Gentlemen,
While at the Cooley hunt,I noticed some of you packing some hand guns!
Are these for backup when you are hunting dangerous game?
if that is the case,what calibers are suitable?
what are your favorites?

oh & if you have some other favorites like tire irons,baseball bat or ugly mother in law........!

Bill74

I think the best handgun for backup is a Smith & Wesson 44 Mag, with a 4" barrel.
The stainless is a little more care free and the Mountain Revolver is a little lighter, but it will kick a little more.

The 44 can be loaded with 44 Specials [mild recoil] to bear busters like Garrett Hammerheads, Buffalo Bore, or Federal Cast Core.
Also Speer shot shells have proven to be very effective on small game and snakes.

Because it is a double action it can be shot and reloaded faster than a single action, making it suitable for protection against 2 and 4 legged threats. With speed loaders it is almost as fast to reload as a semi-auto.

It is small and light enough to be carries every day, 100% of the time.
If you do not buy one by the next DRSS hunt in Jan. remind me and I will bring one down for you to shoot.

Even my wife carries a 4" S&W Mountain Revolver when hunting/fishing or whenever she is in the field

quote:

Originally posted by Bill74:
Gentlemen,
While at the Cooley hunt,I noticed some of you packing some hand guns!
Are these for backup when you are hunting dangerous game?
if that is the case,what calibers are suitable?
what are your favorites?

oh & if you have some other favorites like tire irons,baseball bat or ugly mother in law........!

45 Colt with 325 grain Hardcast flat point at 1300 fps minimum in my opion for dangerous game smaller cal. can work, but not with as much athority

Gentlemen,thanks for the info!
what are your thoughts on the 460 Smith & Wesson?
It's also available in different barrel lengths,any body shot it yet?

Tony,
Thanks for the offer & I will remind you before Dallas.

Bill,
That is too much gun to carry comfortably as a back-up.
I carry a 4 5/8 stainless Ruger super blackhawk in .44, with hardcast 300 grainers. It is a handfull and won't reload fast but I figure 6 ought to be enough.

Have you looked over the crew who attend DRSS events? If so, you can guess why I carry a backup gun. Besides it keeps the gents honest at the poker table, dinner table and gives me first dibbs on bunks and showers. It also holds down comments regarding by ability to make a double a semi-automatic.

Perry

Brain1 is correct. Many times I have seen guys bring a BIG handgun on a rifle hunt. After one day or at most two it spends the rest of the time under their pillow in camp.

Bill74 the biggest handgun I would recommend you use as a backup would be a 5 1/2" single action.
I would prefer a 4 3/4" even better.
Nothing wrong with a single action if that is what you like. A 45 Colt is not a bad choice either, as now you can ger Speer shotshells for it.

However I still think the S&W 4" 44 Mag is the best all round.

The best way I have found to carry the handgun in the field is a crossdraw holster, I like the DeSantis best.
When carrying crossdraw the handgun is out of the way, yet quickly available when sitting, ridding a horse or ATV, or carrying a backpack.
The only time it is in the way is if you are shooting prone.

Also Bal, I feel that any cartridge with more recoil than the 44 Mag or pluss P 45 Colt is just too much for a back up gun.
You might have to shoot the revolver with one hand from an ackward position.

I think if I shot my FA 475 Linebaugh with full power loads, with my wrist bent at 90 degrees, such as when an animal has me down and I am trying to stick one in his side it might just break my wrist.

When I carry it in a "protection" mode I carry a 420 gr at 983 fps [Buffalo Bore mild load].

PS if I do a handgun only hunt I would carry my FA in 475 as the primary hunting gun, but I would carry the 4" 44 for backup.

ever since buying a 500 smith a wesson a while back i love the thing its a little to big it has the 8 3/4" barrel on it for back up but the shorter barrel version would be one hell of a stopper.

ill be bringing my 500 to the next dr hunt.

i also carry it cross draw. or on a shoulder holster.

Bal,

Can't go wrong with a Smith 44 mag. I have one called a Trail Boss, with a barrel under 3 inches.

Since this was my first DRSS event, I did not bring it. However, seing the lage number of "cross drawers" here, it may not be a bad idea.

I agree with Tony - anything over 44 mag is not backup. And the 44 mag is one hell of a round. The brainchild of Elmer Keith.

Steve, bring that big dog down. Haven't shot one yet, but I hear it is an experience.

you should really like it i use 2 loads but will probably stick with the 500 grain xtp's......iv also shot some 700 grain hard casts out of it damn them things go boom

My PH always carries a 357 magnum in Zim.

Another hunter asked him: "what do you plan on stopping with that?"

To which he replied "An argument."

That sounds like some form of "backup" to me.

Gents,
you have given me plenty to go on,now to find local shops where I can actually caress some S & W's.

Perry,
I like your style!
you are right,you gotta carry something on these hunts,you never know what's gonna show up,there was a big & chunky looking pirate sprawled on some chairs the one night I got up to take a leak........ha ha

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
Even my wife carries a 4" S&W Mountain Revolver when hunting/fishing.....

