New Handgun for Outdoors

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I carry an old gen 2 Glock 23 (40 S&W) here in hog country. Plenty of power for anything I run across, and as durable a gun as anyone could wish for. Also, Glock 40's are available second hand for CHEAP (less than $400). Seems no one likes them as much as 9 or 45.
 
bannockburn said:
Did somebody say .38 Super? How about a lightweight (less than 30 oz.), Colt Commander with a spare 9mm. barrel? Best of both worlds with cheap 9mm. practice ammo and some nice warm handloads in .38 Super.

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I've got 5 different 1911s right now. I think if I were gonna go with another 1911, I'd prefer a Commander or CCO size in 10mm instead.
 
Olympus

I would love something like a Dan Wesson Vigil CCO in 9mm. The grip frame would be the perfect size for my smaller than usual size hand while the Commander slide is just the right length for concealed carry.
 
The 4” Ruger sp101 is ideal. The one I bought was a lemon but it was accurate and very handy. A good example of one or one gunsmithed to your preference would be a keeper.

Semi’s suck in the woods if youre a reloader...
 
HB said:
The 4” Ruger sp101 is ideal. The one I bought was a lemon but it was accurate and very handy. A good example of one or one gunsmithed to your preference would be a keeper.

Semi’s suck in the woods if youre a reloader...
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Why do semis suck in the woods if you’re a reloader? Trying to figure this one out.
 
Olympus said:
Why do semis suck in the woods if you’re a reloader? Trying to figure this one out.
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They don't suck at all in the woods, but the one down side is finding your brass is a nightmare sometimes. I'm guessing that's what he means.
 
When I am out and about moving I want a lite weight gun. The Springfield XD mod.2 compact in .45acp is what I carry. Lite weight is less hassle to carry and more likely to be on me. If I felt I needed more fire power I would probably for for the XDm in 10mm.
 
Olympus said:
I know the 22 WMR is pretty dang effective from a rifle, but I haven’t looked into it much from a handgun. I do think a Ruger Single Six or Blackhawk would look cool in a leather holster.

The PMR30 is another neat option, but I’ve never even seen one in person.
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I'm not impressed with the 22WMR from a pistol. The PMR30 takes a little tweaking from the mags,
be sure to load them right before shooting, and follow the loading instructions.
 
Without big bears around, three handguns come to mind:

-Any .357magnum 6”. Very versatile and enough for Black Bear with 158gr or higher

-Glock 40 10mm is very popular, not enough for Browns, but certainly enough for blacks

-Any 44mag 4”-6”, more than enough for black bear, and great for deer.
 
I would just opt for my old single six 22 mag... Most often when in bear country, either big or small i would carry my guide gun 45/70. its all about what else or who is in the woods with you, which could change alot of opinions....
 
I have a Taurus M 66 Stainless in .357 for a similar purpose to yours. It is very accurate with the right load. I've found with a light load of HP38 pushing a 125 TC cast (.38 spl) it is minute of bunny, porcupine, or threatening beer can to 25 yards. Meat damage on edible game is acceptable. With a heavier load of HP or JSP in .357, it would be a man stopper. It's an inexpensive stainless gun, so I don't mind dinging it up some while working. I use a cheap nylon holster with a hammer strap similar to the one in post #13. I also wear it cross draw and have no problem crawling through brush, running chainsaws, brushcutters, 4 wheeler, etc. Also makes a nice, cheap to shoot plinker for around camp. I have a lot of bowling pin sized birch sticks in the woodpile, makes for fun reactive targets to 50 yards to really push the envelope. You'll not see too many $300 automatics that can bullseye one of those, while running a powderpuff load that even little girls feel comfortable trying out for their first big handgun experience.
 
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A lot of folks recommending some heavy iron. I do a fair bit of walking and usually carry my 9mm Shield with Buffalo Bore outdoorsman loads. It is a fair amount of firepower for the weight. I sometimes carry it in a Wilderness holster strapped to my pack belt, which protects it and has a slot for a second magazine. If you gotta go with a revolver the 3"Sp101 is the nearest match for weight to firepower.
 
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Cross draw holster should eliminate the egress issues with vehicles and not be in the way for chores.

My woods carry gun is a Glock G29 compact 10mm. But, I often encounter larger predators such as wolves and cougars when I'm in the woods. In your area, 9mm is fine. If I'm going to be in the middle of nowhere, I like to have as many rounds as practical. 15 rounds of 9mm in a G19 trumps 6 rounds of .357 in a six-shooter.

Even better would be the new Glock G45 that has the shorter slide for greater comfort while seated and still has the full-size G17 grip, so it has 17 rounds capacity.

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Still going to lobby for the Taurus wheelgun when dispatching critters is involved simply based on accuracy. The new M66s hold 7. Mine is the 6 inch barrel. The 7 straddling the red bullseye are a group at 41 yards, slow fire sitting single action, but not rested, before I extended my range to 50. Load was the Missouri 125 TC over titegroup, mid range standard .38 SPL speeds in .357 brass (seems to group a touch tighter in .357 brass vs .38). My current load with the 125 ACME TC standard, not coated, and HP38 shrinks this a tad. The open 8 shot group above are from my FNS-9 which I consider a very accurate automatic, it will do a little better than this with some loads (slings some flyers with these coated bullets) but it won't match the precision of the wheelgun. The group is around 2". You can get automatics that are this accurate, but not anywhere near this price point unless you get extreme luck of the draw. My .41 mag Blackhawk will also meet or exceed this if you're into single actions and wanted a bit more stopping power for hunting deer or hogs.
 
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You might want to look at one of the Hill People Gear chest bags. I have their Heavy Recon bag and like it a lot. These bags are designed for concealed carry purposes and you can access your pistol or revolver from them about as fast as you can blink. The bags can easily be adjusted to fit snug against your chest and they stay in place unlike your situation with the shoulder holster. You can access them on Hill People Gear.com.
The bags are also made in the good ole U.S.A. In addition to their CC function, you can also carry other items such as a first aid kit, etc.,etc.
 
for field and stream i prefer revolvers, but im pretty much a wheelgun guy anyway. something handy, versatile and unobtrusive in centerfire is a five shot 38sp revolver, 3” barrel is the sweet spot. if rimfire is sufficient a 5.5” ruger single six loaded with 22wmr combines some oomph with great accuracy and solid reliability, or a heritage roughrider for a cheaper beater if its dialed in, but both are heavier pieces. suggest a ruger lcr 22lr or s&w 317 if you prefer smaller and lighter.
 
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