Best choice for hunting/field sidearm

[bonecollector]

I carry my Glock 23. I also have an XDM in 9mm but I dont carry it much. The XDM is a nice gun, I will probably get one in a .40 cal soon

[sjvcon]

i'd get a .22 or .22 mag. ammo is a lot cheaper and they are a lot more fun to shoot. you'll use it a lot more just having fun, than you ever will to get out of a jam. get a 4 inch ruger mark II if you want an auto. a single six if you want a single action revolver or maybe a taurus if you want a double action. and a .22, especially a .22 mag, is very deadly for self defense and a lot easier to get decent with as far accuracy. and the guy you shoot with it won't think that just because it's a .22 it won't hurt. ya don't really need earplugs if you have to shoot at something either. somebody makes a .22 mag auto now that holds 30 rounds, but you can't find one anywhere. i'd love to have one. Lark.

 

 

thanks Lark, I'm kinda leaning toward a revolver just for the reliability and I figure if I need it I'm going to be real close to whatever it is I'm shooting at. Ruger LCR has a knew 22 model. I guess my only hang up on a 22 or even a 38 snubby is if I stumble on a Sow with cub. Not sure that's going to be enough. Any thoughts?

 

That's why I sometimes go with the .44 Mag. Is it overkill ... maybe ... but I'm not taking any chances. The .44 isn't ricocheting off a skull or shoulder bone ... it's obliterating it. If you are worried about the weight, S&W makes a really light one ... kicks like a mule and your budget is all shot to heck. The Redhawk has the heft to keep the recoil down, and you can get one used for $450-600 depending on finish. You can get an LCR in .357. My mom has one that she shoots .38's in. My dad and I shoot the .357's and they are not too bad. Not going to be good at longer ranges though. At 15 yards or so you'll probably lose some precision.

[Str8Shot]

I used to carry a glock 21 45 (pistol i ever bought) then it was stolen by some peice of &*it a$$ hole w#t Ba%k commie Bast*rd, My bask up is my dan wesson 1911. Beautiful expensive gun but accurate as anything. i like the ruger p89. its cheap and reliable. (I have 2) but as lark said, a 22 mag will drop whatever u want if u hit it right. I've said it in other posts and will say it again, lets stand 200 yards away, you with a 45, 9mm 40 cal, 357, 38, and me with whatever, and shoot eachother. BOTH OF US WILL DIE!!! its about how you shoot your gun.

 

LOL... It is about how you shoot your gun and I use to carry my S&W 686+ 6 inch barrel in the field(loving it) before I had to let it go due to hard times. It took several yotes out to 70 yards while trotting. It was a fun gun but a bit big to carry around. The last couple seasons I have carried a small frame .357 revolver and can say it is nice to lose the bulk...

 

A 22. mag can be a bit more fun but I think I need to get a new XD this year to carry down south.

[.270]

why is everbody so scared o' bears. i have had encounters with lotsa bears. all they wanna do is get away. only ones that worry me are the welfare bears that hang around black river and campgrounds. if you are really afraid of a bear carry a .357 with snake loads in it. i ain't never seen a bear stick around after you put a load o' snake shot in em. i have a stainless rossi .357 that i take to black river and i put 3 snake loads and 3 hollowpoints in it. i ain't never got past the snake loads. they hate that $h!t!!! but still, in my opinion, a .22 mag or .22, in whatever kinda pistol you want, is the way to go. you'll use it a lot more and ammo is real cheap. i own a buncha pistols. from .22 to .44mags, .45 acp's, 45 lc's and everthing in between. when i carry one as some kinda backup, it's always a .22. i have a little .22 berlinetta auto that stays in my chaps. but unless you're in grizzly country, you don't have a lot to worry about from bears. when was the last time someone in Az got hurt bad by a bear? you get hurt worse runnin' away than anything. we used to spend as much time fightin' bears as we did fishin' down on the black. after i started packin' the snake loads, the fights get over in a hurry. whatever you get, learn how to shoot it. Lark.

[Benbrown]

For general carry in the field, I use an S&W Model 66 with a 4-inch barrel. I have taken several lions with it and have used it to finish off wounded deer and pronghorns, as well. When I hunt south of Hwy 9 these days, I carry a Colt New Agent compact .45 concealed in a shoulder holster or an IWB holster. Several folks around here have had shots fired at them or in their direction by armed illegals when they were carrying openly. So far, I haven't heard of any rifle hunters that have had problems.

