# Deer with a handgun?



## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

I have the chance to purchase a taurus .357 mag for a great price and was thinking of getting it for deer season, it has the 6'' barrel and is a seven shot. Now my questions are, has anyone used something similar to this for deer and would it be effective? Also are there any restrictions on the number of rounds for pistols? I know that with the shotguns you can only have three rounds in the gun but the regs don't say anything about pistols only .357 and larger and min barrel lenght of 5''. Also what type of ammo would you suggest. Thanks for all the info and help.


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## powerstrokin73 (May 21, 2008)

I started pistol hunting last year with a .454 casull. there is no restriction on how many rounds you can have in the pistol, if it holds 7 you can load 7. that round is plenty effective IMO, given propper shot placement and resonable range of the shot. as for ammo you would want to shoot hollow points oe soft points, no solids (FMJ). also you would want to shoot a couple different brands of ammo to see what your gun shoots best. Evin


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## Header (Apr 14, 2004)

There are no restrictions on the number of rounds loaded for the pistols. I've only talked with 1 guy that took one with a .357, he hit it several times, but one in the kill zone will do it. I use a .44, 180gr. 240's have too much kick & rise for my gun. As long as it is a straight wall jacket and at least a 5" barrel, you even use a Dessert Eagle. And yes a JHP or HP for maxium distruction.


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## pj4wd (Dec 9, 2009)

I started hunting deer in Ohio gun season with a T/C Contender 357maximum two years now. I have a 4x redfield scope on it. Load my own ammo, 158gr Hornady HP/XTP. Shot two deer with it. The first was a small 6pt at 60 yrds. Chest shot, ran 20yrds and droped. 2nd one was a doe, she ran a little further but not far befor she expired. Recovered both bullets. Both bullets went thru the chest cavity and were lodged on the opposite side of the chest between the skin and ribs. Does a fine job taking deer and I like not lugging that shotgun around.


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## BassBlaster (Jun 8, 2006)

I hunted with a handgun last season for the first time. I hunted with a Ruger 44 Mag. One thing I reccomend is practice with the gun exactly the way you will use it in the woods. I practiced all summer shooting from a bench in single action then got to the woods and tried to shoot free hand in double action and couldnt hit the broad side of a barn. Luckily I was shooting at a stupid deer that gave me lots of shots. When I settled down and shot off my rest on my stand in single action it dropped like a ton of bricks!! Very fun to hunt with a handgun and nice not to have to tote around a heavy shotgun!!

I saw someone post that you could even hunt with a desert eagle, actually you can even hunt with a fullsize 1911. Only restrictions are .357 or larger. 5" barrel or longer and must be a straight walled cartridge.


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## Huntinbull (Apr 10, 2004)

Freedom arms BFR in 45-70. Deer medicine. Cures what ails them. No more health problems ever for the deer.


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

I've all but stopped hunting, but when I did:

Ruger Super Redhawk .454 or...
T/C Contender in .45-70.


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## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

BassBlaster said:


> I hunted with a handgun last season for the first time. I hunted with a Ruger 44 Mag. One thing I reccomend is practice with the gun exactly the way you will use it in the woods. I practiced all summer shooting from a bench in single action then got to the woods and tried to shoot free hand in double action and couldnt hit the broad side of a barn. Luckily I was shooting at a stupid deer that gave me lots of shots. When I settled down and shot off my rest on my stand in single action it dropped like a ton of bricks!! Very fun to hunt with a handgun and nice not to have to tote around a heavy shotgun!!
> 
> I saw someone post that you could even hunt with a desert eagle, actually you can even hunt with a fullsize 1911. Only restrictions are .357 or larger. 5" barrel or longer and must be a straight walled cartridge.


Is the .45 acp considered a straight walled cartridge? I know that it has no neck but is this really considered an adequate cartridge for deer? Doesn't the rim play into this as well, like the .357, the .44 and the likes are all rimmed straight walled cartridges. But the .45 acp and 40. s&w are rimless pistol cartridges. So if I had an automatic pistol or revolver with a 5" barrel I could hunt with the .45acp or .40s&w? Not that I'd want to rely on either round to cleanly put down an animal I prefer my T/C Encore 209x50 muzzle loader. But if I were to hunt with a pistol I wouldn't use anything under a .44 mag. his should really be clarified by a wildlife officer because I think there may be a gray area here that could possibly get some people into trouble.


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## Boondock77 (Nov 28, 2007)

Actually by definition the .45acp is a Rimless, Straight Cartridge... Shot from a 5" barrel it would meet state standards... I think there are much better rounds out there for taking deer with, and considering the price of most .45 frames fitting the discription; you could deff do better with less... However I would say that the .45 with a placed shot in the vitals could easily stop the deer. And with some of the specialty hydroshock rounds might even have the potential to drop it where it stands... now a .40 on the other hand... it would have to be a very well placed shot and even then you best be prepared to hike after it... the 40's speed and small diameter means it's just gonna pass right on through the vital area IMHO not causing suffcient trauma to stop the deer quickly.


