How far have you killed deer with this in a revolver?

Roughly 120 yd's was my longest shot. I was holding perfectly and knew it would be good. Any doubt and I would not have shot. I don't like to shoot that far for deer and it will do the job a lot farther but is not ethical. I have hit rather small targets beyond 400 meters with the .44 and to 500 meters with larger calibers (From Creedmore position.) but the deer deserve the best and closest shots. It is still a revolver, not a rifle and is harder to hit perfectly. I prefer 50 yd's and under, way under! I shoot offhand when hunting, no sticks or rests.
From a Creedmore position, I could hit deer easily at 200 meters but that position does not present itself often while hunting and still would not be ethical. It also requires a blast shield for the leg.
I have shot many deer to 100 yd's with my revolvers because I do not shoot close range for practice, load development or anything other then light load plinking at tin cans. Heavy loads are never shot under 50 yd's.
I have the confidence and accuracy to hit at 100 yd's but you have to base your distance on how well you can shoot. If it is 25 yd's, then don't shoot any farther.
The .44 will kill deer farther then you can hit with confidence, a whole lot farther.

My longest was 127 yds as measured with a rangefinder. 629 Magnaport with 2x Leupold using Hdy 240gr xtp handload. I was in a low treestand with my forearms rested. This was barely adequate. A 4x would have been much better at that range. The deer dropped at the shot and kicked for a couple of minutes. Hit high behind the shoulder and exited through the off side neck. I doubt I would take that shot again unless using a scoped single shot instead of the revolver. Gene

Remember that the sectional density and ballistic coeffecient of handgun bullets is low so they slow down quickly.Some data - 240 gr -Muzzle velocity 1500 , 100yds 1244, 200 yds 1072 .Of course you have to make a good hit !! I've only used iron sights and about 65 yds is about a reasonable maximum for that .Scopes of course extend that ,perhaps to 125 yds.At one time I had lots of practice with my M29 as a regular shooter in metallic silhouette matches. Many thought that they could easily take a deer after shooting those 200 yd steel rams but it doesn't work out that way under field conditions !!

Deer? About 35 yards with a 240 SWC @ 875 fps from my 4 inch M629 Mtn Gun with irons. I've taken a couple longer game shots with a 7-1/2 inch 45 Colt Ruger Bisley. Two whitetails @ 50 yards dropped by a 300 SSK @ ~1300 and 325 LBT @ ~1200 respectively. I used my iron-sight 44 magnum 10 inch Contender on impala and warthog @ 50 and zebra @ ~90 yards. These fell to a 325 @ 1375.

I don't hunt a 44. I use a 41, but I would say 100 yards is the edge of the gray area. With the 41 it's about 80 yards. (I don't like following up wounded deer.)

I limit my open sighted handgun hunting range to 75 yards no matter what the caliber.

At about 65 yds the typical 1/8" front sight will cover the 10" vital area of a deer .That's why the limit of about 65 yds for iron sights on a deer !

quote:

Originally posted by mete:
At about 65 yds the typical 1/8" front sight will cover the 10" vital area of a deer .That's why the limit of about 65 yds for iron sights on a deer !

Thats why you should sight in with a 6 o'clock hold and then no amount of target is covered.

I've taken deer and pigs out to about 70 yards, but that's when I was shooting competitive handgun metallic silhouette (out to 200m) and regularly practicing on paper at 100 yards. Even though I carry a .44 several days a week I wouldn't try shots that far anymore unless I got back into a strict practice routine.

Wounding animals from shooting over one's head (hot dogging) is unconscionable and should be discouraged by all ethical hunters.

Just this morning I was guiding a deer hunter and we spotted a nice buck at 300 yards. The client was shooting a flat shooting rifle and is a good shoot who has hunted with me many times. Since there was very little cover to make a sneak, the terrain was extremely rough and the client had just had knee surgery.... I suggested we might be able to get him a good rest for the long shot. The client said he didn't think it was the right think to do. He was absolutely correct (especially since the wind was blowing a different direction were the buck was from where we were.... we never would have read it correctly). It took a little while and required some luck and patience but we finally got the buck with one shot at 50 yards.

Kyler

quote:

quote:

At about 65 yds the typical 1/8" front sight will cover the 10" vital area of a deer

Thats why you should sight in with a 6 o'clock hold and then no amount of target is covered.

At practical ranges I prefer my pistols to shoot to their sights. If we're shooting so far off a six o'clock zero is needed to prevent the sights from covering the target then we have to start worrying about precisely how far above the sights the bullet will land...and maybe holdover besides. If a fella does a lot of long range work he can always install finer sights. $0.02

quote:

Originally posted by nordrseta:

quote:

quote:

At about 65 yds the typical 1/8" front sight will cover the 10" vital area of a deer

Thats why you should sight in with a 6 o'clock hold and then no amount of target is covered.

