Hopes of a paycheck = Dreams of new toys!

[Rex]

Well, with hopes of a paycheck on the horizon. I've (rather typically) began dreaming of a new shiny hand canon.

I'm caught between a .44 magnum (most likely a Taurus) and the latest piece of digital artillery the S&W 500.



Beyond the price difference being the 500 cost about three times as much for the joy of sending a half inch projectile down range. The intent is to take large herbivorous game via hand gun. I just don't trust my .451 (.45 ACP) revolver to humanely take deer or elk sized critters consistently even with +P loads.

I'm wandering if any of my brothers or sisters have any experience with either or both for points of comparison.

[Rex]

I just thought this was funny.

[DOUBLE]

the 500 s&w is zero fun to shoot....the 44 isn't much funner. with the recoil of the 500, the accuracy is pretty poor. as far as hunting big game with a handgun, you're success rate is gonna be rather LOW...and if you're plan is to hunt dangerous big game, i would suggest that you don't. a handgun is used for backup only. macho will only get you hurt, but if you want one to have one, well so be it.

[Rex]

Admittedly harvesting an animal with a handgun is more challenging than a rifle. Anything more than 50 yards or so with any less than a 16" pipe, is just flat out irresponsible (IMO). But that's kind of the point. Ya gotta get close and that takes some do'n. Much like bow hunting but with a quarter of the bulk.

There are many environments where a capable hand gun is at a decided advantage to a rifle. Such as traversing really rough terrain, thick growth or packing a big dead critter out of the bush on foot. There's been many a time (some time ago) that I wished I had both hands free and a revolver on my belt instead of having to worry about moving my rifle around.

Not planning on hunting bear, moose or mountain lion. Two are just too damned big for me to drag back to civilization and the other is endangered. But if something (to include a pissed off mulie or cranky old bore) is close enough to me that I have to shoot it for my own survival I'd rather pop it with a .50 cal or .429 (44 Mag) from a pistol than a .30 from a rifle. The larger bore expanding round moving at slower velocities just do massive damage at closer ranges.

I'm not knocking the long gun, I have several and grew up with em. I just want to do some handgun hunts.

Thanks for the tip on the 500's acuracy issues Dub. That's some pricey ammo to miss with.