Side arm in the woods?

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Trigger Happy

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Okay so next deer season I will be old enough to hunt on my own without my dad looking over my shoulder every second. And he carries a side arm in the woods so he dont have to shoot his rifle if there is something small like a nice varmint to shoot, and also he carries it for when he is in some thick bushes he obviously cant pull out his rifle to shoot a nice hog without it getting caught on some branches and not getting the sights on him in time. SO... Now that its my time to shine in the woods I was wondering if yall know what would be good to carry. I mean it dont have to go a distance cause Ill have a rifle, but it needs that stopping power to keep a hog from charging and cuttin me up... You know? So what ever you post will be appreciated. Thanks.
 
Ruger GP100 with .357 or if I am going for bear as I do every year my classic 29 in 44mag. Forgot switched with my airlite 44 S&W I carry that more when hunting bear easier to pack around.
 
A 4" 357 is a pretty standard walkabout piece for the woods if you think you'll need to use it in anger.

I carry a 45ACP semiauto if I think that I need more than my 38SP snubbie, but more often than not I just carry the S&W Model 12 in case I need a coup de grace on a deer or hog. I'll not transition to the handgun in anger so long as the shot is beyond arms' length.
 
I'd say something in .357 magnum is pretty appropriate for a woods sidearm in most parts of the country. Ruger's GP100 or Smith & Wesson's 686 or 620 are pretty good if you want something mid-sized, probably with a 4" barrel. A good compact one would be a Ruger SP101 or Smith 60, with a 3" barrel.

Another way of going about the rifle/sidearm combo is to have them fill different purposes; for example, you could hunt small game with a .22 pistol and rely on a rifle for protection. Or, you could hunt with a small caliber rifle and rely on a BIG revolver for protection (something in .44 magnum or larger). A lot of bowhunters also carry a revolver for protection.

I've carried nothing but a revolver many times when I go hiking instead of hunting, and I feel plenty safe. They start to weigh me down after a few days, though. If you want a sidearm that's so light you can forget about it, you might look at Smith's 386 Nightguard or 327PD. Their 329PD is also nice but I hear it kicks something wicked.

I'd also recommend ammo that's powerful and non-expanding, no matter which handgun you pick. In .357, a good choice is 180 or 200 grain hardcast.
 
I agree with the others. .357 Mag is just about perfect. Car camping, GP-100. Backpacking , 5 shot snub.
 
Sounds like you see the handguns as supplement to the hunting rifle. In that case a 6" 357 makes sense. A 41 or 44 Magnum might make even better sense.

I carry a handgun in the woods for defense against two-legged vermin, so a hi-cap 9mm suits me better.
 
The "Woods" is where I get to carry anything open, without too much concern for weight or bulk. I generaly carry everything at some point just to let them out of the house & to let them feel like guns (I know it's stupid, save the commentary). I just bought a new model vaquero in .45lc for woods carry, but I don't have leather for it yet. If I had one that has probably seen the most woods duty, it would be a 4" 686, with a 7 1/2" .44 Blackhawk in second place. Glocks, Tauri, 5" series 80, 22/45 have all seen duty; waiting for XDm leather & it will see the great outdoors as well. I have no favorites, but I shoot the 686 the best so it gets the nod more often than not.
 
I carry my Kimber .45. Two times I have spooked deer that were close enough to shoot, but they were both does.

I have toyed with the idea of getting a .400 Corbon barrel. It's a .45 necked down to a 10mm bullet. It overlaps into the 10mm power range, and has more energy at 100 yards than a .45 has at the muzzle. If I wanted to take a shot at a deer I would feel better with it.
 
well the OP is rather premature on what handgun to get for carrying out while hunting. Check the age with the Florida DNR on what age doesnt need adult supervision. Then look at federal law on carrying a handgun.
 
Sadly, "want" is different than "have". What I WANT is a Ruger Super Redhawk .454 Casull. What I have is a Ruger P90 or GP100. The .357 will do the job.
 
