Re: Handgun hunting for PA Whitatail
Grats on the handgun kill with the DW. Welcome to the sickness. Beats lugging a rifle in the woods anyday.
Re: Handgun hunting for PA Whitatail
Quote:
Originally Posted by
knight0334
Sorry, just saw this reply..
I like it a lot. I have the Silhouette model with 10.5" barrel. The Alexandria Virginia made Virginian Dragoons are beefier than Ruger Blackhawks and can handle full/spec .44mag loads*.
The drawback is that they aren't made anymore, not since the mid 1980's, and replacement parts are thinning out. Another drawback is the alignment pin in the gripframe.. ...where it is positioned causes wooden or weaker grips to break.
*Original spec for 44mag is 240gr @ 1350 or 1450 FPS(depending on source) measured from 6" barrel.
Thanks knight, I picked it up last week. It's got a 5.5" barrel and from what I've read with Google foo looks like a late '70's production. Getting it home, your right, the frame is @ the same size as my super Blackhawk. I'm going to test it out this week. Probably use some mild target loads (245gr bullet @ 1000 fps). Since that's what I have loaded right now. Appreciate the input on it.
Re: Handgun hunting for PA Whitatail
Quote:
Originally Posted by
PAwhitetailbowhunter
Attachment 103171Attachment 103172
Had plenty of action in the AM on Saturday. Saw several smaller bucks and a nice 8 point dogging a hot doe. Shot my buck during archery, so I was unable to hunt until doe came in on Saturday. Saved a 5B Doe tag for the PA firearms season and have been practicing with my 41 Mag. Around 4:30 PM, I had a lone large doe come in behind me, she was up wind of me and had no idea I was hunting her. She got ever so slightly quartering away and at about 20 yards I shot her. I was using a hand load of 21 grains H-110 and a Swift A-Frame 210 grain bullet with a Fed #155 Primer. Looks like my shot placement was a little back and a little low as I completely took out the lower part of her liver and some of the far side lung. There was a good amount of hair on the ground where I shot her and I followed her track about 20 yards until I picked up blood. I should have given her a little more time to expire but I wanted to try and find her before dark. It was a profuse blood trail deep red and at some places watery (Liver Shot) other places bright red and lung blood bubbly. About another 30 yards into the blood trail I jumped her and she ran. I backed out got some dinner, listened to the first period of the Pens game and went back three hours later to find her about 30 yards from where I jumped her, blood trailing was easy. She didn’t go 100 yards from where I shot her. The swift A-frame passed through and the liver was destroyed. The DAN WESSON 741 did its job. The bullet and the hand load did its job. The doe was recovered and will make fine table fare, BUT my shot placement should have been about 3-5 inches farther forward for a double lung/heart shot. I am happy with my first ever handgun hunt taking a PA doe.
Nice going, I haven't had the time to really get out much. Took my daughter once, but it was farm hunting and I stuck with the rifle. Hopefully before the week ends I can get the pistol out for a walk or two. Congratulations on the doe.
Re: Handgun hunting for PA Whitatail
Quote:
Originally Posted by
R L Suehr
Thanks knight, I picked it up last week. It's got a 5.5" barrel and from what I've read with Google foo looks like a late '70's production. Getting it home, your right, the frame is @ the same size as my super Blackhawk. I'm going to test it out this week. Probably use some mild target loads (245gr bullet @ 1000 fps). Since that's what I have loaded right now. Appreciate the input on it.
My Silhouette model loves the old Federal Eagle 240JHP(AE44A) load. ....haven't tried the newer load which is advertised at lower speeds - same part number, but 100-200fps less.
Re: Handgun hunting for PA Whitatail
Quote:
Originally Posted by
knight0334
My Silhouette model loves the old Federal Eagle 240JHP(AE44A) load. ....haven't tried the newer load which is advertised at lower speeds - same part number, but 100-200fps less.
Thanks again knight. I might actually have a few of those around at my cabin.