Hunting Forum

I like to still hunt during archery season and  i have inadvertantly snuck up on bears and called them in  with a cow call while elk hunting on serveral occasions i want to carry a handgun into the field as a back up . I want a crisp trigger perferably  a  autoloader with decent stopping power and accuracy any suggestions would be appreciated thanks!

Taurus Judge.

well thats a interesting revolver either45 colt or 410 shot shell !!

My cousin hunts in Alaska. The sidearm they use for bear protection is a sawed off 12 ga. with buckshot. When he moved there he was told that a handgun only makes the bear madder.

If you hunt in Alaska, then you should Darry a .50 cal, maybe a desert eagle.

I am hunting in south eastern Idaho and i am only concerned with black bears and wolves for now .I lived in Alaska for nine years and a shotgun is prefered up there . i really don't want to lug around a shotgun while bowhunting . so far my experiance has been that they run away for the most part a few popped there jaws at me then backed off but i think the odds are against me at some point after all it only takes one pissed off bear and your done.a friend of mine shot a black bear it started running away and he said he called to it and it came back and charged him he lucked out with his second shot he was aiming for his chest and he spined it between the shoulders and it dropped like a rock and skidded to a stop at his feet.way to close for me.i asked him why he called to it and he said he only wanted to slow it up on its death run so he would not havetotrack it far, well he got more than he bargined for!I plan on shooting a black bear with my bow if i run into one while i am still hunting and would like another weapon with me as a back up.

Thinking of all the dirt and debris that may get in an auto pistol while hunting....I think I would get a 44 mag wheel gun with about a 4 in. or so barrel.

Pepper spray...then the .44 mag!! In NY, we can't have a firearm during bow season...

I too would go with a revolver, not for reliability but for caliber options. I would choose nothing less than a 41 mag. Going with an auto, all you really have is the 10mm, which is still less powefull than the 41 mag. If you step up to the automags they're almost as heavy as carrying around a slug gun. Good Luck.

Ruger Redhawk 44 Mag with 4" barrel or the Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan in 44 Mag or 454. I choose the first because the barrel length meets the minimum length to hunt with a pistol in Wisconsin, if I take my muzzleloader bear hunting again. I deer hunt where there are no bear plus I have a rifle. I also have a Super Redhawk with 7.5 " barrel that I brought bear hunting last year that has a scope, I had to remove the scope and it was pretty heavy so I bought a 4". Smith & Wesson makes a decent revolver too but my first choice is Ruger.

I had same experience sawdust, felt my number soon to come up so my archery back-up is now the sig 226 in 357sig. I handload a 147gr. xtp and the pistol rides in a serpa holster so I can draw one handed very quickly. The transporter pack from cabelas is holster compatabile and the whole rig with 10 shots not too cumbersome. I did place moleskin over the serpa for quiet stalking. Any pistol imho will probably require several very accurate shots to kill or subdue a bear that is intent on eating you, that goes with cougars and wolves as well. Good hunting my friend, and stay safe.

Sigh , here goes, if you're going to hunt with a bow then use the bow. Most states I know forbid carrying a firearm during archery deer season . If you have time to see the bear and get him to run away then you won't need the gun anyway .If you have surprised the bear and he charges then you probably won't have time to drop your bow draw your gun from some holster with a safety strap, aim and fire a killing shot , Better to try and use pepper spray.

I am fortunate to be able to carry a handgun during archery season which is a cooll deal just can't shoot a deer or elk with it but a bear no problem! I would have an arrow nocked when i know i am close to what i think is my bull elk if it turns into a bear i'll shoot it with the bow and then draw the handgun as needed. my son likes the model 20 glock with 16 shot capacity in 10mm he also recommended a quick draw holster i can't recall the model .The gun by design has nothing in the way that may catch on anything during the draw. do you see any problems with his choice. it is light wieght which is something i like. I had a sw357 and a berreta 45 cal but they were stolen i did not like the berreta's trigger so i am looking for something else.

rb, I too am lucky to be able to legally carry a hand gun for self protection (not hunting). This law was derived from numerous accounts of human (drug grows) and animal (mostly cougars) attacks that warrant the need to protect oneself.  No, I do not dispatch or hunt with the gun, and pepper spray might work if you are close enough, and most importantly the wind is not in your face. That is usually the case. And as far as dropping the bow? No way! I'm going to be feeding the bow to the critter with one hand, drawing from the serpa (a holster with a security lock realeased by the index finger) with the other. Most hunters have never had the unfortunate circumstance of an aggressive animal, or the wonderful people who will force you off your kill, and steal your hard earned elk meat. Do we want to use the weapon? Heck no, but it is my constitutional right, so if anyone would like to exercise that right, more power to them. For me, I choose to be left alone and not molested by something I can scare away (warning shot, my preference) or stop the attack and live to hunt another day.  Maybe the post should have said.... and I'm sure sawdust meant it this way... "I need a defense weapon while for bowhunting"....?  Just don't take it the wrong way; alot of bowhunters are happy to be able to carry a sidearm for emergencies. Three arrows in the air just don't attract a lot of attention.

Quess I'm fortunate in people I've met while hunting/fishing .Agressive animals not so lucky. Three arrows in the air - now thats funny I don't care who ya 'r LOL

I just picked up Taurus' new raging Judge Ultra. I think it will make the perfect back-up pistol. Shoots 45 LC, 410, and yes - the dreaded 454. Got to say though, this bad boy is heavy and best of luck fitting a holster to it!

I'm with browning 300. I hunt in northern WI and my choice would be the .44 mag. I have both the Super Redhawk and a Judge. We have an abundance of both wolves and bear in my area. The .44 mag will take down both. The .45 would also work from a pure protection standpoint. But, the .44 has six shots compared to 5 for the Judge.

I'm with browning 300. I hunt in northern WI and my choice would be the .44 mag. I have both the Super Redhawk and a Judge. We have an abundance of both wolves and bear in my area. The .44 mag will take down both. The .45 would also work from a pure protection standpoint. But, the .44 has six shots compared to 5 for the Judge.

I'm with browning 300. I hunt in northern WI and my choice would be the .44 mag. I have both the Super Redhawk and a Judge. We have an abundance of both wolves and bear in my area. The .44 mag will take down both. The .45 would also work from a pure protection standpoint. But, the .44 has six shots compared to 5 for the Judge.