Best hunting sidearm?

[Brachii]

I do carry bear mace... but depending on where I'm going and if I'm camping, I like to have a pistol too for general protection outside of bears— crazies, coyotes, etc. My glock 19 is a bit too heavy for my taste for hiking with my gear. I've considered the glock 26 which is the smaller 9mm version but that may be too big a bullet. Any recommendations for a sidearm that is both relatively light and versatile in its caliber? Ideally, I'd like something that I can use subsonic/lighter rounds for shooting small game occasionally. Any overlap there?

 

[S-3 Ranch]

44 special 6 shooter

 

[LostTexican]

Revolver with snake shot is kinda tough to beat. I mostly hunt here in the east now days but I carry a Ruger LCR in 22lr. 4 40gr shells and 4 shot shells. I don't really rifle hunt here in the east too much so it's nice to have something lightweight, easy to carry and it's at least something.

In bear country I think bear spray would be enough.

 

[BackofBeyond]

S&W 329 PD .44 Mag.

Under 2 pds, can shoot anything from snake shot through .44 Special to full boat and hard cast .44 Mag (wrist breakers).

 

[VikingsGuy]

I loved my ruger gp100 in .357mag, but it hasn’t left the safe since I got my Sig p220 10mm. Surprisingly soft shooting, accurate, a few extra rounds.

 

[MTLabrador]

I’d stick with the 19. A 9mm will do what you need it to and it’s pretty packable and easy to shoot.

 

[std7mag]

Which do you want?
Something that might handle a bear for just in case?
Or something for small game?

After a close in contact with a 400lb ish black bear that thought it was a grizzly, i quit carrying my Walther PPS when in the woods.
I now carry a rifle, or my Walther PPQ in 45ACP. 12 rounds of 185gr LSWC going about 1,000fps is gonna put a serious hurt on! Plus gives more piece of mind.

Still prefer a rifle in bear country.

 

[Brachii]

Which do you want?
Something that might handle a bear for just in case?
Or something for small game?

After a close in contact with a 400lb ish black bear that thought it was a grizzly, i quit carrying my Walther PPS when in the woods.
I now carry a rifle, or my Walther PPQ in 45ACP. 12 rounds of 185gr LSWC going about 1,000fps is gonna put a serious hurt on! Plus gives more piece of mind.

Still prefer a rifle in bear country.

Bear mace for the bears. Pistol for everything else— crazies, coyotes, cougars, small game. Is a .22 pistol versatile enough to be both good for small game and protection? If im bow hunting or sleeping in my truck, using a long rifle for protection or discharging the mace from inside my car is no Beuno.

 

[std7mag]

Bear mace for the bears. Pistol for everything else— crazies, coyotes, cougars, small game. Is a .22 pistol versatile enough to be both good for small game and protection? If im bow hunting or sleeping in my truck, using a long rifle for protection or discharging the mace from inside my car is no Beuno.

Just had the image of mace going off in the car.
Surprised there isn't a movie scene with that happening!

 

[longbow51]

My wife recently got a Kimber K6S 4" Target revolver and really likes it. Snakeshot, .38s, .357 Mag. Weighs around 25 ounces empty, so less than your 19.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Bear mace for the bears. Pistol for everything else— crazies, coyotes, cougars, small game. Is a .22 pistol versatile enough to be both good for small game and protection? If im bow hunting or sleeping in my truck, using a long rifle for protection or discharging the mace from inside my car is no Beuno.

I would not carry a .22lr for crazies, cougars or bear back up. You need to decide whether you are carrying for protection or for squirrel hunting. You can’t have both.

 

[VikingsGuy]

My wife recently got a Kimber K6S 4" Target revolver and really likes it. Snakeshot, .38s, .357 Mag. Weighs around 25 ounces empty, so less than your 19.

.357mag out of a light revolver is no fun. Also, while you could say, “load snake shot for snakes, .38 for coyotes and .357 for cougars and crazies”, what in the first cylinder? And does the user even know which is the first cylinder? Yes with hindsight there is a lot of versatility, in actual practice not so much.

 

[bigfoot11]

I always feel fine carrying a .45 1911. Most of the guys I know do carry higher capacity 9's though. I would just carry whatever you are comfortable with. This debate has been going on for ages.

 

[Brachii]

You can’t have both.

That’s what I was worried about. I was hoping there was a caliber that could both protect/deter and have subsonic round options for the occasional rabbit dinner. As I’ve only had one run in with a cougar but several with coyotes, that was more what I’m looking to protect myself from during bow season.

I wonder why .22 pistols are marketed for carry/PP so much… my ignorance fell for it.

 

[Pucky Freak]

.357mag out of a light revolver is no fun. Also, while you could say, “load snake shot for snakes, .38 for coyotes and .357 for cougars and crazies”, what in the first cylinder? And does the user even know which is the first cylinder? Yes with hindsight there is a lot of versatility, in actual practice not so much.

This is what I carry, 17 oz. Shooting a hot .357 round is like a sharp rap with a cane, not fun but not intolerable either. Not too tough to get on target, but it’s essentially a <10 yard gun.

 

[LuckyTom]

Taurus judge might be an option. 1st round can be a .410 so you can get your rabbit. Next 4 can be .45 and you’d just dump all 5 rounds into the non-rabbit.

 

[Birdbander]

Carry two guns.

 

[VikingsGuy]

That’s what I was worried about. I was hoping there was a caliber that could both protect/deter and have subsonic round options for the occasional rabbit dinner. As I’ve only had one run in with a cougar but several with coyotes, that was more what I’m looking to protect myself from during bow season.

I wonder why .22 pistols are marketed for carry/PP so much… my ignorance fell for it.

Pretty sure a 10mm is enough cartridge to kill a rabbit

But seriously, would be interesting to see if it is a clean kill or a "blow up". The PHs in Africa favorite cartridge for the duiker is the 375H&H - I asked why so much gun for such a tiny animal - they said with so much power they just blew a perfect pencil hole through them where lighter rounds would expand and tear them up. Who would have thought?

 

[JLS]

Pretty sure bear mace works on coyotes, cougars and crazies too.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Pretty sure bear mace works on coyotes, cougars and crazies too.

I still figure the average Joe is more likely to mace him/herself than the perp/animal - but the same is probably true for a firearm.