Sidearm Reccomendations

I hope in the next couple of months to get a sidearm for when I am in the bush. Mostly for hogs. Does anyone have any recommendations here? Is it necessary? I have my rifle of course, but I wonder how accurate I would be with it at short range under duress. I could take a shotgun, but I am not sure I want to lug around two long guns to hunt. Thoughts?

I say if you want one then take one. I carry either my glock 9mm or Blackhawk in 45 colt.

Security for hogs? id probably make jokes about that.

A Taurus Judge loaded with 5 of the 45 Colts will be easy to carry and devastating on any hog with which you have a social encounter. You can also go 4 in 1, with the 1 being a .410 with #8 shot in it, just in case you happen upon a rattlesnake.

So then there really is not a need then to carry a sidearm? I have never run up on a hog hunting. They usually run away, but I have friends who carry sidearms for I am guessing hogs. I am pretty new to this so any advice would be great.

I never go walk around my hunting area without something... I walked across a wheat field to a feeder one night without a flashlight a few years ago on a pitch black night. What I didn't know was a hog had the same idea apparently from a different direction. We met up a little more than half way across with a grunt behind me.

I carry a Sig 10mm P220 Hunter. Love the gun, but you know it's there (heavy). Yes, there's a light on it too.


Charlie

Thanks, I definitely want something with firepower, but also something I can actually shoot accurately. How does the 10 mm feel to shoot? Is it easy to be accurate with it or is there too much kick. I have never shot one.

Do you need a sidearm for "protection" against pigs? Not really. Is a sidearm convenient for dispatching pigs that you come across because they all should be killed? Yes. My preferred pig sidearm is a Ruger Blackhawk in .357. But I also carry a 1911 or a sig p938 (9mm) depending on my mood at the time.

I carry a S&W 9mm with critical defense ammo. The round is devastating. They are like hollow points on steroids. They are expensive, but worth it.

Makes sense. What sidearm do you think is a good entry point for a person on a budget? Taurus, Ruger? I hear Sigs are pretty expensive. Is a mechanical safety a good thing to have?

In general, the bigger/heavier a pistol is, the less recoil it will have. Being a semi-auto, it will be much easier to shoot vs any revolver of similar caliber. Accuracy is largely dependent on the skills of the shooter.



Buy once, cry once...

Charlie

LOL, so buy quality. Gotcha.

Totally agree. I have been hunting hogs for 37 years and never felt the need for backup guns because pigs just aren't dangerous. They aren't tanks either. However, it is super fun to handgun hunt these pests and I have used various guns throughout the years but the Ruger Blackhawk in .357 is probably my favorite. But if you want to carry a backup and it is legal where you hunt go for it.

Your saying you don’t currently own a handgun?

Assuming your handgun knowledge is poor, a good .357 revolver goes along way, & you can shoot .38s in it for practice/fun.

I like my Springfield XDM 10mm.

I do not own a handgun. I do have some knowledge because I have done some research. There is just so much information out there and some of the "lists" and "recommendations" I have found online can be a little confusing. That is why I thought to ask people on this forum. I figured if anyone knows you guys would.

I'm in the market for a CCW. I want to feel that thing on me as little as possible so I'm going light with a smaller caliber. For hogs, I carry something light as well. You might get 2 shots of that count before they are gone.

Glock 20 in 10mm...best combination of weight, price, and stopping power.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

Do you have your carry license? If so, given your parameters, I would suggest you find a sidearm that can double as your EDC as well as your hog-defender. 'Under duress' isn't a hunting scenario, it's a draw-and-start-shooting scenario. As posted above, you don't want a large, heavy CCW. If you are far enough away from the hogs that you need a 1911 10mm or similar, then you aren't under duress and should just use your rifle. You won't be getting off many shots in either case and the rifle is much more capable.

Makes sense. So a 9 mm would be better or something like that?

Glock 48 is a about all I take and it goes everywhere from Walmart to the ranch

up. caveman style...

edit :
Ya'll wear dress's hog hunten ?

