Updated 12May 2004
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I was bitten by the desire to hunt with a handgun, many years ago, but I have never gotten to the point that I have taken only a handgun into the woods.. On several occasions, I had my Contender with me and have taken shots at game. There have been times when I had a sidearm with me and targets of opportunity would crop up. I have had various handguns over the years, but now only carry a glock 17, 9mm, a Glock 22, .40 cal or a homebuilt 1911A1, 45acp as a hunter's gun and then I have a Contender that I am working with..
It's either a love/hate relationship. You either like the gun or not. I've owned my Glocks for about fifteen years and have carried them almost daily on police duty or off. I've killed feral dogs and cats and once killed a coyote. This 9mm gun is fun to squirrel hunt with using CCI Blazer hard ball. I suspect that I have fired 4000 rds of various ammo in it. Then 40 may just be aimed at a deer, sometime
The Colt 1911 Government Model auto has an almost cult-like following of dedicated owners. And with good reason; if fitted properly, it is reliable, and may be easily repaired. It holds and points well and fires a caliber of sufficient fight stopping force. I've owned several over the years, but have just recently built one based on my own desired features. My "everyday" gun is a parts built special. It features an Essex frame with a McCormick barrel and an early Colt slide. The gun will shoot into about 2 inches at 25 yards, and I intend to try at taking a deer with it. The other, I'm working on is a Springfield receiver and an Essex slide cut for Novac's sight.
This is the most popular non-conventional handgun for hunting, recreational and competition shooting. This is because of the ability to tamper with it--add different barrel/calibers, change sights and grips, and do custom work..I have a frame set up with the Herret style stocks in caliber 257TCU with a Bushnell Trophy 2X6 scope. It is more accurate than some of my rifles, making it a fun toy.
The TCU cartridges are the brain-child of Thompson Center Gunsmith, Wes Ugalde. He began to experiment with "improved" versions of the 223 Remington Case in which new unfired cases are run into a die and necked up to the desired caliber and then fire formed by shooting a loaded round having a reduced powder charge. The new cartridge has the taper blown out of it and has a sharper shoulder angle, both of which seem to work better in the Contender action. The calibers that have been chambered for that I know of are: 6mm(.243), .257, 6.5mm(.264), and 7mm(.284). I have also heard of someone making a 22TCU.
I,ve had experience with the 6mm and 257. A friend of mine, and I ordered two barrels from Fox Ridge Outfitters, about the same time. This was about 1990 or so and I ordered the 257 because the 85 grain Ballistic Tip was available and I had designs of shooting deer with it.
My experiments involved forming 257TCu from new Remington 223 brass and fire-froming with cheap bulk bullets. Then I began to work up loads using the 85 Bal Tip and the 87 Grn Speer bullet. my initial attempts have been with Hodgedon H35 and with IMR 4198. I can push the bullet at 2550 to 2600 with H335, and it will group into 3/4inch at 100yds. I have a Bushnell 2x6 scope mounted on the Custom Shop 15 inch barrel. To date, I have killed two deer and some smaller animals. One yearling doe of about 80lbs was shot at 126 steps through the lungs, and collapsed there. A buck with 1inch spikes was shot through both front shoulders and also expired on the spot. The bullet exited in both case. I like this combination of accuracy, low noise and light recoil. To get the most potential when in shooting houses, I carry a sandbag made from a section of bluejean leg.
I would like to obtain a two 10inc barrels in 44mag and 300 Whisper to use as fixed sight woods guns. Have any of you had experience with 300 Whisper? If so Email me.mailto:m.d.davis@juno.com
I have a friend, Ken Jones, who has hunted for several years with a super 14 barrel in 30/30 Win. He has killed some really big bucks with the gun. He uses a red dot sight.
Robert Sieck chose the 6mm TCU and likes to shoot bulk Remington 80grain 243 bullets or 85 grn Nosler Partitions.
Many have used the 7mm or 6.5mm in silhouete matches, and report great success.
