Who carries a sidearm while hunting?
- Thread starter shafter
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pythagorean
Moderator
I enjoy this thread. I never carried a sidearm when I had my rifle instead. I am older now in years. I am thinking I might enjoy carrying a side arm along with my rifle when hunting. Funny thing is I prefer the cross draw when the sidearm is going to be along. The rifle is usually in my right hand and if the holstered gun is on my "strong side" it bangs against my rifle. I have been in the field with sidearms and know this.
I didn't mention it here because the OP seemed to be asking a legitimate question concerning the reason or use of a sidearm when a .30-30 or .30-06 is being carried for game.
When I hunt game like deer or elk I don't bring the side arm. When I hunt jack rabbits in the desert I do carry along a sidearm for extra use and practice.
Finishing shots can justify a sidearm, as well as the scenario when a rifle is disabled or impractical.
I didn't mention it here because the OP seemed to be asking a legitimate question concerning the reason or use of a sidearm when a .30-30 or .30-06 is being carried for game.
When I hunt game like deer or elk I don't bring the side arm. When I hunt jack rabbits in the desert I do carry along a sidearm for extra use and practice.
Finishing shots can justify a sidearm, as well as the scenario when a rifle is disabled or impractical.
Kreyzhorse
New member
When I hunt, I usually carry a .357 sidearm. The original thought was for a coup de grace but I've never had to use it in that capacity.
Additionally, when my father hunted, he carried a .357 and I do too. It's now moved on into tradition.
As a side note, I'm left handed but thread the holster onto my right side because it's more comfortable to sit for an extended period of time with it on my right hip instead of my left.
Additionally, when my father hunted, he carried a .357 and I do too. It's now moved on into tradition.
As a side note, I'm left handed but thread the holster onto my right side because it's more comfortable to sit for an extended period of time with it on my right hip instead of my left.
Used to carry a 22 till me and a mama mountain lion stood face to face at about 50'. That 10 or 15 seconds was the longest day of my life. 
Nothing less than a 357 for 26 years after that and now depending if I am stand hunting or slow hunting it is a 44 mag or 41 mag. Some how they look bigger when their is no moat and glass or bars between them and you.
Only other critter that ever scared me that much was coming across a badger at about 12'. Them little fellers have no sense of humor.
Nothing less than a 357 for 26 years after that and now depending if I am stand hunting or slow hunting it is a 44 mag or 41 mag. Some how they look bigger when their is no moat and glass or bars between them and you.
Only other critter that ever scared me that much was coming across a badger at about 12'. Them little fellers have no sense of humor.
I always carry a...
...BUG when deer hunting.
Quick story...it was toward the end of deer season in lower Michigan where hunting is only allowed by shotgun. I was sitting with an elderly friend of mine in ground blind who had not yet tagged his deer. I did not have a shotgun or any other firearm with me as I already had tagged mine earlier in the season. This was probably 20 years ago, when no thought was ever given (at least by me) to have a CCW, even as a BUG for hunting.
About 10 AM, a deer comes by our blind; he shoots it, it runs about 15 yards towards us, and drops down about 10 yards right in front of us, clearly alive with its head up, but not going anywhere. My friend didn't want to leave the blind for fear of spooking the deer to run further, not being certain where it had been hit. He probably took 5 shots to finish it off. Believe it or not, sighting a deer through a shotgun scope for a head shot at less than 10 yards isn't as easy as one might think...or at least wasn't for him. He eventually finished the job, but it wasn't pretty.
At that point, I vowed that I would never again enter the woods to hunt deer without a back up pistol. I carry a 5 shot SW .357 camp gun with a 5 inch barrel...perfect for the task. These days, it also dispatches coyotes quite well that are dumb enough to come into range of the blind.
I just hate to see game suffer longer than necessary.
...BUG when deer hunting.
Quick story...it was toward the end of deer season in lower Michigan where hunting is only allowed by shotgun. I was sitting with an elderly friend of mine in ground blind who had not yet tagged his deer. I did not have a shotgun or any other firearm with me as I already had tagged mine earlier in the season. This was probably 20 years ago, when no thought was ever given (at least by me) to have a CCW, even as a BUG for hunting.
