Here is my handgun experience, I have been shooting handguns for over 35 years now. I started out with a small 22 LR and then a Ruger Blackhawk 357 Mag. I used the 375 Mag for my first ever deer hunt with a handgun. I kill a few deer with my 375 Mag and decided I wanted a bigger bore handgun. So I traded up to a Ruger Blackhawk 41 Mag. Used it a few years for hunting and then went to a 44 Mag in a Ruger Blackhawk. At which time I started looking into the Contender's for hunting also.

I owned a few different handguns for hunting as well as some personal defense handguns. In 1999 Ruger came out with the 454 Casull, and I started getting the big bore itch, so I went and bought one.
What a blast and a big change from the 44 mag I was use to.

From there I jumped on the 500 mag when it hit the market, and it has been a blast.
I currently own the following handgun rounds: 22 L/R, 22 Mag, 380 Auto 40 S&W, 45 ACP 45 Win Mag, 410 GNR, 45 Colt, 454 Casull, 480 Ruger 475 Linebaugh, 460 Mag, 500 Mag, 510 GNR, 308 Win and a big old 375 H&H Encore hand cannon.

I have taken a lot on game with handguns, from tree rats, deer, hogs and black bear.

Nothing as extensive as yours, but here goes.
Started out at the ripe old age of around 10. Started with an old 22lr. High Standerd 10 shot semi auto. Of course dad was always right there to keep an eye on me.
In my 20's I moved up to a Modle 57 6" 41 mag, and have used it for around 20 years now. Have killed lots of deer a couple of elk. God only knows howmany gophers, badgers, coons, and other vermin.
As you well know I'm looking to once again move up the food chain. My next hunting pistol will be a SRH480. Unless some one chambers a 475 linebaugh in a afordable double action first.

I'm a big fan of hand guns.
Have 22lr, 38sp, 357, 40S&W, 9mm, 41mag, 45acp.
MM

well i started approximately 30 yrs or so i also was started with 22lr a ruger single six.On farm we always carried the ruger security six 357 mag on tractor while working i've shot everything from feild mice to deer.The first handgun i bought at 18 was a colt 45 which has since been converted to the 45 super.The first revolver i bought for hunting purpose was a redhawk 41 mag with luepy scope,I was looking for 44 but this 41 is a beuty

While I have spent much of my time with single shot specialty pistols, I cut my teeth on revolvers and always find myself going back to them.

From .22s for small game, plinking and running traplines, I graduated to a S&W M27 .357 Magnum with an 8 3/8th barrel that I used for everything. I eventually added a couple others, including a Dan Wesson and another Smith, this time a 686 Classic Hunter when it was first introduced.

I took small game, vermin, varmints, deer and exotics with the caliber and burned up lots of powder and bullets with them. One summer, I bought 1500 cases and 5000 bulk 125 grain JHPs -- and long before the summer was over, I was out of bullets and ordering more.

One of my more interesting adventures was a hunt in West Texas, where there were plenty of varmints -- mainly jackrabbits -- in the open terrain. In situations like that, you learn more about trajectory and your personal ability than any range session can ever teach you.

With a good 158 grain HP or SP or a hard-cast 160 to 180 grain LBT-style projectile, the .357 is no slouch on deer within reasonable ranges. And, it will generally exit the chest given virtually any broadside presentation.

I spent a ton of time with the semis, expecially the .22 LRs -- and I still have an affliction for them.

Along the way, I developed a fondness for the .44 Magnum and haven't been without one for as long as I can remember. I don't even recall how many I've gone through over the years, but my favorites are the Ruger SRH in 7.5 and 9" versions, the 7.5" SBHs and the older 6" Dan Wessons. I guess I should put the 629 on that list as I have a soft spot for them -- and the SA trigger pull can be honed to be as crisp as breaking glass.

I view the .44 Magnum as the do-it-all revolver round, paticularly when fed Cast Performance 320 grainers. It has ample power for anything I ever plan to hunt and has never let me down in any hunting situation.

But if I had to pick an overall favorite handgun round, it would have to be the 6mm-.223, a round which Bob Milek championed and convinced me to try a good many years ago. It may be a little light for deer, but it has always performed well for me and put plenty of venison in the freezer. And the accuracy has always been nothing less than surgical, whether it be in a custom XP, a Contender or a custom rifle. Closely on the heels of the 6x45, though, would be the 6.5mm JDJ, which pushes a 120 grain Ballistic Tip to 2400 fps from a 14" Contender barrel and is a superb 250-yard round for whitetail, mulies and pronghorn. I've had a few over the years, have often sold them but always find myself coming back as it is hard to improve on its vaunted performance.

