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hunting sidearm ?

8K views 116 replies 66 participants last post by  WeeWilly 
#1 ·
Just wondering ...... What's everyone's favorite side arm is when in the deep woods hunting ? If that big bear or cat or charging hog came in what would be in your box of tricks ? ....
 
#75 ·
My rifle would be first choice.

I usually carry my G22 and it would be my second choice. In the past I carried a S&W 629 6" .44mag but that thing is just too damn big to be a second gun. Now I only carry the .44 if I'm hunting with it.
 
#76 ·
I see the self defense handgun while hunting and the dedicated hunting handgun as different animals. Generally, a 200 grain bullet at 1000 fps is my minimum, including 40 S&W, 10mm auto and 45 ACP in full size Glock, 4" S&W revolver, 5" Kimber 1911 or 44 Special, 44 Magnum, 45 Colt Ruger 4 3//4" Blackhawk or 5.5" Redhawk. For dedicated hunting the barrel length goes up to as much as 7 1/2" 44 Special NM Blackhawk Bisley or 9 1/2" Super Redhawk in 480 Ruger. I've killed pretty big animals with a .44 Special 4" revolver, 240 grain SWC at 1000 fps, or 45 Colt 255 grain SWC at 1050 fps. A "magnum" really isn't needed. Away from really large critters, a 4" revolver in .357 Magnum would do, with good bullets appropriate for game likely to be hunted. My smallest primary carry gun is a 4" S&W 627, 8 shot with full moon clips. If I have some inappropriate self-defense firearm, I carry a semiauto strong side with a cross draw shoulder holder set up with my hunting handgun. Cross draw single actions with a muzzle loader or centerfire rifle on strong side is occasionally my setup. My primary gun has been a Colt .22 LR Woodsman back in the day, but self defense has become more of an issue as things in the world have turned darker.
 
#77 ·
If two is one and one is none then you should carry another rifle to back up your main rifle.

When you handgun hunt, do you carry an extra handgun to back up the hunting handgun?
I believe in the spare tire principal. If one breaks or goes empty get another one into action. My backup isn't necessarily as powerful or useful as the primary, just something to get by with. Just because my .38 Special S&W 442 can drop falling plates means I want to try deer with it.
 
#80 ·
G20, 629, Ruger Redhawk, Super Blackhawk. Mostly revolver and nothing under 40 caliber.

I also carry a Walter PPK/s 22lr everywhere. Never know when you need a 22.
 
#81 ·
10mm, 40, 357 sig in autos
44mag or 357mag for wheelguns.

If I'm not hunting, just hiking or camping I would not choose the 10mm or the 44mag. I also prefer auto's unless I'm hunting so that rules out 357mag. 40 or 357 sig, same calibers I choose for two legged threats. Both will work on pretty much anything for SD. I can get more hits faster with those two. Both will penetrate enough with the right ammo. Don't over think the whole thing. Even out in the woods, your biggest threat will be other humans.
 
#84 ·
Not always, I live where I see no other humans
except my wife and boy for weeks at a time, in
the winter it may go months if we don't go to
Florida.

When in Florida people can be a problem but when
out in the Ocala national forest you may see more
gators, snakes, bears and lions than people.

This place is dang near prehistoric for around
20 miles,we floated part of it.

Some of the citizens there,

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgur...tfVqhM:;PRsLDuhltfVqhM:;KuScWHN7oCdk4M:&w=450

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgur...OAhUT22MKHURsAjY4ZBAzCC4oLDAs&iact=mrc&uact=8

http://xwayspot.blogspot.com/2016/04/monster-15ft-long-100-year-old.html

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgur...OAhUBHmMKHa8CDAg4ZBAzCBcoFTAV&iact=mrc&uact=8

http://www.tbo.com/news/florida/-pound-bear-captured-in-ocala-national-forest-b82497305z1

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-biggest-florida-bear-killed-20150121-story.html

https://www.google.com/search?q=ock...X&ved=0ahUKEwiZ0OCs3N3OAhUKxGMKHSMND64QsAQIIw


http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/ocala/recreation/recarea/?recid=40317

I try to go/be where there is more animals than
people. People suck.
 
