Sighting in a revolver

[GSP4EVER]

I have recently purchased a Taurus 608 357 mag with 6 1/2 barrel. It has ajustable sights. I am planning on using this deer hunting this year, and plan on using the iron sights this year. Will probably have it scoped next year. Im not expecting to get anymore than 50-75 yards out of it and dont intend to use it any farther than that. My question is what should be my starting distance for sighting it in the iron sights and the scope. Right out of the box I was 3" right at 20 yards and dead center at 21 feet. This will be my first attempt at hunting with a hand gun. Any suggestions ot tips from prior expierence would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Mike

[picksbigwagon]

I have the model 66 taurus in 357 and maybe to save yourself some grief, start sighting it in with 38 specials, they are cheaper and you can shoot them longer. I would start by sighting in at 25 yards, put it about 1" high and get it zero'd at that point. Then move your target back to 50 yards and dig out the Magnums. I have had the best luck with the hornady Leverevolution rounds. Last summer I had it zero'd in at 50 yards off the sand bags and when I stood up, I hit an 8" steel plate 5 out of 6 shots standing free hand. I have yet to shoot a deer with my 357 but my personal longest shot will be 50 yards when that time comes....Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I was shooting a buddies 454 Casall that had a scope on it a few weeks ago. I didn't like it, too much moving my head around to get the sight window right. If it was me, I would do a red dot sight. That 454 cured me of ever wanting a super magnum hand cannon. My next one will have to be a 1911 style chambered in 10mm or a 10mm S&W revolver.......

[GSP4EVER]

Thanks picks,

I ll have to look for some 38s. This has a ported barrel so there is very little recoil compared to some of the other 357s Ive shot. I already bought some of those hornady rounds and I got some of the Federal Fusion. When I was shopping around for a pistol, I had considered the 10mm but I could only find a Glock.

[picksbigwagon]

Well there is nothing wrong with a glock....I have found a couple at Gander MT used in the 400 dollar range and have had a hard time walking away. A friend has one in the sub compact model and I don't like shooting it because it is sooooo small. I just need to find a 10mm in a 1911 for 400 bucks.....that and monkeys will be flying out of my bigwagon

[NaturesRespect]

i have sighted and hunted a deagle .50ae scoped and we start at 25 yards to get on paper then move up to 50 and maybe 100 but not likley my uncle sights his S&W 460 mag scoped with a laser boresight then sights the red dot mounted on the scope at 50 yards then sights the scope at 100 yards and sometimes he will shoot it at 200 yards for fun and it actually can hit bulls.....

start at 25 and work up to 50

the area we hunt is handgun shotgun only and the deer we see are usually 30-80 yards out since the land is very hilly and alot of trees but if your hunting a rifle zone id bring a rifle for backup since if its a rifle zone the area is probobly more open and trees are more dispersed

[GSP4EVER]

Thanks Natures respect. I have tried sighting it in using iron sights. I was at 25 yards and shooting all over the place. Not paying attention to the ammo was where I think I went wrong. After about 45 rounds my dad said I should use something heavier. Sure enough I was using 110 grain bullets. Im going to start over tomorrow with some 158 grain. Ill be using this in both the rifle zone NW of Alexandria and Southern MN near Winnebago.

[mwal]

Sight in with 158 grn rounds as a minimum for deer. I took a buck at 18 yards with the Federal Fusion 158 grn round. I sighted in with a sandbag rest and target at 25 yards. My personal max is 50 yards with iron sights. I may try red dot some day.

Mwal

[Ralph Wiggum]

I have recently purchased a Taurus 608 357 mag with 6 1/2 barrel.

Please let me know how you like it after you shoot it for a bit. Been considering a .357 mag and was wondering how the Taurus stacks up to the S&W and Rugers.

[GSP4EVER]

Thanks Mwal. I was thinking of a red dot also over the scope. I havent decided yet. I think about it over the winter. The Fusion rounds are my choice also for hunting.

