Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
So you want to go handgun hunting? Great, you’ve come to the right place. Today, we are digging into the best handguns for hunting. But first, let’s dig into the different types of handguns you’ll run into while hunting.
Table of contents
Handguns For Hunting
There are three types of handgun configurations popular amongst hunters.
Revolvers
Revolvers are known for their inherent strength, reliability, and ability to handle powerful magnum cartridges. Wheelguns are available in any caliber and configuration and are capable of hunting everything from squirrels to bears when you pick the right caliber.
They can offer a light single-action trigger, which allows for precision-oriented shots. These guns can be equipped with long eye relief scopes to match that long-range precision. They are one of the more popular handgun hunting options on the market.
Single-Shot Pistols
Strong actions and fixed barrel accuracy define the success of single-shot pistols. These weapons can even chamber powerful rifle cartridges, as well as magnum revolver cartridges, and even micro-sized rimfire rounds. Like revolvers, they come in a variety of sizes and shapes. A lot of these guns have interchangeable barrels, which allow you to swap calibers on demand.
Additionally, much like revolvers, it’s easy to mount magnified optics. The main downside is the limited production, the single-shot-only design, and they are typically bulky guns.
Semi-Automatic Pistols
Semi-auto handguns offer fast follow-up shots, higher capacity, and less felt recoil due to the action absorbing some of the energy. Semi-auto handguns are limited in choice and caliber. There are very few magnum-powered semi-autos, with the 10mm being the most common and reliable option. For moderate to small game, a semi-auto can be a great choice.
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Handguns for Hunting – Popular Calibers By Size
The choice of caliber is paramount and should match the game you’re hunting. There are tons of great handgun-hunting cartridges, but I’m sticking with proven, popular, and available cartridges.
Small Game
.22LR and .22 Magnum: Affordable, low recoil, excellent for precision small game hunting at close ranges. Leaves a small hole so fur can be preserved.
Medium Game
.357 Magnum: A versatile choice, but often considered the minimum for deer-sized game, especially at longer ranges. Ensure you’re purchasing ammo designed for hunting and not self-defense. There are plenty of hunting-oriented options.
10mm Auto: A powerful semi-auto cartridge that approaches .41 Magnum in power and penetration. Excellent for deer and hogs, and as a potent self-defense round in bear country. Hunting loads are somewhat limited, but there are potent and capable rounds.
.44 Magnum: A potent, powerful, and versatile load for medium to large game. Capable of taking deer, elk, black bear, and wild boar. Tons of factory loadings with a variety of projectile weights and types.
Large and Dangerous Game
.454 Casull: A serious step up in power and recoil from the .44 Magnum. This cartridge is capable of taking most North American game. These guns can also fire .45 Colt, a potent hunting cartridge in its own right.
.460 S&W Magnum: Extremely powerful, very flat-shooting, and capable of taking the largest game. Can also fire .454 Casull and .45 Colt ammunition, offering versatility and the ability to hunt smaller game without spending .460 S&W Magnum money.
.500 S&W Magnum: The most powerful production handgun cartridge in the world. Designed for the largest and most dangerous game. Recoil is substantial, and this cartridge isn’t as efficient as the .460 S&W Magnum.
Best Handguns for Hunting
With that out of the way, let’s dig into what I think are some of the best handguns for hunting. I’m sticking to common guns, somewhat affordable, and easy to find. There are great custom revolver smiths making fantastic firearms, but they’re tough to suggest when lead times are 18 months and the minimum cost is three grand.
Ruger Mk4 Tactical
The Ruger Mk series is a renowned rimfire handgun that helped build Ruger into the company they are today. We are up to the Mk 4 models, and inside the Mk 4 lineup are several models, including one labeled the Hunter. However, I think the Tactical makes for a better hunting gun. Primarily because it’s red dot ready out of the box.
I want humane shots, which means accurate shots. Squirrels aren’t known for being big targets, and a headshot can be tough to make. With a red dot, it’s a lot easier. The Mk 4 series is already an incredibly accurate platform, and a red dot takes it a step further. Rabbits, tree rats, and other pests are easy targets within 25 yards with the Mk 4 Tactical.
Additionally, the barrel is threaded, and I want a can on my hunting guns when possible. Suppressing .22LR is ridiculously easy, and the Tactical runs subsonic ammo without issue. With a can and an optic, this Mk 4 becomes a small game assassin.
Ruger Blackhawk and Super Blackhawk
Let’s get all the Rugers out early. Another of Ruger’s incredibly popular guns is the Blackhawk series. The Blackhawk series are single-action revolvers designed for tasks like hunting. The Blackhawk is a piece of American iron, a single-action powerhouse built like a tank. If you’re looking for a serious hunting pistol, then the Blackhawk and, by extension, Super Blackhawk are the way to go.
The Blackhawk comes in a wide variety of calibers. This includes the .357 Magnum, the .41 Magnum, the .45 Colt, and even the .30 Carbine. Barrel lengths vary, but I prefer long barrels for hunting. They offer more velocity and a great sight radius. These are perfect for moderate-sized game. The Super Blackhawk is a bigger, beefier, more tank-like Blackhawk that chambers the .44 Magnum cartridge. That gets you into the big game world.