#83 ·
I dont hunt, BUT, I carry in the woods for the same reason..any 10mm will do, and of course there are numerous revolvers...however trying to hit the charging bear or hog w/ only 5 or 6rds? I'd like the semi auto and at least 10 if not 15rds to make a couple hits...(hell, people have a hard enough time hitting slow moving deer)

(and I 2nd Scott above...it was his "relative" area that had the guy shoot 2 campers on the AT- not once but twice)
 
#85 ·
I actually lived in that area when the shootings happened. When he got out of prison he shot two fishermen in the same area. Prior to the Applachian trail murders there was a guy with a 44 hunting hunters, bow hunters. You never know.....
 
#86 ·
The good thing about bears is, they are so slow,
you will have time to use your bear spray and if
that does not work you will have plenty of time
to use your fifteen round mag to stop it.

Here is some examples of how slow they are,

''For 50 or 100 yards a Grizzly can go faster than any horse, and keep it up indefinitely.''
https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/yell/vol14-1-2a.htm

and they can't run down hill either,
''Bears can run up to 60 kilometers per hour, which is approximately 37 miles per hour.''
https://www.reference.com/pets-animals/explore/bears?qo=learnMore

Grizzly Mother Bear Chases Down Elk - Most Shocking Kill
 
#88 ·
Sometimes, a rimfire revolver is handy...a s&w model 18 is a fave, and a ruger single six is great too...good game finishers and grouse poppers for the camp. I bought a s&w 44 mag mtn gun-blue model 29 that is light for a 44 and could double for defense from fleshy headed 2 legged creeps and is equally useful against many furry critters wanting me for dinner...a bunch of different 357s I have are handy sidearms in any instance for my self preservation...have a bunch of glocks including a g20...it may just depend on my outdoors location...cheers...
 
#89 · (Edited)
The good thing about bears is, they are so slow,
you will have time to use your bear spray and if
that does not work you will have plenty of time
to use your fifteen round mag to stop it.

Here is some examples of how slow they are,

''For 50 or 100 yards a Grizzly can go faster than any horse, and keep it up indefinitely.''
https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/yell/vol14-1-2a.htm

and they can't run down hill either,
''Bears can run up to 60 kilometers per hour, which is approximately 37 miles per hour.''
https://www.reference.com/pets-animals/explore/bears?qo=learnMore

Grizzly Mother Bear Chases Down Elk - Most Shocking Kill
So true, those that have not hunted, and or witnessed what a large dangerous animal can do are naive. You will not have 6 shots at that charging animal maybe (2) let only 16, for those that cannot shoot under ideal conditions let alone duress, stay inside.

Ps a Ruger RedHawk or Super RedHawk in 44 mag. With 315 cast boolits @ 1300 FPS a minimum.
 
#91 ·
We are very blessed as we, wife, son and I, can
shoot as far as we want anytime of the day
or night.

Something I have been working with wife and son
is shooting at dark thirty, we use a headlight, only
around 50 lumens or so, and shoot at a big white
paper with a six inch black center.

Keep the light high on your head, it lets you see
your sights/pistol and target super.

Try it in your house at night, if you don't have a
headlight just have someone hold a light at the
top of your head and aim at something on the
wall and dry fire some.

A couple weeks ago we had bears in the yard two
different days, it made my wife take carring her gun a lot more seriously,

We have to go out around 10:00 to 11:30 at night to turn the water off on the pelton wheel, it's pretty scary down there at night, that is how we generate
electricity, we are off grid.

Pelton Water Wheel

https://www.google.com/search?q=pel...X&ved=0ahUKEwjQr5L62N_OAhUQ52MKHWqrDAgQsAQIUA
 
#93 ·
That's one of the areas I hunt !! Ocala national forest !! Beautiful woods an full of everything !!
I met many people there that will not go out into
the O N Forest at night, they thought me and my
son was nuts for doing it.

