Ok, you've got the funds and time available (plus permission from the wife) to hunt anywhere and anything you want with a handgun, where would you go and what would be your game and handgun caliber of choice ?

I read a rather long article a few years ago about a fella that went to Alaska with a 8 3/8" barrel S&W M629 Classic DX in .44mag for moose and that article has been the basis of my "dream hunt". His load by the way was a Nosler 300gr JHP under a max charge of W296 and his self imposed pre-trip limit on range, was 100yds.

The ole boy stated that the Alaskan / Yukon strain of moose are the largest free roaming hooved trophy animals in N. America and mature bulls can go up to 1500 lbs but the average is between 1000 and 1200 lbs.

I've seen several moose in the wild on fishing trips to far northern Canada and the N.W. Territories and they certainly are large impressive animals.

Because most of the articles I've read on moose hunting stated the animals were taken at fairly close ranges and now that I'm back into a Encore again, I'd probably look closely first at a 12 to 13" barrel in something like the 454 Casull or 375 JDJ with a minimum weight bullet of 250grs.

So what's your dream handgun hunt ?

[ 03-17-2003, 17:34: Message edited by: IKE ]

One shot two kills. While Sadam greets Osama one shot thru the chest front to back 357 Herrit 158gr hp

[ 03-16-2003, 17:57: Message edited by: Pokerplayer ]

That is great! And the payday would be nice too. You would never ever have to pay for a drink again. You would be a hero to most of the free world.

i'd like to go on that osama- saddam hunt too!

me being so dang indecisive, i'll have to pick a couple hunts and guns. first, i'll take a .223 and 6tcu contender on a prairie dog hunt. i know that may not seem like much to some, but i've never even seen a p dog, and i love to shoot, so i think i'd enjoy it as much as big game.
second, i'll take a 6br and 7-08 encore on a pronghorn hunt. i think i would really enjoy those long range stalks and shots.
third i said a couple didn't i i'll take a 7-08 on a elk hunt as long as its guided and they are packin out the meat hehe!

I made my dream hunt in July 2001. Sixteen days in RSA. My next dream hunt is going after Cape Buff with my .475 revolver.

My "dream" hunt wouldn't even involve leaving the states. It would be a triple combo: that is, a late Sept./early Oct hunt in Wyoming for mule deer and pronghorn and then trek over to Montana for whitetail -- all on the same trip.

I don't know what hardware I might dig out, but there's always a chance I'd go with ol' reliable, a 14" 6.5 JDJ with a Burris 2-7x, and keep things simple by hunting with just a single rig.

Not far from Durango, CO there's an isolated north-facing slope, that during the season often harbors a small elk herd. It's one of those often overlooked spots that animals use for a sanctuary. I've seen them in a spotting scope many times. But it is hard to get to. My partner and i have been in that spot several times, but it's a long shot across a small valley. This season with the help of better ranging equipment we're going to take one or two of those elk. It'll be a challenge but this season we will be more prepared than we ever have been in the past, and if the opportunity presents itself, i'm sure we will be successful. We're both using custom XP's.

A Rocky Mountain or Desert Bighorn Sheep hunt anywhere. Mountain hunting (mountain goats specifically) is what got me into handgun hunting, so I'm sticking with that for my dream hunt. And I can hunt just about whatever else I want here in AK. Unfortunately, I keep applying and they keep sending my money back.

Mine would be a B&C whitetail at about 300yds. on a perfectly still morning just as the sun creeped up over the horizon, sitting in a spike camp, drinking my morning coffee. Just me, the deer, and the wide open. I guess I'm smallminded, but Africa just doesn't do it for me. That's my first trophy goal. But I can't complain because I have many great memories of Ga. island hunts already. Just something neat about killing something near the ocean

I've always wanted to hunt an elk, during the bugling season, but still think a bow hunt would be the way to go there. Also have a hankerin' for a pronghorn. A handgun hunt would be just the ticket for that. Any offers? ,,,,,,,Bug.

Mine wiould have to be a replay of my trip to South Africa in 2001. Well, not an exact duplicate. I took three shots to check my scope, shot a destructive little monked at the landowners request and that was the last shot that Contender #1 took. IT BROKE. A loud CLICK was all I heard when I squeezed the trigger on a nice Kudu. I had a spare frame with me but I guess my nerves got fried when my gun went click on the Kudu I had lined up with Contender#1 because I couldn't hit anything with my spare. I had to finish my hunt with a borrowed rifle. I did manage to get a smaller Kudu with my Contender but gave up after that. I was missing so bad I wasn't even wounding anything. That was good in a way but verry depressing. Now I HAVE to go back and do it right.
Mike

Sheep of any kind with my 358 win. I have hunted them two times with my 300 win but with a hand gun wow. olefish

After last years hunt of only a 1/2 day elk hunt (three days later open heart surgery)any hunt until about a month ago was a dream hunt. Now getting back in shape and just received permit and tag for Oryx in southern NM. This is a month long depradation either sex hunt. So the journey begins; if lucky, will draw for AZ elk tag (6 preference points this year), a NM muley and elk, and finally end back in KY for the Whitetail season. All with handguns!!!What a year , I can't wait.
TC

Alaska Moose,Elk & caibou-14 Contender in 444Marlin.