Does anyone still hunt with a handgun?

[Hnthrdr]

These photos are all from a long time ago. I should have at least a doe to add this year.

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My dude?! You killed that bull with a snubby?! Do tell!!!

 

[pacoalcracker]

I hunted with handguns for 20 years. Gary Reeder got me into it. He builds some fine hunting handguns and is one of the best in the world at building them and hunting with them. Had around 80 of them in mostly custom revolvers and custom TC Contenders and Encores in a wide range of standard and wildcat cartridges from 22 K-Hornet to 500 S&W and many were wildcat bottlenecked cartridges. Gary Reeder built most of these. Sadly, I am in the process of downsizing everything as I get older and sold most of them this year. I did keep the custom shop Colt Anaconda Real-Tree 44 mag revolver w/scope and a Freedom Arms 83 Premier Grade revolver in 475 Linebaugh w/ 6" octagon barrel and custom grips and just one Reeder custom revolver in 410GNR (454 Casull case necked down to 41 caliber). My son shot a lot of game with that Colt and I with that 410GNR, including several plains game animals in South Africa. Several other SA plains game animals were taken with a Reeder custom TC Encore w/ a heavy 15" barreled 378GNR (405 Winchester necked to 375 caliber using 260gr Accubonds @ 2750fps. Longest shot was 260 yards on a Kudu and I'm looking at him on my wall as I type this. I still love hunting with a handgun though...it gets in your blood. Working up and testing out the loads for the handguns is just so enjoyable and about 80% of what I shot I handloaded. If you have not tried handgun hunting you are missing out. As for what works for most people a 44mag is a great start, but so is a 41mag. To me, they are equals especially if you are loading that 41 full throttle with 250gr hardcast.