Hunting sidearm

I have always carried a Glock 22 Gen 4 whenever I go hunting for big game of varmints. The GLock will take rain, snow and mud.

Carry the extra weight that would be your handgun in extra ammo and maybe take a look at a rifle with a detachable mag. I have carried a handgun during archery season but have always felt that I am in a far superior position with a high powered rifle should I come across an unsocial situation while hunting during the general season.
If blessed with a hunting area that had plentiful game and little pressure I would probably be more inclined to carry a large bore handgun since I do subscribe to what Elmer Kieth I think described as a weapon of opportunity and if a BG animal was in effective range I might take it with the handgun just to do it.
Remember that you might run afoul of game laws by "dispatching" a BG animal with a caliber that is not considered legal for hunting. I think most hogs are considered feral so I doubt it maters but having a warden dig a 9mm out of you elk might cause some problems

CApighunter said:

I'm looking at getting my first handgun for a hunting sidearm/backup but where I hunt, there is the ever-present risk of running into a marijuana grow site. I have found them on several occasions, and with just my -06, I felt a pretty nervous as many of these grows are operated by cartels. I want something that is adequate at dispatching a hog or deer at close range, but with enough capacity if, god forbid, I surprised a group of angry growers. I'm going back at forth between a Rock Island Tactical 1911 in .45 acp and a ruger revolver in 357 or 45LC. I'm familiar with both semi autos and revolvers, and generally prefer revolvers for their accuracy and feel. The 1911 on the other hand has more holster options and lots of aftermarket parts. I'm in CA, so high cap magazines for a glock or similar handgun are not an option. What are your thoughts? I'm on a budget, but I do want a quality firearm that will last a lifetime.

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There are many good hunting sidearms from S&W, Ruger, and others that will fill the bill and still be usable for defense.

And yes a good 1911 will bump off a hog or deer with good +P ammo.

Mine is simple:



A good S&W 629-2 4 inch. I load 240s at 1000 fps and feel it's plenty for anything in Texas I need to plug with a sixshooter.

Now there are other guns some of the gents here have listed and they are fine to, but mine is mine!

Happy hunting.

Deaf

I have several appropriate sidearms for backup when hunting. My G20 and G21 are nice and easy to carry, S&W 686 .357mag and an old Ruger wheelgun in .30 carbine. The revolvers are hefty the Glocks are my comfort carry choice. I always carry a sidearm when hunting hogs or in an area where 'rattlers are common. I haven't hunted in Alaska but a sidearm there might not do a reliable backup job? Might have to sling a Marlin 1895G onto
my back and tote the old .375 H&H as the primary brown bear rifle.

I'm on a budget, but I do want a quality firearm that will last a lifetime.

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How about a Hi Point JHP 45 ACP? BB makes a 255gr 45 ACP loads that mimic 45 Colt loads.

Given the circumstances outlined by the OP, my choice would be Glock (ugh, can't believe I said that!) G20.

Smith and Wesson model 25 in 45 Colt or a Taurus in the same Caliber .
The Ruger single actions are a good option also in 45 Colt.

WIth the California 10 rd mag capacity
I would choose a 1911 in 10mm Auto

A shooting buddy is going on a hiking/camping trip
in the Idaho central panhandle. Last year
he had his G19 but after the F&G warden warned
of bear activity he must have felt a bit
undergunned - this year he has a G20 = 14 td cap.

Bar Sto makes a 1911 variant called the BS40
Calif. Compliant beautiful gun but $2600

Randall

.44 mag

I CCW many handguns .

But while hunting with a long gun,I carry a .44 magnum as I believe in having the most bang for the buck as a last resort [ or a coup de grais ].


I just bought a S&W 329 that is STOUT with magnum loads,but still shootable and very accurate [ its a scandium frame ].

Prior to that it was a Ruger superblkhwk that was cut to 4 3/4" barrel with Buffalo Bore 305 grain loads.

I wont try them on the S&W,but will carry a full house magnum for hogs and any critter that needs putting down hard & fast.

If like the OP suggested, you might run into two legged trouble while handgun hunting.

IMO going into an area that may turn life threatening you need to carry a rifle along with your hand gun.

That being said a Ruger Redhawk, Blackhawk, S&W 25,29, in a large caliber 44-45, along with a light weight 16-20 inch barreled lever carbine, would make sure the hunter would be well armed.

Heh, Danger Dog

Last Saturday at the indoor range in Lewiston ID.
my shooting buddy Ralph, had a new but cleaned & lubed
Ruger Blackhawk 4 1/2" in .45 Colt I brought along
a Marlin 1894 20" Barrel .45 Colt 10 rd. Capacity

No heavy loads, in fact the hottest stuff we had was
probably about the same velocity stuff I had shot
while warming up withmy S&W 625 .45 ACP

The Marlin could certainly put out the firepower as there is
little recoil, and a quick recovery. Being lighter the BH had
more muzzle flip than my 625 DA. I'll stick with the
S&W & full moon clips They'd all work for hogs,


R-

Currently I take a 45 semi auto in CA. If I owned a 44 magnum that's what I would ideally bring as i worry about bears and mountain lions. Pot farms worry me as well. My uncle told me 20 years ago when he and friends hunted in Humbolt county that they needed to watch out for fishing line with oops on them being hung at eye level.

Too bad you can't just move to another state and carry what you want.

I hunted all over Humboldt and Trinity counties when I lived there, usually carried a .30-06 or .30-30 rifle and always carried a Colt SAA .357 as my sidearm. That Colt dispatched a couple of timber rattlers, a feral dog, numerous killer soda cans, and finished a couple of blacktails.

I did have a few encounters with backcountry horticulturalists, but it never came down to shooting. At most a few words were exchanged, all in all I was pretty lucky.