We would go out there at one in the morning and
navigate with our cell phones, we would also see
how good we could see and navigate with as little
light as possible, with the white sand and the
moon shining through the tree tops we could do
much better than I thought we could do.

We always had plenty of flash lights, head lights,
extra batteries to recharge the cell phones and
plenty of fire power and we always had small packs
with goodies.

We are Boy Scouts, be prepared.

We do the same thing here in Idaho.

Florida has bigger bears for the most part and
now pythons, it's more scary in the woods at night
in Florida than Idaho, so many more stealthy deadly critters.
 
#97 · (Edited)
Glock 20 with 200 grain hard cast wide meplat slugs powered by 13.2 grains of AA#9 or 9.2 grains of 800X if accuracy doesn't matter and I want 1300 fps. These are shot thru a stock length KKM barrel; the 800x load maybe too hot for stock barrels. Carried in a Diamond custom leather chest rig. The 2 legged predators are the biggest danger in most places. If I hunted in Alaska or the northern Rockies I'd carry a 480 Ruger Alaskan with 400 grain Hard cast slugs. I place accuracy and mass above velocity in handguns.
 
#104 ·
Two shot Derringer in 12 gauge, 3&1/2 inch magnum HP slugs.
(just kidding)
 
#106 ·
Not a stupid question, there is a 14000 gallon tank
that feeds the pelton wheel and it will run dry if we
don't.

The water running in it is slower than the water
running out of it, we are in the dry season now.

We run the pelton wheel from around six thirty
to 10 to 11 at night, it is a balancing act this
time of the year.

The solar panels power the batteries in the day
and the hydro power them at night, I just powered
up the honda gas generator as now there is no sun
and we are letting the water tank fill through the
night and the day for tonight.

We only get around 10 to 11 inches of rain a year,
when the fall comes the trees and plants go dormant they don't suck up the water and then we
have full hydro power and we will run from the snow runoff usually until July.

Right now it is very dark as there is no moon, my wife will not go out without a light, a 357 and usually me.
That makes sense. I assumed it was creek fed.
 
#107 ·
Last night around 7:30 we fed the steers, and saw
two elk, they are starting to bugle too.



When you are out at dark thirty in the woods and
an elk cuts loose it can startle you if you don't know what it is.

Last year my boy and I had two very large wolves
run with in thirty yards of us, they were hunting the
same herd of deer that we were. That was a first.

A rifle with a powerful scope is not much good when things get too close, I will take my hand
gun then.
Are the elk bugling during the day?

Was on a moose hunt last September about ten miles East of Elk River, ID in an area with a decent elk population. Didn't hear any elk bugling at all during the day. Only at night. Saw a lot of wolf sign as well. Friend of mine claims that when wolves move into an area, the elk will keep quiet during the day.
 
#109 ·
Are the elk bugling during the day?

Was on a moose hunt last September about ten miles East of Elk River, ID in an area with a decent elk population. Didn't hear any elk bugling at all during the day. Only at night. Saw a lot of wolf sign as well. Friend of mine claims that when wolves move into an area, the elk will keep quiet during the day.
Only sometimes, not a lot yet, these are early
birds.

We don't have a lot of wolves but one or two is
too many, we always get a tags for wolf, lion and
bear.

I have shot game with a few calibers, 44, 454, 12ga, 223, 22-250, 30-30, 30-06, but I really
am not much of a hunter, I shoot for eating.

On this ranch big game has been taken with about
every mag pistol and rifle and everything in between and also with home cast boolits, both
rifle and pistol.

Sorry if too much info.
 
#110 ·
Well, I hunt with a handgun, either a scoped Ruger Super Rehawk .44 mag, non-scoped Super Blackhawk .44 mag or scoped T/C Contender 7-30 Waters or .44 mag.

On the rare occasions when I hunt with a rifle, I'll either be carrying the Super Blackhawk .44 mag, Blackhawk .357 mag, GP100 .357 mag or SP101 .357 mag.
 
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