Handgun Hunting for Small GameHandgun hunting for small game can be both challenging and rewarding. For years I have hunted with a handgun for rabbits, grouse, and varmints. Being able to walk without packing a long gun makes for a much more enjoyable hike. Since moving to Colorado and not having the stiff handgun control we had in New York I feel free to take my handguns everywhere I go on public land. Out west most everyone has firearms when they are in the outdoors for protection and for recreation as well it should be. Most of the time for handgun hunting I use a 357 magnum loaded with 2 or 3 158 grain lead plinker loads as well as full power 180 grain jacketed loads for protection. There are mountain lions and bear so if I have one gun I take a 357 or a 44 magnum with 300 grain magnums and 240 grain lead plinkers. This gives great versatility having something for protection as well as small game or target practice. When using a 22 pistol as a sidearm while carrying a rifle hunting big game I use CB caps made by CCI for shooting grouse with very little game spooking noise. I also use these for plinking around camp so that I don't make a lot of racket and bother the family. Lately for handgun hunting, I have grown quite fond of using pistol scopes or dot sights on some of my guns most likely because of my aging eye sight. I have a Smith & Wesson model 17-22 with a 2 power leupold scope and a dot sighted 586 Smith 357 both with 6 inch barrels that works great for small game and are very accurate which with a good rest can greatly increase your range. Semi-auto handguns are good for handgun hunting but being a reloader its hard for me to shoot out in the brush and watch my brass go flying off never to be found again, unless of course you use a rimfire of some sort. I don't believe they have the versatility of a revolver for hunting but they do carry more comfortably than a revolver. The only problem I have with a pistol scoped handgun is trying to pack it around in the holsters that I have tried. Most pistol scope holsters are worn with a shoulder harness rig that is a pain to keep taking on and off as you hike and have to remove or put on clothing throughout the day. I wound up butchering a shoulder rig so that I could wear it on my hip. So far this has worked fine. Large handguns with barrels over 6 inches require a shoulder holster for comfort. There are handguns like the Contender and Encore that shoot every bit as accurate as a rifle and are good for all game handgunning. These pistols have the benefit of handling rifle cartridges that with a good rest make hitting small targets easier at long range. By using cartridges like the 223 and handloading faster burning powders for the shorter barrels you won't be lacking much from a rifle. Handgun hunting has always been one of my favorite activities because its much harder to shoot game than with a rifle or shotgun. I always try and get closer for the shot and not spook the animal which can be a real challenge. The abundance of rabbits in open terrain and the slow moving blue grouse just make hunting with a shotgun seem like cheating by comparison. Handgun hunting varmints like prairie dogs can be a real challenge by just walking around out in the desert and trying to get close enough for good shots. I never walk directly towards them but at an angle to them so that they stay up and just watch you. This is nowhere as productive as shooting them with a rifle but a heck of a lot of fun and excellent shooting practice. A 357 loaded with 125 gr. hollow points works great for this. One thing for sure is the more they are hunted the more wary they become and harder to get near,I'm sure that comes from being at the bottom of the food chain. Lately there has been lots of controversy from animal rights groups about the shooting of these adorable little rodents but all one has to do is see the destruction they can cause to good farm land. They completely devoid huge areas of vegetation and can multiply like crazy until some disease usually wipes them out. Shooting them thins them out but it's about impossible to wipe them out. The dead are quickly consumed by magpies,ravens,coyotes,etc., so nothing goes to waste. The Colorado Division of Wildlife recently upheld its decision to continue to allow shooting of these rodents much to the dismay of animal rights groups. If these little pests lived on their property I'm sure that these same people would not be so protective of them either. I personally, feel its more humane to vaporize them quickly with a bullet from a rifle or handgun than to poison them slowly which is the other alternative. Colorado Hunting Tips
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