I've heard about that What a gal

Hog Killer

Hogkiller,

Tony's wife fishes with her 44. Gotta love a woman who's favorite fishing rig is a 44 S&W and whose favorite bait is a 240 grain SWC.

Tony are you sure she didn't suffer brain damage as a result of being shot by you. I can't explain her being with you any other way.

Perry

Perry, she told me that fishing story, at DSC this year.

Hog Killer

Just got a S&W Airlite 44 Mag. Should be a great back country carry gun as it weighs only 26oz.

I have a Super Redhawk Alaskan in 454 casull that Gemini customs went over for my fly fishing gun/bird gun when I'm wandering around the hinterlands of SC -- plenty of bear, gators, other bad creatures -- I wouldn't carry it as a back up if on a hunt with a rifle -- it's not really very pleasant to carry, but if I have to deal with a bear, it should stop it in a hurry -- not really that bad to shoot either, given the caliber.

bulldog563,
I shot a 44mag S & w today that weighed about 50 ozs,with a 6" barrel,had a hard time hitting anything at 10 yrds,first time though with a revolver!
best of luck with your's at 26oz!

Bulldog
A friend of mine has one of those. He called me and complained about the recoil, he was shooting 240 gr factory loads.

I recommended he try some Speer 270 grain, and some Federal 300 gr Cast Core. The heavy bullets have a less violent whip and you might find them more "comfortable" to shoot.
He did.

Also Buffalo Bore loads a Kieth Semi-Wadcutter designed for the lighter 44 mags.
I have not shot those yet.

I am expecting the recoil to be stiff but not really worried. This gun will be carried a lot and not shot very much. Also Garret and Buffalo bore make loads specifically for the light 44 Mags as NE450#2 said.

Going to get a set of Crimson Trace Laser Grips for it and it should be good to go.

bulldog
Good idea.
Be sure and get the rubber Crimson Trace grips.

I recently bought the 4" 500S&W, and in all honesty, it's far from too heavy. I carry it in a Triple K thumb break holster either strong side or crossdraw. It's fast on the draw, and incredibly powerful. I own a couple of 45's and 44's... They're not even in the same ballpark as far as power goes. Breaking the 2000ft-lb mark in a 4" revolver is quite nice!!

What about the Dan Wesson Revolvers? www.czusa.com ?

They offer a handgun that shoots their own 445 Mag, S&W44 Mag and 44 Special.

And you can buy different length bbls and reportedly pop them on and off with ease.

You mean this one?

http://www.czusa.com/product_detail.php?id=78

About the only place I carry a back-up pistol is in Alaska! I carry a Ruger Blackhawk 41 mag with a 4 5/8" barrel that I have had since it came out It was the first one like it sold in El Paso County. I carry it in a holster like the one PWN has in his pictures at Camp Cooley, only mine is a goverment issue "TANKER" that I was issued by my "UNCLE SAM" when I was a radio man in a tank! The single action could be a draw-back when trying to shoot a Brownie off your chest! In this case a double action would probably be best!

The TANKER type holster is out of the way when useing a back pack, and doesn't interfere with you rifle on a sling on your shoulder. It can be carried inside your rain gear, but is still available easily. I carry it in Alaska, as it lets me be armed no matter what I'm doing! Doing camp chores, sqatting in the bushes, or while gutting a caribue, or wadeing in the Mulchatna River fishing. The Brown Bear where I hunt in Alaska are super agressive, and there are lots of them. I've never found a need for a back-up, however, when carrying a 470NE double rifle, in Africa.

BigFiveJack,
I have been looking at the Dan Wesson,Alaskan Guide Special as well,looks interesting!
Anybody packing one?

BULLDOD563 & BILL74,

Yes, that one B D inserted into the post is one of the D W revolvers that I think deserves a good hard look.

Now, what does it weigh?

It Shoots 3 calibers with no tinkering, just load and shoot: DW445 Mag, 44 Mag, 44 Special

What does the S & W 460 weigh?

It Shoots 3 different calibers with NO tinkering as well: SW 460, 454 Casull, 45 Long Colt.

Of course we all love the D W interchangable barrel system because options are GOOD.

But the S&W shoots a larger round in each sub catagory, so which is the better choice?

Any Dan W owners and S&W owners out there?

backup handguns for me has always been divided between 2 legged and 4,,if I was out and about and 2 leggers and small game up to deer was a concern or need I always carried my 3 1/2" 27{357} and stoked it with 145 grain silvertip,,when I'm after hogs or bears in thick and or swamp, I normaly switch over to an early issue mountain gun from S&W in 44 mag and go with the 275{?} grain nosler load.

Don't know if its true or not,,but have spoken with a gentleman in South Africa named of Rienhart who was or is a PH, that claimed he carried a WIDLEY with the 4" barrel in 45 win mag, said he used it for spotted cats????