Though it’s similar in many ways to bow hunting and firearm hunting, handgun hunting usually relies on further marksmanship skills and accuracy. It’s a short-range style of hunting involving a hunting pistol or revolver. Truly, handgun hunting is a thrilling quest to do.
Benefits Of Handgun Hunting
If you’re interested to try handgun hunting, make sure to consider this beginner’s guide. The following are some of its benefits:
- Having a compact and lightweight revolver or pistol is better than having a heavy firearm, especially during a long day of hauling. A handgun will make destination hunts a lot easier, so if you’re planning to venture out into rugged terrain requiring you to cut through dense bushes or climb, handguns will simplify the adventure.
- Another reason to consider handgun hunting is it’s more ethical. The majority of hunters consider a handgun to be more moral than a bow because it can kill the target rapidly. As with any style of hunting, more accurate shots guarantee faster kills.
- If you have a pistol, ammo, as well as FN holsters, and other equipment, then you’ve got all the gear needed to start handgun hunting.
- Short-range hunting activities entailing you to get close to a specific target involve serious stalking skills. With handgun hunting, you’ll be forced to approach your prey cleverly and quietly.
Guns For Handgun Hunting
There are various guns designed for handgun hunting, and the right one will depend on where you’ll use it and how you plan to maintain the gear. Here are the guns you can choose from:
- Single-shot Pistol
Also called the short gun, a single-shot pistol is effective and powerful even in long-range. This will offer you access to a single round and can be fitted with optics to make sure accuracy is the same as riffles.
- Revolver
When it comes to revolvers, you can use either the single or double option. However, the double-action configuration is faster. But with thrilling power and accuracy, the right revolver can help in your handgun hunting journey.
- Semi-automatic Pistol
Though it isn’t commonly used compared to the other guns, a semi-automatic pistol can be very effective especially for a highly skilled marksman. It’s accurate and reliable, though adding an optic is a bit difficult.
- Bolt-action Handgun
Unlike the previous gun, you can fit a bolt-action handgun with optics easily, and this will offer you access to several rounds and give more scope variety.
Considerations When Choosing A Handgun
Aside from the different kinds of guns, there are other factors you need to consider when choosing the right gun for handgun hunting such as:
- Bullet Construction
Heavy bullets will offer better momentum even at lower velocity. Aside from this, the weight of the bullet will affect its trajectory. This will improve its impact and the effortlessness of shooting your target. Assess the bullets you’ll use based on how heavy and impactful they could be.
- Comfort
Comfort is another important factor when choosing a handgun. Regardless of what you’re hunting, rifle caliber, and bullet construction, if you don’t choose a gear comfortable to use, you’ll get misses most of the time. Make sure you’re highly convenient and familiar with your handgun.
- Rifle Caliber
In terms of rifle caliber, there are many options which makes choosing the right one a bit confusing. Bigger animals will need a higher caliber handgun whereas the smaller ones need a lower caliber handgun. For instance, musk ox bulls can weigh more than 600 pounds. If these are your targets, you may need something between .308 and .30-06 caliber.
Handgun Hunting Tips
Having been familiarized with the mechanics of a handgun, the actual use of it is what you should practice now. Here are some guidelines to consider:
- Instead of squeezing too tight, make sure to establish a firm grip that’s not straining your muscles in your hands and arms when shooting.
- Keep your optics at the lower magnification because if you keep them high, you’ll have a hard time shooting your target.
- For successful handgun hunting, you’ll need a steady rest in the field. Thus, take a long tripod or bipod and learn how you can take advantage of the natural setting.
- Flinching is the outcome of physiological response in anticipation of shots, so you’ll need to exercise. Avoid a marathon shooting session and wear eye and hearing protection.
Conclusion
Handgun hunting will help in honing your shooting skills as it’s a fantastic and thrilling challenge. Hopefully, you’d consider the above-mentioned information if you’re planning to start handgun hunting.