I will be going out Varmint hunting here at the end of the month and I would like to be able to bring my .357 with me loaded with some snake shot just in case. We will be hunting out in desert areas and it will be hot as a mofo so snakes in the area is a very big possability. I also would like something fast handling in case we call in something a little bigger then a yote that ends up suprising us.

My question is this.....what is the easiest way to carry a pistol when hunting? I am thinking a holster but I do not want to have the bulk of it on my shooting side where I will be shouldering the rifle. I was thinking a cross draw or something of the sort so that I could have the revolver on my right side since I shoot on my left. (damn lefty) Another idea I was tossing around is a shoulder holster or something of the sort. Or maybe a small of the back carry. But I dont like that idea becuase I want to be able to comfortably lean back against the stand.

All my holsters are high riding on the belt and are comfortable for what I use em for. But I am usually not sitting as much then as I will be during these hunts. ( at least this is what I expect for this hunt) (more calling them in rather then stalking them)

Anyone out there that carries for a living be able to give me some insight for the best way to carry? I also thought about just carrying it in a pack, but I want it to be easilly accessable and fast to draw. Otherwise it defeats the entire purpose I would be carrying it for.

Embalmer: You hit the nail on the head in your last sentence! For comfort, cleanliness (I shoot prone a lot on the prairie) and always having it along I carry my snake pistol in my day pack!
I have tried everything else from high rise holsters to shoulder holsters to cross draw holsters to small of the back holsters - and I find the day pack the best place for a prairie pistol!
Good luck on your upcoming Hunt!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Damn it! Thats the one and only answer I was hoping I would not get! lmao

Embalmer,

When I carry during deer season I use an underarm holster. I have carried in the past a .41 mag tucked into my belt and have worn a .22 single action in a drop loop. I think that the underarm is the only thing practical for actual hunting though. I carry a big S&W model 27, .357mag. In my opinion one of the larger .357's. The vertical underarm holster keeps the weight off my waist, doesn't interfere with sitting, leaning against things, and with my arms to cover it keeps it from getting snagged on anything while going through thick spots. It also allows a fairly quick draw. Oh, it also puts it on your weak side, so your rifle shooting should be fine, since you have your weak side hand out on the forearm the holster doesn't interfere at all.

Look at Uncle mIke's, they make a whole bunch of choices.

Red

I prefer to use a shoulder holster,it keeps the pistol out of the way and its there when you need it.one more thing you may want to check the local laws on shooting rattlers,I know in my area you must obtain a special permit to kill one,also I dont know how much exsperence you have with rattle snakes but just so you know they do not attack like people think they do thats why they have a rattle to warn you that you are a bit to close give them there space and you wont have any problems,if you are hunting open areas I doubt you will step on one,copper heads on the other hand are a bit more aggressive and have no warning system to let you know they are there and a gun wont do much good after the damage is done so keep your eyes open and good luck.

I carry mine in a pancake style holster. Or if Iam back packing in a shoulder holster

I use the Uncle Mike's vertical sholder holster when I carry a handgun "off road." This puts it out of the way of my rifle butt when it is slung on my right shoulder.

By the way, when it's really hot out, most of the rattlesnakes won't be. They'll come out at night - they don't use their vision as much as the heat-sensitive pits on their nose, and they could cook themselves in the hot sun. So I would be more careful wandering around if you are camping and have to get up in the middle of the night to relieve yourself.

Gee, it's not just me that gets up from prone and leaves his beltgun in the dust!

For students of the military arts, the name Herbert McBride (A Rifleman Went to War) should ring a bell. He spent much of WWI conducting raids, prisoner snatches, etc in the stinking trenches of Flanders. McBride's suggestion was to sew a GI flap holster on the back of his overcoat near the shoulder (weak hand side) where he could reach it with his shooting hand in a contorted cross-draw while prone. It was the only way he found to keep the pistol out of the mud while belly-crawling.