I have shot handguns from 16 yrs old quite a bit (now 48)but have only started hunting seriously with them for the past 4 years, including an african safari in 2006. I have around 40 handguns total, from .22 to 500 S&W. 5 are semi, a Ruger Mark II .22 , a .380 AMT Backup, a 10mm 1911 Kase Reeder full custom, a Kimber Tactical Pro .45 and a Kimber Pro Covert II in .45acp. Revolvers include 10 Gary Reeder full custom single actions ranging from 22 K-Hornet to 500 Linebaugh and a Reeder Redhawk Nighthawk in 44mag, along with a dozen regular Ruger S/A in .357 OM, 44mag and 45 LC with custom exotic wood grips, 6 or 7 Taurus D/A revolvers from .22mag to 45LC, including a total titanium tracker in 45LC and a 44spl stainless snubbie and just 1 colt...a Real Tree Anaconda Hunter in 44mag. Also a few Reeder Encore frames with his barrels in 7mm rem mag, 338GNR, 378GNR, 416GNR and a 10" 500 S&W. Also have a JDJ full custom Contender with a ported 14"octagon bbl. in 6.5JDJ...what an accurate one that is. Its strange that I am not the least bit interested in the .17 calibers at all. I guess I just like the bigger bores...and lots of choices. I may be going back to Africa in 2010 handgunning a bigger Kudu and Gemsbok...and for sure an Eland. For now its the upcoming deer season here in Pa.

I shot my frist hand gun 47 years ago a Remington rolling block 22rf. I have tried to figure how many rounds from then to know hard to do many of tens of thousand could be pushing well over a hundred thousand if not more.

I tried lots of differant stuff short and fast to open sights out to several hundreds of yards. I even fired one 4 in group 5 shots at hundred with my PPKS. Use spend lots of time shooting at hundred.

Shot match's for a while bull's eye, IPSC TRC,PPC courses.

I am law enforcement firearms insructor. Taught hundreds of cops how to shoot I shoot on a weekly basic If not several times per week any where from just a few rounds to hundreds at one outing.

I don't have any really big bores like some just 44 mag at the top end but have put thousands of rounds of 44 mag down range.

So what sums it up many tens of thousands of rounds 47 years of handguning. Hundreds of students taught.

I came out of my mother with an empty sixgun holster and the first word i said was linebaugh! My mother added large ammounts of lead to my bottles and sprinkled 110 on my but for rashes. At the age of two i was expected to put my share of the food on the table and at three took my first buffalo with a 500 linebaugh.

quote:

I came out of my mother with an empty sixgun holster and the first word i said was linebaugh! My mother added large ammounts of lead to my bottles and sprinkled 110 on my but for rashes. At the age of two i was expected to put my share of the food on the table and at three took my first buffalo with a 500 linebaugh.

quote:

Originally posted by Lloyd Smale:
I came out of my mother with an empty sixgun holster and the first word i said was linebaugh! My mother added large ammounts of lead to my bottles and sprinkled 110 on my but for rashes. At the age of two i was expected to put my share of the food on the table and at three took my first buffalo with a 500 linebaugh.

Good one Lloyd.

I've always loved handguns. I got into handgun hunting cause I wanted more of a challenge than a rifle offers. I have a .44 cap and ball version of a 1873 colt, a 1847 Colt Walker cap and ball, a Ruger .45 Vaquero, Taurus Raging Bull .454, Taurus PT22, Highstandard 1911 .45 acp. I've taken deer with the Raging Bull, the Vaquero, and the Colt Walker cap and ball.....rabbits with the PT22.

My handgun experience started 25 years ago with a Blackhawk in 357. Thought I really had a handfull but eventually realized it didn't really have that much pop for anything bigger than a coyote.

So, I bought a S&W 629 and was satified until it shot itself out of time.

So, I bought a FA in 454 with the expectation of shooting the equivalent of hot 44 mags for the rest of my life. Found out I liked the extra velocity and now shoot it around mid-range for the 454. It is starting to show some wear, I'll just have it fixed and keep on going. There could be a 475 in my future but the desire/age curve might cross before I get around to it.

I started handgun hunting soon after getting the 454 but didn't give up on rifles until 2000.

