First hand loads kill.

[PD Gohil]

Long time goal of mine to kill a turkey with my pistol? Why? Heck, I dunno, something different I suppose. Anyhow, I just started reloading recently. And 44 Magnum was my first .
This gun shoots amazing well. Generally 2" groups @100, filled by , 4" @200. 240gr Hornady xtp on top of 24.5gr W296.

Ruger Blackhawk Biesley hunter. Bushnell 2x6.
This bird hung up at 75 yards and without much thought, bang -flop! Super excited as this was a WV public land bird, my first with a pistol and my own hand loads.

I'd like to say thanks to all the members on here that have helped me get my reloading game on track. THANKS!!

PGohil
WV

 

[GotRDid]

Stunning images! Well Done, Sir.
GotRDid.

 

[Bill K]

Very nice, photo, turkey and the handgun. Thanks for sharing. Bill K

 

[Intheshop]

Triple,HHH...... handguns,handloads,and hunting.Great pics,thanks for sharing.

Putting together an older 357 Blackhawk for some varmint action this summer here.

 

[K22]

Good shooting. Would like to share some stories of my hand gunner days - might give you some ideas to expand your hunting experience especially with an effective tool like the 44 magnum.

Back in the 60's, 70's and early 80's I was heavy into NRA Bulls Eye competitive shooting. This was the golden age of revolvers. I started out with S&W Models 17 and 14 revolvers, 22 RF and 38 Special respectively. I got fairly good qualifying as a distinguish expert, average score of 285 out of 300 possible points.

I become fascinated with the idea of hand gun hunting reading articles by Jeff Cooper and Bob Milek, both handgun hunters extraordinaire. Soon I was an avid handgun hunter - mostly ground hogs. I hunted in Greene County PA on some farms with rolling terrain that provided the ability to effectively stalk. Once I knew where the holes were I'd walk the fields and where possible stalk to within 50 yards of the holes.

I acquired a S&W, Model 27, 357 Magnum with a 6" barrel and loaded it with 2400 powder and Speer 140 jacket hollow points for hunting. This revolver / load was very accurate, grouping about 1 1/2 inches at 50 yards from a Ransom Rest. Of course I couldn't hold that tight but it was good to know the pistol / load was capable. I practiced and hunted a lot and became very proficient with it. I took many of ground hogs with that pistol. It was the most fun I ever had hunting - a true challenge both from a marksman's and hunting standpoint. There was just something alluring about carrying a pistol on my hip.

This prompted me to try my luck with a hand gun on deer. I knew if the moment of truth arrived on a buck and I had my rifle with me I'd default to the rifle so in 1985 I decided to leave the rifle in the car and hunt solely with my Model 27.

It was the morning of the first day about 8:00 AM that I saw a nice 5 point to my right about 100 yards away. He jumped the fence and worked his way down along a tree line in front of me. I was well positioned, sitting at the base of a large tree that masked my profile. The wind was also in my favor. I waited until he was about 60 yards in front of me broadside. I rested the pistol on my knees took careful aim and fired. I missed - knew as soon as I squeezed the trigger - I heeled the shot shooting over the buck - a classic case of "buck fever".

Fortunately he didn't run but just stood there panning the area. I took a couple of deep breathes and aimed again trying to focus on all the fundamentals of pistol marksmanship. I sent another 140 grain Speer JHP and this time I connected about 2 inches behind the shoulder. The buck went down immediately flipping over as if someone had pulled the rug out from under his feet. I waited to see if he would get up but he didn't. Slowly I approached ready for a follow up shot but he was down and out - my first deer with a pistol. I was thrilled. Dressed out at about 120 lbs.

While I still do a lot of pistol shooting at the range I don't hunt anymore with a pistol. Father time as taken a toll on me physically and I'm just not that good anymore with a pistol plus I now live in eastern PA where most of the terrain lends itself to long shots over open fields. I'm still and avid ground hog hunter but now I use a rifle.