Handgun Hunting

I grew up hearing all the "old timer" stories. My Grandfather was a founding member of the Toronto Sportsman Association. He used to chum with Greg Clark, who chumed with Hemingway. The only stories I've heard where those using a twelve gauge with 00 buck shot. I have pictures of Moose and Deer hanging in camp circa 1920's. Handguns were not used and were not considered to not be a sportsman's choice of firearm.

To use a handgun as a back-up to scare off nasties is one thing as a main firearm??? I did look up ballistics on a 44 Mag and a 357 Mag. Neither even comes close to the standard 1000ft/lbs for a deer, let alone the 1500 ft/lbs for moose. http://www.hornady.com/store/357-Mag-140-gr-XTP/

So what would be ethical about using something undersized to humanly kill an animal?

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Originally Posted by Blackwolf

I grew up hearing all the "old timer" stories. My Grandfather was a founding member of the Toronto Sportsman Association. He used to chum with Greg Clark, who chumed with Hemingway. The only stories I've heard where those using a twelve gauge with 00 buck shot. I have pictures of Moose and Deer hanging in camp circa 1920's. Handguns were not used and were not considered to not be a sportsman's choice of firearm.

To use a handgun as a back-up to scare off nasties is one thing as a main firearm??? I did look up ballistics on a 44 Mag and a 357 Mag. Neither even comes close to the standard 1000ft/lbs for a deer, let alone the 1500 ft/lbs for moose. http://www.hornady.com/store/357-Mag-140-gr-XTP/

So what would be ethical about using something undersized to humanly kill an animal?

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A .44magnum properly loaded will easily kill a deer at appropriate ranges. Common sense trumps Hornadys chart.

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Originally Posted by blasted_saber

A .44magnum properly loaded will easily kill a deer at appropriate ranges. Common sense trumps Hornadys chart.

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I could probably use a .22 to kill a deer and a .17 HMR should kill a deer, but I don't....Why would you use something that there is a question whether or not it would do the job?

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To use a handgun as a back-up to scare off nasties is one thing as a main firearm??? I did look up ballistics on a 44 Mag and a 357 Mag. Neither even comes close to the standard 1000ft/lbs for a deer, let alone the 1500 ft/lbs for moose.

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Try telling that to all the "handgun hunters " that have done it , plus bear and elk.
Boy oh boy , you live in a different world than most of us do , your views on hunting , firearms and most other subjects sure differ from the majority, or is it that you just like to argue to cause controversy amongst us .

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Originally Posted by blasted_saber

A .44magnum properly loaded will easily kill a deer at appropriate ranges. Common sense trumps Hornadys chart.

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According to BW , it can't be done , and now thinking about it I wonder what killed the moose I shot at [55 to 60 yards ] before meters,. There must have been some one else in the forest and shot at that moose at the very same instant that my .44 mag. went off. That moose just dropped dead within a few feet , but according to BW , it could not have been me that killed it.:confused:
The same must be said about the deer I have killed or thought I did, I sure would like to know , who killed those animals for me ?because again according to our authority and Hornady , It wasn't me.:rolleyes:
Man oh man am I ever confused .:confused:

I have never shot any animal with a handgun with the exception of my air pistol on grouse/pigeons. However I was trained in their use. So for the most part I have to rely on ballistic charts to tell me what is adequate and what is not. Can you take a moose with a handgun??? Why would you?

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Originally Posted by Blackwolf

I have never shot any animal with a handgun with the exception of my air pistol on grouse/pigeons. However I was trained in their use. So for the most part I have to rely on ballistic charts to tell me what is adequate and what is not. Can you take a moose with a handgun??? Why would you?

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This post is a prime example of what's wrong in our sport. Just because it isn't your thing doesn't make it the wrong choice.

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Can you take a moose with a handgun??? Why would you?

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Because at the time, we could, I wanted to and I did .
I shot handguns competitively for many years went through usually 5000 rounds per year in .22 cal. alone also .45 and .38 cal. in competitions , I was good at it with a wall full of Trophies and Awards .
The shots that I took at my game animals were taken with positive kills in mind , never took shots that I knew I couldn't make .

I would support handgun hunting if it were made legal. I remember on my very 1st deer hunt in 1959 one of the guys in the camp had a gorgeous Luger "Artillery" pistol with a long barrel and a detachable stock.

Re: handgun power - a lot of the modern magnum handgun cartridges have velocities/energy levels that equal or surpass some of the "old time" loads. Cartridges such as the .38-40, .44-40. .38-55, .40-60 etc. were considered to be entirely adequate for deer and were widely used (and still are by some).

What caliber would be best for hunting wild boar in Ontario?
I can see the point of carrying a handgun as a back up while cougar hunting near Turkey Point. Easy shot while the hounds have the cat treed.
Seriously, it would be great if we could carry handguns, .22 for small game, larger calibers for larger game. It would add a whole new dimension, i suspect effective ranges would be similar to archery. I can also see the benefit of walking to or from a bear bait with a back up weapon at times.
Maybe a full open season is too much to expect right away. Perhaps a .22 revolver for small game/ trappers. A handgun spring bear hunt? Allowing houndsmen to carry handguns?