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Longest Handgun Kill

Got to meet a couple of great guys this fall, they where hunting with these funny lookin pistols? This may have been one of themlightbulb Glad to see they had some luck finding a critter!
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Yotefever (Mike) is a member here, as yo may already know.
There is a gathering of specialty handgun hunters the first 7 days of antelope season, just outside of Casper.
 
172 yds , 3pt bull elk, lung shot, 44 Rugar Red Hawk open sights, I thought you guys wanted real hand guns???????Dwight gun)
 
I know its nothin to bragg about, but my longest kill with a handgun was a 30-35yd shot on a small bear with a Ruger Blackhawk .44mag. I was excited as Ill get out about it tho. It was a nice colored bear. ...........ok ill go back to the rifle forums now. I only have cowboy guns and an XD, so you guys blow my mind with what can be done with a handgun. Im impressed. That takes skill!
 
172 yds , 3pt bull elk, lung shot, 44 Rugar Red Hawk open sights, I thought you guys wanted real hand guns???????Dwight

Wow Dwight, that is quite a shot with a 44 mag with open sights. You must be real proficient with that Ruger. Please tell us more details and maybe a pic.
 
"172 yds , 3pt bull elk, lung shot, 44 Rugar Red Hawk open sights, I thought you guys wanted real hand guns???????"


"Real hand guns" ????? According to ATF mine are REAL handguns.......

Congrats on a great shot. What kind of penetration did you get at that distance?? What was your bullet weight? Did you hit any bone going in?? How many shots till you hit it??

I know the feeling, I've pulled off some lucky shots over the years myself. They make for great stories.
 
Just poken fun about real pistols, the elk I shot with my 44 was a 3pt bull standing broadside. I shot him on his left side just behind the left shoulder .He didnt know I was there. Yes I practice alot with this pistol, because I use it for black bear and elk when I cant swing my rifle to shoot. I use a 250 grn hollow point with hand loads. It is a two handed hold or you can get a part in your forhead. I tried a scope but it isnt as quick to draw from a under shoulder holster and makes it a little cumbersome. I have small hands so I go with what works. This was my last elk in 1983 before I shot the long range cow last fall. I didnt hit any ribs, it went in between the ribs and took out the heart. This is about the max to shoot this load and I had someone with me to back up with a rifle but didnt need it. The bullet lodged in the right front shoulder, well muchroomed and 145grns left. Pistols are fun and I wish I could afford one like you folks shoot, but I make do with what I have and know its peramiters for shooting certain game. This was the 2nd elk I had shot with this pistol, the other one was about 110 yds in the timber.gun)
 
Mine was a whitetail doe at about 45 yards. But heres the kicker, it was with a browning hi power in 9mm. Ha Ha! Me and a buddy were riding through the woods in the rhino, middle of the day, and she walks right out in front of us a little ways up the trail. we stopped the rhino, i got out free standing, leveled my 3 dots on her and squeezed 1 off. To my amazement she hit the ground! The FMJ passed right through her spine! It was a total fluke, but hey! It put meat on the table! :D
 
Mine? Not very far by comparison even if some here thought it was back in 1818 (joke).

When contenders first came out I picked up a bull barrel 44mag and slapped a TC 3x scope on it.

108 yards, prone shot with 250gr SWC and gas check whammied a big ol doe, a true "bang plop".

I was impressed enough (this was BEFORE I heard of Ernie and SSCoyote etc lol) that I went out an bought an Xp-100 centergrip in 35 Rem and killed a 193 lb dressed out 9 point at a whopping 40 yards LOL!

Unsure now why I sold the set but its TWO WEEKS till my MOA in 6.5x284 is due to arrive with a bull 17 inch plus break barrel.

Ive picked up dies, Berger 130 gr hunting VLD, Hybred 100V, RL 17 and some H4350, a new Hornady Auto Charge etc. I hadnt loaded since I stopped varmint hunting sometime back.

Ive a farmers lane all staked out, 600 yards total, for practice, practice, practice and working loads the next couple months.

I've made comments elsewhere that "to get a 300 yard shot Ill have to get up and MOVE" but I digress. I recently acquired permission to hunt where locals wouldnt dream of hunting with deer traffic going between three woods and a creek bottom......450 yards in two directions, 250 in another.