I shot falling plates and steel challenges for a year or two, placed a couple times locally, but shooting fast isn't one of my talents...back to hunting and plinking.

For .22's...a Ruger Mark II, High Standard and a S&W K-22.

Several 357's including S&W and Colt but I always drift back to my single action roots with a Blackhawk or FA.

A couple of .44s with a Super Blackhawk being my favorite. And of course, the 454.

Just a country boy at heart, not going to win any championships with my shooting, but sometimes have luck getting lead going the right direction. dvnv

Good Thread.

I didn't actualy start hunting until perhaps 2005 - when I was 37 years old. I'm 39 now and I still haven't taken anything except rabbits with a handgun...

Yet this will change! I've had to go through the paces first of learning to learn, and then learning to hunt, and the learning some more.

Still, I've slinging lead from a pistol for 25 years. I started with a .22 Ruger MkII. I tried and tried and poured 10's of thousands of rounds downrange. It's STILL going strong. Makes me wonder why I ever bothered to buy an S&W 22a1 Target...

Then I added a 1911 - A Thompson version.

In 1992-ish I bought a 6" GP100 and that turned the game on. That pistol will group 1.25" with three different handloads (2x 180gr. loads and one 200gr. load) at 50 yards from the bench. I topped it with a Holosight - it's my goto small game hunting revolver. A couple of hunting buddies of mine got very upset when I shot a running Jackrabbit at 90 yards. "Luck" they said - so I did it again. And again.

And THAT started it. I love that .357. The accuracy and the feel - that GP100 is in the safe to stay.

But it only fueled a fire. And the list grew:

1. Ruger MkII
2. S&W 22a1 Target (trade bait)
3. Sig 226 9mm (bedside gun)
4. SA XD 9mm (the Wife's gun)
5. S&W 640 .357 (the Wife's gun)
6. Ruger 6" GP100 .357
7. Ruger 4" Security Six (trade bait)
8. S&W 357PD in .41 Mag (the Walkabout gun)
9. Cold 1911 Gold Cup Nat. Match (bought for $200! Minty...)
10. Thompson 1911 (the Beater)
11. Smith 625 JM (the Jerry Gun - 'cuz I love the .45acp but HATE chasing my brass! 12,000+ rounds and going strong)
12. LAR Grizzly .45 WinMag (The Safe Queen - but one day this will go Piggin' with me!)
13. Colt Trooper III in .22 LR (out of order. Another Safe Queen only because the blueing is sooooo gorgeous and it's such a pain to get that pistol 100% clean!)

The Future? One of three:
a. Smith 629PC Light Hunter in .44 Mag
b. FA in .480 Ruger (hey, it's MY dream!)
c. Smith 500 Mag (in case Obama tries to ban them)

I own a few rifles but it's the pistols that really get my blood going. I don't know why - but I do know that's my answer and where my ultimate future lies.

quote:

Originally posted by Lloyd Smale:
I came out of my mother with an empty sixgun holster and the first word i said was linebaugh! My mother added large ammounts of lead to my bottles and sprinkled 110 on my but for rashes. At the age of two i was expected to put my share of the food on the table and at three took my first buffalo with a 500 linebaugh.

I wonder if we were seperated at Birth?????

All the handgunners on this site, and this is all we get?? Where are the rest of you handgunners?

Thanks to everyone else that posted.

Don't have all the experiance of others, I do remember my first hand gun A S&W Model 10 M&P traded a Briggs and Stratton 5HP engine for it. The man I got it from said it was shot out. I did not really know alot about hand guns, but did know that a 38 Special and a S&W 38 were two different animals. Needless to say it shot just fine. Got alot more money than I thought it maybe worth, as it was in very good condition and had Broadarrow proof marks. Basically the Navy tought me how to use a handgun, 1911A1 Still have one and like it alot. Others followed most memorable was a 1952 Colt Oficers Model Match why I sold that I'm still not sure. Only other one besides the 1911A1 is a High Standard 22. Pop cans at 75 yards are fun. Just got a S&W 629, 4" expected this to be a bit nasty but no problems. Still can only shoot it 4" to 6" off hand at 50 yards, more practice needed I guess either that or the eyes are getting old. Will take it deer hunting this year and if the situation comes will use it instead of the rifle.