Raplh, I chose the Taurus mostly because of the way the grips felt when I held it. Second thing was the ported barrel. I have never shot a full sized revolver before this in this caliber, so I didnt know what to expect for recoil. Some people say its not that bad and some say its too much. The reason I went with 357 is beacuse Im already buying the ammo for my lever rifle. If the rifle would have been 44 mag, the revolver would have been the same. It was a toss up between this and the Taurus Tracker. I have a Tracker in 17 hmr and love it. I went with the 608 for its 8 shot cylinder. Why? I dont know, 2 extra round. But in a hunting scenario, if I cant hit what im shooting at with the first six, I probably shouldnt be shooting at it, right. Now that Ive put about 150 round through it, I am happy with it. I have about 1 3/4 -2" groups at 50 yards with Iron sights. Very little recoil. As far as comparing to Ruger or S&W. i cant give you a good and honest answer other than the way it felt in the store. I have never shot either of the the other brands. My second choice would have been a Ruger.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Thanks, Flock. I've shot a Ruger GP100. Very nice gun. Glad to hear that you like the Taurus, as well. Now, I just need to convince my wife that a .357 is necessary

[Dbl]

I might be able to help some I've been using my handgun for deer hunting the last 7 years. I agree it is a good plan to start out at about 25 yards to get on the paper. Mine was then set to be 0" at 50 yards. A good solid rest is very important to help minimize any accuracy issues due to your shooting technique.

I have shot 5 deer in the last 7 years and my longest shot was at 43 yards with a walking deer. All were one shot kills. I noted someone mentioned a red dot. Mine has been equipped with a red dot since day one. Keep in mind the red dot provides no magnification like a scope will so it really is no aid to taking longer shots except for the dot being easier to keep on the deer as opposed to iron sights because you have no part of the barrel and sight covering any part of the deer. The size of the dot in the scope also makes a difference. The other advantage for me is the ability to keep both eyes open easier with the red dot. It becomes considerably easier to track the deer and put a good shot on target.

My personal distance was 50 yards until a few years ago and I moved that out to 75 yards with 100 yards on a standing deer. Keep in mind this is after constant practice through out the years and actually shooting those distances. This is the one big difference you will note coming from a rifle. The need to PRACTICE! You can not expect to shoot a few rounds before the season and be good to go when hunting begins like we often did with rifles. Shooting a handgun with accuracy is very dependent on practice. I actually started competitive shooting as a way to improve my skills with my deer pistol. I have shot 5000 rounds alone this summer, only a few with my actual deer handgun but the skills translate.

There are a few other considerations you should think about. How you will carry the handgun, ear protection, if you use a red dot how you will get that on and if you have a back up if the battery fails, will you have gloves on and things of that nature.

I use a bandoleer cross chest holster because I have a red dot scope. The weight on your hip would be too much plus the draw while sitting with heavy hunting clothes on would be difficult. I have a permit to carry so that I can strap the gun on and throw my hunting coat on over that with out having any question on whether I have a concealed weapon. I won't go into that debate, I just got the permit to not have ANY question.

Hearing protection is more problematic for me. The first year I shot a deer I carried no ear protection...big mistake. A .44 mag going off is VERY loud. My ears rang for a day after that. I now use electronic muffs that I keep above my ears or around my neck. If I see or hear a deer I then put them in position and switch them on. Not easy but it does work.

The red dot I carry I keep switched off until I am going to use it. I switch it on when I see a deer or every hour or so to make sure it is working. I carry a spare battery in my pocket to keep it warm.

I wear bike gloves with gel in the palm when I shoot in the summer. This helps with two things, the recoil of the 44 and it simulates shooting during the season with gloves on. It does make a difference in grip so you should practice how you will shoot during the season.

You can see there are a few things you have to do silently and with minimal movement, ears on, sight on, draw from holster, cock the hammer. I would urge you to practice with a stand if you use it doing those very same things and get a routine down. You can do that with out firing, the process is good to get in your muscle memory. It would also pay to practice at the range to get comfortable shooting from a stand.

I hope I provided a bit of useful advice based on my experiences and many mistakes. Bottom line is I will never shot a deer again with a rifle, I am hooked for life on the challenge of handgun hunting.

Here is my gun that I photographed a few months back and made a little poster out of it with my handgun specs.

[Tator2k]

I used an 8" Colt Python for a few years before upgrading to a Ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter. Even though you can hunter will almost anything you want now, I wouldn't recommend even a .357 for white tail. It's mostly because of distance of where I hunt.

I'm sighted in at 100yds with a fixed 4x scope.