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## BigDub007 (Apr 1, 2010)

I use a superredhawl .44 and a new model blackhawk .357 i use 125 gr. golden sabers for .357 and i use 210 gr. platrum tip hollows for .44

i would also like to ehar a wildlife officer chime in on this one ..........I dont think you would be aloud to use a .45 what type of round would not be considered straightwalled ?


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## Boondock77 (Nov 28, 2007)

to add in as well.... for muzzleloaders you are allowed to use a .38 cal....IMHO a 45 would be more effective than that round at the appropriate ranges.

Also there are loads in the .45acp to equal the power provided by a .357 in a magnum chamber.

a Gold series speed load in .45acp would yield [email protected](and this is not including any custom hot rounds)
Average load for .357magnum being [email protected]

Last I checked that is more than sufficient for penetration... and the 45 being larger in diameter and slower in speed is going to want to bounce around more inside the chest cavity as opposed the smaller faster .357 which would be more prone to clear the target.

The straightwalled termenology in my mind would limit the use of standard rifle rounds fired from a handgun platform... as all standard pistol rounds are considered straightwalled but not all rifle rounds are.

Once again I'm not supporting the .45acp as a choice hunting round...i just dont see why it wouldnt have the potential.


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## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

Boondock77 said:


> to add in as well.... for muzzleloaders you are allowed to use a .38 cal....IMHO a 45 would be more effective than that round at the appropriate ranges.
> 
> Also there are loads in the .45acp to equal the power provided by a .357 in a magnum chamber.
> 
> ...


I guess you learn something new everyday  To add to this discussion I always wondered why one couldn't use a carbine style rifle in say a .357 mag or .44 mag cal? Like the ruger 99/44 or 10/44 or even the Winchester 94? does the 18" barrel really make that much difference?


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## BassBlaster (Jun 8, 2006)

I watched one of Nugents shows where he took a nice 8 point at I believe 60 yards with a Kimber 1911. It dropped in its tracks. I dont know that I would hunt with a 45acp but with the right load and a well placed shot it is more than adequate to get the job done.


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## Boondock77 (Nov 28, 2007)

saugeyesam said:


> I guess you learn something new everyday  To add to this discussion I always wondered why one couldn't use a carbine style rifle in say a .357 mag or .44 mag cal? Like the ruger 99/44 or 10/44 or even the Winchester 94? does the 18" barrel really make that much difference?


I would presume that because of Ohio being more urban than rural; would play a factor... Hunters are still managing to over shoot game and harm people with what limited tools we can use now... adding a carbine/rifle with a longer barrel would effectively double if not triple that threat range... then comes the fact they opened the door to rifle usage, which in turn could cause problems all on it's on... 

I believe what the state has provided is sufficient to hunt and be successful with given our situations... if it isn't and you need something bigger or stronger... maybe you shouldn't be hunting...


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## BassBlaster (Jun 8, 2006)

Boondock77 said:


> I would presume that because of Ohio being more urban than rural; would play a factor... Hunters are still managing to over shoot game and harm people with what limited tools we can use now... adding a carbine/rifle with a longer barrel would effectively double if not triple that threat range... then comes the fact they opened the door to rifle usage, which in turn could cause problems all on it's on...
> 
> I believe what the state has provided is sufficient to hunt and be successful with given our situations... if it isn't and you need something bigger or stronger... maybe you shouldn't be hunting...


What he said!!


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

im suprised nobodys mentioned the 10mm pistol. im not hunting with it, but have read alot of deer fell to this round.


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## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

I actually talked to a guy at the gun store about the .45acp for deer hunting and he informed me that you can not use .45 acp you can use .45 long colt but not acp. This was several years ago so maybe that has changed.


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## Bonemann (Jan 28, 2008)

fishintechnician said:


> I actually talked to a guy at the gun store about the .45acp for deer hunting and he informed me that you can not use .45 acp you can use .45 long colt but not acp. This was several years ago so maybe that has changed.


Well I'm not sure about the guy at the gun store but the guy at the ODNR says that any straight walled cartridge .357 cal or larger(doesn't matter if it has a rim or not) with a minimum barrel length of 5 inches is legal. And there are no limitations on maximum barrel length.(I was told by ODNR)

Which always makes me wonder why not a rifle format for such rounds ? It would defiantly give you better control and accuracy.

And what about those pistols that have a shoulder stock attachments ???(I should have asked them about those).


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## hoytshooter (Apr 7, 2009)

guys the 45 acp and 10mm are not straight walled cases there is a gap between the rim and the case which makes them not legal for hunting in Ohio. fish tech if you are not handloading the 357 i would look at corbon dpx loads for the 357 it is a solid copper barnes bullet and its a pretty hot load should do the trick just fine so long as you know the range and shoot a quarting to broadside animal.