Cool thread. Once I get my 686 I plan on using it for just this purpose. Just curious, what loads would be appropriate? Likely threats are cougars, black bears, and people. Not sure on grizzlies, but I'd be screwed with a .357 anyway.
 
bezoar, as long as the person is hunting, target shooting, and a couple other things it looks like they should be fine. (NRA/ILA information on minors with firearms)
 
.357 magnum is a great beginners gun. At first, shoot 38 specials out of it until you cut your teeth. And a 357 mag is terribly deadly to most things smaller than a bear. Actually, it took me a long time before i wanted anything more than a 357. If you are leaning twords an automatic, go with a 10mm. But, be certain to check your local laws before you plunk down your money. There may be a limit on how many cartridges a magazine can carry. There is in my state!
 
Check your local laws...

Sometimes there are some not so obvious laws that affect woods carry. For example, here in Louisiana, IIRC, it is unlawful to carry any sidearm other than a .22 lr, loaded with ratshot, during certain parts of the year (bow season and primitive weapons season on deer) in the woods. During regular gun season it's fine to carry a centerfire.

I don't know how FL is, but you need to be aware of any similar laws if they exist.


Aside from all of that, a quality wheelgun in .357 to .45 LC or an autoloader in 10mm or .45 ACP would be my choice.

Jason
 
Cool thread. Once I get my 686 I plan on using it for just this purpose. Just curious, what loads would be appropriate? Likely threats are cougars, black bears, and people. Not sure on grizzlies, but I'd be screwed with a .357 anyway.
Click to expand...

I have mine loaded w/ hot 158 gr. CorBons. Should take care of most on your list; I doubt the black bears would pose a risk, never heard of a human attack & fisherman run them off all the time with a kick or a rock toss. The cougar would be toast to the 686, but you would likely not see or hear her until she was on you; Grizzlies are just going to get pissed with a .357. It's better than nothing, but I would want a 300gr. garrett stoked .44 at least, if not a .454 casull that I have yet to own. Better yet, a .45-70 marlin guide gun in grizzly country. Look at it as jutification for at least 2 more guns--
 
I have mine loaded w/ hot 158 gr. CorBons. Should take care of most on your list; I doubt the black bears would pose a risk, never heard of a human attack & fisherman run them off all the time with a kick or a rock toss. The cougar would be toast to the 686, but you would likely not see or hear her until she was on you; Grizzlies are just going to get pissed with a .357. It's better than nothing, but I would want a 300gr. garrett stoked .44 at least, if not a .454 casull that I have yet to own. Better yet, a .45-70 marlin guide gun in grizzly country. Look at it as jutification for at least 2 more guns--
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm really not too worried about the bears. Like you said, the black bears are a bunch of wusses, and grizzlies are way too big for .357.

I'll try to watch my six for cougars, the damn things scare me more than any other animal.

Thanks for the advice. I was figuring I'd want a heavier load for wilderness carry as opposed to the 120-something-grain personal defense loads.

And I plan on getting a guide gun too. Hahaha
 
Dr. Fresh, take a look at Corbon, Federal, Buffalo Bore, or Grizzly Cartridge. All of them offer hardcast loads that I'd say are appropriate for a woods gun. The heavier the better: 180 or 200 grain is good. The theory is that heavy ammo with lots of momentum can break bone & penetrate deep, which is important in a defensive scenario where you can't choose your shot on an animal.

If I was hunting as opposed to carrying a handgun for animal defense, I'd prefer copper hollowpoints since these do a better job on the vitals. I like 100% copper bullets for this since they won't leave any lead in the meat. The only copper ammo I know about is put out by Federal and Corbon.

For small game (grouse, squirrels) I've found that .38+p is plenty adequate.

Take this with a grain of salt, but here are the loads I'd prefer in .357: Federal's 140 gr Barnes Expander ammo for game hunting, Buffalo Bore's 180 gr LFN-GC HC ammo for animal protection. One practice I like is to load the first few chambers with defensive loads, and the rest with hunting loads.
 
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