Nowadays, I usually pack a .44 Ruger because I hang out in grizzly territory. If I still lived in CA, I would still be carrying a .357 revolver. Reasonably priced ammo (comparatively speaking), relatively easy to shoot, and plenty of punch for anything in that area.

If I were to carry a semi-auto I would go for a 10mm, even though the ammo can be a bit spendy. The performance is very similar to a .357, and with a 10 round limit capacity is not really an issue.

Just my $.02

Redhawk 5.5" in .44mag!

Don't down play a 9mm for the insurance shot. I've found from personal experience that a 124 Gold Dot will blow through even a big hogs head from any angle.

Have shot deer with both the .357 Magnum and .45 Colt. The .45 Colt has it all over the .357 Magnum as far as a handgun round for big game goes. And, while I have a .45 ACP, I would not even consider using it where large game animals are involved. Just MHO.

Don

Id use a Glock 20, 15rds of 220grain Hardcast brings a nice piece of mind to any outdoors experience =)

A lot of the suggestions are not CA legal ... 10rds max guys. The gentleman stated around $500 too ... That makes an expensive 1911s and many revolvers out of his price range. I think we would be looking at second-hand S&Ws & Ruger revolvers at that price point --- but CA has some of the highest retail gun prices IIRC, when I was stationed there. Plus, private transfers between Non-FFLs are illegal which drives up the price in the used market.

Personally, a quality, previously owned .357 six-shooter might be attainable at the $500 price point. Ruger Blackhawks often seem to be a bargain most places I check --- and even though I have one --- It wouldn't be my "go-to" sidearm for a defensive pistol (too long to reload, can't shoot double-taps, etc.) However, I often, none-the-less carry it afield as it has many other admirable qualities, and definitely meets the reliability, accuracy & potential lethality tests if it had to be pressed into service. In all reality, I don't feel under armed with a SA revolver as a contingency plan, as I try to avoid any areas that pose a security risk --- while keeping aware of my surroundings.

I didn't own any pistols when I was a CA resident --- so when I went camping, and day hiking I just took old, Mr. 12 GA along. I only had one security situation in the CA wilds, and it was resolved by merely locking myself in my truck cab and laying my shotgun across my lap.

Good luck in your search!

I've vote a Glock of some sorts, not the cheapest price wise but not expensive either. A .40 cal would work, as would a 10mm, and I have both. I also have a G21 that I load with .45 Super. I do run my own handloads (long time reloader), and using a KKM 4 port compensated barrel I can run 255gr WFNGC hardcasts at over 1260 fps, or get this, either a 275gr hardcast at almos 1200 fps or a 300gr LFNGC at over 1100 fps. Same setup shoots .45 ACP just fine, although it does feel like a cap gun in comparison to my .45 Super loads. Same setup could not only be a backup hunting gun, but the primary one as well.

With the extra barrel it costs more (obviously), but you could shoot "regular" .45 Super from a stock G21 (offered by Underwood and Buffalo Bore and DT). They're not as warm as the loads listed above, but they're still potent. A G20 10mm would probably be my second choice, although for what it's worth a .40 or .45 ACP will dispatch a deer or hog handily and ammo won't break the bank.

Tough to beat the good ol' 44 Mag, this from one that is a great fan of the 45 Colt and 475 and 500 Linebaugh's. This little porker was quickly dispatched with a mild load throwing the 275 gr WFN at 1100 fps. In and out at 40 yards. As a solid, inexpensive entry I would suggest a 5 1/2" Ruger Super Blackhawk.

I'd rather have 6 rounds of a magnum than 10 of anything else... .357, .41, or .44

If it weren't for the magazine restriction, a big hi-capacity .40 or 10mm or even a 9mm would do fine, but for me, I'll give up 4 rounds to have a magnum in the chamber.

While I'm a super fan of .41, they can be hard to find, and good luck finding a box in a pinch if you leave the ammo at home.

That would leave .357 or .44 Both are good. Your budget may keep it at the .357 level, but I wouldn't feel bad with a good RUGER .357 with some buffalo bore ammo or at least something pretty warm.

With a 10 round magazine restriction, personally I'd rather have 6 rounds of some real oompf. More folks can shoot a revolver at long range than they can an auto, I'm not too sure revolvers are themselves "more accurate", but they do seem to be easier to accomplish a long range goal with.

I have a security six, which is one you mentioned. 4 inch barrel and I love it. Points well, hits well, can handle some hot loads and is light enough to not be a burden. I don't feel undergunned with a 4 inch .357 magnum.

Boxhead said:

Tough to beat the good ol' 44 Mag, this from one that is a great fan of the 45 Colt and 475 and 500 Linebaugh's. This little porker was quickly dispatched with a mild load throwing the 275 gr WFN at 1100 fps. In and out at 40 yards. As a solid, inexpensive entry I would suggest a 5 1/2" Ruger Super Blackhawk.

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Great choice. I have a Ruger Bisley .45 Colt/ACP/Super, and the .44 Mag is a great choice as well. For the price, the Blackhawk lineup is tough to beat, it's a lot of gun and power for a great price.

ruger gp 100 in 357 would be a great backup weapon I would load up some 180 xtp's and that should be sufficient for most anything you will run into in the woods and if you are that concerned you could carry some speedloaders as well. OR a sw 686 they have a 7 shot 686+ model you could use as well. Hard to go wrong with either.

I personally carry a 5.5" ruger blackhawk with some 300 gr jsps which will knock about anything down that it hits. I hope I never need more then 6 shots.

both guns are reasonably priced and built to last

Cody

I feel very comfortable in the woods with my Kimber warrior 1911 but if I had to worry about 2 legged critters My sidearm of choice would be my FNP45 with a 15 round mag and a couple of spares.