Humane dispatch pistol

[Tim.243]

Have shot quite a few animals with 4.10 and .32 pistol over the years- only once I had an issue with excessive mess. Shot an old Suffolk ewe with 4.10 that was on her last legs. Nice hole in top of the head. Blood came out like a fountain probably 2 Ft in the air, sheep was dead before it hit the ground. Not ideal as it was my friend’s wife’s pet sheep. We were desperately trying to clear the blood up before his wife came back. Only once I have seen this.

I showed a stockman how to despatch one of his alpacas with his .410, dropped like a stone no mess bang/done.

As Ed posted many want one because it is the closest thing to what they had before the ban or they just want one. A deer stuck in thick brambles I would take a .410 over a pistol all day as the reach with a long single .410 will slide past any brush much more than a pistol lol

 

[alberta boy]

I had a dispatch pistol for nearly 20 years ... for someone unfamiliar with pistols it would take at least 50 rounds to be a competent shot, often single handed, even at close range. Being a bloke does not mean you can just pick up a pistol and be confident and accurate ....

Just my view.

Preferably a lot more than 50 rounds . I've shot pistols competitively for over 45 years and still shoot them regularly recreationally . Pistols are the most difficult firearm to learn how to shoot effectively and require constant practice to maintain that effectiveness . If you are able to do that , I wouldn't hesitate to use a pistol . Unfortunately ,it looks to be quite difficult to do in the UK without a lot of grief . I think I'd go with a 410 or a short barreled carbine chambered in 38special/357 RM , or other pistol cartridge , if I still lived there . The carbine would probably be a little hard to justify as well, depending on the area you live in.

AB

 

[Tim.243]

Preferably a lot more than 50 rounds . I've shot pistols competitively for over 45 years and still shoot them regularly recreationally . Pistols are the most difficult firearm to learn how to shoot effectively and require constant practice to maintain that effectiveness . If you are able to do that , I wouldn't hesitate to use a pistol . Unfortunately ,it looks to be quite difficult to do in the UK without a lot of grief . I think I'd go with a 410 or a short barreled carbine chambered in 38special/357 RM , or other pistol cartridge , if I still lived there . The carbine would probably be a little hard to justify as well, depending on the area you live in.

AB

Regarding practice, with the thread being for humane despatch a lot of examples will be dark raining( people wearing glasses) holding a torch half way down a ditch and so on.
Those situations won't be practiced, yes people may well be competent but to keep that up is going full circle and require a good stock of rounds also who will be going out in the dark raining late at night to practice as in the dry and daylight it is a lot easier.

A number of times I have asked people who recommend a round of clays at the beginning of the pheasant season how can you swap that into shooting duck in the half light in a gale of wind......they never answer.

UK paper work wise a .410 is quite easy to obtain, my folding .410 went in a roll up slip when running a shoot feeding and checking the snares hardly knew it was there.