Working in the woods carry

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Mencius

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Ok, my little brother is not a gun guy. He is planning on building a very rustic cabin and trying to live off the land as much as he can, raising his own livestock (probably goats) and vegetables. I gave him an old 30-30 I had (different discussion) and now he wants to get a pistol to carry around with him all the time while around his place.

I am trying to help him decide on a good gun for him and just wanted your thoughts on it. I think the main thing he is going to do with it is shoot snakes. There are a few coyotes around and a bunch of deer. I believe he would like something able to take a deer in case he walked up on one. Also, once he is finished with this in a few years I think he would like it to serve as SD but probably not CCW.

I had two ideas in mind:

9mm
Pros:
  • Lots of shots
  • ammo is pretty cheap and easy to get
  • Not real expensive
  • Glock 17 is very reliable

Cons:
  • I don't think they make a birdshot for it for snakes
  • Doubt it would really stop a deer unless you were pretty close.

44 mag
Pros:
  • Good deer stopper at close range
  • I think there is bird shot for snakes
  • Can plink/practice with 44 special which is not as expensive
  • Can just keep pulling the trigger on mis-fire.
  • Rifle shooting same cartridge could be convenient and decent stopper out to maybe 100 yards.

Cons:
  • Pretty heavy
  • Ammo is expensive
  • Only 6 shots

I also thought about the 45LC/.410, but I think the 45LC lacks the power for a deer. Either of the above seems like it would be enough for a coyote or anything smaller than a deer. There are no bears or anything around to worry about.

Thoughts?
 
4" or 6" .357 Magnum.

CCI makes .38 shot-shells for snakes.
.38 Special is low recoil & noise for learning, practice, or any time you don't need full power .357 Magnum blast & recoil.
.357 Mag will kill a deer just fine if you put the bullet in the right place.

I do not recommend a 9mm auto-pistol for deer.
I do not recommend a .44 Mag for a new hand-gunner to learn with.
I do not recommend any auto pistol for someone who is "not a gun guy".
A revolver is much safer for a novice.

BTW: 45LC will kill anything that walks in the U.S.A. if you use the right ammo in it.
It was designed in 1873 to shoot cavalry horses out from under the riders.

rc
 
Where in the USA is he attempting this? Beware of violating wildlife/game laws. If he is not a shooter he may need to become one prior to heading out.
ll
 
Super Redhawk Alaskan in .454 Casull. That will do it. It can also fire .45 Long Colt, and, of course, the .45 shotshells for snakes. Puma also makes a Model 92 in .454, so you can share calibers there, too.
 
+1 for the 4" .357 GP100 from Ruger would save some bucks. S&W mod. 28 used would work. I use to carry mine while deer hunting just in case I got a shot that was close enough.

As already posted, shooting game out of season is frowned upon, in any state. :scrutiny:
 
Just to comment on a few things from the OP.

.45LC has more power than a 9mm. If you are even considering a 9mm, don't dismiss the .45LC for lack of power.

That being said, you mention .45LC/.410. I assume that means the Taurus Judge. Avoid it. Just search the revolver forum for "Taurus Judge" and you'll understand why.

I'd go with a good 4" .357mag revolver. It's got the ability to shoot everything from powder puff .38spl for target practice, to snakeshot, to heavy duty .357mag that'll take down deer and even black bear.

The other recommendation is a good 10mm handgun. The Glock 20, or a S&W 1006 come to mind. 10mm has a lot going for it as a woods gun. The fact that ammo is expensive is irrelevant if he's not a gun guy and not going to shoot that much anyway.
 
You don't just walk up and plug a deer. There are laws that we all must abide by.
It sounds like a great adventure...one I would enjoy as well, but law prohibits me from shooting a deer whenever I walk up on one unless:
1. It's deer season
2. I have a valid deer permit
3. I am wearing blaze orange
4. I have a FOID card
5. I am in an area where deer hunting with a handgun is legal
6. I have a hunting license
7. I have a habitat stamp
8. I have written permission to hunt (private property) or a landowner

If you just blast a deer, or any game animal, when your tummy starts to growl....you have become a poacher. That is not fair to the rest of us who jump through the hoops to hunt legally.

I feel your little brother is going to get an education.
 
4" or 6" .357 Magnum.

CCI makes .38 shot-shells for snakes.
.38 Special is low recoil & noise for learning, practice, or any time you don't need full power .357 Magnum blast & recoil.
.357 Mag will kill a deer just fine if you put the bullet in the right place.
A revolver is much safer for a novice.
Click to expand...

This.

Personally I'd go Ruger GP100 or SW 686 in 4" barrel. Either one would be a fine choice, the Ruger would cost a little less.
 
An auto isn't really a woodsman's gun... they shine for self-defense, but generally lack the bullet energy and sight radius needed for hunting or protection from animals. You can find a few that shoot magnum ammo (like the Desert Eagle), but they tend to be a lot heavier & probably less reliable than a revolver in the same caliber.

