Favorite sidearm while hunting?

Guv · October 18, 2014, 07:56 AM

So those of you that hunt, what are your favorite sidearms when you go hunting, I hunt mostly deer and hogs.
Beretta 96 INOX, 155 Silvertips
M66 S&W 2.5", 158gr Speer SP, BlueDot, 357 magnum handloads

SARuger · October 18, 2014, 07:59 AM

I hunt with my side arm, SBH SS .44 rem mag 10" barrel.

Buzzcook · October 18, 2014, 12:14 PM

Ruger mk ii. It mostly stays in camp.

dustball8504 · October 18, 2014, 12:19 PM

Ruger SP101 .357Mag

mxsailor803 · October 18, 2014, 03:49 PM

I also hunt with my sidearm, 6" 629 with a 2x weaver. If i'm just walking through the woods randomly, I carry my GP100 with a .357 load.

Snyper · October 18, 2014, 03:58 PM

It depends on what I'm hunting.
If I'm deer hunting with a rifle I'll sometimes carry a Ruger 6 7/8" MKII 22 in case I run across some nice squirrels or a Fox

If I'm hunting small game with a 22 rifle I'll carry a DW 6" 44 mag, or a Taurus 6", 669C 357

I often see deer at close range while squirrel hunting, and killed my first handgun deer with the DW 44

Other times I'll carry both a 22 rifle and handgun, and choose which to use based on how close I can get

Occasionally I'll do the same with deer sized calibers so if one comes close to the stand I can use a handgun

It just depends on what I grab on the way out

Cheapshooter · October 18, 2014, 04:00 PM

T/C Contender Super 14 35 Remington
Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 Magnum
Glock 20SF 10MM

hartcreek · October 18, 2014, 04:41 PM

This year since I have multiseason deer and elk plus a bear tag I opted to carry my Uberti Walker. It is plenty powerful to drop anything in Washington except moose and there aint no moose around here. I have been hunting some nasty brush and some days that is all I carried.

I have other handguns but for example yester day....I had to run my disabilit scooter I use a modified Zooma four miles in from the road closure with a small pack as I had been hunting the day before with someone and hee needed some gear so after I freighted in charcoal and a lantern I found out that he had wimped out. I still had a four mile hike ahead of me to a group of meadows down a trail that had not been cleared in several years.

I stashed my pack with my scooter and took a minimum of supplies in my coat pockets with just the Walker as a 50 foot shot would be long distance even in the meadows.

Ruger45LC · October 18, 2014, 05:08 PM

Usually a Glock .40 or .45, either the smaller 23 and 30 or the larger 35 and 21.

lamarw · October 18, 2014, 06:45 PM

I no longer hunt. When I used to hunt I only carried a shotgun or a rifle depending on what I was hunting.

I can understand those who hunt with a handgun or those who might be out for several day and carried along a handgun.

Otherwise, why would you need a second firearm? I guess in some places you might desire to carry a round or two of buckshot or slugs if you were bird hunting with light shells.

Bella · October 18, 2014, 08:36 PM

I usually carry my Ruger Single Six.

bamaranger · October 19, 2014, 12:14 AM

I occasionally aspire to taking a deer with a handgun, and when that itch strikes, I tote either a 629 Mtn in .44M, or a Glock 20. But I quit carrying both a handgun and a long gun at the same time quite a while back.....to much dang stuff to carry.

I do quite a bit of bow hunting for deer, and have taken to slipping an older Ruger Bearcat into the pocket of my hunting trousers (legal here in AL if one is otherwise legal to carry an SD handgun). Pretty easy to tote. No real thought for it as an SD gun, and I don't intend to pop any small game, but I've carried a firearm on my person for so long that wandering about with out one, and only the bow, feels odd. I suppose one could signal with it, and extra ammo is easy to carry too.

skizzums · October 19, 2014, 12:41 AM

plain jane, 20yr old Taurus 85 38spl. light and accyrate and dependable. but I m not in bear country

mavracer · October 19, 2014, 05:19 AM

I don't really have a favorite, John Taffin wrote about the perfect packing pistol I pretty much adhear to that most of the time and have a bunch of guns purchased under the guise "this one is a PPP".
The last time I took a 6" model 14 smith loaded with +p 158 gr LSWCHPs.

CajunBass · October 19, 2014, 06:30 AM

Ruger Bearcat 22.

JT-AR-MG42 · October 19, 2014, 07:32 AM

Model 43 S&W.
Accurate, light to carry with an ammo wallet (that also contains my license), and best of all, it has never been needed.