Over the years and with many years shooting IHMSA, I have had about every handgun made from the XP100 and on. Sadly, never having enough money to keep them when I wanted something else, most are long gone. I have made many mistakes buying revolvers that were touted as the best there is only to find a piece of junk. Thank God for gun shows!
When I was able to hunt with them after states made it legal, the .44 does what I want and anything larger is icing on the cake.
I have one suggestion for hunting---leave the rifles home and take the handgun. Chances are you will use the rifle first!

quote:

Originally posted by bfrshooter:

I have one suggestion for hunting---leave the rifles home and take the handgun. Chances are you will use the rifle first!

I agree 100%, when people take both, they almost always end up taking the rifle. That is why I only take my handgun and not both.

Seems that all that is being posted is a list of handguns that one owns and not an over view of thier experience.

quote:

Originally posted by jwp475:
Seems that all that is being posted is a list of handguns that one owns and not an over view of thier experience.

And your post did WHAT?

doubt it. My twin was killed in a gun accident at age 3. We accidently filled 475 cases with bullseye and it took his head clear off. Wasnt a total waste though. We made some decent jerky!

quote:

Originally posted by OLBIKER:

quote:

Originally posted by Lloyd Smale:
I came out of my mother with an empty sixgun holster and the first word i said was linebaugh! My mother added large ammounts of lead to my bottles and sprinkled 110 on my but for rashes. At the age of two i was expected to put my share of the food on the table and at three took my first buffalo with a 500 linebaugh.

I wonder if we were seperated at Birth?????

First handgun I bought at age 21 was a M57 Smith in 41 Mag. Had a 4" tube on it. A couple of years later I had it reblued at S&W and fitted with a 6" tube. Am 62 now and still own and hunt the lovely old Smith.

Got interested in bigger bores and acquired a .44 Automag. Was a trip! Still have it too. Wish I'd bought a Ruger SBH at the same time. Never warmed up to the Redhawk.

Over the years I shot a lot of IPSC ... torching more than a couple of Super barrels in single and double column 1911s and 9mm and 40 bbls in CZs. Is very good practice for movers and general gun handling.

Due to work pressures and lots of travel I did not hunt for a number of years. Since retirement I've hunted a fair amount. Best years I've tagged out with a bow, and taken whitetail with rifle, pistol, double rifle, and muzzle loader. Did take one deer with a 40 S%W 1911 based racegun fitted with a Holosight. (Could not find the scope mount for the M57 that first year back in the field.) Holosight is great for low light conditions.

I carry an M657 3" round butt as a concealed weapon in the field. Makes for a more secure feeling when there is potential for running into something "interesting" while bow hunting.

I got my Buckmark pistol 20 years ago and have taken hundreds and hundreds of rabbits and squirrels with it. It's the only .22 handgun I've ever had. Sometimes I get an itch for a revo, but I've never bought one.
.44 mags are a different story. I've probably owned close to a dozen. All have been o.k. but I've just never warmed up to one like I have with the Buckmark. I have shot over 40 whitetails with those .44 mags and various loads.
My latest adventure in handguns is a Ruger Security Six that I recently "discovered". I found a 4 incher as new and unfired. It fits my smallish hands well and the .357 caliber presents a new challenge in hunting. It also carries well on horseback for year-round fun with our feral hog population.