I would suggest getting with a knowledgeable friend or taking a handgun class form an instructor. From your questions, it sounds like you have zero hands on experience with handguns. It is easy to get in trouble if you are not 100% comfortable with handling and firing a handgun. Online searches will not help you much in this regard. Gain experience prior to getting a using a sidearm. If your hunting sidearm will do double duty as every day carry, then, yes, a 9mm will be fine. If you are not going to get your LTC, and the gun will be used primarily in the woods, you can get away with a bigger gun. Be sure that where you hunt, a sidearm is legal without an LTC. Many public lands do not allow sidearms unless you have your LTC. If you are on private property, you are good to go. Personally, I like single action wheel guns in .357. Some people prefer .45 or 10mm in a semi-auto. For you to figure out what you prefer, you are going to have to get some first hand experience.

Good idea. I will do that.

I see you're in Denton... go to one of the nearby ranges and rent some different pistols, try them out and make your own decision based on how they feel. Eagle in Lewisville on the east side of 35 off the road a bit. Another one on 35 west side (Take the Corporate Exit) called On Point/On Target, something like that and there's a new one in Grapevine (haven't been to it yet...)

They only require that you buy the ammo there (reasonably priced) and it's like $5 or so to rent a pistol to try. I got a Sig P365 for Xmas as my new carry gun.

If you've never shot a pistol before, just remember... smaller the pistol, snappier it is. My Sig P226 and P365 both should the same round, but it's a very different shooting experience between the two.

Charlie

I rarely carry a sidearm as there is minimal benefit for where/how/what I hunt. On the rare occasions that I do, it is for two-legged critters and even then it is in my pack 99.9% of the time. The only time that I do carry a sidearm is when checking cameras and there are no animals that I can legally hunt; if there are animals that I can legally hunt (even though I have no intentions to) I carry a lightweight rifle (usually my 7# 308 Win with 20" barrel).

Here is a real life scenario. Two weeks before black bear season I went to check cameras. As I could not legally hunt anything I only was carrying my PX4 (9mm). I had an up close and personal encounter with a very large boar (male bear) at under 10 yards. The boar was not impressed with me. During our standoff, I came to the conclusion that he'd be on me (less than 1 second) before I could draw and get a shot off let alone one that would hit the CNS. Thankfully the boar decided to move on. I now carry Buffalo Bore ammo when checking cameras in bear country. if checking cameras in areas that I only have to worry about mountain lions, then I carry regular self defense ammo as they are a lot smaller and thinner than bears.

Look at the police guidelines: 1.5 seconds is the average time that a person can cover 7 yards. Humans are slow and clumsy compared to the wild hogs that you are wanting protection from.

The reality is that we are far safer afield that what our imaginations lead us believe.

If you still feel that you need to carry a sidearm, you should focus on what feels best in your hands rather than brand name or recognition. Then you should start to consider budget. There is no definitive answer for "best" as each of us are biased and have our own set of requirements and prefrences.

Walk softly and carry a big stick. Theodore Roosevelt

If you wound a pig around dark and it runs into some thick stuff, a pistol can be quite comforting.

All good advice. I think checking out guns at a range will be my first choice. I am not sure if I really need a sidearm based on this discussion so there is no rush. I am not sure if I want to conceal carry. I will have to decide that as well.

I used to carry a revolver when hunting, but decided after a time that it wasn’t needed. When just working around the ranch, I rarely have any sort of rifle or pistol, but if I did feel the need I’d carry the 686+ with 357 Mag rounds. Why, you might ask? Because I can shoot that pistol accurately at distance (reasonable distance).

I have walked up on a hog and found myself too close for comfort. I had my 260, and the big rascal was facing me. Where do you shoot a hog at close range if he’s facing you? That thought did occur to me. I shot him in the face and the game was on. He jumped in the air squealing loudly, ran away from me, hit a fence and came right back at me, took a hard left into the woods, turned and came back at me again, took another hard left before he got to me, and went into the distance, still squealing. Some of the squealing might have been me. It all happened way too fast, and he’d have been on me if he had wanted to.

So...would a handgun have helped me? I really don’t know. It was dark and he was black, and once he was moving there’s little chance I’d have hit him with a pistol round. Maybe if I’d had my Beretta 9mm, I could have sprayed and prayed.

What would you have done if in my situation?

Not sure what I would have done. climb a tree? LOL. I probably would have just prayed.

Though highly unlikely I have been stalked by a cat before, will it ever happen again? Doubtful but I always carry something for close quarters

Spit coffee on my keyboard!!

I carry this in the woods. If something kills me it won't be caused from lack of firepower.

I usually carry my 1911 with me when I'm bow hunting. If a single hog shows up, it gets an arrow. If a whole mess of 'em show up, they get the .45.

