Who carries a sideram when they go deer hunting? What is it? Ammo?

[brokeasajoke]

Rossi 22mag revolver. The middle one in the pic

 

[outasite`08]

I use a S&W 645 .45acp 4" barrel and carry in a drop thigh rig. Works for anything two or four legged.Jeff

 

[linebaugh]

Yeah? Is that speaking from experience?

I’ve drawn a rifle on a bull moose coming my way up the mountainside and he wasn’t about to go around me. I backed off slowly as he advanced grunting and puffing about 10-15 yards apart from each other until I could get good clear of him while not having to turn my back. And I’ll tell you what, I wouldn’t have wished I had anything but the 338-375 Ruger rifle in my hands that I was packing that day. That is a massive animal. If he would have charged there’s no handgun I would have wanted in that situation over my rifle.

Same goes for grizzly bear. I’d much rather have a large hard hitting magnum rifle in my hands over any handgun. I definitely feel less safe thinking about encountering a pissed off grizzly bear during archery season when all I have is a handgun vs rifle season when I have my rifle with me.

The most powerful 44 magnum loads using 300-340gr bullets still only have a scant 1200-1600 ft lbs of energy at the muzzle. That pales in comparison to the 4,000-5,000+ ft lbs you can generate at the muzzle of a large magnum rifle.

Not exactly disagreeing but that 44 mag with a 325 lfn/wfn will also penetrate full length at nearly any engagement angle. Foot pounds don't kill. Problem is controlling the big boomers recoil for just such a scenario. But conversely I too would prefer my rifle in most all circumstances.
35 years of big game hunting and have taken a lot of game with handgun. That said I never took any of them defensively.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Not exactly disagreeing but that 44 mag with a 325 lfn/wfn will also penetrate full length at nearly any engagement angle. Foot pounds don't kill. Problem is controlling the big boomers recoil for just such a scenario. But conversely I too would prefer my rifle in most all circumstances.
35 years of big game hunting and have taken a lot of game with handgun. That said I never took any of them defensively.

I agree, but penetration isn’t necessarily “stopping power”. And not worried about penetration on my rifles anyhow. I’ve seen deer suck up 44 cal bullets with ease when not hit perfectly. Big difference between being hit with a pistol and when hit with a large rifle.

You don’t necessarily need to kill an aggressive animal, just need to stop the threat. So I would rather hit them with a massive amount of energy.

 

[AWS]

I hunt the southern border area, sometimes I can see the fence/wall from my coyote stands. I carry when I'm on the MC down there, to slow to unlimber the rifle, north of I-10 I leave it home. I worry about an illegal knocking me off the bike or riding into a drug smuggling group.

 

[DGP4]

in Pa out highly intellegent leaders allow us to carry a semi (pistol)for concealed carry protection with a CCW permit while hunting or fishing but not lawful for hunting or "finishing off" an animal
so you have to carry a revolver for that.
or a sportsmans permit for revolver not concealed.
so ya carry the G22 on one side and the 686 on the other side lol. ?
guess it's so we can look cool?

That has to be the dumbest rule I ever heard of! You can carry a revolver but not a pistol? Makes no sense at all!

 

[Liven The Dream]

For most of my life I have declined to carry any kind of sidearm when I go deer hunting, I considered it but always ultimately decided it was not worth the extra item to carry around. You know, got all those candy bars, and sammiches and mountain dew filling my pockets. I am thinking about it again and may change my mind, but I really dont have any handguns that are ideal for it. I have a couple full size 9mms and a compact Kahr cw45. No revolers, nothing in 10mm yet. My brother has used his carry guns in 9mm or 40 to finish off deer a few times over the years, and seems to think a handgun is worthwhile to have around.
Has anyone else seen a benefit to carrying a handgun? If so what? Or is it not needed?
If you did, between those cartridges what would you carry and what loads? Given my choices I am thinking of loading some hard cast 45s to plus p speeds.

In my Hunting day's S&W 657 41Mag. 210gr. JHP
5 shots at the Bear one for me just in case.

 

[Bill K]

Who carrys and what, is no ones business, except the bad guy or if needed in other situations. Remember the old saying "Only the Shadow Knows".

 

[Rem06]

That has to be the dumbest rule I ever heard of! You can carry a revolver but not a pistol? Makes no sense at all!

welkum to Pa libeialism

oh, you can carry a pistol for self defence with a carry permit but you cant "finish off" a deer?
here is their answer:

Can you hunt deer with a pistol in PA?
When hunting deer and other large game, you may hunt with a rifle or shotgun. Fully automatic and semiautomatic rifles are prohibited. … You are only allowed to possess such a semi-automatic handgun for self-defense, and it is unlikely the game warden will believe that you’re in fear for your safety because of a deer.

nor can you finish off a road hit deer with a gun.
guessing a tire iron is ok?

Pa is loaded with dont make sense laws

you should look at our elk point system if you want a good laugh!

i ofter carry a LCRX 22mag with a crimpson trace? not sure if i can use it either to finish off a deer even in rifle season? 22mag not allowed for deer nor are projected lasers.

 

[JFrank]

The demographics are so diverse around the country that it may be prudent to define the mission prior to selecting the equipment needed.
For example, Mountain Elk hunters would require less personal protection whereas a local white tail hunter may feel safer staying at home.