It may be an extreme measure for our applications, but it's what worked under very adverse conditions. Your mileage may vary.

Cheers

Redial

[ 07-09-2003, 07:18: Message edited by: redial ]

It's not just the holster. Don't even bother carrying a large revolver unless you might have to defend yourself against a large predator such as a big bear.

I carry an EAA 10mm compact pistol in a Bianchi Shoulder holster. I can't even tell it's there hardly. I selected that gun after 20 years of carrying a hunting sidearm. Compact, light, powerhouse, fairly accurate. I've killed 2 hogs with it.

Spend the money and get a good quality leather holster too. Makes all the difference. Do your research carefully and decide on what you really need. Then buy good equipment.

Big revolvers simply can't be carried comfortably unless you stay vertical all the time.

Another good choice might be a 10mm Glock 20 but they're bigger and not much more sturdy.

The 10mm can almost duplicate 41mag power out of a small auto.

btw... For snake loads a mini revolver such as a North American Arms with 22lr snake shot is very deadly and adequate and weighs just a few ounces and you can carry it in your shirt pocket or hang it from a string around your neck.... They're little powerhouses and have plenty oomfff for a snake.

$bob$

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Embalmer:
[QB]
My question is this.....what is the easiest way to carry a pistol when hunting?

///////////

If you're in such a place that you think you'll need it 'imediately'......

carry it in your hand.

Ed.

Ed has an excellent point. if there is an immediate need for the gun, like going into a thicket or some brush after a pig, then it should be in your hand.

Red

Embalmer
I always carry my 4" 44 S&W in a DeSantis crossdraw holster. Even when carrying a backpack or wearing a raincoat the revolver is easy to get to.
EXCEPT when varmint hunting, where I will be shooting prone, then I wear the pistol on my strong side slightly farther back so the pistol will not touch the ground when prone. Not quite in the center of my back, but nearly so.

Snowmaker & Calif Hunter make great points. Don't know if you are accustomed to as many snakes as we are (rattlers, moccasains, copperheads, & coral all in this county) but:
1. .22 with shot loads is plenty
2. For backup pistol use Roy Baker type true pancake with multiple rows of slots and wear high crossdraw almost like shoulder holster without the strain on your shoulders and neck. For forty years I've tried hip, shoulder, true crossdraw, small of the back and pockets but the old pancake is by far the best.
3. If temps 90+ won't have much problem except in the shade. They can't handle hot rocks and pavement and too much direct sun.
4. Like we do in the brush, get pointed where you are headed then always look down to make every step. Never drag your feet, never put your foot under brush or where you can't see first. Only time I get in trouble is when I walk head up like a city slicker.
5. Copperheads and corals have no fangs. Their poison is in their saliva so they have to hang on and chew a while. Both have small mouths so bare feet and hands are in the most danger. Unless you step on them in the shower or try to put one in your pocket they usually aren't much problem.
5. If you hear a rattle, STOP, don't move until you spot him. Never jump or run, could be more and you step right on them. They'll try to bluff then get away.
6. Rattlers are only dangerous up close. Light bodied ones can only strike about 2/3 their length, heavy ones only about half their length.
7. If you stumble on them that close, you usually have a rifle in your hands, haven't got time to worry about the nice hide or switching guns. Just blast them with the rifle. Muzzle blast helps take them a little farther away from you. Just be aware where your partners are at all times.
8. If going after prairie dogs beware. They are more dangerous than a bucket of rattlers. The diseases they have been carrying lately are more deadly that rattler venom. Never handle them. One might not be quite gone, and they love to bite.
9. Just relax but learn to be aware of everything around you. That's the fun of being in the wild anyway.
Good luck. Good Hunting.

I went hunting Wednesday in the desert. I was going to concealed carry, but it was so hot I left the pistol in the car and just carried the long gun.

Now I am really sunburned, and looking back, I had enough trouble without my 45 rubbing on my underwear.