[Elkhunter1]

I have a Taurus 99 in 9mm. yes 9mm. I shoot a 147grn hornady XTP that has a ballistic penetration of 12.5 inches with an expansion of 2.6 and weight retention of around 96%. I do believe this will take care of the o'l bear as well as any two legged critters challenging you. A couple extra clips in my pack and hunting down south is as safe as you can get.

[Elkhunter1]

Ha! A 9mm wont even take care of a human. Good luck with that ole bear charging at you full speed ready to protect her cubs.

 

 

you have obviously never shot someone with one. I have! I have also seen the damage one can do to the body. If you use the right round with the right powder charge behind it you can kill anything you accurately shoot. You underestimate the the 9mm round when it is in a set of capable hands. As previously stated in my previous post the ballistics of what I shoot. That testing was done according to the FBI standards for ballistic testing, 10% gelatin. When you don't have ballistic gelatin you can make a troff out of 2x8's. Fill and place several 1 gallon zip lock bags, standing them up. Shoot from about 10 ft measure distance bullet travels in the troff and multiply by .56 and you get penetration. You can put different mediums in front of the zip locks prior to shooting for a more realistic "SHOOTER" scenario.

 

I'm not saying that the 9mm is the only round out there, I'm saying don't count it out.

[rcdinaz]

I don't have one but I think the XD's are awesome. I shot my buddies in 9mm, along side my kimber and a Glock and prefer the XD. All based on personal feel and the slick safety features. I have carried my Ruger P85 9mm, Kimber 45, and my 686 (way to heavy). I usually don't carry a pistol not even fishing at the black river. I have been thinking about changing that and have been looking at a compact pistol or an XD.

[Guest akaspecials]

I have a Taurus 99 in 9mm. yes 9mm. I shoot a 147grn hornady XTP that has a ballistic penetration of 12.5 inches with an expansion of 2.6 and weight retention of around 96%. I do believe this will take care of the o'l bear as well as any two legged critters challenging you. A couple extra clips in my pack and hunting down south is as safe as you can get.

 

Just make sure you file the sight off of that 9mm if you're ever in grizzly country. It'll hurt a lot less when that bear gets to you and shoves it up your rear end...

[Elkhunter1]

I have a Taurus 99 in 9mm. yes 9mm. I shoot a 147grn hornady XTP that has a ballistic penetration of 12.5 inches with an expansion of 2.6 and weight retention of around 96%. I do believe this will take care of the o'l bear as well as any two legged critters challenging you. A couple extra clips in my pack and hunting down south is as safe as you can get.

 

Just make sure you file the sight off of that 9mm if you're ever in grizzly country. It'll hurt a lot less when that bear gets to you and shoves it up your rear end...

 

I might be CRAZY but I'm not stupid! Grizzly country = 50 cal or bigger.

[Viper]

I've carried now and then in the past...a full size Ruger P91DC. That's all metal, large frame, .40 cal. It is stinkin' heavy and I hate those decocker levers. Last year I decided I wanted to carry more often, especially when out on my own. I've encountered several AZ bears over the years, but never had a problem with them. It's the idots that are up to no good that concerns me. I bought the Springfield XDm 3.8" compact in .40 cal. It is sweet! It weighs half pound lighter than my Ruger. I can carry with the compact mag (11 rounds) or the extended mag (16 rounds) and put another mag in my pack. It's over $600, but the regular XD is around $500.

[.270]

A 9 won't kill a bear? I've seen a bunch of em bite the dust with a Luger and a p38 and a model 59. You been readin' too many elmer keith stories. In ww2 9mm's killed a buncha folks. The rumor a 9 won't kill was started by s&w to sell more 40's. Unless it's a 7mm/08, it's lethal, if you are. Lark.

[ruffcountry]

I carry a glock mod 20 and it is a comfort .

[apache12]

this was a fun topic to get the feedback on. after reading the back and forth I think i'm going with a slingshot. Light, durable, and there's rocks everywhere. David killed Goliath so I think I've got a chance.

 

Actually I think I'm going revolver, and leaning toward the ruger SP101 in a 2 inch barrel.

[WinMag]

1911 or a Glock 23 which ever I'm in the mood for.