Do you carry a back up gun varmint hunting? Any kills with it?

[SVTOhio]

When I'm groundhog/coyote hunting around the farms I usually have either my savage 25/06, 18" AR, or my ruger 10/22. But I always have my Ruger Sp101 357mag 3" on me and lately I have had a interest in trying to take some ground hogs with it. Mostly for fun and also some extra practice. So far I am 2 for 2 on shoots with both Instant kills. First one was shot at around 12 yards in the neck the second was 4 yards in the eye when one decided to stick his head out of the hole. Both shot with Hornady critical duty 357 and both shot strong hand single action while holding a rifle in the other hand.

Go ahead and share your stories and pictures of you have some kills with your backup/carry gun.

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[matrem]

In early July, was hunting some late planted beans when a g hog came wondering in to about 40 feet.
Decided I really didn't need to use the m4gery I had trained on him, and a 3" XD .40 got the job done. Tough little critter ran about four feet with a 180 HST through both lungs.

Have a couple other very similar g hog kills with a 1911 over the last few years.
Have owned a 3" SP101 .357 for twenty plus years, but haven't happened to have it with me when those opportunities have presented themselves.

 

[matrem]

Oh Yea,
You and I both know the ORC says "concealed guns can not be used to shoot at or kill wild animals".

Right?

 

[SVTOhio]

Oh Yea,

You and I both know the ORC says "concealed guns can not be used to shoot at or kill wild animals".



Right?

When hunting I openly carry in a Outside the waistband holster. The gun is not concealed, The ODNR allows groundhog hunting with rifle/pistol of any caliber. Therefore I am perfectly within the law.


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[JohnnyFlake]

When I go into the field, with a .22 rifle, a shotgun and just out hiking, I always have my S&W .45 Colt Mountain Gun or my Springfield 1911 .45acp Commander hanging on my hip. Always!

 

[matrem]

Good. Killing a varmint by the toughest doable humane means sometimes feels better to me too.
Some folks just don't realize the CCW law here and wanted to make sure.

I didn't just tell on myself, did I?

 

[entropy]

Yes, but any kills with it would either be a coyote that charged me after missing it five times, (highly unlikely) or of the two legged kind; hope I never get one of those kind.......

 

[WestKentucky]

Yep. I actually prefer the handguns. I'm to a point in life where rifles just seem too easy to use so I try to draw critters in close and put the whooping on them with one of my 357s or 22 mag out of the single six. Seems like I get a decent amount of rifle practice with quick running follow ups when I miss.

 

[Sniper66]

I have a friend who killed a prairie dog with a .44 Magnum. I always take more than one gun (usually a pistol) during every hunting activity and have killed aa couple of possums and a few snakes. Of course, I always take a couple extra long guns, like a centerfire rifle, on pheasant hunts in case I see a coyote. And have killed a few coyotes that way, usually with a .223.

 

[der Teufel]

I've often used my sidearm

I carry a .22 pistol with me when I go hog hunting. The purpose is to finish off any wounded hogs. The fact that I find a hog still alive means he's not a threat, or it'd still be running! So, the .22 is cheap and effective.

I guess I'd say there have been at least a half-dozen times I've killed a hog with my pistol. Of course, the reason I've been able to do that is that I first put a .30 caliber bullet into them.

 

[Hookeye]

I normally rifle hunt chucks (.243 win of some sort).
Have taken a sidearm many times........

.22 mag Ruger 3 screw
.357 mag Ruger 3 screw
.44 mag Ruger 3 screw

but my fave was my Smith 648 .22 mag.

Rifle for the long D, checking holes in fences/ditches or when picking up a rifle kill............the little .22 mag popped a close one.

 

[Hookeye]

I'm too old, cranky, lazy to drag a second gun around. Rifle is usually what goes.
If I want to handgun hunt, then that's all I take.
No more dual carry for me.

I belly crawled out in a cornfield during a deer season a few yrs back, perpendicular to he stubble rows...........my Python acted like a plow. I ended up taking it and holster/belt off and crawling farther out. No racks, were just does in the low spot.

Last hunt with an "extra gun".

 

[Hookeye]

Yeah, MZ it was, no scope........doesn't matter.
I gave up crawling in the mud that day too.

 

[SVTOhio]

I normally rifle hunt chucks (.243 win of some sort).
Have taken a sidearm many times........

.22 mag Ruger 3 screw
.357 mag Ruger 3 screw
.44 mag Ruger 3 screw

but my fave was my Smith 648 .22 mag.

Rifle for the long D, checking holes in fences/ditches or when picking up a rifle kill............the little .22 mag popped a close one.

I've now shot three at extremely close range while walking around the holes. They like to stick their heads and look at you at around 5 yards. A 357 pill does quick work of them.


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[SVTOhio]

Another one bites the dust. This was closer to a 20 yard shot.



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[Dr. Sandman]

When I hunt g-hogs, I use a BCI Defense (locally made!) AR-15 with a 10 round mag and ballistic tipped .223. No back up gun. I usually aim for central body mass, chest if possible. There is a lot of forgiveness in those ballistic tips.

 

[SVTOhio]

When I hunt g-hogs, I use a BCI Defense (locally made!) AR-15 with a 10 round mag and ballistic tipped .223. No back up gun. I usually aim for central body mass, chest if possible. There is a lot of forgiveness in those ballistic tips.

That is my main weapon too, I just like a little more of a challenging shot when presented with a close up hog. And I agree those ballistic tips really offer a lot of forgiveness. I have shot 9 so far with my ARs with 55gr v max and the furthest one has gone was about 3 inches. Some carnage from my field sweeping this year:







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