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Usually, in the shooting community, there are two types of people. The first are the people who love big bore handguns either for hunting or just a range gun. The second are the people who see zero purposes to big bore handguns. Big bore handguns can be intimidating but once people shoot them, they usually can see the appeal.
The Great Parts of a Big Bore Handgun
Out of everything to shoot for enjoyment, the big bore handgun is one of the best ways to put a smile on your face. Not everyone feels comfortable shooting larger caliber handguns and that’s alright. They are some of the loudest guns to fire and are usually a conversation starter at the range. I’ve met some great people at the range by shooting one of my larger caliber handguns. Naturally, they walk over and want to chat about it and shoot them.
It’s something that most shooters want to stop and check out because it’s not a regular sight at the range. Big bore handguns naturally make people smile. They are extremely powerful and tend to have a good amount of recoil when the rounds go off. People love how shooting these guns feel like an event. Shooting large caliber handguns is completely different from shooting self-defense handguns, and can be a nice change from regular range trips.
The Worst Parts of Big Bore Handguns
Shooting huge guns like the Smith & Wesson 500 and Desert Eagle 50 AE can be an amazing experience. They’re great fun to shoot, but it’s not a lot of fun to pay for when the ammo bill shows up. Typically, ammo is very expensive to buy from stores or online for large caliber handguns. If you don’t reload your ammo at home when shooting large caliber handguns, it’s going to get expensive quick. The massive amount of recoil can also be an issue for some people.
I let a family friend shoot my Smith & Wesson 500 magnum once to see how it feels. She shot it twice and couldn’t believe how much recoil was associated with the handgun and then said it hurt her hand afterwards. We all went home and I got a call the next day. It was my friend and apparently, she had a fractured wrist from the recoil. I felt terrible but it’s something to keep in mind when shooting larger handguns.
My Thoughts on Large Handguns
Large handguns are great for hunting or taking to the range occasionally. I usually take handguns I carry to the range, but every once in a while I will take out a large handgun just to enjoy shooting them and enjoy the overall experience. They are expensive to shoot and heavy, but the overall experience is unlike anything else and I love them. I would probably look at the Smith and Wesson 460 or something similar because it can shoot other calibers that cost less. I own a few different large caliber handguns and I wouldn’t sell them for anything. They may be expensive and overly heavy to carry, but they are a special experience to shoot. They always put a smile on my face and I wouldn’t change it for the world. If you guys have a favorite large caliber handgun let me know in the comments below. Stay safe out there.
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