JT

longknife12 · October 19, 2014, 08:03 AM

When in the hills, no matter what time of year always have a 4" M19. Just in case a critter flunked behavior class.
Dan

gbclarkson · October 19, 2014, 08:09 AM

Taurus 445 ultralite

Brutus · October 19, 2014, 08:14 AM

Only thing I hunt for anymore is birds. Carry a Smith 625 mountain gun in .45Colt when Grouse hunting just in case something wants to make a snack out of my springer spaniel or me.

kutz · October 19, 2014, 08:25 AM

Ruger Alaskan .44 Mag.

cryption · October 19, 2014, 09:03 AM

EAA Bounty Hunter .357mag plays backup to my Rossi .30-30 lever action

Guv · October 19, 2014, 09:05 AM

Having a CCL myself, I have to admit it's also an excuse to use a nice open carry type holster.

Rangerrich99 · October 19, 2014, 01:31 PM

Ruger GP 100 .357 mag 5 inch. Mostly as an SDG, but also in hopes that one day I'll have a chance to actually take a deer with it.

FairWarning · October 19, 2014, 02:20 PM

S&W 686P when deer hunting or simply walking through the woods.

If I still squirrel hunted, I'd carry my Ruger MkII .22LR. In fact, I've carried that as my only weapon before when squirrel hunting. It's that accurate.

WIN1886 · October 19, 2014, 03:57 PM

Black Bear & Deer : .44 magnum

S&W model 29 with 4" barrel : 225 grain Barnes HP , Federal 300 grain hardcast , 255 grain hardcast Keith style SWC .

Deer : .357 magnum and 10 mm

S&W model 627 with 4" barrel : Barnes 140 grain HP , 180 grain hard cast , 158 grain JSP

Dan Wesson 1911 Razorback : Federal 180 grain trophy bonded SP , Underwood 180 grain HP , 200 grain XTP

Small Game : 22LR - Beretta model 87 Target

October 18, 2014, 07:56 AM	#1
Guv Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2012 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,126	Favorite sidearm while hunting? So those of you that hunt, what are your favorite sidearms when you go hunting, I hunt mostly deer and hogs. Beretta 96 INOX, 155 Silvertips M66 S&W 2.5", 158gr Speer SP, BlueDot, 357 magnum handloads

October 18, 2014, 03:58 PM	#6
Snyper Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2013 Location: Eastern NC Posts: 3,047	It depends on what I'm hunting. If I'm deer hunting with a rifle I'll sometimes carry a Ruger 6 7/8" MKII 22 in case I run across some nice squirrels or a Fox If I'm hunting small game with a 22 rifle I'll carry a DW 6" 44 mag, or a Taurus 6", 669C 357 I often see deer at close range while squirrel hunting, and killed my first handgun deer with the DW 44 Other times I'll carry both a 22 rifle and handgun, and choose which to use based on how close I can get Occasionally I'll do the same with deer sized calibers so if one comes close to the stand I can use a handgun It just depends on what I grab on the way out __________________ One shot, one kill

October 18, 2014, 04:00 PM	#7
Cheapshooter Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 8,306	T/C Contender Super 14 35 Remington Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 Magnum Glock 20SF 10MM __________________ Cheapshooter's rules of gun ownership #1: NEVER SELL OR TRADE ANYTHING!

October 19, 2014, 12:14 AM	#12
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,295	no more I occasionally aspire to taking a deer with a handgun, and when that itch strikes, I tote either a 629 Mtn in .44M, or a Glock 20. But I quit carrying both a handgun and a long gun at the same time quite a while back.....to much dang stuff to carry. I do quite a bit of bow hunting for deer, and have taken to slipping an older Ruger Bearcat into the pocket of my hunting trousers (legal here in AL if one is otherwise legal to carry an SD handgun). Pretty easy to tote. No real thought for it as an SD gun, and I don't intend to pop any small game, but I've carried a firearm on my person for so long that wandering about with out one, and only the bow, feels odd. I suppose one could signal with it, and extra ammo is easy to carry too.

October 19, 2014, 12:41 AM	#13
skizzums Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2013 Location: Douglasville, Ga Posts: 4,615	plain jane, 20yr old Taurus 85 38spl. light and accyrate and dependable. but I m not in bear country __________________ My head is bloody, but unbowed

October 18, 2014, 07:59 AM	#2
SARuger Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 2014 Location: Blue Ridge Mountains of VA Posts: 954	I hunt with my side arm, SBH SS .44 rem mag 10" barrel.

October 18, 2014, 12:14 PM	#3
Buzzcook Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 6,126	Ruger mk ii. It mostly stays in camp.

October 18, 2014, 12:19 PM	#4
dustball8504 Member Join Date: March 4, 2009 Posts: 40	Ruger SP101 .357Mag

October 18, 2014, 03:49 PM	#5
mxsailor803 Senior Member Join Date: February 8, 2010 Location: SC Posts: 1,344	I also hunt with my sidearm, 6" 629 with a 2x weaver. If i'm just walking through the woods randomly, I carry my GP100 with a .357 load.

