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This may belong in deer thread , but being the off season I figured I would get more replies and advice in this category.

My goal is to purchase and hunt with a Pistol for deer this year. This is going to be my main goal so I want to get something I am going to stick with . I have had pistols and hunted with them a little in the past but always hung em up in fear I was going to get the chance at a big one and blow it because i had a pistol instead of something that would reach out there several hundred yards.
I am looking to buy a pistol and a scope and have it honed in by Thanksgiving weekend. What pistol / scope set up do you suggest . I would like to keep my set up between $1000-$1200. Also if anyone has or knows someone who wants to selll a rig already set up please PM me.

Also another ????
If I were to go with the Magnum Research BFR 45/70, could I use it during primitive weapon season?????? Is there anyone else who makes a 45/70 pistol besides Thompson? At work and cant really look it up. Lots of gun sites are blocked. Thanks

My brothers setup is a Ruger Blackhawk in .454 casul, with a Leupold scope. Want me to steal it!

There use to be a fella that made single-action revolvers in 45.70.......somewhere like Michigan or Montana. I believe you could get one in 458Win, too. Perfect long-range deer cartridge.

the question is how far are you planning to shoot, i have used a 9mm and 40s&w to kill deer with, 9mm range is about 25 yards, 40 with some good hand loads in 200gr xtp will put a good hole in a deer at 50 yards, also have a taurus raging bull in 45LC that at 100 yards will put a 250 hog on the ground with corbon ammo.

s&w .500 or .460 would be the way i would go. i have shot the 500 but not the 460 they have unbelievable ballistics and are awesome at 100 yards and more

I've had good luck with a Taurus Judge (3 inch) with a Red Dot scope. Hope this helps

I had a 454 Casull SuperRedhawk. The good thing was that it shot 45LC as well with minimal recoil. 260g hunting round was managable and the 300g was about as much as I could tolerate. Recoil all the way up your hand, elbow into your shoulder.

I tried the pistol thing. Not as much fun as I hoped.

channellcat wrote:I've had good luck with a Taurus Judge (3 inch) with a Red Dot scope. Hope this helps

I will put a red dot on your eye!

Iwas kinda wondering about that 45/70 because of the primitive weapon deal. As for the 9mm and .40 , I have both of those and that just aint cuttin it for me. I want something I can pull off a 50yd shot and feel good about it. Had a .223 thompson and a .44 mag and just never used em. i am going to do this and focus on it this year if finances and hunting situation allows.

a 6inch 357 with a 4x scope will do perfect for 50 yards,

up to 100 yards a 44 will be plenty, past that I worry more about the shooter than the cartridge...a 454 is good that far, but it is hard to shoot accurately that far..... I had good success with a 44 Ruger super Blackhawk with a 2x leupold on it, and my T/C Encore 7mm-08 with a 3-12 Burris, both setups should be under your budget.... the Encore gets the nod for versatiltiy, accuracy, and range though.....

I will tell you what an experienced handgun hunter told me when I started "Forget all that off-hand stuff; make sure you have a rest of some sort wherever you are." It take a LOT more practice than a rife.....

As far as PW, I thought the gun had to be a single shot? Not sure though......

Just to make fun of GG Ill tell u what a experienced rifleman told me. "the only good thing a pistol is for is to fight ur way back to the rifle you should have never dropped"


GG U get the family moved

I had a Super Blackhawk in 45 LC that I sold two or three years ago. Just never could get into it with a pistol as the deer would inevitably pop out over 100 yards. The 45 LC was also not a good round except with Buffalo Bore ammo loaded hot which was very expensive.

I would stay with 44, 454, or 500. Super Blackhawk or a Taurus are both good. I think the most important thing on a pistol for hunting is going to be your optics. Get quality optics and use a bipod.

I've got a buddy who has a what must be a 9 or 10 inch Ruger Blackhawk in .44 mag. With his high velocity 240gr. handloads I can hit the metal target at the rifle range at Turcotte 50% of the time free hand. Amazingly, there I don't have to hold high with his sights. That target is 170 yards away and approx 24 inches tall. I have no idea where on the target the shots are landing. I'm sure the groups are horrendous, but the point is that with a proper rest this pistol is probably a really good shooter.

If I were a deer hunter, I would not feel under gunned with a single action .44 mag pistol at all.

Reall leaning toward going back with a .44 again. I have shootin sticks I intend on carrying with me every time. This is going to be something that I can use as a new challenge. I have got to the point after last year that I love bow hunting way more than rifle. Most of the deer I killed with a rifle last year, could have been killed with a pistol. Big deer are fun and I would love to kill a world class, but I think it would be really fun even to doe hunt with the pistol. Something new. Hey I will work with it and wait til I am comfortable with it before i go after the deer. I am past that point of being afraid to take a pistol because a big buck may come out to far. You never can tell. I will use it based on my situation. I am going to get one either way , that way I at least have the option!