Selling Hunting Handguns
Looking for ways to promote the sport of handgun hunting and increase revenue? Keeping these five key points in mind will help buyers better understand why owning a hunting handgun makes sense.
By Brad Fitzpatrick
Many hunters cannot identify the moment when they fell in love with the sport, but I know exactly when and where my passion for handgun hunting began. I was in south Texas chasing whitetails and Ruger’s Paul Pluff (who was working for Smith & Wesson/Thompson Center at the time) convinced me to try to fill my deer tag using a single-shot T/C Contender in .44 Magnum. I had my misgivings about chasing whitetails with a short-range weapon, but after a session at the range I felt confident that I could cleanly harvest a whitetail at 50 yards from a solid rest. Paul warned me that handgun hunting was addictive and hinted that if I was successful on that hunt that I would want to continue hunting with a handgun.
I did harvest a management buck on that hunt, and Paul was correct that handgun hunting gets into your blood. And while I haven’t given up on long guns entirely, I do own several hunting handguns now and, when the opportunity arises, I take them to the field to hunt deer, hogs, and other game. Since that afternoon in Texas I’ve hunted deer and pigs with a handgun for ten years and am as enthusiastic about the sport now as I have ever been.
Paul Pluff had an easy time converting me to a handgun hunter because I had an opportunity to try the sport for myself, but it can be difficult to convince new gun buyers to take up the mantle of handgun hunting without experience in the field. The following five points will help you convince customers that hunting big game with a pistol or revolver is worth a try.
Handguns Are Effective Hunting Tools
It can be difficult to convince customers that they aren’t sacrificing their chances of success when hunting big game with a handgun. And while it’s true that most handguns aren’t designed to perform at the same extreme ranges as scope-sighted centerfire rifles, handguns are surprisingly capable and effective hunting tools. Time on the range is necessary to become proficient with a handgun, but with a steady rest and a seasoned shooter most .44 Magnum revolvers with an optic are effective to 100 yards, and hotter cartridges like the .454 Casull and .460 S&W Magnum can extend that range considerably in the hands of a practiced shooter. Modern bolt-action handguns with variable power scopes, such as Nosler’s Model 48 Custom Handgun, can extend that range to 200 yards or more if conditions are favorable.
Two hundred yards may not seem like a great distance, but bear in mind that a high percentage of shots on whitetail deer and hogs are under 100 yards. I’ve found that suitable handguns in the 10mm/.44 Magnum/.454 Casull class are more than enough to kill big bucks and feral hogs at moderate ranges, and the massive shock transferred by big bullets at rather modest velocities has an immediate impact on game. My personal maximum effective range with a handgun is 100 yards (less a measure of the capabilities of the firearm than my own), but I have never had a deer or hog run more than 25 yards after being hit. My friend and fellow writer Mark Hampton, who probably has more experience hunting big game with a handgun than any living person, collected all 29 North American big-game species using a handgun, a testament to the effectiveness of these weapons.
Handguns Offer Advantages Over Long Guns
So, handguns aren’t as limited in their performance potential as one might imagine, but do they actually offer any advantages? The answer is yes. One of the primary benefits of hunting with a holstered handgun is that your hands remain free and you aren’t as unbalanced as when carrying a long gun slung over your shoulder. When hunting whitetails or hogs in dense cover you can stalk quietly without snagging a barrel on branches or brush, and a handgun in a chest holster is much less physically taxing to carry than a long gun on the shoulder.
Hunting with a handgun also allows me to tuck into minimal cover and get ready to shoot without waving a long barrel in the air and scaring game. Still hunting and rattling deer is one of my favorite pursuits, and it’s easy to drop the antlers and secure the handgun for shooting. Having your hands free is also a major advantage on some hunts, specially when hunting bears and cats with hounds. Even a big-bore revolver or semi-auto is lighter and shorter than most rifles, and those hunts typically require a lot of climbing and walking in rugged country where having both hands free is beneficial.
Scoped Big-Bore Revolvers Aren’t the Only Option
There’s nothing wrong with big-bore wheel guns (my own go-to whitetail gun, in fact, is a Ruger Super Redhawk with a scope), but these guns are built specifically for hunting and many new buyers aren’t willing to shell out a grand or more for a niche gun that they probably won’t shoot much outside hunting season. However, we shouldn’t narrow the definition of “hunting handguns” to .44 revolvers. There are lots of red-dot-ready 10mm semi-auto pistol options, and they all make effective whitetail and pig guns at moderate ranges. That same 10mm, when loaded with mild loads, is equally effective for personal defense and makes a fun range gun for shooters who can handle its recoil. Thompson/Center’s convertible Encore and G2 Contender firearms allow buyers to purchase a long gun and then transform it to a hunting handgun. If they try handgun hunting and don’t enjoy it, they can convert their gun to a centerfire rifle.
Rimfires make great hunting handguns, too. Rimfire guns are fun to shoot, and accurate revolvers and semi-auto pistols are affordable. Small-game hunting opportunities abound, and many buyers are more willing to chase squirrels and rabbits with a handgun than deer and pigs. If they do, there’s a good chance they’ll decide to try chasing big game as well.
Hunting Handguns Are a Solid Investment
In 1957 a Smith & Wesson carried an SRP of $135. Adjusted for inflation, that’s about $1,400, which is the average selling price of these guns today. If you purchased a Ruger Redhawk for the asking price of $325 in 1982, it would be worth close to $1,000, which is also on par with inflation.
Buying firearms as an investment can be a complicated and speculative business, as is all investing (just ask anyone who purchased cryptocurrency in recent months). But one thing is clear: a well-cared-for, quality hunting handgun will hold and even increase its value. The goal of all investing is to own something that increases in value, as have both these guns. Even if you did purchase one of the above guns years ago and took them hunting only once and then left them in a safe for the next few decades your investment would have kept pace with inflation. And you’ll almost certainly get more enjoyment from owning a firearm than sitting on a mutual fund.
The Challenge of Handgun Hunting Makes It Rewarding
Handgun hunting is indeed challenging, but many hunters are seeking a new challenge. How many experienced hunters switch from a 12 gauge to a 28 gauge or a compound bow to a recurve? They don’t do this because it’s easier, but rather because they are looking for a new way to enjoy their time in the woods. So it goes with handgun hunters. Unless they own a highly specialized handgun and practice religiously they will not be able to kill a whitetail at 300 yards, but perhaps they’ve killed lots of whitetails at 300 yards with a rifle and want to try something new. If so, hunting with handguns is ideal.
In truth, that’s why I continue to hunt with a handgun. It’s not easy to get close to whitetails on foot or on the ground. Hunting with a handgun transports me back to my first experiences hunting deer—the quickening of the heart, the thrill of getting close to the animal. Interestingly, I’ve noticed that antler size matters less to me while hunting with a handgun than it did when I hunted with a rifle. It’s more about the experience than the firearm platform, and ultimately that’s the real reason handgun hunters enjoy the sport. It’s difficult to explain that to someone who has never tried handgun hunting why it’s so addictive, and convincing someone to purchase a firearm that, admittedly, makes it more difficult to fill their tag is admittedly a hard sell. However, I am forever grateful that someone nudged me toward handgun hunting. And, as it turns out, Paul was right—handgun hunting is indeed addictive.