My first handgun experiance was with an old Stevens tip open, at about maybe 8-9 years old. I still have it and the son thinks it is a hoot to shoot. The next one I moved up to was Dads 9mm Luger, sure wish I had that one too. Then at about the age of tweleve, I got my very first handgun of my own. It was one of those Italian knock offs of a Remington 44 cap and ball. I shot it quite a bit. Never did draw blood with that one. I just hated cleaning the damn thing. One interesting thing about that gun. It got me introduced face to face with Bruce Hodgdon. Me a wet behind the ears kid and he took a bit of time to give me a bit of instruction.
Several years passed before I got interested in pistols or handguns. Went to a gunshow in about 1985ish and ran across a SW 29 with a 10 5/8 barrel. Shot it quite a bit and that was the one that got me into reloading. I have found one load that it likes through the years, bullets powders and cases. Real picky damn thing.
Long barreled pistols really interested me. Next up was a ruger MKII with the 10" barrel. I shot that one for years and packed it every time out wether I was trapping or fishing. Had a shoulder holster rig for it. It really liked PMC ammo. Like a fool I traded it off for I forget what now.
I had hunted with the 29 for several years and took a few deer with it. I really wanted somthing that would "reach" out further. I was still pretty much into rifles for anything over 50-80 yards. I had seen pictures in the gun rags and heard of the TC's. But NEVER saw one in any of the local shops I went too. Buddy of mine went to a GS and came home with a 10" 7TCU and about 300 rounds of ammo. I think he gave $150 for all of it back then............ He showed it to me and said here. See what you can do with it. So off to the place I shoot back then. Huh, odd looking round and to be honest was kinda spooked of it. Set up a target with a 3-4" black splotch from a can of spray paint. Stepped off about 60 paces or so and shot a round. Huh, must have missed. Did this on my lunch hour and was in a hurry so I shot a few more just to see what I thought of the recoil. Different than anything else I had fooled with. I actually thought the ugly darn thing had missed the paper. Walked out and took a look. All but one round was in the black!
Right then and there I decided I had to have one of these. I parted ways with a lot of rifles and shotguns after that to supply my urge with the TC's. I have had just about all there offerings at one time or another. Have kept my favorites.
After the TC bug bit me I got to know a local fellow here. I think I have put at least one of his girls through college,lol. I told him I was just about tired of shooting paper. I was getting bored with shooting them. He asks me, you need to shoot IHMSA. I said what the H is that never heard of it. I did a little asking and found that a club about 15 miles from me shoot this discipline. I went and watched and was amazed. I thought I was a crack shot with a pistol. These folks educated me way different. I took up IHMSA the next summer and have been shooting it since at the same club and several others. BTW, joined that club and am now the president. I have meet many fine folks through IHMASA. Made a lot of friends far and near from one side of the country to the other.
After shooting IHMSA with a short break after a divorce, I decided the TC just wouldn't cut it anymore. I had to have an XP.
Well I have to thank Bobby Tomek for that. Still my favorite gun and caliber, 6-223. This was my first internet transaction as well.
BTW, I think I still owe you a shot of Dickle or Gentleman Jack with a Shiner back don't I .
I have had DW's SW's TC's Wichita's BF's and lord knows what else since then. I feel way more comfortable with an SP than I do a lot of rifles.
Bad thing is old milsurps and fine 22 rimfires I have a weakness for.
Where does the madness stop,lol.
Jeff

Started handgun shooting in '59. Started Bullseye competition in '64. Started Silhouette, all flavors around '78, IMSHA in '86, and Cowboy shooting in '97. Have hunted with most calibers excepting the .460, .480, and .500. Favorite today is the .454 Casull followed by the .44 Mag.

none....

OK a few chipmunks and squirrels with a sig22....

sorry.....


dan

Was fortunate that my Father was a firearms instructor in the military. Started shooting at age 5. Was taught to reload at age 8. Have been shooting handguns now for about 48 years. Been casting bullets for them for about 40 years. Have owned a few hundred of them. Have competed in long range silloutte shooting, IPSC, PPC, but my favorite has been hunting with a handgun. Varmints a favorite because of their small size. Was again fortunate to have been brought up on an 80,000 acre ranch where I was able to put a train load of game in the cold box; Deer, Bear, Hogs, etc. Ground squirrel hunting was about as fun as it get's, and great practice. Was a handgun instructor for a few years, but after that experience, got tired of being too close to those that should not be allowed to even touch a handgun. The worlds changing, and I think it's sad! Have come full circle as I started off with a .357, went up in calibers through most of them, with the .45 Colt being a favorite for many years, but have after 40 years, gone back to the .357 as my favorite, as most of my handgunning today is for jack rabbits, squirrels, varmints, and the occasional Deer. Today, if I want more power, I use a rifle. Next. . . . . .

Started with a SBH w/ 7 1/2 tube in 1985. Started reloading for it in 1986. I honestly have no idea how many rounds I have put thru it. Everthing from 240grn LSWC w/ 8.0 grns of unique to 300grn WFN GCs with 19-20 grns H110. I soon got a Ruger Single Six w/ the 22Mag cylinder. I really love that pistol. It shoots like pointing your finger. Also have a black powder .44 cal revolver that is fun as hell to shoot. I started casting rounds bullets for it.
I am an old telephone man and have access to alot of lead sleeves that used to be used in the telephone business. I have a Colt 1991a, that I have rebuilt and is my carry gun. When hunting I never go into the field without my trusty SBH on my side. I carry it crossdraw because it it easier to draw while on my 4-wheeler. I also carry it because I have a Winchester Trapper in 44 mag and they like the same loads pretty much. My only problem is I think I need to get more pistols.