 

[Bojo]

I read this whole thread fairly quickly and chuckled more than a few times.
PA resident here, when archery hunting I have carried my SP101 2.25” 357mag for more years than the law has “legally allowed”. When deer hunting with a rifle I more often than not carry a super Blackhawk hunter 7.5 44mag. I have however not yet fired it at an animal.

As far as the what I carry and why goes. I’m sure most of us have heard the joke about the two Polocks, ( polish decent myself )
Lost in the woods one says to other to fire 3 shots in the air a the top of every hour to signal their location to the search party , at the top of the third hour Polock B asks Polock A for his bow as he is out of arrows.

I also carry matches, lighter , other fire staring items, real plain jane compass, emergency poncho , emergency food , a flashlight with a spare set of batteries ziplock bags ,plain white paper ink pen ,streamer, small first aid stuff , etc
I do carry concealed religiously in a daily atmosphere as well.
My family and friends all bust my balls about packing too much, I am however the guy that that has stuff when someone else says out loud that it would be nice if we had “x”.
One major life lesson I learned years ago in scouting “always be prepared, mentally aware and morally straight.”

 

[F224]

For most of my life I have declined to carry any kind of sidearm when I go deer hunting, I considered it but always ultimately decided it was not worth the extra item to carry around. You know, got all those candy bars, and sammiches and mountain dew filling my pockets. I am thinking about it again and may change my mind, but I really dont have any handguns that are ideal for it. I have a couple full size 9mms and a compact Kahr cw45. No revolers, nothing in 10mm yet. My brother has used his carry guns in 9mm or 40 to finish off deer a few times over the years, and seems to think a handgun is worthwhile to have around.
Has anyone else seen a benefit to carrying a handgun? If so what? Or is it not needed?
If you did, between those cartridges what would you carry and what loads? Given my choices I am thinking of loading some hard cast 45s to plus p speeds.

4" Colt King Cobra (New model) with 140 grain FlexTip bullets...legal for Iowa deer. Out west, it's S&W M69 with Garret Defender ammo.

 

[Rem06]

The demographics are so diverse around the country that it may be prudent to define the mission prior to selecting the equipment needed.
For example, Mountain Elk hunters would require less personal protection whereas a local white tail hunter may feel safer staying at home.

very accurate statement, picking a state or country for that matter certainly would be more helpful.
most Pa whitetail hunters just carry a spare beer to hold them over till they get back to camp, that is if they ever even leave camp.

aewsome pic lmao!

is there one for Spring Gobbler hunting

 

[longbow]

Two things you can do if charged by a Brown Bear...shoot your buddy in the foot and run.
OR...if unarmed...stand your ground! When the bear charges and is just almost upon you going at like 35 MPH...Spit in his face! Really ! Lions, Tigers,and Bears hate the smell of human saliva !
So I will let you intertain this thought and come up with your evaluation.As to the outcome of..did the spit hit him in time to turn him? Is this total BS? Or ..you ARE dead meat,be a man and die spitting! This was out of the Herters " Guide Manuel Book" I treasured as a kid.

 

[41rem]

I carry my Smith & Wesson model 18 in .22 long rifle always stoked with high velocity hollow points, it carries easily in a belt holster. Have used it as a primary weapon in tight quarters for short range whitetails, put one in an ear hole & DRT

 

[Fuj]

Custom 5" 41 Mag Black Hawk (pre Gettysburg barrel)

 

[Downeast]

When I put my pants on in the morning my 9 goes on my belt and stays there concealed all day long. When hunting I have an old Ruger Bearcat in 22LR that I have used several times to dispatch wounded deer (one behind the ear does it) and the occasional copperhead. Rolling into an ATM at zero-dark-thirty on the way to an early morning duck hunt without a firearm gives me the creeps. You would be amazed at the zombies walking around in the wee hours of the morning, even in the dead of winter. So the problem is not what handgun to carry on the hunt. It's what you may need to and from the hunt.

"Refuse to be a Victim"
Learn and use the color codes for situational awareness. They work.

 

[Bjornf16]

Depends on 4 legged predator population of the hunting area...for black bears I'll just wear my normal 9mm concealed gun with hard cast or Critical Duty loads.

If grizzly country, then 10mm with hard cast or 45 LC revolver.

 

[drop_point]

So then why are you even commenting on this thread? Nobody is discussing personal defense against people. But a rifle would make one hell of a club in close quarters. Lol.

The OP didn't say for defense just against animals....It was who cares a sidearm.

 

[Bobbyboy6br]

For most of my life I have declined to carry any kind of sidearm when I go deer hunting, I considered it but always ultimately decided it was not worth the extra item to carry around. You know, got all those candy bars, and sammiches and mountain dew filling my pockets. I am thinking about it again and may change my mind, but I really dont have any handguns that are ideal for it. I have a couple full size 9mms and a compact Kahr cw45. No revolers, nothing in 10mm yet. My brother has used his carry guns in 9mm or 40 to finish off deer a few times over the years, and seems to think a handgun is worthwhile to have around.
Has anyone else seen a benefit to carrying a handgun? If so what? Or is it not needed?
If you did, between those cartridges what would you carry and what loads? Given my choices I am thinking of loading some hard cast 45s to plus p speeds.

I’m in New York State and carry a S&W m29 44 mag 6 shot revolver with federal 240 gr hollow points love the gun got a 6 pointer a few years back