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## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

Thanks for the replys i got the gun last night and put some rounds through it, it shoots well but I am going to need to practice. I am going to take it to the gun shop and get a scope mounted and while I am there i will check into some of the different loads mentioned thanks guys.


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## 7thcorpsFA (Mar 6, 2010)

Have killed 2 with a pistol. M19S&W .357mag. and M657 .41mag.. Now use a M66 .357mag with 6" barrel. Always rolled my own with 158gr. Hornady XTP bullets loaded to the max.. Now use Hornady LEVERevolution 140gr. FTX .357. If I get a deer 35yrds. or closer I use the handgun. A Browning A-Bolt in .270 takes care of the rest. Make sure you practice a lot. Anyone can kill a deer with a rifle or shotgun. Taking one with a handgun is a bit of an art form. 1 shot, 1 kill!


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## Darwin (Apr 12, 2004)

Practice shooting and that .357 will serve you well for deer hunting. Your not going to make any world record distance shots with it but it is more than powerfull enough to take a deer with a well placed shot.

By the way, after shooting it did you notice that they have a little "bark" to them?


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## Boondock77 (Nov 28, 2007)

hoytshooter said:


> guys the 45 acp and 10mm are not straight walled cases there is a gap between the rim and the case which makes them not legal for hunting in Ohio. fish tech if you are not handloading the 357 i would look at corbon dpx loads for the 357 it is a solid copper barnes bullet and its a pretty hot load should do the trick just fine so long as you know the range and shoot a quarting to broadside animal.



Yes the .45 acp aswell as the 10mm are straightwalled cartridges... the observation you have made does not warrant weither a cartridge is considered straight or not... if it was to determine if a cartridge is straight or not you would not be allowed to use most if not all .357 magnum loads as they have a dip before the rim where the primer seats... all standard pistol rounds are considered straightwalled... a .223 remington for example would not be, it is conisedered a bottleneck.... and yes just like the 45 long colt you can use a .45acp or even the 10mm as stated(although the balistics would be almost comparable to the .40sw, as a 10mm has just a longer cartridge)

With respect aswell... a .357sig would not be a legal load to use... even though it is of .357 cal, it most usually fired from a revolver platform provided in a sufficient barrel length... it is a bottleneck cartridge.


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## Header (Apr 14, 2004)

Fishintech - mind what power scope you get for that pistol. The higher the power the more shake movement you'll see, from a free hand shot. I would not recommend any thing larger that a 4x scope.


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## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

I was actually thinking 1.5 or 2x something around there, I am open to suggestions. 

Darwin yeah it has some "bark" to it. Between the .357 and the .40 we shot almost 200 rounds last night, my ears are still ringing. 

On a side note I had my wife shooting both and she did quite well, I was really proud of her and a bit surprised.


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## BassBlaster (Jun 8, 2006)

I wished I had went with a Leupold 2X pistol scope when I hunted with my SRH but I opted for a red dot and didnt care much for it.

On a side note, if you do like a red dot, the Tasco PROpoint PDP3 held up quite well to the abuse of a 44 mag.


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## Agitation Free (Jul 11, 2010)

Would a Desert Eagle 50 AE be legal? It is a magnum, 6" barrel and a semi auto.


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## Boondock77 (Nov 28, 2007)

Agitation Free said:


> Would a Desert Eagle 50 AE be legal? It is a magnum, 6" barrel and a semi auto.


Per state laws it would meet the standards to be legal... The.50 action express isn't really a magnum load in .50cal standards; but compared to most rounds under it, it could be consider magnum in strength I guess... the 50ae is actually quite the opposite; as the bottom of the cartridge reduces in size as it lowers towards the primer as the rim is the equivalent to a .44 magnum rim.


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## Boondock77 (Nov 28, 2007)

Seems like a standard definition , good find.


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

I will be using this Taurus Raging Bull in 480 Ruger...... a few days gun season

.


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## ErieAngler (Apr 15, 2006)

I shot a deer with a S&W .357 a couple years ago, droped straight in its tracks. Hornady makes some great hunting rounds for revolvers. I never did it again because my ears were still ringing 3 days after. When sighting the gun in I was naturally shooting with my arms extended. Naturally in the treestand I had that thing close to me as I peered down the sights - NEVER AGAIN!


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## Header (Apr 14, 2004)

This is my pistol for knocking down deer, I've probably killed 15+ with it. Interarms Virginia Dragoon 8 3/8 brl in 44mag, 180 gr jhp, Leupold x2. I could not find a mount for this so I talked with JD Jones in Wintersville. when you are shooting live, it would be better to fire your pistol single action. The last couple years I've shot with my mzzldr. Before I mounted the scope I braced against a tree and made approx 120yd. shot through the heart and she fell in her tracks. I'll be the first to say I probably could not do that again.


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## BigChessie (Mar 12, 2005)

ezbite said:


> im suprised nobodys mentioned the 10mm pistol. im not hunting with it, but have read alot of deer fell to this round.


I'll be using my 10mm for :!


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