Handgun question

[walkerhoundsjandrin]

wondering what people like to carry for a side arm while out running dogs. Not looking for a pistol to necessarily hunt with but just a side arm or something to carry for peace of mind while trudging through wolf investited swamps going into bear trees.

[Mike Leonard]

I have carried all kinds of side arms while chasing hounds for 40 plus years, and if you are really not planning on shooting the bears with it I guess anything you are comfortable with and shoot well would suffice.
I think I would stay away from rim-fires although the 22 Magnum is a favorite of mine. Although you may not plan on shooting a bear with it, a situation might come up where you have to use it to save a dog or yourself, so better safe than sorry. I good quality 357 Magnum in a 4" barrel double action is a good compromise. You can shoot 38's in it for practice , and carry it with some good 158 gr. soft points and know that should you have to stop a bear you can do it reliably up close. I feel with modern loads a person could also do quite well with a reliable 9MM, 40 S&W, 45 ACP, or 10MM Semi auto. Just stay away from hard ball ammo for the real deal, and choose a heavy expanding bullet or a hard cast semi-waddcutter, but not one designed for human interaction in close quarter where it may break up too quick and not penetrate.

You can also make wolves scatter with the noise these make! LOL!

[walkerhoundsjandrin]

Thank you for the advice. I’m a newbie when it comes to hand guns so looks like I got some research to do!

[Mike Leonard]

That's what makes this fun!!

[BAR BAR 2]

I agree 110% with everything Mike said. If I am bobcat hunting and there are no wolves around, I like my little Ruger MKII 22LR. In an area where there may be wolves, I will carry my 22LR or 22Mag rifle and then a 45auto on my hip. If I am going after mountain lion specifically, I may carry my Winchester 30-30 rifle and a 22LR pistol on my hip, or I will carry one of my rimfire rifles and a 45Colt revolver. Hunting mountain lions and bobcats, I like to carry a combo set up, so that I have an appropriate round for whatever I might have a chance to run. In Wyoming, there is a minimum requirement for trophy game, like mountain lions.


Tex

[Rick Anderson]

I think I would stick to the 22 rimfire, in WI you can't shoot a bear to save a dog, can't shoot a bear period unless it is kill season and you have applied the usual 6 to 10 years, and got a harvest tag. We regularly catch dogs off bayed bears, and have for many years here in WI. As far as the wolves, rimfire will do what you want to do should you feel the need.
Rick

[rockytrails]

If going 22lr. Take a look at Browning 1911-22.

[final step]

Keltec pmr 30 it’s a 22mag polymer pistol that has two 30 round clips it’s accurate and has a good trigger right out of the box, Kind of an expensive gun but worth it.


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[Bon Plott]