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.

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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.