Ethics & Safety

Hunting with a handgun carries real responsibility. The handgun is harder to shoot well than a rifle, its effective range is shorter, and that combination makes discipline the most important thing a handgun hunter brings to the field. This page is the code we hold ourselves to and ask our readers to share.

Firearm safety

The basic rules never change. Treat every firearm as if it is loaded. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target and you have decided to shoot. Be certain of your target and what lies beyond it. Handgun hunting adds field positions, recoil, and excitement, all of which make muzzle and trigger discipline harder and more important. There is no substitute for qualified, in-person training.

Know and follow the law

Hunting and firearm laws vary enormously by state and country, and they change. Legal calibers, minimum cartridge requirements, legal hunting methods, seasons, tags, and where you may carry or hunt with a handgun are all set by your jurisdiction, not by us. Before every hunt, confirm the current regulations where you will be, carry the proper licenses and tags, and follow them to the letter. When in doubt, contact your state wildlife agency.

Fair chase and the clean kill

The ethic that matters most in handgun hunting is the clean, humane kill. Because the handgun is a short-range tool, you must know your effective range, the distance at which you can place every shot into the vital zone from realistic field positions, and refuse any shot beyond it. Pass the marginal shot. Practice until the shot is certain. Track diligently, recover your game, and use the meat. Fair chase means giving the animal the respect of a quick, ethical harvest, every time.

A note on this publication

Handgun Hunter’s Almanac provides general sporting and educational information. It is not legal advice, not formal firearms or hunter-education instruction, and not a substitute for hands-on training and your local regulations. We do not encourage unsafe or unlawful practices of any kind.