I always carry a sidearm when hunting. Although it does not get fired very often, it does get used quite often. Any time a pig runs off into the thick brush after being shot I lay the rifle down and blood trail him with the handgun. Good luck doing that with a full size rifle in the thick creek bottoms where they like to hang out. And if its dark or low light conditions that scoped rifle aint going to do much good either. A Glock with a TLR-1 is a pig hunters best friend for tracking.

I sometimes carry my .44 mag revolver when I'm hunting (or whatever I'm supposed to call it). Not necessarily for protection, but just in case I luck into an opportunity to kill a hog or a deer with it. It hasn't drawn first blood and I would really like to remedy that situation. If you really want to have some fun, get a Smith & Wesson .500. Those things are a hoot. My son has one and I've considered trying to trade it away from him.

If your talking about something that will put the hurt on hog I'd start with the 357 4 inch or longer. Most of the 158 jacketed soft points hold together pretty good and penetrate. I would prefer a heavier flat nosed hard cast. Never spent much time with the 10mm so I'll leave that to somebody else. I just recently picked up 5 1/2 Black Hawk convertible in 357 and 9mm. 9's and 38 special make for some cheap plinking. Step up from 10mm and we're talking 41, 44 and 45 LC, those I have a ton of time behind. My 45 LC is also a convertible. Bigger calibers and I pretty much stick to hard cast but again most of the jacketed soft points hold together well. My personal favorite all purpose set up is a 5 1/2 inch Black Hawk in 45 Long Colt. If I'm hunting hogs I'd rather have a 7 1/2 inch, carried in a cross draw.

Buy a gun you will actually carry. If its a big steel frame gun , well those take some getting used too.

I carry a Ruger LCRx it can be had in 357 with a 3" barrel. It's very light and you will forget you are wearing it. Shooting it is not much fun with full power ammo, but it is accurate and handy. Also have the ability to use shot cartridges for snakes. I have dispatched many angry snakes, but never been charged by a hog. A 158gr JHP should do fine in that regard.

I carry a short barreled 44 Special Ruger for any of the above reasons above but mostly for targets of opportunity. I've never been in a bad critter situation in my 50 years of woods bumming. Single actions take some dexterity so if your not comfortable cocking a hammer, a double action or semi auto may suit you better. I was nearly full growed before I knew some guns didn't have external hammers.

Papalote

Blackhawk in ,357 with a 9mm cylinder is exactly what I was thinking. Especially if that isn't going to be a concealed carry, everyday, piece. Hot .38 specials can be used in it also and even 148 grain wadcutters will do some serious damage up close. JMO.

/Thread


I have the Elite version an I love it.

When hunting, I either carry a 1911 in .45 acp because the is my EDC anyway, but I found out the self defense ammo I carry in it costs more than my hunting ammo. So I now sometimes carry a KelTec PMR30 .22 mag for dispatching downed hogs that are not fully dead yet. HOWEVER, more often than not, I prefer to do that with my rifle from farther away.

I never go without a sidearm, so long as it is legal.

I carry a Ruger Blackhawk 357 in an Alaskan Guide chest rig during the day and my Glock 17 with a TLR1 at night when pig hunting. From very personal experience a 45 ACP does not stop a wounded boar in his tracks.

The hog pictured below sucked up two 308 rounds and 4 rounds of Federal HST 45 before I shot him in the head. When I shot him with my rifle he got up again and I put a round into his back ham (only shot he offered) and went down. When I walked up in him he got up and did a hard bluff charge and I that’s when the battle started. I chased this pig a couple hundred yards shooting him with the 45 before I put a head shot on him. My point is, there is no magic pistol round that will stop a hog in his tracks with a CNS shot. That spot on his neck is an exit wound from the 45.

I had a big boar come out of some scrub brush while dove hunting. He exited the brush least than 10 ft from me. If he had turned my way all I had was a 12ga with bird shot. Yea close range it would have hurt him, but I would rather carry something with more punch. I now carry a 4" 44 in a chest rig. I can adjust it if I have my bino case on or wear it as usual. I prefer to carry and practice close targets. Have you ever tried to pick up a target at close range with a scope? Some will tell you to just point and shoot, but unless you are shooting a semi-auto you will have to chamber the next round if point and shoot doesn't work out.

Dang bigjoe8565 that's a crazy story!