If your brother's not a gun guy, I'd recommend he take a handgun safety course as well as a class on hunting in his state before he totes something around his property. A .44 magnum is generally the sidearm of choice back in my home state of Alaska, but a 4-6" .357 magnum is enough gun for most other states. For a beginner, I'd even recommend something in .22 lr - they're ideal for developing shooting skills, and they are often legal to use in small game hunting.

6 shots is plenty of capacity for probably 99.9% of situations where an outdoorsman has to draw his sidearm: for hunting, you generally only need 1 or 2, and during an animal attack, a person would be lucky to fire once. That's why it's best if those shots are in a caliber that's good enough to do the job in one hit.
 
When deciding on a woods gun for similar purpose, I chose a Ruger Super Blackhawk and Marlin lever 1894 in 44 mag. Power for when you need it, but can shoot slow, cast lead bullets that turn either gun into a pussy cat, even for a novice.

The same combo can be had in 357, but why not have more power available if needed? Either has the ability to load down.
 
I also thought about the 45LC/.410, but I think the 45LC lacks the power for a deer. Either of the above seems like it would be enough for a coyote or anything smaller than a deer. There are no bears or anything around to worry about.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
I was about to say:
BTW: 45LC will kill anything that walks in the U.S.A. if you use the right ammo in it.
It was designed in 1873 to shoot cavalry horses out from under the riders.

rc
Click to expand...
But RC beat me to it. That is 100% correct. The .45 Colt was designed to shoot horses, a deer has no chance when shot with one. (well aimed shot of course)

I'm a big fan of the .45 Colt for a woods gun. If your brother doesn't like SA revolvers there's always a S&W M625 in .45 Colt. He will be very well armed with a levergun in 30-30 and a sidearm in .45 Colt.

If he decided to buy a .357 Magnum I couldn't argue with that decision either. That's also a great caliber and it will also shoot .38 Special ammo for practice.
 
If you are thinking about using for hunting deer, you might want to check on "minimum" barrel length and caliber laws in your state .
 
One other possible advantage to the 45LC would be since he's not (yet) a gun guy he could also get a lever gun in 45LC. He has the 30-30, but it might be a lot easier for him to only have to worry about 1 type of ammo to keep on hand.
 
Ok, my little brother is not a gun guy.
Click to expand...

He needs a .22 Buckmark or Ruger Mark II or III. It's not for deer, but he won't see any. He will see plenty of squirrels, rabbits, etc.....if he knows how to find them.

your little brother is going to get an education.
Click to expand...

I agree 1000%

Deer don't stand around waiting for you to shoot them. Even a first time hunter knows that.

I'm reminded of the time a friends son told me he wanted to start deer hunting and what knife do I recommend. Yes, he had decided to slay his deer with a knife....
 
I used to restore log cabins using period tools and methods. (Adze, broadaxe, drawknife, etc).
I was in similar situations back in the woods alone all the time working.

I chose a 45LC Vaquero Bisley. A good holster keeps it out of your way and you don't mind the weight after a week or so.

Though, if he's not possessed of a lot of cash, a 357 might work better. I carry a 357 now and feel like it'll do the job. It's no 45lc, but nothing else is.
 
I also thought about the 45LC/.410, but I think the 45LC lacks the power for a deer.
Click to expand...
A .45 Colt standard loading will shoot through a deer lengthwise.

Personally, I consider a .357 would fill his needs, though.

For practice and small game, a .38 Special would be ideal -- and your .357 can shoot .38 Specials. For self defense, the .357 is hard to beat. For snakes, I usually just use a rock, or shoot whatever I'm carrying, but you can get shot loads for the .357.

For what It's worth, I have 185 wooded acres, and access to thousands more. I usually carry either a Colt Woodsman (.22 automatic) or a Colt New Service in .45 Colt.
 
Vern Humphrey said:
A .45 Colt standard loading will shoot through a deer lengthwise.
Click to expand...

?? Huh? And incapacitate a brown bear in a couple seconds??

A standard loaded colt 45, made for the older firearms isn't much better than a 45 ACP.

225 grains going 860 fps.
 
Since he is going to have a good rifle, maybe a .22 wouldn't be the worst idea. A .22 convertible that can go from .2LR to .22 Magnum. This will allow him to harvest small game without blowing it to pieces. Also, ammo will be considerably cheaper than a .357 or even a 9mm.

Shooting a deer with even a .22 magnum, as far as I know, is illegal in all states. I know it is in MS and AL. And you're likely to find regulations on pistols in most states for hunting as well.

In my own personal experiences, having the opportunity to shoot a deer with a handgun of any kind have been greatly out numbered by the opportunities with long guns. You mentioned no bear? Boar are about the only think in the woods that really make me question my choice of handgun caliber.

IMO Id use the .30-30 for the heavy stuff and a .22 for small game. Snakes? They're not THAT big of deal. You could go to war with "Watership Down" with a 22 and 50 bucks of ammo.
 
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