As a side arm or as an actual tool to hunt dear with?

You would need to go .44 magnum at minimum for actual hunting. But I would recommend going with something like a .454 casull, .460 or .500 S&W. Do you want a scope? If so, you will likely need to go with a Ruger Super Redhawk or a S&W x-frame weapons Since they seem better designed for mounting scopes.

Were I going for one, I would choose the red-hawk in .454 casull. Why? Because most indoor ranged don't allow these rounds, and you can shoot .45 colt out of a .454 casull and get some good practice in. With the .500 S&W, they make a .500 special, but that's isn't cheap enough to practice much with.



X model 500.

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"In the world I see you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Towers. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying stripes of venison on the empty car pool lane of some abandoned superhighway." T Durden

Why not .357? Also shoot .38 special?

My wife has a CCL, but never carries. Good education, and makes transport easier

That is why we need to know the purpose. Many states do not allow .357 for deer hunting, if they allow handgun hunting at all. If it is a side arm, I would definitely recommend a ruger SP101 .357 or even ruger Blackhawk in .357. Those two guns are tanks.

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"In the world I see you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Towers. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying stripes of venison on the empty car pool lane of some abandoned superhighway." T Durden

Handgun hunting for deer is a lot like bow hunting in that you're not going to be walking around stalking game or taking long range shots as you might with a rifle. Rather, you're going to set up somewhere and wait for a close shot (< 25-50 yards) with an ethical shot angle (e.g. broadside double-lung). In that context, a .357 or .44 mag with proper ammo is the ticket.

Some good choices:

If you prefer double action and want to use a scope, I like the S/W Stealth Hunter in .44. In .357 DA, and a bit less expensive, look at the Ruger GP-100.

If you're a traditionalist, take a look at the single-action Ruger Super Blackhawk Bisley Hunter in .44.

(Yah, it's been a while, but ST is like the proverbial Hotel California -- I checked out but never left...)

Good hunting.

-Mike

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"100% of the people who confuse correlation and causation end up dying."

State law for deer hunting says:

Centerfire revolvers or centerfire single-shot handguns of .30 caliber or larger with a minimum barrel length of 4 inches.

I am not looking to have a scope. I just want something simple I can hunt deer with and can also have as a sidearm if I every utilized the CCL.

I am primarily an archery hunter, so the application of the revolver would be very similar - i.e. close ranges,tree stand or ground blind.

TheForge has the smallest penis known to man, a 357 is more than sufficient for whitetail.

Hey, why would you want a .357 when you can have a .454 casull. Oh, and don't make me post a pic of mine next to a beer can.

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"In the world I see you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Towers. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying stripes of venison on the empty car pool lane of some abandoned superhighway." T Durden

A CC revolver is really a different beast than a hunting one. You want a 5+ inch barrel on a hunting gun for the sight radius and velocity. And you want some serious heft for accuracy and recoil management. For CC, you want just the opposite -- small, light, etc.

It sounds like the perfect chance to start "collecting".... :-)

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"100% of the people who confuse correlation and causation end up dying."

A CCW gun and a hunting handgun are on opposite ends of the handgun spectrum. You're not going to find anything that does both tasks well.

I think Forge gave you a very good suggestion with the .454/.45 Ruger.

A compound bow is much more accurate at 20-40 yards than an iron sight revolver IMO. A CCW handgun at 20 yards... I'm a decent shot with both and would shoot an animal at 80 yards with my bow with the same confidence I would 30 with a iron sight revolver (long sight radius), and likely well under 20 with a CCW handgun.

Oh than a .357 with a four inch barrel. I would still recommend a ruger double action. Gp or sp in .357. They are easy to conceal. Have no rough edges and built like tanks. S&w revolvers are iconic but cost more and have rough edges.

BUt the .454 Casull is calling your name.

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"In the world I see you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Towers. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying stripes of venison on the empty car pool lane of some abandoned superhighway." T Durden

Yeah. I was trying to keep it as inexpensive as possible and kill two birds with one stone. My priority is to use it for hunting.

If you go down the path of a dedicated hunting handgun you could look beyond revolvers, e.g T/C Contender. Speed of follow up shots is not likely to matter, and it gives you a lot of different cartridges options, long barrel, and relatively low cost.

Actually a good idea often forgotten. The ergonomics of those things for holding aimed for an extended period are pretty good to.

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"In the world I see you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Towers. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying stripes of venison on the empty car pool lane of some abandoned superhighway." T Durden

I have been shooting a Ruger Redhawk 44 Mag for more than 35 years and they can be very accurate.

I would love to get one of the new Super Redhawks chambered for 454 Casull or 480 Ruger with a 9.5" barrel.

I owned a S&W .357 back in the day. Hard to go wrong.

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-----------------------------Baron Von Speedypants
-----------------------------RunTraining articles here:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...runtraining;#1612485

Lots of good advice except for that from The Forge telling you to get the large calibers - though I think he missed the fact that you want to use it for deer hunting. The Contender offers a more accurate pistol with longer range and a multitude of calibers to choose from, however they aren't quite as useful for home defense.

I have a Ruger Redhawk in 357 magnum. I don't trust my handgun shooting skills enough to use it for hunting.

The Contender is single shot and takes time to put another cartridge in the barrel.

That's why the Super Redhawk is highly recommended for hunting, especially with a scope. I can put five shots in a 2.5" group at 50 yards.

I have killed a small handful of deer. I think I needed a follow-up shot one time. It was with a muzzle-loader and I had time to reload and anchor him.

Nevertheless, I wouldn't want to loose a deer because I couldn't get a second shot off quick enough. That's why I didn't hunt with a single-shot except for my muzzle loader.

Your grouping is plenty tight enough to justify using the Redhawk.

Only snowflakes buy small caliber handguns.