If you're specifically carrying for pigs then go with a larger caliber. I've shot some pigs with 9mm before and a variety of different bullets and they seem to be able to just absorb those rounds. Go 44mag or 10mm and you'll have more knockdown power.
';;

That is what I was thinking. I am not sure I can hit anything short range with my scoped rifle. That is why I was leaning towards a sidearm. I need to just try some out to see what I prefer. All good recommendations though. 44 or 10mm might be where I lean just in case I need more power. I don't plan on conceal carrying really.

I like mine in.45 with light and laser.

Glock for affordability and reliability. Also round capacity.

This a hunting forum... that is a word that should never be mentioned.

It’s not magic. It’s a simple matter of ballistics and where you put the bullet. Perhaps, you should brush up on the latter.

Taurus Judge with 45 long colt or double ought 410 buckshot when hunting. Carrying 7s or 8s in the prong and summer can sure help with buzzy tails. Don't have to use a shovel.

My thinking is perhaps a bit different than some of the others. I carry a Taurus Titanium Tracker in .45 Colt with a Crimson Trace grip, mostly because the field of view with night vision gear is so narrow at ranges under 20 yards that a rifle is nearly useless under most circumstances. Do I need it? Well, I never have, but it makes me feel good when I approach a downed hog in the dark. Realistically, rattlesnakes and escaped bulls are more likely antagonists than angry hogs. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a gear snob and ordinarily wouldn't consider Taurus, but the Titanium Tracker only weighs ~20 ounces and is very compact; I have no complaints.

Another, probably simpler, option is to mount a laser on your rifle; mine is zeroed at about 20 feet, again intended for the walk up on downed hogs.

I use a simple 9mm that doubles as a truck gun. Generally carry to finish of a pig rather than self defense from them. Learn how to use it...then use it. It’s good to be familiar with different firearms, you know, just in case the need arises.

G18 is the only reasonable answer.

I love my 92 FS. It's accurate and dependable. Close second is my GP100.

I agree.

hogs see me and they take off and I've encountered a few

you can yell at them and they'll take off

If you feel more secured with a sidearm, just carry anything,
just shoot them in the head shoulder area. Revolvers are good,
short and stubby even better. Kimber has a snub .357 double
action hammerless revolver that has a really nice trigger.
Look into that as a start.

The 10MM is robust but I feel like it is probably the best all-around hunting round for a pistol. If you get a heavy 1911 frame 10MM with a 6", recoil is not really an issue but if you get a polymer wonder, they are pretty snappy. The 1911 will be really heavy on your hip, though. If you want lighter carry weight and less recoil then 9MM is your huckleberry. Glock, Walther, Smith, Sig... there's are dozens of options in the 9MM polymer wonder category. I myself have a Walther PPQ and it has the best out-of-the-box trigger of pretty much any of the polymers.

I have 7 or 8 pistols. I prefer my bargain priced Judge for a couple of reasons. Choice of 45 or .410. Also, I don’t really like the idea of wondering if there is a round chambered, working the slide or taking it off safety.

If you want a revolver I like a 44 mag, however, I would really recommend a good 10mm auto like Kimber or Glock. You have a lot more firepower with a auto.

My brother shoots alot of hogs and always carries his 92FS as a backup. Once in awhile he shares a GoPro video of wounded hog antics where he gets chased into his pickup truck bed, or has to use the pistol because his rifle is out of ammo.

So far he's lived to tell his tales, so I expect the 9mm does its job well enough.

I carried the Ruger GP100 as well, but long barrel. Just got to be too much weight. Still love that wheel gun!

get the 10 mm you will like it

Glock 10mm here with buffalo bore ammo

9mm Glock. They are everywhere on my deer lease and a 9mm has been more than adequate to make a humane kill.

I carry a Springfield XDM in 45, always handy.

Yup
After 30+ years of sneaking through the woods, I am never afraid of a hog coming at me, just afraid that one might get away.

Sportsmans Outdoor Superstore has the Judge Public Defender poly for $319.99. Is that the one you have? Looking pretty hard at it.

I carry a .380 Ruger LCP. Fits fine in a front pocket. I'm more afraid of coyotes or wild dogs than anything else and feel that gun would be effective in scaring them off if needed. I plan to hunt hogs this spring with a Glock Model 40 in 10 MM. Remember if hunting corp of engineer public land, hand guns are completely off limits even with a Texas LTC permit.

This is what I got use buckshot , but if we had hogs would load 45's. Heavy but a lot of bang for you buck