Pistol for hunting

[Faith and Grace]

I am a bow hunter and often see deer that are out of my range. For the past several years I have been thinking of getting a scoped pistol. Either a S&W or Ruger. Out of the 2 which is more accurate and reliable? I like the looks of the Ruger more and both seem to fit my hand OK or at least the Super Black Hawk fits better with the grip being more slim but the Super Red Hawk is available with a slim grip as well in a low glare finish.
SA or DA?
caliber?
Barrel length?

[Snake Jenkins]

IMHO the single action handles recoil better, meaning that during recoil the revolver rotates back in the hand (slips during recoil) rather than delivering all of the recoil straight back into the hand. Now that being said my Smith M29 with 8 3/8" barrel is more accurate than my Ruger Super Black Hawk but not enough to really get excited about.
As far as caliber go either the .41 maggie or the .44 maggie are all you will ever need and are about the limit for the average fellow to handle well.
Ammo I know you didn't ask this question but here goes, I and a lot of other handgun hunters like a heavy (for the caliber) hard cast lead semi wadcutter and shoot to always break at least one shoulder. IF you decide to use JHP's or JSP's you should go for the heart/lung shot.

[SuperSwamp Fox]

nope you gotta either fling sticks or not none of this fence riding.

[Glenn]

Ed Zachery

[Swamp Rat]

Ed Zachery #2

I HAVE taken a 357 Magnum into a climbing stand when rifle hunting, though... after I was climbing once and had a nice 8 point come trotting up within 20 yards. My rifle was on the haul-up rope and out of reach... I could have stroked him with the S&W Model 65.

I'm going to get that gun bead-blasted to a matte grey and carry it for that purpose. But, when I'm bow hunting, all I carry is my bow, and a knife.

[FLS]

A 6.5" .41 Blackhawk will be tough to beat. Inexpensive, built like a tank and more than enough gun for SC. A decent set of grips and a 2x scope or red dot and you've got a deer killing machine.

[Faith and Grace]

A 6.5" .41 Blackhawk will be tough to beat. Inexpensive, built like a tank and more than enough gun for SC. A decent set of grips and a 2x scope or red dot and you've got a deer killing machine.

How much would that set up cost?

[FLS]

A new Blackhawk will cost around $350.
Pachmayr Presentation grips $26.99
Weigand Scope base $25.00 (My personal choice, burris and leupold also make mounts}
Burris Rings $21.99
Burris 2x Scope $173.99
Drill and tap for scope mount $50.00

[Simple Man]

FLS, can I change the barrel on my .41 Blackhawk to a 6 1/2"?

If so, is there anybody that you'd recommend?

[Mergie Master]

You can't go wrong with the .41 mag...I have a stainless Ruger Redhawk with the 7.5" barrel. The Redhawk is a DA and has a longer cylinder to accommodate hand loaders who want to 'do new things'.

I love my Redhawk

and...

My Redhawk loves 175 gr Silvertips.

I have the die and press and everything else I need to roll my own and I need to get with it and 'design' some home grown loads.

[FLS]

Check out Numerich Arms, the barrels can be changed.

Mergie, a Speer 220 gr JSP over H110 or Lil gun shoots well out of everything Ive got. Cast Performance Bullets 250gr Wide Flat Nose Gas Checked shoots good as well.
The Speer has accounted for several South Carolina deer and hogs and a big Iowa 9 pt. Ive shot two pigs this summer with the hardcast and had excellent penetration. I broke both shoulders and the pig was DRT. The second was a quartering away shot and I got complete penetration but and he didnt go far but the blood trail was pretty skimpy. That the only issue I see with shooting the hardcast bullets. if you dont break the animal down on the spot you dont get the tissue damage you get with a soft point. Kinda like shooting a 2 blade broadhead versus a 3 or 4 blade. What you gain in penetration you sometimes give up in blood on the dirt.

[CWPINST]

Have you looked at the TC Encore?

[Mergie Master]

Check out Numerich Arms, the barrels can be changed.

Mergie, a Speer 220 gr JSP over H110 or Lil gun shoots well out of everything Ive got. Cast Performance Bullets 250gr Wide Flat Nose Gas Checked shoots good as well.
The Speer has accounted for several South Carolina deer and hogs and a big Iowa 9 pt. Ive shot two pigs this summer with the hardcast and had excellent penetration. I broke both shoulders and the pig was DRT. The second was a quartering away shot and I got complete penetration but and he didnt go far but the blood trail was pretty skimpy. That the only issue I see with shooting the hardcast bullets. if you dont break the animal down on the spot you dont get the tissue damage you get with a soft point. Kinda like shooting a 2 blade broadhead versus a 3 or 4 blade. What you gain in penetration you sometimes give up in blood on the dirt.

Interesting, thanks. The heaviest bullets I've ever run through my .41 mag were 210 grains. If I get to try a hog with mine I may take your advice and step up the weight and go to a harder bullet. As yet I've never shot a wild hog with anything. The Silver Tips (HP) get good enough penetration for thin skinned deer, plus the expansion with the hollow point brings good blood and does plenty of soft tissue damage. But a hog being thicker skinned and heavier boned may be pushing the limits of the Silver Tips.

[FLS]

They'll kill a hog dead as a hammer, but you might not get an exit. I had a couple that were hard to recover with 210 gr XTP's. They only went about 50 -75 yds but it was really thick and wet. With no exit I had a sparse blood trail and had to wait till the next morning to find them. I went to a heavier jacketed soft point after that. Never had an issue with the 210's on deer, unless I hit the offside shoulder blade I had an exit.

[Swamp Rat]

I wonder how this stuff would do in my Model 65.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...eitemid=671546

[FLS]

Id say it would shoot through whatever you hit with it.

[Swamp Rat]

That would be the point... I just want to see how well it shoots, accuracy-wise. I will eventually develop a handload for it, but I have too many rifle projects brewing now...

[FLS]

Swamp, all of my revolvers shoot hardcast well. Cast Performance Bullets sell a .357 180gr gas checked bullet. I think its the same bullet federal uses for their cast core loads.