Hunting Sidearm

N

Nannuk

New member
Shifting gears here. I need recomendations on a hunting side arm. I will be hunting in Central Texas, Uvalde, and maybe the Big Bend area. I don't have any short ams and am thinking that maybe there is a calibur/style that will work with both. In the past I have carried a .357 (not mine so I don't know which, but it has an 8" barrel). How small can one go and expect defensive results on hogs/black bears (if I ever go east or into Davis mtns). Is 9mm too small? Any recomendations? I just purchased a new rifle, so low cost would certainly be a plus.

Thanks

Nannuk
 
I've hunted north of Uvalde on Indian Creek; in the Davis in Elbow Canyon north of the Observatory, and all around the Solitario country here in south Brewster.

I rarely carry a pistol.

So far, all the little Mexican bears that have been seen have been quite happy to practice being a long way from people, ASAP. Same for hogs. Our local lion population probably outnumbers bear, hogs and deer, but so far they've done nothing more than explore my trash pit, and occasionally trail along behind somebody.

If you can shoot worth a hoot with la pistola, some sort of snubby .38 with +P or similar critter oughta take care of most any likely problem. Really, the most practical use is for a coup de grace if your deer ain't sure he's dead, yet. A .22 will do for that...:)

Art
 
I always carry a handgun when hunting. In the North Florida swamps and creek bottoms, it is often so thick, that I sling the rifle, and bring out the handgun.

I have carried a 6 inch Smith 25-5 for years, cross draw in a holster by Harry Young of Tactical Leather in Micanopy Fl. Lately, I have switched to a 4 inch Smith Mountain Gun in .44 Mag. Until I can get decent holster for this one, it rides in a Uncle Mike's Cordura holster.

I just like having a hand gun along.
 
Sneaky-snaking, still-hunting, a Redhawk is a Good Thing. In that country north of Uvalde, where there are ridges you can walk along, if you ease along the downwind military crest you can commonly kick Bambi out of bed during mid-day. It's not too hard to get to within 15 or 20 yards of a bedded-down buck.

They're good in thick brush in the creek bottoms, as well. You can sit and watch a trail, and it's not uncommon to have a fifteen-yard shot.

Mannlicher, you get down into a mesquite "jungle", and it's as thick as the Appalachicola bottoms. Problem is, there's just a whole bunch more thorns. :)

Art
 
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Let me add an "Amen" to the pucker brush theory!!

I've hunted around Uvalde - Rock Springs - Carazzo Springs, and can attest to the thorny issue. Same out here in the high desert - every living plant has thorns on it, else it gets eaten quick!
 
I've hunted The 'Glades & other Thick Stuff, & what I've come to find is that your primary weapon (usually a rifle or pump slug-gun, is always at ready anyway) ... a pistol is an extra thing to carry around camp in case something "comes your way," or you need to have some sort of personal defence.

BTW, if it's on-sling, it's not ready to do anything but to hang from yer shoulder & certainly isn't ready to shoot anything. May want to pitch that sling in your backpack for when you're carrying yer game out of the field ......

Slings can be used most certainly for a more accurate shot, but in my experience, most use it to hang the gun from their shoulder while pushing game around for better hunters, and have no clue whatsoever what a sling can do for 'em. YMMV & hat's off to ya, if so.

In any event, if you're a dedicated handgun hunter, you probablly don't need any of the advise that I'm not going to go in to ..... ;)
 
Art,

I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt, and figger your mispelling of my nick is an oversight,not a deliberate attempt to draw ire. Mannlicher-Schoenauer is not all that hard to type.

I also use a hand gun as an alternative method of taking deer or hog in Virginia. The Rhododendron thickets are very difficult to hunt in, and almost preclude the use of a long gun. For shear difficulty though, Florida swamp bottoms are as rough as anything I have seen.
 
Sorry 'bout the typo. :o

Any sort of really dense growth lends itself to hunting with a handgun. Lotsa folks don't realize how much stuff will grow in the bottom of a ravine, even in desert country.

Out here, we not only have mesquite, but also the catclaw acacia. This latter is spoken of in the African stories as "Wait-a-bit" thorn. I had a rock roll under my foot, one time, and fell backward (Thanks, Lord!) into a catclaw. Took me about five minutes to get myself out of my jacket, and then another fifteen minutes to rescue the jacket.

And then there's umpteen varieties of cacti, plus other sticky, thorny "I don't like people" stuff.

The fun thing about Florida swamps is when a ten-foot log turns out to have feet and teeth. :)

Art
 
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