Really liked the photo Tom had showing his range over the top of the table. Looks really similar to my area. Gotta do some testing before I decide just WHAT Ill use for a rest but once corn is down Ill have to see what I can see from semi prone with my body mostly in the creek bottom at a 45 degree angle. If the farmer is picking DURING season he told me to make sure "I had my butt out there" because he says annually he "chases a herd back and forth with his corn picker" and that they go out in the picked area and watch him drive by till he gets it ALL picked. Dang near like cheating! (but lots of doe permits here) Conditions of gaining permission is that "you take some dang DEER OUT and aren't just trophy hunting!" Getting to be more and more farmers here of that opinion too BTW.

It's one of two spots I have to hunt with the other very similar but a bit less in range being a short ridgetop that over looks 600 yards of creek that is all "government ground" on the other side. The ridge is maybe 40 percent down the length and thankfully no one will be able to see me from the road and giggle. "Look at that moron out in the middle of that field!" :) At least I wont be crowded out by other hunters which has been one of my higher priorities as of late.

Going a bit "cheap" no offense to the Simmons scope lovers, for glass on it. Simmons have worked for me in the past without qualms but had hoped to put a higher end scope on it but funds dicate otherwise (see all the crap I bought earlier!).

The 6-21x44 mildot simmons should be fine for deer hunting if it holds together, and I expect it will. Ive shot one old one on 20 and 12 gauge slug guns and a 54 cal ML. No problems at all. 40 plus deer brown and down using it. With 500 yards (if practice shows IM capable) my LONGEST range I should be ok.

Not much to add on topic but loved seeing the photos and hearing the stories.

Fires me UP!
Come ON, Rich..........pant pant pant!:D
God Bless!
 
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Steve,
Do you have access to a chronograph or ballistic software?
Also, I hope your scope holds up.
The recoil impulse of specialty pistols is different than that of ML or slug gun.
When possible, I would upgrade on your glass.
Good luck on your new rig.
I had a friend of mine shooting my 15" 6.5-284 MOA and my 17" 7mm Rem Mag Improved MOA at 1200 yards last week with consistent hits-Yes, the conditions were good.
 
A local gentleman I used to see occasionally had a chrono but I'm not positive he is still around. Havent seen him in a few years but know he doesnt get out much due to a physical condition.

I had thought about checking in with him when Ive got some loads up and running I feel are something Id use.

Others have informed me on the possibility of the scope failing. Time will tell.
Its new and with warrantee so guess Ill just have to see how it goes. I wasnt aware of the vibration difference and first Ive heard that mentioned. Interesting.

Still looking at other scopes but funds are too tight now to do much different and, right or wrong, my decision was made and I bought the Simmons.

It will get a work out before season and I plan to have some kind of back up on hand if needed, if in fact I dont and cant change that part of my set up.

Ballistically I use the JBM tables for trajectory and energy but you are correct Ill need a chrono to know for sure where Im at unless I just want to record lots of drop statistics and compare the bullet used to different stated velocities on the JBM charts and get a guesstimate of where I am.

It's doubtfull I'll HAVE many shots over 300 that I feel I MUST take but one needs to practice them regardless, JIC.

I'm sure the shooter (me) will be more of a limiting factor than my loads or the MOA's capabilities.

thanks again, Ernie.

BTW congrats on another succesful session of L O N G range shooting out there. 1200 yards.......arghh. Thats a PIECE!
 
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Steve,
I wasn't even out there when he was shooting.
He is a good friend. I left both MOA's with him while I was going working with a church camp for the deaf and hard of hearing.
He is also the one that built my 7mm SAUM XP-100.
Chuck (Mac's Gunworks) just south of Gillette is an accuracy gunsmith, and a very accomplished LR shooter.
Chuck has a steel range where his shop is, so it is not difficult for him to shoot distance.
I haven't shot beyond 1K in the last couple of months.
 
1200 yds and they did it oh so well, now I think I'm going to make my new MOA into a 338BR before hunting season so I can shoot a deer and an antelope with it. After hunting season I might change it up to a 6br or a 6x47 Lapua.
 
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