quote:

Originally posted by Mark K:
In Ohio we can't use rifles and have the following limitation on handguns for deer hunting: : "handgun with 5-inch minimum length barrel, using straight-walled cartridges .357 caliber or larger." I hunt in places where it would be nice to be able to take a 250+ yard shot. I'm thinking of getting a TC Encore in whatever cartridge would give me the greatest range, least recoil, and be Ohio legal. Any ideas?

One cartridge that I used at 200 yards was the S&W 460 mag with a 240 gr. soft point bullet or a 240 gr. hard cast. I used the S&W X-frame and a T/C Encore, and both performed well, and make a great deer killer out to 200 yards.

I did a lot of shooting with these set up from 100 to 200 yards, always used a rest of some sort. I could consistently hit a 4 inch clay target at 150 yards. I sighted in the guns for 3 inch's high at 100 yards. I used a dead on hold at 150 yards, and a inch high at 200 yards. I kept the bullet in the kill zone at 200 yards every time.

I got out of the long range handgun hunting, as I prefer up close hunting more. So I am back to my roots of open sights and red-dot, and keep my handgun shots under 100 yards or closer. It is fun closing the gap, but that is just me.

quote:

Originally posted by Redhawk1: It is fun closing the gap, but that is just me.

Couldn't agree with you more!

Right on! Deer are really, really small at 200 yards and are still small at 100. You need a rest.
Are you a shooter like long range varmint hunting with a rifle or a hunter that wants deer as close as they can get like for archery?
I used to see a chuck at 200 yards and pace 200 the other way before shooting. I was a shooter! I head shot chucks over 600 yards.
Just why does anyone need to shoot at deer that far? It removes the thrill of the hunt and just makes you a sniper.
There is an element of greed showing when a deer can be taken by another hunter that is closer and a shot must be taken from too far to get it first.
When you hope for the best for other hunters or your friends, then you are a real hunter.
If you MUST take the shot before the animal gets near your friend, I don't want you here.
Stealing is different. If you shoot and track a deer to find some jerk gutting it, you are right to be angry. But if he is just waiting for me, I will say hello, would you like to have my deer? Most say no and will help get it out. That is the test of a real hunter. I will give up a day to help a man get his deer out to his car.
I have had a neighbor shoot my deer as I was tracking it. I would have found it because it was shot good but he saved me some tracking. I tried hard to give it to him but he refused to take it. Now just who gets the most respect? Neither of us, we both are right. I felt good and so did he. Yeah, I wish he would have taken it, I had to butcher!

Not sure if you've made any choices, or spent any money on this project yet, but there are a few options...

I'm currently using a T/C contender in .357 max and it's cleanly taken whitetails at close to 200 yards. A friend of mine has killed them in excess of 300 with a similar set-up.

He has since developed his own wildcat in .375 caliber based on a 9.3x74 R casing with the shoulder blown out to a straight wall. This is shooting really well in the Encore he has it chambered in. Biggest problem, as you may imagine, is taming recoil. His pistol weighs a ton... must be shot off bags, but he's taken deer out to 400 yards with it. It's just putting in the practice to learn the trajectory.

If you'd be interested, he still has the reamers for the chamber. Let me know.

gd

By the way, the 150 grain Core-Lokt has been discontinued.

If you know where to get any I'm all ears.