I picked up a later Model 19 (not P&R) with a 6" barrel not too long ago. I also picked up a new 2x Burris handgun scope super cheap. I'm thinking about using a Weaver mount scope base and this scope to deer hunt with the handgun. I'll probably use a heavier bullet such as a 180 gr XTP.
Am I going to have problems with this set up?
Any suggestions of what to do or not to do?
Thanks for your help!

First, you'll need to know if your model 19 has been tapped with the latest pattern for mounting a handgun rail. This was implemented in about 1993 and it's pretty easy to spot. Open the cylinder and look at the underside of the top strap. If you see 3 holes, it's been drilled and tapped to the newer rail mounting pattern and any S&W base of recent manufacture will mount right up.

If it's not been drilled and tapped, you can either have it drilled and tapped to the new pattern or use a mounting rail that clamps on the top strap and uses 2 of the sideplate mounting screws. When I purchased my 1992 vintage 617 it came with an Aimetech sideplate mount that worked well. However, if was also pretty ugly and quite bulky, so I've drilled and tapped my 617 to the new pattern using a milling machine and a #6-48 tap.

Now, some issues that I have discovered with using a rail mounted optical sight on a revolver. One is what I call Convergence. Using a mounting rail puts the sight well above the axis of the barrel and as a result the gun will become more sensitive to the distance to the target. On my 617, the effect of this convergence is that it will shoot about 4 inches low at 25 feet when it's sighted in at 100 feet. A full 2 1/4 inches of that drop is due to the offset of the sight from the axis of the barrel, I suspect the remainder is due to the bullet drop of the 22LR 100 feet out. Quite simply, I need to spend a lot more time in determining the optimum sighting distance for my 617 in order to compensate for the offset of the sight from the barrel. With your 357 Magnum, drop won't be as much of an issue as it is with my 22LR, however you do need to be aware that large offest will require that you put in the time to get the gun sighted in so that it's useable at a range of distances. Find a 50 yard range that is well marked for distance and take some graph paper so that you can chart what happens to your POI when it's zeroed in at a particular distance. Ideally, for a Deer, you'll want to keep you POI within 3 inches of the sight at any range you'll be hunting at. In addition, if your scope has a graduated reticle, you'll also want to take notes on which graduation to use at specific distances and laminate that note card for carry in the field. It takes a good well placed shot with the 357 Magnum to insure a clean kill on a Deer so make every effort to insure you can do that.

BTW, my Deer Pistol is a model 610 that wears a J Point direct mount Reflex sight. With the mount, sight, and shipping that's about a 375 dollar investment. However, IMO it was worth every penney spent because it allows the sight to sit pretty low on the gun. As a result, the 610 shoots within 1 inch of Aim from 25 feet all the way out to 125 feet. This means I can put the dot on the kill zone and be sure of a good hit as long as I do my part correctly.

You are also going to find out your limit of accuracy when shooting from a support. Make sure that you only shoot within your limit of accuracy. On an average sized Deer, the safe kill zone is only about 6 inches in diameter when using a handgun and some will probably say that 6 inches will leave you with some tracking to do. Personally, I won't take a shot if the deer is outside of my 4 inch limit, which with the 610 is about 40 yards from a good solid support. Point is, for most of us a handgun is a short range gun, not something to be used at longer ranges. IMO, you are probably going to find that a 2 X scope is not an ideal choice for a Deer Hunting Hangun, you'll probably find a Red Dot or Reflex sight is better suited at the ranges where you can cleanly take a deer. However, you'll have to make that decision for yourself, you may me much steadier from a support than I am. BTW, I pattern at a minimum of 12 shots, not 3 or 4. Don't cheap on ammo when your shooting for pattern, shoot enough so youu can be sure of what you and your gun can do. Yeah, I've read about Elmer Kieth and his 300 yard kill. However, I believe that only an idiot would attempt a shot at that range with a handgun, it's just too long to insure a clean kill. He had a much higher likellyhood of a foul shot or clean miss and shouldn't have take that shot, it was irresponsible.

Finally, you will find out pretty quickly that 6 inch barrel will make your model 19 rather sensitive to recoil management. The bullet will spend enough time in the barrel that you'll have to put in the range time to become consistent in how you manage the muzzle flip. My 610 has a 6 1/2 inch barrel and I found this out by putting in the hours bench shooting it. I've also experminted with a variety of recoil control methods and have seen the effect of recoil management with a long barreled handgun. In particular, if I sandbag the barrel and let it flip free without much effort on holding the muzzle down, the 610 will shoot a full 6 inches higher at 100 feet than if I control the muzzle rise. Point is, you have to choose a method for controlling recoil, practice that method, and also choose a method that you can use in the field. In my case I fully manage the recoil by resting the butt of the gun and keep the barrel clear of any support. Bottomline, plan on putting at least 500 rounds of your hunting load downrange before you can actually hunt with your gun, it is NOT as easy as using a rifle.

WOW. looks like a lot of good information. Excellent post.
Tom

scooter123;
Good post. However, there are a couple of things I would like to comment on. Elmer Keith's long shot (600 yards on a deer) was taken on a wounded animal that was about to get away. It was NOT irresponsible. If that had been a first shot, it WOULD have been irresponsible.

I have taken a number of deer with a scoped .44 Magnum. You are absolutely correct that good sportsmanship requires us (all of us) to determine our SURE distance. Any animal deserves nothing but a GOOD hit.

My hunting buddy and I would shoot as many as 2500 shots of nearly full house .44 Magnum ammo in the weeks leading up to deer season. We also shot at 25, 50, 75, and 100 yards from field positions. Our standard load for hunting was the 250 gr Keith bullet ahead of H110. My practice load was slightly under my hunting load to make it easier on the handgun (1200 fps) and my hunting load was loaded at 1300 fps (chronographed velocities).

I determined to my satisfaction that a volley ball sized area was a good kill zone with the .44. I used many 9" pie plates setting up that scenerio. My take is my longest distance on deer in the field would be any distance that I could make 100% of the time with field positions.

I have one deer kill at 85 yards (resting the back of my hand against a tree) and one at 75 yards (standing unsupported). All of the rest were killed at MUCH closer ranges (one was only ten yards away). My "thing" is to see how close I can get to a deer before shooting, not how far away I can shoot a deer.

Here is my first choice as a "deer gun":



Dale53

Dale53&Scooter123
I agree,I believe with a handgun you should at least try to think like a bowhunter.

I am a bowhunter. I keep all of my handgun shots to fifty yards or less (same distance as when I bowhunt). I use open sights on both my "deer guns". I like to keep life simple. Oh, IMO a Model 19 is almost too "handsome" as is to put a scope on.... just my opinion.

I have every intention of dropping the deer where it stands when I shoot.
Hopefully right next to an open area where I can back my truck up to it.
Where I'm planning on hunting the shot will be around 25 to 30 yards. I shoot every so often at distances to 200 yards on a silhouette range but under no circumstances would I even consider shooting at a deer at 50 yards.
Scoping the handgun is just another avenue in handgun shooting for me. I believe it's worth trying at least once.

Go for it!