About 10 AM, a deer comes by our blind; he shoots it, it runs about 15 yards towards us, and drops down about 10 yards right in front of us, clearly alive with its head up, but not going anywhere. My friend didn't want to leave the blind for fear of spooking the deer to run further, not being certain where it had been hit. He probably took 5 shots to finish it off. Believe it or not, sighting a deer through a shotgun scope for a head shot at less than 10 yards isn't as easy as one might think...or at least wasn't for him. He eventually finished the job, but it wasn't pretty.
At that point, I vowed that I would never again enter the woods to hunt deer without a back up pistol. I carry a 5 shot SW .357 camp gun with a 5 inch barrel...perfect for the task. These days, it also dispatches coyotes quite well that are dumb enough to come into range of the blind.
I just hate to see game suffer longer than necessary.
Legionnaire
New member
Often, but not always. When I do, it's a .357 revolver.
pythagorean
Moderator
Old Grump just replied and made me remember a time I was faced with a Bobcat in Sierra Nevada. A fairly small cat compared to the Bengal Tiger, and no time to use the rifle without giving away the fact I was about to do an aggressive action in the amount of feet between us.
The handgun would have worked. At my side without trying to focus a rifle that was scoped. Nor with extra movement except the hand from my side.
Okay. I got the picture. I suppose I am slow about the wilderness but a cross draw (I am right handed and the rifle is in my right hand) would allow me to shift the rifle fast to the left while the right hand goes to the side arm.
What caliber or what sidearm? For a Bobcat a .22 LR and above is fine. But what if it was bigger?
.41 Magnum. I don't have the .44 Magnum anymore and do not regret it at all. I have the Ruger New Model .41 Blackhawk from 1979.
I am safe and sound back in the 70s with an old reliable revolver. That makes me feel a lot better than an "X" Frame in SW or any other caliber or handgun "rifle" being sold to the ones who think they need more power.
The handgun would have worked. At my side without trying to focus a rifle that was scoped. Nor with extra movement except the hand from my side.
Okay. I got the picture. I suppose I am slow about the wilderness but a cross draw (I am right handed and the rifle is in my right hand) would allow me to shift the rifle fast to the left while the right hand goes to the side arm.
What caliber or what sidearm? For a Bobcat a .22 LR and above is fine. But what if it was bigger?
.41 Magnum. I don't have the .44 Magnum anymore and do not regret it at all. I have the Ruger New Model .41 Blackhawk from 1979.
I am safe and sound back in the 70s with an old reliable revolver. That makes me feel a lot better than an "X" Frame in SW or any other caliber or handgun "rifle" being sold to the ones who think they need more power.
Yes, always. Usually a ruger blackhawk .45 in a crossdraw holster, sometimes S&W M29.
Reasons-
1. Back up, rifle or scope could fail.
2. Once I was halfway down a ladder stand with my rifle on my right shoulder and stuff under my left arm. A coyote trotted up directly underneath my stand and my pistol was the only viable option, nailed him.
3. it's just plain fun to take game with a revolver.
Reasons-
1. Back up, rifle or scope could fail.
2. Once I was halfway down a ladder stand with my rifle on my right shoulder and stuff under my left arm. A coyote trotted up directly underneath my stand and my pistol was the only viable option, nailed him.
3. it's just plain fun to take game with a revolver.
pythagorean
Moderator
I used to carry a revolver against snakes in Ft. Huachuca. It worked. Just a .38 but snakes can be a problem. Rattlers. I used to mountain bike there and I had to shoot them because the trails I took were the trails I returned.
Didn't want the rattler to get me on the way back.
Didn't want the rattler to get me on the way back.
Always carry a sixgun when out, hunting or not.
You carry a rifle, you wear a sixgun. It's always there if needed.
Having heard of enough instances of people being closely followed, stalking behaviour exibited, confirmed rabies carrying varmints acting too friendly, and the occasional contacts by critters (one guy totally blind sided by a bear and knocked down and mauled, he pulled his pistol and killed the bear as it was coming back for round two. A rifle could have easily been thrown far enough to be out of reach, or damaged. A pistol is also a one hand weapon), I simply don't go anywhere without one. You can find yourself in a situation where you can't use a rifle, even if it happened to be in your hand a moment before. Out of your hand, it may as well be a mile away.
They're also handy to have. Ive shot a deer, several coyotes, and many many small eatable critters as well as many rattlesnakes and a few nuisance varmints with sixguns simply because it was there when needed.
You carry a rifle, you wear a sixgun. It's always there if needed.
