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.