What's in your holster on opening day?

I'm interested in what's in your holster on the opening day of hunting season, and why.
A Magnum Revolver?
Large Capacity Semi-auto?

I spent allot of time shooting silhouette pistol a long time ago. Chickens @ 100, Pigs @ 200, Turkeys @ 300, Rams @ 400. At that time I used a single action 7 1/2 .44 Mag and eventually an 8 inch Dan Wesson. As times changed and range space became harder to come by, the NRA Hunters Pistol Course (chickens @ 25, pigs @ 50, turkeys @75, rams @ 100) I moved to the 22 LR in a 8 inch Dan Wesson.

So many years ago at the upper edges of America and points further North I carried a .44 Mag Dan Wesson sporting the 4 inch barrel as a backup, and at times as a primary Hunting Weapon. After many years the Dan Wesson had it's first failure to fire, but as a double action revolver I just pulled the trigger again and bang. (then it became time to worry about the dud.) So it was time for a change.
So what's your in the woods sidearm?

 

Since I already have a long arm a compact 9mm like a S&W Shield or even a 22 pistol for coup de gras shots are adequate. If I were in big bear or snake country then a 44 magnum revolver (snake shot in the first two chambers followed by 4 bear loads).

No long arm, then a 44 mag is my preferred field pistol for the versatility of shot and various loads.

 

For walking? Taurus .357 6" or a .45LC cowboy gun of some sort. Hunting? Gotta be .44 or better here now, so usually a .45Lc or .45ACP if I happen to own an auto I like at the time.

 

Years ago, it would have been a Dan Wesson stainless 5 1/4 ported .44 mag for hiking, and a Ruger Super Six with .22WM cylinder. Now days, it's a double stack 10 mm auto due to the big bears and other predators, and usually a 9 mm Cougar as back up most days hiking, Hunting during rifle season, it's still the Super Six ( no centerfire pistols allowed), but during the BP season, no smokeless powder arms allowed, so a pair of modern replica Remington 1958 pattern BP pistols with the .44 cal BP cylinders is what I carry! And for general rifle season when using the Repeating BP rifle, I am also required to only have a BP pistol, so the same pair are on the hips! I would love a Modern pair of .45 Colt chambered mod 30 Green Webbly break tops to skirt the No Smokeless rules while still using a 'Modern" BP cartridge! Snakes are not a real serious concern, even though I live in the snake capital of the west, they are pretty easy to avoid if you know what to do, so I don't worry that much about them!

 

Glock 20 10mm with 15 +1 equivalent to a 357 has been my go to since 1992. Checking out the G21 with a 40 Super barrel right now, rock and roll 10mm/40 cal.

 

.45acp if I'm in thick brushy hog country otherwise Ruger mk3 for pot meat.

 

1911 - 365 24/7

 

Down here it's different as I just hunt on my own place pretty much. A MKII for sneks or the trusty 1911.

 

Ruger Redhawk in .44 Mag with 7.5" bbl. in an old west style belt and holster. It's the only time that rig and gun are remotely practical so I still put it on.

It goes well with my Henry Big Boy .44 rifle.

 

I love everything about that pistol except the grip. Looks good, but doesn't fit my hand right. With a modern straighter grip IMO it would be perfect.

 

I agree. Even a factory SuperRedhawk grip would be better.

It doesn't happen but the grip makes me feel like the trigger guard is going to cut my finger when I shoot hot loads.

It doesn't, but it suggests the idea pretty strongly and I'm a guy with really big and battered meat hooks.

 

depend on what I'm hunting... Birds I carry a .22 Mag, in the bottoms where the hogs run a 6" 357...

 

Bow season and Muzzle loader you can have nothing larger than a .22 and it had better be loaded with rat shot

However if you have a CCP You may then carry that also, But your in a 9 line bind if you us your CCP on a deer? Go figure!

 

It's opening day of modern firearms season. You have your favorite rifle in hand, and what's in your holster! This ain't a pop quiz, it's just what are you strapping on your side as you leave the lodge on opening day. Once I gather enough experience, I'll ask the relevant questions. What's in your holster and why? Simple.

 

Nothing, I hunt modern firearms with an M1-A or an M-4, Holstered hoglegs are for cowboys!

 

Para Ordnance P10-45...many hogs out in the swamps

 

I can't legally and would not bother generally. But that is out here.

 

So, here lately I carry a .357 Dan Wesson 4 inch. Biggest Bruin round here is the black bear, perhaps 600 lbs at most. The 180 Grain .357 Mag seems to stop hogs well enough, but I do miss the extra horsepower of the .44 Mag. Which of course got me to thinking. Perhaps it's time to head to Shooters (LGS) and purchase another revolver. It's been a few decades since my last revolver purchase, so I'm debating between the 5 shot L-frame S&W 4 inch or the heavier 6 shot N-frame S&W 4-5 inch barrel. I'm used to the L-frame weight, so I'll probably notice the added ounces of the N-frame. Which would chose? Or is their another .44 Mag revolver not much heavier or lighter than a 4 inch L-frame that I should consider?

 

Got one of the new Model 25 6" in the store right now...damn nice gun I would love to own and carry. Not a fan of .44 mag, but if I was going to carry a gun, I would prefer the 6 shot option to the five.