Having heard of enough instances of people being closely followed, stalking behaviour exibited, confirmed rabies carrying varmints acting too friendly, and the occasional contacts by critters (one guy totally blind sided by a bear and knocked down and mauled, he pulled his pistol and killed the bear as it was coming back for round two. A rifle could have easily been thrown far enough to be out of reach, or damaged. A pistol is also a one hand weapon), I simply don't go anywhere without one. You can find yourself in a situation where you can't use a rifle, even if it happened to be in your hand a moment before. Out of your hand, it may as well be a mile away.
They're also handy to have. Ive shot a deer, several coyotes, and many many small eatable critters as well as many rattlesnakes and a few nuisance varmints with sixguns simply because it was there when needed.
rantingredneck
New member
I carry a handgun while hunting. Even when handgun hunting, I carry a second, smaller, handgun.
Murphy and all......
Murphy and all......
Deaf Smith
New member
Since I have a CHL, yes I pack it while hunting. Here in Texas if you have a CHL, you can carry out carry piece while even bow hunting!
And for such as wild hogs, I'd make sure my hogleg was with me if bow hunter for sure!
Deaf
And for such as wild hogs, I'd make sure my hogleg was with me if bow hunter for sure!
Deaf
azsixshooter
New member
Bowhunting in AZ I always carried a 4" pre-lock S&W .357 Mag. I always felt good having it, especially upon returning to my truck and seeing another vehicle nearby or any men mulling about. Not knowing what their intentions were I always felt better having my backup.
I shot a diamondback with it when I was bowhunting rabbit once.
Another time I was quail hunting and had my 870 loaded with birdshot. I came over a ridge and down in the valley were a couple of big 'yotes. One took off running up the opposite slope from (my) lower left to upper right. I had just got my first box of Buffalo Bore Heavy's and that's what I was carrying that day. That 'yote was 80 to 100 yards away running full steam, I led him a foot or so and aimed a little high. I touched off one of those 180 grain slugs and it impacted the slope just above his shoulder, pretty much exactly my POA. I didn't think those Heavy's would shoot that flat, if I would have held just slightly high on his shoulder I think I would have sent him rolling. If I wasn't able to just quickly lean my shotgun (safely) on some thick brush and draw and fire I wouldn't have been able to get a shot off. I had a couple of buckshot shells in my pocket but they wouldn't have done much good even if I was able to empty a couple of 6 shot out and get at least one of them chambered. Thanks to my mag I at least got a great shot off, despite misjudging the trajectory of the new rounds. Close only counts in horseshoes and handgrenades!
I'll always feel better having a sidearm with me when I'm bowhunting, but during rifle or shotgun hunts I generally prefer not to have the extra weight. Case in point was during my bull elk hunt last November. I was just carrying my rifle (6.5x55SE w/160gr handloads) and got into this crazy feeder canyon. I was moving down the center of it towards Willow Creek Canyon (Unit 4A) and I got into some outrageous lion cave complex. I even found a deer spine/ribcage at the entrance of one of them.
I'm picking my way down this steep ravine with giant fallen pine trees criss-crossing over my head and walking on big boulders with all kinds of brush poking up between them and imagining a cat crouched in the shadows ready to jet across one of those trees and nail me like a freight train. I thought that I could even easily lose my balance and drop my rifle down in between some boulders or something and kind of wished I had my .357 on my side rather than back in my truck. I pulled my Puma White Hunter out of my pack and strapped it on. It made me feel a little better having it on the belt, but I knew if there was a cat targeting me in that canyon I probably wouldn't have much chance unless I happened to see him and get a shot off.
Here's my Smith and that Puma:
I love that Smith and feel great having her stoked with hot 125 grain SJHP's for cougar/2-leggers or the 180 grain Buff Bore Heavy's in Blackie country. If I'm in snake terrain the first round is a CCI shotshell followed by either 125 or 180s. I normally have 2 speedloaders on my belt as well. It's heavy and makes for a somewhat achy back at the end of a long day of slip hunting though. I'd like to get something smaller, like an SP101 but I hate to lose the barrel length. 4" to me is the shortest I care to go with the .357.
I transitioned from carrying that .357 in the city as my CCW to my XD9 service but I packed that smith for a couple of years. I've thought that a 10mm might just be the perfect "do-everything" sidearm but I have this attraction to revolvers and to this .357 Mag in particular. Also, in a pinch it would be a lot easier to scrounge either .38 Spcl or .357 Mag instead of 10mm.
