You hunt with a handgun???

[bearskinner]

I’ve shown up at the ( float plane) airport many times, flying out on a drop hunt trip in Alaska, the pilot invariably asks “where’s your rifle case?” I just pat my bandolier and hand him my backpack with a weeks worth of everything I’m going to have for the hunt.
You get a lot of off comments under such circumstances. I would always get off at my destination and tell them if my X is out on the ground at my camp, please stop and pick up my load of meat. Spent 25 years in the Bush with my scoped FA83 454, and 15 rounds.

[bigbore442001]

Dec 2, 2020 12:56:00 GMT -5 bearskinner said:

I’ve shown up at the ( float plane) airport many times, flying out on a drop hunt trip in Alaska, the pilot invariably asks “where’s your rifle case?” I just pat my bandolier and hand him my backpack with a weeks worth of everything I’m going to have for the hunt.
You get a lot of off comments under such circumstances. I would always get off at my destination and tell them if my X is out on the ground at my camp, please stop and pick up my load of meat. Spent 25 years in the Bush with my scoped FA83 454, and 15 rounds.

Wow. That is awesome.

What do you put in your pack for such a hunt?

[callshot]

I used too as you know. Squirrels with you and badgers, rock chucks and moose with sixshot. Now I’m lucky, if I can, shoot cardboard and steel. Once I tried to shoot the breeze, but it didn’t work out for me.

[bearskinner]

Wow. That is awesome.

What do you put in your pack for such a hunt? [/quote][

It’s amazing how much you can put in a big pack freighter frame bag. Lots of cardboard tasting freeze dried everything, a tiny 1 burner stove and a gallon of white gas, if it was the tundra barrens with no wood to burn. If there was wood, a little collapsible grate to cook on, using wood. A candle lantern with extra candles,( 9 hours each) pocket flashlight, camera, life straw, two water bottles. A tiny cook set and cup for coffee ( freeze dried) two knives, sharpener, collapsible bone saw, lightweight hatchet, disposable gloves (I hate bear grease under my finger nails) one extra full set of clothes only, (2 sets Kevlar shoe laces) light hiking shoes, plus rain gear. My tent and sleeping bag were tiny , woven rope, plastic tent stakes, an old EPIRB (sp??) ( personal locator beacon) Game bags and a tarp plus space bag and blanket ( with X on it) Tooth brush, chapstick, soap, sunglasses probably more, all as small and light as possible. Somewhere I actually had a checklist I used all the time.
If I was only planning on caribou ( a great hunt) I would pack my .375JDJ contender instead of FA83. You can do without a lot of creature comforts when you go just to hunt.
Almost forgot matches, lighter, trioxane cubes, and small strips of waxed cardboard boxes in a baggie as a fire starter.
You wear you big boots and heavy clothes,

[dougader]

Dec 2, 2020 20:17:21 GMT -5 callshot said:

Once I tried to shoot the breeze, but it didn’t work out for me.

Missed, eh?

[jfs]

Dec 2, 2020 20:17:21 GMT -5 callshot said:

I used too as you know. Squirrels with you and badgers, rock chucks and moose with sixshot. Now I’m lucky, if I can, shoot cardboard and steel. Once I tried to shoot the breeze, but it didn’t work out for me.

Stevie... I had so much fun that day....

[giblett]

Hunted with a contender 6.5 adj in the 90's then got bit by the rifle bug then a stint with 44 encore. Now have a whole arsenal of pistols and try to mainly hunt with them got my target deer the past 2 years with a pistol. Didnt work out this year he walked out this year and wouldn't quit walking and could move my rest around so he got the rifle treatment still got pigs and does to handgun hunt and maybe can draw blood with the 500jrh.

[dougader]

When I first bought my first Contender Super 14 30-30 in about 1990, my hunting buddies gave me grief. I asked them why they thought the 30-30 was a bad round for shots under 200 yards. They had never given me any hassles about my 30-06 Ruger M77. So we sat down and started shooting paper at 100 yards. I NEVER got a group better than 2" with my '06, and it was usually closer to 3". But I put 5 shots into 1" to 1-1/4" with the Contender. When I showed them my target, they were surprised to see how accurate that Contender was.

For west side blacktails, the contender was a sweet pistol. Even the longer shots in the clear-cuts were covered.

I even hunted with a cousin once using a snubby 357 mag... didn't get offered a shot, but felt I was ready with those 145 grain STHP's in thick cover.

[lazytcross]

I think there would be more people who would find themselves enjoying handgun hunting if they were willing to not be 100% successful on each outing. Might have to pass up a shot sometime.

Surest way to shoot one with a handgun is to leave the rifle at home. Seen more people miss opportunities at close yardage in the trees due to scopes turned up to 14.

Heck people are impressed now days if you are using open sights!

[Odin]

Dec 5, 2020 2:34:45 GMT -5 lazytcross said:

I think there would be more people who would find themselves enjoying handgun hunting if they were willing to not be 100% successful on each outing. Might have to pass up a shot sometime.

This is spot on. I don't own a rifle, and hunt on public land, I can't use a trail cam or a feeder. To top it off, our season is all of ten days at the very end of the rut. More than half the years I've been doing this the freezer has gone empty.

You don't get into this if you're one of those manly men who like to swing their sixshot around.

[reflex264]

I love that pic. I have been the lone handguner many times. Now my youngun does it too.

[reflex264]

I must confess although I handgun hunt 96% of the time I have shot a doe with a rifle making 8000ftlbs. It was a test. It worked.

[cas]

Dec 5, 2020 2:34:45 GMT -5 lazytcross said:

I think there would be more people who would find themselves enjoying handgun hunting if they were willing to not be 100% successful on each outing.

That's one of the reasons I gave it up, where I hunt things have changed on mnay levels. If I get a deer every few years I'm doing well. Figure one deer for 30-40 days spent in the woods (3-4 years worth of hunting). If I were still only handgun hunting, I'd be lucky for once a decade.

[alukban]

I am in New England and really only hunt my own little woods where there is hardly a maximum of a 50y shot on anything (unless you are on somebody’s farm).

My state only allowed the use of revolvers (specifically - no other “handgun” types allowed) for deer a couple of years ago.

It almost doesn’t make sense to use anything other than a handgun.

[rangersedge]

[/quote]
That's one of the reasons I gave it up, where I hunt things have changed on mnay levels. If I get a deer every few years I'm doing well. Figure one deer for 30-40 days spent in the woods (3-4 years worth of hunting). If I were still only handgun hunting, I'd be lucky for once a decade. [/quote]


Where do you hunt?