Especially if all you ever do is hunt them with a rifle.
I usually carry both a rifle and a handgun when I go whitetail hunting.
A couple of time I have shot pigs at a really close range (under 30 yards) with my .30-06. I double longed them and they didn't run more than 40 or 50 yards before they died in thick brush. But the bullet made a clean exit (just punched a small hole)and they left no blood trail. This lead me to believe I had missed and almost impossible to track. Hard for me to imagine missing but it is not out of the realm of possibilities (that's humor folks). I didn't know I had killed them until I saw the buzzards a week later. Thank goodness I haven't had that happen on a deer... yet... knock on wood.
So last season I started to carry both a rifle and pistol. Had a cull spike come in at 20 yards and made my first pistol harvest. It was very exciting.
I guess I should have not used "usually" in my earlier statement. That makes it sound as if I have always done it. But I carried both starting the middle of 2 seasons ago. It just feels like I learned a lesson from the lost pigs and feel like I'm a seasoned veteran now. I'm still a young pup though.
As long as you use enough gun to do the job, most people recomment a 44 Magnum for large animals, the 480 Ruger may have an edge if it;s and extremely large or dangerous animal I have fired the S&W 500 at targets, but am not confident with it so I will stick with my Super Red Hawk.
I only take it out as a backup weapon, but I am confident in shooting it. I fire 50 rounds a week as practice.
I find a bow to be much more challenging than a handgun but I would not consider a hunter less of a hunter if they used a rifle.
i do a lot of handgun hunting . and have yet to meet an animal that thought my hand gun was lacking in power . especially when i put the 444. marlin on the contender
If he can take it down respectfully and fast, he is awesome. A TRUE test of hunting is taking a buck with a blade.
I have not done it but this year I'm going to try to do it!!!
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
They are awsome
Only as a back up.
I still think it is a stunt, and not something to be encouraged. I wonder who gave grant77 all those +1's.
I gota say this is not a good idea. For one handguns don't have as much strength as a long rifle no matter how big the bullet is. It still won't have what it takes to make a clean kill. Then the accuracy of a hand gun is know where near that of a rifle. In the end it comes down to killing for meat and sport or killing to kill. In my book killing to kill is not OK. That is just my opinion. We do live in the US and all sorts of opinions are allowed.
Try hunting grizzly's with a bow.
Not the ultimate test of a true hunter.
Gnaw a spear to take your game.
I would say using a knife on wild boar would be the ultimate test
Post an Answer