I did it my way...

[Doc Barranti]

I’ve been a Sixgunner all my life. There are photos tucked away somewhere of me with capguns stuffed into the waistband of my pants when I was 3 years old. Countless cowboys, Indians and other imaginary bad guys fell to my blazing sixguns over the years. As I grew older, a variety of birds, frogs and flies fell victim to my BB guns and rubberband guns, and my love of sixguns continued to grow.

I soon discovered the writings of both Elmer Keith and Skeeter Skelton, and the game taking ability of a good sixgun became an obsession. I remember the first time I carried just a handgun for opening day of deer season. My older hunting partner scolded me, “Shoot your first one with a rifle!”…I’d soon learn just how stubborn I was.
Over the years that followed, I shot rabbits, squirrels, a badger and a couple porcupine, but the whitetail deer remained elusive. I wanted to be a handgun hunter, and while there were many deer that could have been taken easily with a rifle, I wanted to do it with a handgun. Too stubborn? Maybe, but being a Second Generation Sicilian, who came in at the tail end of the Baby Boomer Generation, stubbornness just comes naturally to me. I have always wanted to ‘do it my way’, even if others disagree with me.

Fast forward to opening day, December 1, 2014. I’m in a stand with my stepson Frankie. We are hunting with our good friend Curt Raybuck. Curt has been instrumental in several firsts with me and my boys. Two years ago, Frankie got his first deer with his Thompson Center carbine in 7-30 Waters, and last year Ethan got his first handgun deer using my 7.5” Ruger Flattop 44 magnum, both deer taken while hunting land that Curt had helped us gain access to.

We had climbed up into the stand before first light, and waited. It was a dark cloudy morning and I could barely see my front sight until well past 7:30. Frankie and I had already agreed upon our shooting lanes, so all that was left to do was watch and wait.
Around 8:30, movement to my left caught my eye and I turned to see a buck sneaking across the edge of the field. I glassed him to check out his rack and saw the required “3 up” on one side. I whispered to Frankie that there was a legal buck on my side, and asked if he was okay with me taking the shot. “Go ahead!” was his reply. My heart raced briefly as I thumbed the hammer back on the ‘Skeeter Gun’.

The old Flattop was loaded with my standard load for older guns; 10 grains of Unique under a Keith bullet, cast by either Dick Thompson or Tank Hoover...they can arm wrestle over who's bullet it was! The deer walked behind a pine tree as he moved quickly towards the treeline behind our stand. I quickly shifted position and got my sixgun ready on the far side of the pine waiting for the buck to appear.

The buck stepped out from behind the pine at about 30 yards or so, and I pushed my front sight tight behind the shoulder. I could hear my friend Glenn Swaggart’s voice in my head; Front sight! Squeeeze the trigger!! At the shot, the buck flopped to the ground. My shot had gone high and taking out a hunk of spine, dropped him in his tracks. A few seconds later, he lifted his head and tried dragging himself back the way he came, and I had to give him a finishing shot that put him down for good. While it wasn’t picture perfect, I had finally done it…my first deer was a sixgun deer! Curt! We can add another first! Thank you my friend!

After lots of laughs, smiles, high fives, a gutpile and more than a week later, I am still thrilled! To paraphrase my dad (who was probably paraphrasing someone else),

“Yesterday I couldn't even spell handgun hunter…now I are one…”

Am I too stubborn, too persistent, too knuckleheaded? Probably…but in the end, I did it my way, and the satisfaction that comes with that cannot be beat.

[oregon45]

Outstanding!

[sixshot]

I've known Mike Barranti for a number of years now & I've personally never met anyone more dedicated to handgun hunting than he is. Many times he's been told to "get a couple" under your belt with a rifle then start doing it with a sixgun, nope! Mike has stayed true to himself & his love of handguns, it was his way or nothing & he made it happen.
I've had the pleasure of hunting with Mike a few times & its been a real pleasure, he does it for the right reasons, not to brag, not to compare his accomplishments to someone else's, but just for the sheer pleasure you get from taking a big game animal with an iron sighted sixgun.
I was there, along with Jeff Hoover when Mike did hand to hand combat with a very mad badger using his very special "Mary" gun, even though it was sometimes only inches from him he was going to make it happen one way or the other. Mike was a true sixgunner long before he took this whitetail buck, he did it his way, buddy I salute you! Great job & much deserved, now can we hunt bears again, I've got a great spot you know.

Dick

[kings6]

Great job and story Mike! There is nothing like getting that first handgun deer under your belt. Glad to see the old flat top can still do the job. The best part, your son was there right with you when you made the shot. Memories my friend, they are yours for the rest of your life.




NOW GET BACK IN THE BASEMENT AND START WORKING ON HOLSTERS!!!!!!!!!

[zac0419]

Way to go Mike. Good on you for sticking it out and doing it your way. Glad your boy was there to share it with you.

[Ken O'Neill]

Congratulations, Mike! There's only one way to be a handgun hunter ... forget the rifles!

[tullymars]

Great job Mike. Now maybe you can get Glenn Swaggarts voice out of your head. Now go get them bears.

[contender]

Doc, as I read this,,, I started smiling. I recall myself how my buddies way back when thought you couldn't take a deer with a handgun & how they laughed at me, or wondered where my rifle was. Oh so long ago.
But to see you stick to your goal, to see you succeed, makes it oh so much sweeter. Your smile says it all. I salute you, a fellow handgun hunter. It's also so much better that your son was there & is learning life lessons from all this. True treasures are these little moments in our lives that are important to us! Having friends who understand & support you in these things is even better.
So I tip my hat & offer a hearty handshake of congratulations to you my friend!

(PS; I want to be there for the arm wrestling contest between Dick & Tank!)

[bulasteve]

Congrats !   steve

[sheriff]

Congrats, Mike.

[bagdadjoe]

Way to go!

[Fowler]

Mike and I were talking about this the day he goot his deer. I was and am so tickled he finally got it done, once you get that first one they get a lot easier. Doing it on your own terms is so much harder, trying to explain it to most people is just pointless as well. Glad you stuck to you guns...

[magman]

Congrats. In my hunting life, I have killed eaxctly 2 deer with a shotgun or a rifle. All my others have been with either a single shot shot or a revolver. I can still remember how excited I was to kill my first deer with a revolver. It was followed closely by my second(I mean really closely, like 5 minutes). I will never forget that.

[schunter]

Mike,

Congratulations Brother! Way to stick to your "gun" and do it your way...A treasured memory for you and Frankie to share - now you face the handgun hunters' dilemma...which gun is next in the rotation?

You hard-headed? Nah...that's just that particular persistence which makes you great!

[2 Dogs]

Hey Dick, if you plan to arm wrestle that ape Hoover I suggest you bring along a winch....