The Lone Eagle is an accurate handgun but I have witnessed extraction problems with these. The contender is a great handgun but is not as strong as the Encore which can handle rounds with up to 65,000 psi chamber pressures.

A shooter who practices enough can easily harvest big game at ranges out to 300 yards. Which is enough for even most rifle hunters.

As far as big-bore revolvers go for hunting big game, I use the 44 mag, 45 Colt(Ruger) and even the 50 A.E. chambered in a 15" Encore barrel. The two revolvers and the 50 A.E. in the D.E. are honest 100 yard guns on big game. Loaded with the correct bullet, all are powerful enough for hunting any game at these ranges save perhaps the dangerous types.

My 50 A.E. load for my Encore drives the 325 gr Speer Uni-Core HP to 1925 fps, compared to 1400 fps for the factory load in the D.E. The difference on game and also recoil is amazing, but so is the accuracy of this pistol. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot anything up to the size of moose out to 150 yards with this round/gun combo.

Hope this helps!!

50

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Handgun Hunter
LOVE THOSE .41s'

I've been around a couple of Desert Eagles and the only thing they were good at was jamming. I wouldn't have one. Especially for hunting anything close and potentially dangerous.

The .44 & 41 mags are both excellent cartridges in a 6 or 8 " Smith or such, but of course probably limited to 100 yd range or less. The reason most people don't like them is they try to load them to insane levels. Forget the maximum load and just shoot what you can shoot and handle well. Bullet placement is FAR more important than squeezing out the last possible ft/lb of energy.

If possible try to shoot some of these guns. (With sensible loads)

Specialty guns/pistols aren't for everyone. They sound cool but most people don't like them after they get their hands on one. Look before you leap here.

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Even the strongest oak must bend to the winds of fate.

I got my only big game animal with a pistol in Alaska.

I shot a big bull moose with a .357 Mag - at about six feet!

Believe me ya don't wanna do it that way (he was supposed to be dead already).

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The older I get the better I was.

Express,

In the right gun the 44 Mag is definately a 100 m or yrd gun. The first big boar that I really began hunting with at extended handgun ranges was the 44 mag with the 300 gr XTP. This bullet over a 21.0gr charge of H-110 produces sub 3" groups out of my Ruger SRH with its 9 1/2" barrel. Shots out to 125 yards are easy on deer size targets if you shoot enough to become proficient at that range.

This is not off hand shooting either, get a rest if you plan on shooting at that range. I have used my 44 Mag on gophers and rockchucks out past 100 yards with great success, so yes the round will do fine at that range.

50

Hi again John/Nitro,

I'm assuming that you started this thread?

Obviously you know that hunting with handguns in Australia is illegal with penalties of 10 years jail and/or AUS$240,000 fines.

I assume you are aware of that?

Ciao, Matt

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