Best hunting sidearm?

[Brachii]

Pretty sure bear mace works on coyotes, cougars and crazies too.

Bc I sleep in my truck a lot, theft is a real concern. I won’t be using bear mace in such a scenario. Nor will I be eating a mace soaked Jack rabbit, as much as I like spicy food.

 

[noharleyyet]

For crazies a shiny 4” K frame .357 & tactical retreat, if a viable option. A lazer gripped P229 .40 bbl w/extra mag can be of some comfort also. Retreat caveat stands.

 

[buffybr]

For many of the almost 50 years that I've lived and hunted here in Montana I've carried either my 1911 .45 acp loaded with 220 grain hard cast bullets or one of my 7 1/2" Ruger SBH .44 magnums loaded with 240 or 250 grain hard cast bullets. . Along with dozens of mountain grouse, the only notch in both of those gun's stocks are for black bears.

Often while hunting antelope in eastern Montana I'll carry my Ruger Single Six .22 LR, mainly for snakes, andin recent years for a badger that I'd liked to get mounted.

I took my Ruger SBH with me on my first Alaskan hunt back in 1980 for a DIY Caribou. Then several years ago I was looking at a friend's 4" S&W Model 629 and decided that I needed and bought one. I've taken it on my last two Alaskan hunts, one for a Sitka Blacktail buck and last year for a Brown bear. That is also the pistol that I now carry while elk hunting, and for just general hiking in the woods I'll either carry it or my 3" EMP 9 mm.

So far I have never had to fire any of my pistols in self defense, although one year in elk/moose camp I did fire my .44 Ruger twice over the head of a grizzly to scare him off, but it didn't, so I threw and hit him with a rock which made hm run off.

 

[flatcoat]

I own a G20, M&P 10mm, and Xdme Compact 10mm. I like the way the Xdme carries and shoots the best. YMMV.

 

[JohnCushman]

I like my Judge. I can load every other round with .45 Long Colt if I'm in grizz country and the other chambers with .410 000 buckshot.

 

[Brachii]

I like my Judge. I can load every other round with .45 Long Colt if I'm in grizz country and the other chambers with .410 000 buckshot.

This is the kinda idea I needed! So a .410 buckshot is okay for small game? You’re talking to a caliber ignoramous over here.

 

[rwc101]

This is the kinda idea I needed! So a .410 buckshot is okay for small game? You’re talking to a caliber ignoramous over here.

Watch Paul Harrell's video series on the Judge.

 

[JohnCushman]

This is the kinda idea I needed! So a .410 buckshot is okay for small game? You’re talking to a caliber ignoramous over here.

Might be a little big for small game. They make smaller .410 shells that might be better suited for small game or grouse.

 

[shannerdrake]

This is the kinda idea I needed! So a .410 buckshot is okay for small game? You’re talking to a caliber ignoramous over here.

Yes it seems be exactly what you need. 410 is ideal for small game. Not sure you could do better in a sidearm.

If bears are a legit concern, Buffalo Bore makes some good bear defense loads that would be big medicine in a 45LC.

 

[MTGomer]

I just bought a Glock 29 and Buffalo bore 220 gr ammo. Haven’t even shot it yet.

 

[El Jason]

I just bought a Glock 29 and Buffalo bore 220 gr ammo. Haven’t even shot it yet.

Buy some cheap shit to break it in (100-200 rounds or so). Don’t clean off the copper colored grease, it’s there for a reason.

 

[mtmuley]

I just bought a Glock 29 and Buffalo bore 220 gr ammo. Haven’t even shot it yet.

Went with the 190 monos from Buffalo Bore in my G20. mtmuley

 

[pyrotechnic]

If you're looking for something more compact and lighter than a G19 and that is still shootable, a g48 or g43x loaded with HST or Gold Dots is going to be hard to beat for 99% of potential problems.

 

[Brad]

I’d stick with the 19. A 9mm will do what you need it to and it’s pretty packable and easy to shoot.

That's what I have, and what I'd reccomend if a guy wanted a pistol. I never carry one though, except when going in for 2nd and 3rd loads of meat. Loaded with Buffalo Bore 147 gr Hard Cast FN's.

 

[Seamaster]

I imagine that anything short of a large bear would be quite discouraged by a 22 LR hole or two. You do not need a pistol suited to combat, law enforcement, zombies, or tigers despite what you are told on youtube (or here). A nice 22 LR, with a silencer if possible, would make a good hiking companion.

 

[El Jason]

My first choice would be a G43x. Shoot grouse and bunnies in the head.

If that doesn’t set your hair on fire, do a .38 or a .44 revolver and carry some bird shot loads.

 

[Potsie]

.38 or a .44 revolver and carry some bird shot loads.

As my kids namesake was known to say - “if you’re gonna be a bear, be a grizzly.”

 

[Brachii]

That's what I have, and what I'd reccomend if a guy wanted a pistol. I never carry one though, except when going in for 2nd and 3rd loads of meat. Loaded with Buffalo Bore 147 gr Hard Cast FN's.

That’s a really good point I didn’t consider. I hate taking my rifle back in for my subsequent pack out trips. Would save a lot of frustration during elk rifle season.

 

[Don Fischer]

Of all I read about carrying protection from a bear, I wonder how many people have actually found themselves in need of bear protection? I don't carry much whei I hunt, just my 9mm Shoeld and it's for protection against other people; have never needed it. Sometime just for grins, I have a Mod 16 Smith in 32 long I carry with cast handloads. The idea with it is rabbits! I'd like to say how effective it is against other critters like maybe mountain lion but I've never had a run in with one. But I have had runins with rattle snakes and they are no match for the 32 long! I think we spend far to much time thinking up in our minds things that could happen but for the vast amount of people never do! I carry that 9mm Shield because, well, because I carry it everywhere, I doubt there will ever really be a need for it. But if there is it not home in a drawer! The thing nice about it is it's size, I mean this thing is as close to weightless as I could find and with the cast handloads I shoot in it, very shootable! Think a bad guy is gonna worry about cast handloads? I don't know but first he'd have to know they were! I don't think most grown men have a clue what a 9mm might do but consider trying to stop one at about 10'! Won't be fun! As for the bear, if I were out in bear country I'd have a useable rifle with me for protection, not some lame pistol! Actually that's not really true. I lived a couple years in Alaska and never carried a handgun and made sure the rifle I had would do whatever I called on it to do. Running some traps I had out up there in the winter I always carried my 22 mag rifle with me. I suspect there are better ways of avoiding wild animals than shooting at them with handguns we are mostly not really qualified to handle. Guy's carrying 44 mags carry them to feel better about the situation themselves. Show it to the bear and the bear might leave! Actually when I was up there a lot of guy's recommended carrying a 44 mag in bear country. To use it you'd shoot your partner in the foot and ran like hell!

I recall my first trip ever into grizzly country. Came back from Germany in the ?Air force and got stationed at kalispell AFS in Lakeside, Montana. Man that was great. Not long after getting there I made a short trip north of Flathead Lake in bear country. Was carrying my 7mm Rem Mag with me and got to thinking about the stories I've read about grizzly bears. Well didn't stay long and next time I went into country like that I had a 338 Win Mag. That was about 1970 and to this day I have never seen a grizzly in the wild! of course, I have no idea how many times a bear, grizzlynor black, may have seen me out there. My naturally rugged looks just sends them off!

 

[blacksheep]

I carry a full size M&P 45. I carry it in a kydex chest holster. Ammo is 230g JHP Federal hydra-shok. Should be good for about everything that I need to worry about.

blacksheep