looking for a pistol

[coon hunter]

i am wanting to get a pistol that is a good quality pistol and dont know what i want yet.i will not be hunting anything big with it so dont need a huge caliber. just wandering what yall would suggest for a first time pistol owner. i am thinking about a 22 but might get something bigger.

just wanting some suggestions

[BJ4X4]

Depends on what you wanna hunt, 22's are good for small game, for deer and hogs you need somethin bigger. I like 44 Mag's, but that's me. I think 41 mag is min, 45 colt is good, and of course the really big bores 454, 480, 475, etc.

[sodbusterman]

Just go ahead and get a .40. That's what you will get to after buying a 380 then a 9MM save a couple steps and go ahead and get the 40 now.

[HandgunHTR]

If you are looking for a dual purpose (hunting and defense) pistol your options are pretty limited.
If defensive needs are higher then go with a .40 S&W as suggested.
If hunting is the priority, then you should look at the .44 Special or 10mm. Either would work for defensive purposes as well as hunting.
If you don't plan on hunting anything but small game go with a .22 Mag. You can hunt everything up to WMA hogs with it (but not deer).

[Davexx1]

I would suggest a 22 autoloader such as the Browning or Ruger. They are very accurate, very comfortable to shoot, almost no recoil, minimal muzzle blast, are cheap to shoot, and are alot of fun to shoot. The 22 would enable you to get some good experience handling and shooting a handgun without alot of muzzle blast and recoil.

http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/detail.asp?value=006B&cat_id=051&type_id=391

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/FAProdResults?function=famid&famid=55&variation=Target&bct=Yes&type=Pistol

22's are great for target practise and small game hunting for rabbits, squirrels, etc. They are an excellent carry handgun when hunting for big game with a rifle. I would get one with a 6" +- barrel length with adjustable sights.

Good luck and happy shooting.

Dave1

[jeremygracie]

walter are a good not the best but nice for the price good plinker no hunting

[Rich Kaminski]

Well, if your looking for a pistol - Where did you leave it? :rofl::rofl:

[shdw633]

A good all around pistol is a 357. You can shoot 38's for plinking or small game and then get 357 loads so you still have a big enough pistol for bigger quarry. It is also a great home defense or personal defense pistol although I would not recommend it as a concealed weapon.

[chiefsquirrel83]

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=283921

[Davexx1]

This hog was taken with a Browning 22 Challenger the other day. I was walking out from my deer stand right at dark, had my Browning 22 Challenger in a belt holster, and saw a hog coming out of the swamp woods. The hog was headed in my direction so I waited, standing behind a tree, with gun drawn and ready. The hog approached to about 15 feet and turned slightly. I had the sights trained on the front tip of the near side shoulder and touched the trigger. At the shot, the hog ran off to my left side. At 10 feet I touched the trigger again and hit the hog right at the rear of the shoulder. The tiny 40 grain bullet did its job well. The hog ran about 60 yards and piled up.


Dave

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0703/Dave1/Browning-hog1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0703/Dave1/Browning-hog2.jpg

[Apex Predator]

You got real lucky Dave!

[chiefsquirrel83]

awesome man! that is great

[Richard P]

The thing about compromise guns is they are either too big or too small for a given job. A good 22 semi auto serves well and is cheap for practice. A defensive pistol has its own role. A hunting gun should fit the need. If you reload the 44m (or insert your choice) is a good choice since you can have full loads or practice loads.

[celticfisherman]

If you want another opinion... I agree with the 22 auto for getting the most enjoyment out of a little pistol. Next step up to me would be a good 4" 357 or 41. Great deer gun accurate and not as punishing as a 44 mag. I love my 44 mag but don't shoot it very often because of the recoil. I shoot my 357 Taurus 4" tracker ALL THE time! I'm very comfortable with that gun and love to shoot it.

[Davexx1]

A 22 LR is not a good feral hog hunting cartridge, BUT in the right situation, at very close range, and in the hands of a capable shooter, it can be effective.

The hog in the photo is not the first, nor will it be the last hog to fall to that Browning 22 LR handgun. I am a feral hog trapper and spend many days in the woods every year. I see many of the critters and when the situation is right, I do not hesitate to take a close range shot with the handgun.

Too bad Browning doesn't make that same gun in a 22 mag version. I would have one.

Dave1