At practical ranges I prefer my pistols to shoot to their sights. If we're shooting so far off a six o'clock zero is needed to prevent the sights from covering the target then we have to start worrying about precisely how far above the sights the bullet will land...and maybe holdover besides. If a fella does a lot of long range work he can always install finer sights. $0.02

I don't agree with your logic as I have used the 6 o'clock hold for many years and it works percfectly for any sane range and allows one to not cover any of the intended target,which allows for more precise shot placement. One can simpley sight in as to have the bullet land precisely on top of one's sights. The six o'clock sight in works extremely well you may want to give it a try......

I don't hunt with a handgun, but one time oppurtunity knocked when I had a tag with 2 days left in the season and all I had was my revolver.
About 10 years ago, the only deer I have ever shot with a handgun. It was 40 yards, steep uphill with a Colt Python in 357 shooting 124 grain corbons. Typical roadside "crime of oppurtunity" (It was actually legal, I did not shoot from the truck and I took the trouble to step off the road)
It was a little fork mule deer.This was when I lived in southern Callifornia. I hit him right behind the shoulder, He took off like a scalded dog, going about 70 yards and died on a dead run. The bullet exited leaving a HUGE hole.

I live in Maine now and don't hunt anything with a handgun. The only thing up here I would give a wack at with a handgun would be a bear either over bait or with hounds. Other than that I save the handguns for the bipedal animals that need shooting.

You are missing out on a great, enjoyable sport. I will NEVER take a rifle for deer again. WAYYYYY too easy after hundreds with a bow. Handgun hunting is as close to archery as you can get with all of the excitement. Let em get close, get the heart pounding, instead of just shooting a couple of hundred yards.

I do hunt with a bow. And because of that I agree that hunting close in is much more exciting. I supose I could hunt deer with a handgun in Maine. Having a rifle up in the North Maine Woods is not much of an advantage. It is rare to be able to see over 100 yards up here and most oppurtunities I have encountered on deer are at much less than 100 YDS.

I realy hunt hard during archery, then I only hunt the last week of rifle season and then all of muzzleloader (10 days) We are only allowed 1 deer a year up here so I try to make it a good one. I haven't given in to the temptation of sticking a doe during archery yet.

I see your point---ONE DEER! I guess I am spoiled, I get 5 to 7 a year because all of my neighbors that let me hunt all get meat too.

The only deer I've taken was a spike white tail, my first ever buck. It was at 49 yards with my TRB .44 8 3/8" bbl, 2x Leupold shooting factory Hornady 240 XTPs. It was my longest shot ever at a deer, having taken them all with a 12 guage slug 25 yards and in.

I shoot a TON both for fun and in competition and can easily hold 3" at 100 yards but like Mete let on, hunting is a lot tougher than shooting.

Fifty yards is a good range, maybe 75 if things are perfect.

quote:

Originally posted by jwp475:

quote:

At practical ranges I prefer my pistols to shoot to their sights. If we're shooting so far off a six o'clock zero is needed to prevent the sights from covering the target then we have to start worrying about precisely how far above the sights the bullet will land...and maybe holdover besides. If a fella does a lot of long range work he can always install finer sights. $0.02

I don't agree with your logic as I have used the 6 o'clock hold for many years and it works percfectly for any sane range and allows one to not cover any of the intended target,which allows for more precise shot placement. One can simpley sight in as to have the bullet land precisely on top of one's sights

After thinking on it a bit I suspect we agree more than we disagree. With my revolvers zero'd at 50 yards my bullets are landing a little above the sights for most of their trajectory.

I have hunted W T Deer with a handgun for the last 14 years. My longest shot was 81 yards. I was shooting a 14" Contender with a 3x scope-240 jhp & I was laying in the snow & had a 5gal pail as a rest .The shot was in a dirt path /road used to haul out Christmas trees .The only reason it wasn't a 40 yard shot was because I forgot to put the gun on center fire when I cocked it & squezzed the triger - I had to open the action to recock it & the deer were walking away the whole time !!!
I would not use it again as I find the .30 Herrett to be a much more effective cartridge FOR ME & there are a lot of folks who swear by the 44 . So I guess it's where you hunt & how good you are at SHOT PLACEMENT.
SOUP

My 5.5" barrel on my Redhawk 44 mag is only good to 75yds maybe 80yds. At 100yds the bullets go high about 5" high and off to the left. So I don't use that pistol beyond 75yds.

With a .44 it was 20 yards.

With a .41 two deer at 110 yards.
And with a .454 , one deer 80 yards.