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April 9, 2015
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Been totally set for the PA bow season for over a month and now I stay out of the woods to put as little pressure on the deer as possible before opening day. You know what that means??? Time to get ready for the gun season and practice practice practice.
So I have several handguns that I have considered for my handgun hunting season and I finally decided on using a 41 Mag out of my 741 with 8" HV. I have the EWK green fiber optic site and I am practicing with light loads of 215 grain LSWC over top pf 8 grains of Unique and hunting loads with 18.5 Grains of 2400 and a 210 grain Hornady XTP or Sierra JHP. When I finally feel real good about the hunting loads I will load up with the 210 Grain Swift A-Frame bullets, but they are just too expensive to work up loads and practice much with. Right now I am practicing at both 25 and 50 yards with open sights from a variety of positions shooting single action. I am done shooting off a rest as I don't think this rest shooting will help me much in a hunting situation. I will be hunting from tree stands and just like bow hunting the key is to stay within my effective range. I don't think I will shoot beyond 50 yards with open sights.
Any hand gun hunters out there that want to give me some advice on anything related to handgun hunting for whitetail??
“We cannot but pity the boy who has never fired a gun; he is no more
humane, while his education has been sadly neglected.”
-Henry David Thoreau
“When some of my friends have asked me anxiously about their boys, whether
they should let them hunt, I have answered, yes – remembering that it was
one of the best parts of my education – *make* them hunters.”
-Henry David Thoreau
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December 4, 2011
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I don't know if I'd use hollow points on deer, the hide is tough and you may not get enough penetration to the vital organs. I'd be more inclined to use a semi jacketed bullet with a solid core. Either that or a fully jacketed round. I think the 41 mag is a good choice.
Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
My father
If a man designed it, and a man built it, then a man can fix it.
My grandfather
DWF Supporters
April 9, 2015
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SCORPIO said
I don't know if I'd use hollow points on deer, the hide is tough and you may not get enough penetration to the vital organs. I'd be more inclined to use a semi jacketed bullet with a solid core. Either that or a fully jacketed round. I think the 41 mag is a good choice.
I agree about the hollow points. Many people report that they are fine, but I also worry about penetration with HP on deer. That is why I bought the swift A-Frame they are like Nosler Partitions for Handguns. You hunt with a Handgun Scorpio? Getting itchy for opening day of Bow Season.
“We cannot but pity the boy who has never fired a gun; he is no more
humane, while his education has been sadly neglected.”
-Henry David Thoreau
“When some of my friends have asked me anxiously about their boys, whether
they should let them hunt, I have answered, yes – remembering that it was
one of the best parts of my education – *make* them hunters.”
-Henry David Thoreau
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December 4, 2011
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I've hunted with a 357 mag in the past. Used 158 gn semi jacketed flat points with good success. I'd use either a .41mag or .44 mag now that I own them, didn't back then.
Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
My father
If a man designed it, and a man built it, then a man can fix it.
My grandfather
DWF Supporters
April 9, 2015
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I intend to handgun hunt basically the same way I bow hunt. Most likely I will be hunting from a tree stand. I am feeling more confident at 50 yards with open sights shooting single action with every trip to the range. It took a couple of trips but I finally figured out where to hold at 50 and I can hit where I want when I stay steady. I hunt this year with the 41 mag. simply because that is my favorite handgun at the moment. I will also someday hunt with the 44 mag. using a 240 grain bullet and a 445 Super Mag most likely using a 300 grain bullet. I will also someday hunt with 357 max and a 180 grain bullet. I would have no problem thinking that 357 mag is an effective deer slayer when limited to a yardage that allows me to put the bullet exactly where I intend. I would most likely use a 180 grain bullet. for 357 mag. Reloading allows for a nice variety of bullet weight, design, and powder choices that get the desired velocity thus creating a deadly combination of accuracy and penetration. With bow hunting shot placement is the critical factor, I am thinking the same is true of hand gun hunting with the calibers and way I intend to do it. If the broad head or bullet get into the boiler room...I'm frying tenderloins for dinner.
“We cannot but pity the boy who has never fired a gun; he is no more
humane, while his education has been sadly neglected.”
-Henry David Thoreau
“When some of my friends have asked me anxiously about their boys, whether
they should let them hunt, I have answered, yes – remembering that it was
one of the best parts of my education – *make* them hunters.”
-Henry David Thoreau
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Range Officer
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December 4, 2011
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Accurate shot placement is critical in my opinion no matter what cartridge you are using, be it a rifle or pistol. I've seen people gut shoot a deer with a 300 mag and it ran more than a mile in thick woods in Potter County, uphill. I've also seen vital shots with a .243 drop a deer where it stood. Your plan is a good one, hit what you aim at and you will have meat on the table.
Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
My father
If a man designed it, and a man built it, then a man can fix it.
My grandfather
February 16, 2016
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What is the average size of your mature whitetails up there?
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April 9, 2015
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Stinger said
What is the average size of your mature whitetails up there?
Stinger, I have honestly never weighted a whitetail. So in terms of weight, all I can do is guess. I am sure it is 100+ for a good doe and possibly close to 200+ for mature big buck. In the agricultural areas I hunt, doe get SUPER fat and big bodied. The layers of fat between the skin and the muscle are sometimes several inches thick in places. Wish I had a use for that fat?? Bucks are getting bigger every year as antler restrictions and hunter attitudes about passing on smaller bucks are changing. When bucks reach maturity (4 1/2 +) they are different animals in terms of size, weight and difficulty to hunt. PA whitetail are probably the most pressured whitetails on the planet. I love hunting them but a truly mature buck is a seldom seen animal.
“We cannot but pity the boy who has never fired a gun; he is no more
humane, while his education has been sadly neglected.”
-Henry David Thoreau
“When some of my friends have asked me anxiously about their boys, whether
they should let them hunt, I have answered, yes – remembering that it was
one of the best parts of my education – *make* them hunters.”
-Henry David Thoreau
DWF Supporters
April 9, 2015
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SCORPIO said
Accurate shot placement is critical in my opinion no matter what cartridge you are using, be it a rifle or pistol. I've seen people gut shoot a deer with a 300 mag and it ran more than a mile in thick woods in Potter County, uphill. I've also seen vital shots with a .243 drop a deer where it stood. Your plan is a good one, hit what you aim at and you will have meat on the table.
Gut shooting a deer is never a good thing and in my opinion that type of shot is a NO SHOOT situation, for many reasons. But a neck, frontal or shoulder shot with a rifle is acceptable where as with a bow and my hand gun those shots are also NO SHOOT situations. I seriously can't wait for the opener.
“We cannot but pity the boy who has never fired a gun; he is no more
humane, while his education has been sadly neglected.”
-Henry David Thoreau
“When some of my friends have asked me anxiously about their boys, whether
they should let them hunt, I have answered, yes – remembering that it was
one of the best parts of my education – *make* them hunters.”
-Henry David Thoreau
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