By Chris Rhodes
Handgun hunting is my passion. I pursue every manner of game from tiny vermin to big game with a handgun. There is something special to me about carrying a fine revolver, pistol, or single shot into the field.
For a couple decades I built custom hunting handguns for people across the United States. From revolvers, 10mm 1911, and single shots in rifle chamberings and those guns were used around the world to take game. My customers were looking for the best handgun for the job since they were stepping into rifle season while limiting themselves. Just like them I became accustomed to hunting with a perfectly tuned firearm. I was already limiting myself by leaving the rifle at home; may as well have what advantage I can otherwise.
Roughly three years ago that all changed for my customers and I. I retired from custom gunsmithing even though the phone never stopped ringing. Customers would reach out wanting to know where to go for their next custom, but so many pistol smiths had retired.
I began searching for an out of the box option. Something that did not need to be tuned by a gunsmith. I started with a couple well-known single action type revolvers and those performed well for me. But, from my professional background I knew that many people found a single action grip more difficult to shoot. Double action grip designs tend to be easier for most to shoot accurately.
Let's fast forward to the Shot Show two years ago. I was wandering around Shot Show soliciting sponsors for my match, Handgun Hunter’s Competition, and as I rounded a corner my eyes became fixed on a target. There was a gun company I had never heard of with glass cases full of revolvers. In the background was a logo where I could clearly read “Made in Germany.” As if a hook and line were in my mouth I was pulled into the booth.
Before long I had one of these revolvers in my hands as they were talking about the features. I was focused on the revolver as my eyes dissected the gun. I could hear the words over my own thoughts though. Phrases that included “No MIM parts”, “Machined from barstock”, and “Drilled and tapped for S&W optics mounts” were not missed by my ears. I ordered a Spohr revolver on the spot!
My first Spohr was at my FFL in just a couple weeks. I ordered the Spohr 286 Competition in 357 magnum. The 357 is an excellent hunting cartridge capable of taking deer size game cleanly a whole lot farther than the internet will have you believe. The 357 is one of my all-time favorite multipurpose cartridges. This is due to its inherent accuracy and vast plethora of factory ammo and reloading components.
Now the clock was ticking since my first ever exotics hunt was booked, and I wanted to get this gun in the field. I mounted an Ultra-dot Gen2 30mm optic and headed for the range. I did some initial testing with a favorite 158 Hornady XTP handload and was impressed. Roughly 1 inch at 50 yards is nothing to scoff at for a handgun.
At this time, I was also working on a mono metal bullet review and I had to try some Cutting Edge Bullets in the Spohr. I selected the 105 grain Handgun Raptor loaded over a heavy dose of Ramshot Enforcer powder. The velocity and accuracy were very good, so I went ahead and established my zero and practiced with the combination.
As stated, I had never been on a exotics hunt before, thus I did not know what to expect. I prepared for the hunt just like I would for hunting in my home state of Wyoming. Once I arrived, I was pleased to see just how large this ranch was. It was several thousand acres with just a perimeter fence.
On this hunt I took four animals. An axis buck, axis doe, black buck, and a ram. The farthest shot was about 80 yards and all the animals dropped with just one shot from the Spohr 357. The Cutting-Edge Bullets did an outstanding job delivering terminal performance showing that bullet weight isn’t everything.
Following the quick hunting success with the Spohr I then dove into my other passion, competition shooting. Of course I used the revolver in my match, Handgun Hunter’s Competition, but I also began shooting Action Pistol matches with it.
HHC places the competition in simulated hunting scenarios. The courses of fire demand both accuracy and precision from realistic field shooting positions. I look at it like a long weekend of marksmanship training for the handgun hunter.
Action pistol is a well-established NRA and CMP competition. The most famous match is the Bianchi Cup. The various courses of fire really push the accuracy requirements and tighten down the time limit. The targets look easy until that timer goes off!
Competition is a great tool that I use to enhance my marksmanship skills for the hunt.
For 2025 Spohr had a new gun on the market that is chambered in the king of the hill cartridge for the handgun hunter; 44 magnum. I was lucky enough to receive the first Spohr 44 magnum in the USA. Spohr had sent it to me for testing in the field, but it was bitter sweet. A good friend and fellow writer had plans for that 44. Mark Hampton who wrote for American Handgunner wanted to take that gun to Africa but sadly he passed away a short time before its release.
Unlike the Spohr 357, the 44 came in with ample time for me to prepare for the season. I once again mounted up an Ultradot optic, this time their new reflex, the Prime XT. I did some initial accuracy testing with a 240 Hornady XTP handload but then shifted to my proven load with the 200 grain Cutting Edge Bullets Handgun Raptor. Accuracy out of the Spohr 44 did not disappoint.
In June my draw results came out for Wyoming. I did not draw everything I hoped but I did draw antelope after a long period without doing so. The anticipation was high as I headed into this fall season. I managed to take both an antelope buck and a mule deer buck with the revolver. If you have ever hunted either one in the prairie of Wyoming, you know how difficult it can be to get close to them in rifle season on public ground.
My antelope was 50 yards and my mule deer was just under 100 yards. Both dropped in their tracks when shot with the 44 magnum and Cutting-Edge Bullets.
I wasn’t the only one taking game with a Spohr in 2025. A couple of fellow hunters I talk to had success in the deer woods. Adam Miller’s son Boe took his first revolver animal with a Spohr 357 magnum. One shot at 45 yards with Federal 158 factory ammo made quick work of this deer.
Mark Klett broke in his new Spohr 44 magnum with a 162 grain Bear Creek Ballistics Bullet. With that bullet screaming out of the muzzle it made short work at 30 yards.
Last but not least, my wife Jessica took her first revolver antelope this year. She used her Spohr 28 Series 357 magnum and a 140 grain Cutting Edge Bullet. At 85 yards I watched that critter drop like a sack of potatoes at the crack of the shot.
When you decide to step into the field with a handgun during rifle season you are placing yourself at a disadvantage. I want to make sure that even though I am limiting myself that I have the best tool available for the job when I do get in range. Shooting perfection stems from not only marksmanship, but the gear you take into the field. Accuracy is final, and accuracy matters.