I shot a diamondback with it when I was bowhunting rabbit once.
Another time I was quail hunting and had my 870 loaded with birdshot. I came over a ridge and down in the valley were a couple of big 'yotes. One took off running up the opposite slope from (my) lower left to upper right. I had just got my first box of Buffalo Bore Heavy's and that's what I was carrying that day. That 'yote was 80 to 100 yards away running full steam, I led him a foot or so and aimed a little high. I touched off one of those 180 grain slugs and it impacted the slope just above his shoulder, pretty much exactly my POA. I didn't think those Heavy's would shoot that flat, if I would have held just slightly high on his shoulder I think I would have sent him rolling. If I wasn't able to just quickly lean my shotgun (safely) on some thick brush and draw and fire I wouldn't have been able to get a shot off. I had a couple of buckshot shells in my pocket but they wouldn't have done much good even if I was able to empty a couple of 6 shot out and get at least one of them chambered. Thanks to my mag I at least got a great shot off, despite misjudging the trajectory of the new rounds. Close only counts in horseshoes and handgrenades!
I'll always feel better having a sidearm with me when I'm bowhunting, but during rifle or shotgun hunts I generally prefer not to have the extra weight. Case in point was during my bull elk hunt last November. I was just carrying my rifle (6.5x55SE w/160gr handloads) and got into this crazy feeder canyon. I was moving down the center of it towards Willow Creek Canyon (Unit 4A) and I got into some outrageous lion cave complex. I even found a deer spine/ribcage at the entrance of one of them.
I'm picking my way down this steep ravine with giant fallen pine trees criss-crossing over my head and walking on big boulders with all kinds of brush poking up between them and imagining a cat crouched in the shadows ready to jet across one of those trees and nail me like a freight train. I thought that I could even easily lose my balance and drop my rifle down in between some boulders or something and kind of wished I had my .357 on my side rather than back in my truck. I pulled my Puma White Hunter out of my pack and strapped it on. It made me feel a little better having it on the belt, but I knew if there was a cat targeting me in that canyon I probably wouldn't have much chance unless I happened to see him and get a shot off.
Here's my Smith and that Puma:
I love that Smith and feel great having her stoked with hot 125 grain SJHP's for cougar/2-leggers or the 180 grain Buff Bore Heavy's in Blackie country. If I'm in snake terrain the first round is a CCI shotshell followed by either 125 or 180s. I normally have 2 speedloaders on my belt as well. It's heavy and makes for a somewhat achy back at the end of a long day of slip hunting though. I'd like to get something smaller, like an SP101 but I hate to lose the barrel length. 4" to me is the shortest I care to go with the .357.
I transitioned from carrying that .357 in the city as my CCW to my XD9 service but I packed that smith for a couple of years. I've thought that a 10mm might just be the perfect "do-everything" sidearm but I have this attraction to revolvers and to this .357 Mag in particular. Also, in a pinch it would be a lot easier to scrounge either .38 Spcl or .357 Mag instead of 10mm.
jhgreasemonkey
New member
I have but now I don't. The reason is that after a lot of hiking it becomes cumbersome. Only the essentials for me.
I do....
and am of two schools of thought - sometimes I carry a Ruger MK 1 in case I can pop a rabbit or squirrel for the pot (or a snake being in Bama) and sometimes a 9MM (take your pic - I got plenty) for protection against....HECK, it is just another excuse to carry one of my pistols! LOL.
J
and am of two schools of thought - sometimes I carry a Ruger MK 1 in case I can pop a rabbit or squirrel for the pot (or a snake being in Bama) and sometimes a 9MM (take your pic - I got plenty) for protection against....HECK, it is just another excuse to carry one of my pistols! LOL.
J
GunsAreGood
New member
I never go on a hunt without a sidearm for a couple of reasons. First off if you are getting charged by an deer,bear,mountain lion a quick sight acquisition through a scope is not an easy task. Second where I hunt the main concern is mountain lions and they are very sneaky and like to stalk prey. If a mountain lion is on your back going for the throat good luck turning your rifle around on him and getting a shot off. Third there is a lot of rattle snakes so the GP-100 holds two shot shells in addition to some .357's just in case.