What’s your preferred carry pistol in the woods? I’m thinking of getting a Glock 20 10mm.

Depends on your need. Bear country 10mm is great. I’ll carry a 357 Blackhawk or a 22 mag Single Six a lot. Most of what I use a sidearm for is little critters and plinking while I’m out and about.
I have an FK BRNO PSD I carry a bit in a GunFighter Inc kydex chest rig. It’s very powerful with either the 7.5 FK round or 10mm with just a barrel swap. I also have the 9mm conversion kit for it. Haven’t tried it yet. Bet it is very easy shooting with that setup. The 7.5 round has a lot of ummph. Very manageable recoil even with the hot stuff.

Ruger Blackhawk .357. 180 grain cast handloads at about 1350 fps, mimicking buffalo bore's heavy outdoorsman ammo.

Glock 21SF in 45 ACP.

Glock 21

Depends, hunting from a stand, sidearm is Ruger Blackhawk 45 Colt, or Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 Magnum. Wandering around or filling feeders it's a Glock 40 10mm Longslide with a red dot for faster shot placement when targets are moving.

XD10mm, 220gr hard cast at 1200fps. Where i hunt the concern is hogs, large ones, coming up out of the creek.

Sig P320 XTEN (10mm).

Taurus Judge Public Defender.

I cannot carry one of them big hoglegs like you fellas do, they pull my britches down or get in the way when doing chores. I been carrying a Kimber Micro 9 with high horsepower ammo for quite a few years now. The holster is a leather pancake style with two belt slots and it sits at a cross draw. The pistol has lost a lot of its finish over the years but it still operates, 15 yards is about all it has in it as far as hitting a beer can every time.

I aint up in grizz country and am too ugly for a hog to charge at me, so that 9mm seems to work for me.

XD40, 165 cast or 300BO pistol jacketed super on the ATV.

GP-100, g43x, hi power, 1911, or (prolly my favorite) sw638.

In the woods, I carry the gun that I am most comfortable with since I am not concerned with concealment. What gun do you shoot with reasonable accuracy?

Generally my 9mm carry gun because that's what I have on me.

If you're looking at a new gun specifically for woods carry, I would suggest really looking hard at what you're going to be doing with it. A lot of times a 22 may be the best gun specifically for that. After that I would look real hard at a revolver, a lightweight one is even better.

For a gun specifically for general woods carry, the versatility of the revolver can't be beat imo. I think Ruger makes some version of an LCR with a 3-in barrel 357. That would probably be my pick

I carry a smith and Wesson M&P 9mm

Small, light and easy to carry.

I’m not worried about bear or hogs, more like snakes, meth heads and illegals

Colt Grizzly

KelTec P32 always in my boot.

686 4"

For a time I carried a Colt Trooper Mk V, then realized I didn’t need a 357, so switched to a Colt Diamondback in 22LR. Now I don’t carry when hunting. If I started carrying again, I suppose it would be the Sig P365 X Macro, it being fairly light, and I have a great holster.

My one personal encounter with a hog at close range sort of shook my confidence in my ability to hit and put down a hog before he got to me. It happened so fast. Thankfully, he veered off, but he would have had me, I’m sure. Boy, that’ll clear your sinuses…

I always carry for hogs and two legged critters. Even if you couldn’t stop what was coming, imagine how nice the gun would be if one gets you on the ground.

Glock Model 22 in a chest holster. Gen 3, I've had it since 2007. Summer months, usually my Glock 44 on the hip.

One of those scandium Smiths in either 357 or 44 would be lightweight but they sure hurt to shoot!

If I'm carrying a rifle, it's gonna do any heavy lifting so my sidearm (if there is one) covers the wee end.

I've owned two variations of the Colt Woodsman in my life; this is my current (and likely last)...a 4" Match Target. Lightweight and accurate, it does just fine.

If you decide to go the Glock 20 route, I have a safe queen with 20 rounds fired through it

I shot the 44 magnum Scandium with some 300 gr loads and it was hard on my hands. After two shots it becomes a scatter gun, kicks worse than a sale barn mule.

I owned the 357 mag j frame version… 5 loaded rounds outweighs the empty pistol.
If felt like a stick of dynamite going off in your hand, one accurate shot then the rest was a wild spread.

Single six, 44 Special BH or SS GP100 3" 357 .

A handgun that is pleasant to shoot is usually not pleasant to carry.
A handgun that is pleasant to carry is usually not pleasant to shoot.

True statement. And one that is unpleasant to shoot is usually difficult to hit with (see above as evidence). And if you can't hit with it, what bloody good does it do to carry it?

Glock 21, 200 gr XTP, Trijicon night sights, with a Streamlight TLR-9 on it.

That light is amazing. I could see my 200 yard berm with it.

Either a Taurus Judge with .410’s for snakes and a speed loader of 45 Colt for daytime or a Glock 43x with 15 rounds of Hornady Critical Defense sporting a Holosun optic and Streamlight for nighttime

P365 with hard cast or underwood pen. Chest or hip. Backcountry chest, the rest of the time IWB
No point in all the extra weight

love these classics!!!

Nothing special. In the past I have carried a Ruger P97DC (45 ACP) on my chest. My next trip I may take my S&W 686 Plus (3", 357 Mag), but I haven't come up with a system to attach it. With the Ruger I have a Kydex holster that attaches to the bottom of my binopack or I can simply put a holster on a belt hanging around my neck and under my arm and my backpack shoulder straps keep it in place. In non-bear-country I simply wear my EDC (either an XDS 3" 9mm or P365 X Macro Comp).

My only "woods walking" is up in Alaska. Have a Smith & Wesson in 45 Colt for this, comfortable to wear with a chest holster while wearing fishing waders.

Have used a SRH Alaskan in .454 with a chest holster and a 1911 on the hip the most.

Thoughts going forward, a CZShadow 2, or STI. Something made for competition that you can control, move, and shoot. I should have kept the Shadow 2 Orange.

I have a lot of short guns. Both clip fed and revolver. But, when SHTF, I want a double action revolver with no safety. I don’t want to question if it is in battery. I don’t have to rack it or [censored] it. Just point and pull. I learned that in 4 years of the Arizona desert that was butt deep in buzz tails.

You're on the right track. Love mine, but it's also an SF model for smaller hands. 200gr XTP too.

I'm only in the woods on Lake Corpus Christi, Ft. Stockton and Junction. I always carry a GP100 MC. I wouldn't mind a 10mm, but I don't have one and would have to stock a new cartridge. I should have gotten a Coonan or Desert Eagle in .357 when they were reasonable and available.

Bottom line is that, in Texas, there’s not much reason for a self defense short gun unless you’re in the wrong part of town.

In the outdoors, maybe a 22 with snake shot. Anything bigger is, for self defense purposes, mostly playing cowboy.

But, when on the road, it’s a Taurus Judge.

I have a 1950/51 Colt LW Commander 9mm I've carried that weapon off and on since 78 my eyes are starting to give me issues, I just sent her in to get a milled job for an RMRcc. I love it her more now...