A MUST READ! This article is about the handguns and handgun cartridges most suitable for hunting. I am limiting the discussion to conventional handguns and cartridges. Bolt action or other exotic single shot pistols with barrels in excess of 10″ in length will not be covered. Such weapons really amount to carbines without a butt stock. Nor will it deal with rifle cartridges like the .22 Hornet, .30-30 Winchester and .45-70 Govt. that are sometimes adapted to these exotic handguns.
No, the subjects of this article are traditional revolving and autoloading pistols, plus the ubiquitous T/C Contender single shot pistol, suitable for hunting small and big game animals in a sporting manner. Any hunting pistol should have good, fully adjustable iron sights or an optical sight (red dot or conventional long eye relief scope). They should ideally have barrels of 6″ to 10″ in length, and fit into a holster. A barrel at least 6 inches long is needed for its long sight radius, and to get adequate performance from the high velocity pistol cartridges that are normally used for hunting. It is difficult to find a holster for gun with a barrel longer than 10 inches, and awkward to carry such a gun in a holster.
These traditional handguns are chambered for straight cased pistol cartridges ranging from the .22 LR to the 454 Casull and .480 Ruger. They are a joy to carry afield, and the most sporting and rewarding of all firearms with which to hunt. In the hands of an accomplished shooter, they can be very effective. Many rifle hunters that regularly bag game cannot shoot as accurately as an accomplished shooter with such a handgun.
In some respects handgun hunting is similar to bow hunting. Both are fairly short range weapons that demand superior hunting and marksmanship skills for consistent success. The hunter must be able to stalk within close range of the intended trophy. This is a very sporting proposition, one it would do many rifle shooters well to emulate. A handgun, however, is more accurate than a bow. And a bullet from a powerful handgun is more humane than an arrow, as it kills very quickly with a well-placed bullet. In that sense it is like a rifle. To me, handgun hunting is hunting at its finest. Read on….