abrahamsmith
New member
This year, I'll be hunting with a muzzleloader (in the regular season as well as the special muzzleloader season), and I'm thinking about carrying a sidearm (during the regular season, when it's legal) for follow-up shots. I'm wondering what people have found adequate for backup.
Some background:
1) In 9 years of deer hunting using modern arms, I've never needed a second shot,though I've sometimes sent one, just to be quick. I've only had to track a shot animal once, and that was only 50 yards (it was actually a nice lung shot, but it disappeared into a thicket and fell down.. couldn't find it for an hour or two).
2) Wisconsin law recently changed from "magnum" handgun cartridges to now allowing any centerfire handgun over .22 cal (so 9mm, 40, etc are all allowed [though not advised]).
Anyway, my options for backup *might* be (depending on which friends/relatives join us): a makarov, a 9mm glock, a 40S&W glock, a 9mm hi-power clone, a .45 colt, and a 41 magnum revolver.
The 41 will probably be used by another hunter, so won't be available for me.
anyway, the *obvious* answer is "carry the most powerful thing available," so don't tell me that. However, I'm wondering if you "traditional" hunters ever carry sidearms, and if so, what you have found to be adequate. Under what situations have you used them?
Since I'm shooting muzzleloader, I'm keeping shots under 50 or 75 yards (which is usually true in the woods anyway).
Some background:
1) In 9 years of deer hunting using modern arms, I've never needed a second shot,though I've sometimes sent one, just to be quick. I've only had to track a shot animal once, and that was only 50 yards (it was actually a nice lung shot, but it disappeared into a thicket and fell down.. couldn't find it for an hour or two).
2) Wisconsin law recently changed from "magnum" handgun cartridges to now allowing any centerfire handgun over .22 cal (so 9mm, 40, etc are all allowed [though not advised]).
Anyway, my options for backup *might* be (depending on which friends/relatives join us): a makarov, a 9mm glock, a 40S&W glock, a 9mm hi-power clone, a .45 colt, and a 41 magnum revolver.
The 41 will probably be used by another hunter, so won't be available for me.
anyway, the *obvious* answer is "carry the most powerful thing available," so don't tell me that. However, I'm wondering if you "traditional" hunters ever carry sidearms, and if so, what you have found to be adequate. Under what situations have you used them?
Since I'm shooting muzzleloader, I'm keeping shots under 50 or 75 yards (which is usually true in the woods anyway).