Believe me when I say I love Hand Cannons (namely Jewel of Osiris at the moment), but when it comes to the optimal settings for a Hand Cannon encounter, you're being faced down by Thorn or The Last Word; with a Legendary, your chances of winning are slim to none if the opponent is even half-competent. As for Pulse Rifles, I only see the highest Impact tier or the less common Stranger's Rifle. These too can be rather unforgiving in CQC, as the slightest flinch mid-burst can throw your aim off and remove the opportunity for a 2-burst kill, whereas when firing a single bullet per trigger press, you have to be struck by repeated flinches i.e. High-Calibre Rounds for the engagement to be significantly affected.