Ruger offers these in stainless finishes and even convertible cylinder models, so you can shoot cheaper semi-auto cartridges through a few of these models. The Blackhawk has been around for a long time, so optics mounts are easy to find, but the presence of a proper rear sight makes them precision-oriented out of the box.
Glock 40 MOS
Glock isn’t known as a hunting brand, but the Glock 40 is an excellent hunting pistol. The Glock 40 isn’t a .40 S&W, but a 10mm cartridge. The 10mm is an excellent gun for hunting medium-sized game, and the gun offers you 15 rounds of 10mm. That’s a lot of follow-up shots, and if a fast shooter meets a hog herd, they can get a fair bit of bacon. The Glock 40’s six-inch barrel will help those heavy hunting cartridges reach a high velocity.
MOS stands for Modular Optic System. I firmly believe optics make humane shots easier, and I owe that deer a humane shot. A red dot allows for more accurate shot placement, particularly under field conditions where perfect stance and lighting are rare. This capability is essential for ethical kills, extending the G40’s practical hunting range beyond iron sights.
Glocks are extremely reliable, and we want reliability in our hunting handguns. The Glock 40 is going to go bang in the most austere conditions, and you can count on it to survive falls, moisture, and more.
Rossi Brawler .300 Blackout
If you want an affordable, single-shot pistol in a modern rifle cartridge, the Rossi .300 Blackout Brawler is the way to go. At its core, the Brawler is a break-action, hammer-fired single-shot pistol. This design inherently maximizes reliability by minimizing moving parts and complex feeding mechanisms. Plus, it makes it affordable!
The Rossi Brawler features a nine-inch barrel optimized to work with the .300 Blackout cartridge. The end of that barrel is threaded so you can use a can, which just makes sense. .300 Blackout plays well with suppressors, so you can have an extremely quiet hunting handgun. It’s also a decent option for medium game hunting.
Rossi includes an optics rail across the top, which makes it easy to accept a long eye relief magnified optic or a red dot of your choice. You get one shot, so you have to make it count, and an optic does just that. A suppressed Brawler in .300 Blackout with an optic would be one helluva combination.
Thompson Center Encore
The Thompson/Center Encore is a legendary name in the world of single-shot firearms. Sadly, they seem out of production, but there are tons of them floating around. They are incredibly modular, and a single frame can accommodate dozens, if not hundreds of calibers. Different barrels are easy to swap out, and you can shoot calibers you didn’t even know existed.
You can take one frame and rabbit hunt with .22LR, deer hunt with .41 Mag or .30-30, and take big game with .500 S&W Magnum. The possibilities might not be endless, but like soup, salad, and breadsticks, you’ll run out of space before you reach the end. On top of having tons of cartridge options, you have easy access to optics, bipods, and threaded barrels for suppressors.
These are incredibly accurate pistols that are known for their long-lasting durability. You’ll find Encore models from 1997 that have been fed a steady stream of high-powered cartridges that still shoot like day one. They can even be easily converted to rifles and muzzleloaders.
READ MORE HERE: Handgun Hunting: The Ideal Handgun Caliber for Wild Boar
S&W Model 460XVR
The S&W 500 might be the most powerful handgun cartridge on the market, but power isn’t everything. The .460 S&W Magnum can do the same thing .500 S&W can do, but it’s much more efficient. The Model 460 uses the X-Frame design, so you are getting a very big, very heavy revolver. The XVR model even comes with sling swivels to help you tote the beast.
The 460XVR includes a long optics rail across the barrel, which sets you up well for scopes or red dots. If you go without an optic, you get an adjustable rear sight and high-visibility front sight. A muzzle device helps bleed recoil and muzzle rise as well. Recoil and muzzle rise will be significant, and this isn’t a gun for beginners by any means.
It does offer you dangerous and big game killing potential. It can throw a 200-grain bullet at 2,300 feet per second, and projectiles as heavy as 395 grains are available. The cartridge can achieve excellent range, penetration, and energy. It’s the most efficient of the big-bore cartridges. The S&W Model 460 guns can still shoot .454 Casull and .45 Colt, making it a fairly efficient option for hunting a variety of game.
Hunting With Handguns
If you’re looking for a different thrill this fall, take a handgun hunting. It’s a completely different experience and a new level of satisfaction. Just make sure your handgun matches your game, and your skill matches the shots you’re taking.
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Travis Pike is a dedicated firearms writer, a Second Amendment Advocate, and a subject matter enthusiast for all things firearms. He is an amateur competitor with dreams of one day not coming in 4th place at a local defensive match. If he’s not putting text to word processor, he’s likely spending time with family, enjoying Florida’s Nature Coast, or drinking hipster beer. As the resident Florida man he has a preference for obscure guns and calibers.
Experience
- Hunter – Long time deer and hog hunter in the swamps of Florida
- Instructor – Volunteers to teach basic firearm safety classes to kids, adults, and cats
- Wannabe Competitor – Has recently dipped his toes into competitive shooting and has happily discovered an expensive hobby.
- Marine – Served five years with the infantry before transferring to the First Civ Div.