Give up the long guns???

rifles and don't forget shotguns.

since the age of 14 or so. I am 73 now and have hunted with a rifle some over the years. It was rare. I am thinking of doing it more. Really like my .30-30 Trapper!

12. I was born and raised in South Texas near Corpus Christi and always had a rifle somewhere near to hand. I did not get into handgun hunting for real until I found Gary's website and corresponded with him. I was going to Alaska and was in the outback where I needed something I could carry and still move around with portable electronic equipment. He made a 510 GNR Hunter from a 44 mag superhlackhawk and I was hooked! I am now 75 and the strength in my hands is somewhat less than it used to be so I have been using a rifle more but I still carry one of my GNR calibers when I go out hunting. I like to fly fish as well but my hands are not able to do the fine work to tie a fly anymore. Getting old is not for the faint of heart. I really admire both John Taffin and Jim Taylor for being able to do all the handgun work they do as well as Gary for being able to keep up putting out the works of handgun art he does daily.

a rifle is when I hunt in a country that does not allow handguns. I hunt the Arctic Circle from time to time up in north eastern Canada in Quebec/Labrador where no handguns are allowed. In those situations I have used a custom Ruger #1 in 45-70 for my 2 caribou and a Drilling (3 barreled gun) in 9.3 X 74, 16 gauge and 22 Magnum. I took my 2 caribou with the 9.3, an Arctic Fox with the 22 Magnum and Ptarmigan with the 16 gauge.

If I hunt Australia and New Zealand again, due to their no handgun rules I will have to use a rifle but right now I have no idea which rifle I will use. I have 5 screws holding my right shoulder on so I will have to be very picky as to the caliber. I really like the 275 Rigby I built for Colleen for Africa but I will have to see when the time comes.

If you play golf you know it takes a set. I have different guns for different applications....including handguns and rifles. Fit the tool to the application. I can't see doing away with the long gun for my situation and circumstances. YMMV.

I like night hunting so night vision optics don't mate up with handguns very well. So a .308 fits nicely for that. I use a rifle for tree rats and a shotgun for rabbits, pheasant and quail. Daytime hogs and deer, within handgun ranges, the proper handgun and cartridge pair will do fine. It's a toolbox. Nighttime and longer ranges use rifle. Quick critters use the shotgun (rabbits and birds). That leaves daytime and short range; enter the handguns. Hang on to your rifles. What you think you'll never use today may change downstream. I attempted to sell a .338 WinMag twice because it was overkill for deer. 10 years later I took it to Africa and killed 8 animals with it. Four years ago I took it to Alaska for a brown bear hunt. Things change.

But I never gave it up. Just always seem to take a handgun when I hunt. I still hunt birds with a shotgun.

And Rem 7400 30/06 for hog hunting at night with night scope/ thermal.
Handguns during the day.

Sean

the different flavors of handguns and rifle. I’ll hunt with whatever strikes my fancy. I haven’t been hunting since 20015, lady time I went to HHC. Funds don’t permit, so I shoot everyweek knowing that things will get better.

I’m interested in trying my double rifle in 9.3x74r and my Rem model 88 in 300sav. I also have a pre-64 win 94 that I’d like to try. My 429GNR could use some hunting love as does my 356gnr, or my 475lb. Or, my 6.5 Grendel or....

I have been hunting with nothing but a handgun for about 20 years and I gave up shooting rifles altogether 10 years ago. Mostly that was due to having a bad back, the rifles just beat me up, but handguns don't bother my back at all.