October 18, 2014, 04:41 PM	#8
hartcreek Junior member Join Date: April 22, 2014 Location: Washington Posts: 1,549	This year since I have multiseason deer and elk plus a bear tag I opted to carry my Uberti Walker. It is plenty powerful to drop anything in Washington except moose and there aint no moose around here. I have been hunting some nasty brush and some days that is all I carried. I have other handguns but for example yester day....I had to run my disabilit scooter I use a modified Zooma four miles in from the road closure with a small pack as I had been hunting the day before with someone and hee needed some gear so after I freighted in charcoal and a lantern I found out that he had wimped out. I still had a four mile hike ahead of me to a group of meadows down a trail that had not been cleared in several years. I stashed my pack with my scooter and took a minimum of supplies in my coat pockets with just the Walker as a 50 foot shot would be long distance even in the meadows.

October 18, 2014, 05:08 PM	#9
Ruger45LC Senior Member Join Date: July 24, 2005 Location: Kentucky Posts: 768	Usually a Glock .40 or .45, either the smaller 23 and 30 or the larger 35 and 21.

October 18, 2014, 06:45 PM	#10
lamarw Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2010 Location: Lake Martin, AL Posts: 3,311	I no longer hunt. When I used to hunt I only carried a shotgun or a rifle depending on what I was hunting. I can understand those who hunt with a handgun or those who might be out for several day and carried along a handgun. Otherwise, why would you need a second firearm? I guess in some places you might desire to carry a round or two of buckshot or slugs if you were bird hunting with light shells.

October 18, 2014, 08:36 PM	#11
Bella Senior Member Join Date: July 6, 2009 Posts: 341	I usually carry my Ruger Single Six.

October 19, 2014, 06:30 AM	#15
CajunBass Senior Member Join Date: May 6, 2005 Location: North Chesterfield, Virginia Posts: 4,767	Ruger Bearcat 22. __________________ For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV)

October 19, 2014, 07:32 AM	#16
JT-AR-MG42 Senior Member Join Date: December 27, 2008 Posts: 555	Model 43 S&W. Accurate, light to carry with an ammo wallet (that also contains my license), and best of all, it has never been needed. JT

October 19, 2014, 08:03 AM	#17
longknife12 Member Join Date: March 13, 2014 Location: Colorado Posts: 95	When in the hills, no matter what time of year always have a 4" M19. Just in case a critter flunked behavior class. Dan

October 19, 2014, 08:09 AM	#18
gbclarkson Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2014 Location: None of yer business, sonny Posts: 440	Taurus 445 ultralite

October 19, 2014, 08:14 AM	#19
Brutus Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2005 Posts: 1,023	Only thing I hunt for anymore is birds. Carry a Smith 625 mountain gun in .45Colt when Grouse hunting just in case something wants to make a snack out of my springer spaniel or me. __________________ Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak out, Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen, Winston Churchill.

October 19, 2014, 08:25 AM	#20
kutz Senior Member Join Date: September 24, 2012 Location: Arizona Posts: 393	Ruger Alaskan .44 Mag.

October 19, 2014, 09:03 AM	#21
cryption Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2007 Location: Huntsville, TX Posts: 247	EAA Bounty Hunter .357mag plays backup to my Rossi .30-30 lever action

October 19, 2014, 09:05 AM	#22
Guv Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2012 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,126	Having a CCL myself, I have to admit it's also an excuse to use a nice open carry type holster.

October 19, 2014, 01:31 PM	#23
Rangerrich99 Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2014 Location: Kinda near Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,254	Ruger GP 100 .357 mag 5 inch. Mostly as an SDG, but also in hopes that one day I'll have a chance to actually take a deer with it.

October 19, 2014, 02:20 PM	#24
FairWarning Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2008 Location: GA Posts: 1,149	S&W 686P when deer hunting or simply walking through the woods. If I still squirrel hunted, I'd carry my Ruger MkII .22LR. In fact, I've carried that as my only weapon before when squirrel hunting. It's that accurate. __________________ Mauser Werke, Schmidt-Rubin, Colt, Walther, HK, Weatherby, Sig Sauer, Browning, Ruger, Beretta, etc, etc....a few friends of mine

October 19, 2014, 03:57 PM	#25
WIN1886 Senior Member Join Date: March 25, 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 604	Black Bear & Deer : .44 magnum S&W model 29 with 4" barrel : 225 grain Barnes HP , Federal 300 grain hardcast , 255 grain hardcast Keith style SWC . Deer : .357 magnum and 10 mm S&W model 627 with 4" barrel : Barnes 140 grain HP , 180 grain hard cast , 158 grain JSP Dan Wesson 1911 Razorback : Federal 180 grain trophy bonded SP , Underwood 180 grain HP , 200 grain XTP Small Game : 22LR - Beretta model 87 Target

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