Can someone please let me in on an obvious secert.

What is it latetly with these huge caliber pistols. The last two times I've been to Bill's some guy is banging off anti aircraft rounds through a 500 or 480 pistol. What is the appeal of these things, especially indoors.

I could understand if they could actually hit something but everyone I see shooting them seems to be all over the place. The guy today was shooting the 500 at like 5 yards and did not hit the paper every time. The guy had wrist supports to shoot this monster. And get this, I was almost in tears laughing, it was also gold tone. Can you say pimp my pistol.

I'm all for variety, I mean I have a 9, 22, 38 special, 38 super, 40, and a 45 but this latest fad I just do not get.

Not to mention that it makes for a very, very, very unpleasant experience for everyone else at the range! Those things are just too big and loud to be shooting indoors in the crowded ranges around here IMHO.

It's the old "Mine is bigger than yours" syndrome. I can see the hand cannon for carry in Alaska bear country but in MN it's overkill and probably fosters bad shooting habits like flinching.

I'm no recoil wuss but for general hunting use I think the .44 mag is plenty big enough. I've never had a deer complain that I shot him with a mouse gun.

Actually, the most pleasant shooting guns are the .38/357's and .45's. Even the long barrel .44 mags aren't much fun to shoot more than a 100 rounds or so.

"I'm all for variety, I mean I have a 9, 22, 38 special, 38 super, 40, and a 45 but this latest fad I just do not get."
It looks to me like you get it just fine. You just haven't dug deep enough into your pockets.
I'm not certain about the flintching issue,my brother in law has 357 that has more felt recoil than my 50 caliber.

P.S. Yes,I'm the only one on my block with a brushed stainless Desert Eagle in 50 caliber. Yes I can stay on paper just fine with this.

I'd like to own a few of these beasts, and indeed miss my .44mag (very pleasant to shoot actually), but I'll agree that being in the presence of a .50 indoors is painful and makes me clear the line.

In response to MNBud, the implication that I have not spent enough is not very appropriate. Noone should be judged by how much money they spend. However the fact is, the 38 super is a full custom race gun and trust me I could have had 3 of those hand cannons for what it set me back. In fact the new EMP I bought today today for the wife would have gotten me one too.

I would not put the 44 in the same league as these others. I've shot in the lane next to both and I can be next to the 44 all day. The others however actaully are painful and actually deter some shooters. I've seen people leave because of these things.

Maybe we can convince the ranges to setup hand cannon hour and they can all blast the daylights out of each other instead of us.

I had the misfortune of being at a range when a couple guys had an S&W 500 in the next lane to my right. I could feel the concussion go right through me each time it fired. The flame went halfway to the target. The blast knocked one of our targets half off its hangar. The guys were apologetic and nice enough folks, but it was almost more than I could take to shoot with them there. That said, at the cost of ammunition, they didn't shoot much.

I had a 9mm and I felt so inadequate!!!!

its compensation.

like the guy with F350 dual cab, dualie pick up who works as a tax accountant and "needs" it to haul his 16 foot larson to the lake.

Or the guy who needs a 700 cc four wheeler to get the 200 yards to his stand.


or the attorney who dons harley leathers and rumbles around on sunny weekend afternoons thinking he is BAD....


Or like the indians say... BIG truck=LITTLE man

Pretty slippery slope when WE start evaluating others NEEDs.

Maybe it is just not proper to defend a purchase because I WANTED IT! - so some people defend it with any old NEED... although, I've never personally had this problem... I have this because I wanted it!

Mostly-

Bingo............


"Oh, but it doesn't affect hunting......."
Giuliani: Gun Control Helped Lower Crime.



.

If you can pay for it and tolerate it - go for it.

Needs vs. Wants - I really would like a 460 - I shot one and found it pleasant. the 500 OTOH - not pleasant for me to shoot.

The 460 seems to be a good long range caliber - but for me a 44 is the way to go.

"Oh the big boom scares me!"



Seriously though - the 460 is a lot of fun to shoot. You really owe it to yourself to try it. It's much nicer than a 454 or even some 44's.

The big boomers are great for big game hunting and maybe even more importantly, they are fun. Rollercoasters have no practical value and cost a ton of money, but they are amusing.

Maybe they ARE compensating for other 'shortcommings'. Plenty of that these days. But they're free do to do so, and it's their money.

Having said that, it strikes me as rude to deploy the artillery on a crowded range. Pick a slow day and let the range meister know before your lane is assigned.

Just because you can doesn't always mean you should.

And as for analyzing the wants/needs of others....well, we have a fairly lengthy thread in one of the forums on Nancy Pelosi's airplane in which many have weighed in--analyzing her wants/needs.

Me? I neither want nor need a hand cannon. If others are willing to put up with the expense, the weight and the recoil from one, cool. Bill's South has a nice little area with tables and chairs where I can sit and have a Coke and chat with the staff until the artillery leaves.

I think it is great that we all have different tastes in weaponry. I like diversity. What I like or dislike personally should not limit another's choice in firearms. I wouldn't want all of you to be limited to shooting Sigs, although it would be a good choice.