Smallest caliber handgun to use deer hunting

[AVENSTOKE]

What is the smallest caliber hand gun you would use to deer hunt? Would you use a 38 or 357?

[owcobro]

I do not believe the 38 would be legal, I have not looked at the regs lately, but I think the round has to be at least 1.25 long.

That being said, I use a 44 mag which does a nice job.

[westkybanded]

Hunters may use the following:

• Any caliber centerfire rifle or centerfire handgun. (See Definitions.)

• Shotguns up to and including 10-gauge used with slug ammunition. (Most common legal shotgun sizes include .410-, 28-, 20-, 16-, 12- and 10-gauge.)

Centerfire rifle/handgun: any rifle or handgun that fires a cartridge by the firing pin striking a primer in the middle of the end of the cartridge casing.

I.E. you COULD legally use a .25 auto which would be the smallest legal round possible.

SOME .38spl +p+ loads would be acceptable to me as long as they were well within bow range.

[quackrstackr]

The .357 is the lightest round that I would personally go with. Although I have never shot one with that round, I have seen a few taken with it and they all required at least one follow up shot.

I've shot a slew of them with a .44 mag. I haven't had one drop where it stood yet but have only had one that required a follow up.

I subscribe to the theory of always have enough gun (and just a bit more).

[KuntreeBoy]

I've seen my uncle use a .357 and he is good with it, but like previously said he still required a follow up shot. I also use a 44 mag. I rather use a bigger gun and get it done with one shot.

[Tha' Hat]

I killed several deer with a .357. A couple required a follow up, but most did not. 158-grain hydra-shoks were my bullet of choice. That said, I traded that gun for a .44 mag. .357 would be minimum. .38 might be OK, so long as the bullet was a heavy slug that wouldn't fragment too quickly (a 158-grain cast +P would be all right, but would probably have to be in a reloaded form).

[WhiteRubi]

I pulled a .17 caliber bullet out of a deer cape that I mounted. It was just above his eye. He had another very small bullet hole in the back of the neck. Technically I guess that is a legal caliber as there is a .17 Remington that is centerfire. :rolleyes: Perhaps you could locate a .17 Rem pistol somewhere. ;)

[AVENSTOKE]

Thanks for the responses. I have a 357 and I thought about using it to hunt with. My longest shot would be 25-30 yards. I don't have much clear land.