Is your sidearm able to multitask?

Welcome to the conversation techsar.
Could you shed a little more light on "In your opinion."
As to the correct tool for the job:
1. Suppressed .22 for small game.
2. G30 SF .45 ACP Concealed Carry.
3. 6 inch .44 Mag Revolver Afield.
I'm going to say that these are the correct tools for the jobs at hand.
But we all have our personal preferences and opinions, that's why I started this thread, I want to explore & ponder Y'all's thinking.

 

A 4inch .357 can accomplish most of the required tasks adequately (not exceptionally). So it were to be "only one"

 

Yet I list 2 that work as 3. But if there was only one, I might have to take the 4 inch .44 Mag. I'd just have to make sure that I made every round count. JMHO.

 

For run of the mill plinking around the house, either .22 or .22wmr - depending on the situation...and either revolver or semi-auto...unless some more hogs or gators are around.
Daily carry, usually .45acp 1911 variant...unless going to a large population center, then the 1911 gets swapped for a Para holding 13 rounds of .45acp and a S&W Model 59 goes as a backup.
Going into the "woods" (swamp) with only a side arm is foolish around here. Too many critters that aren't particular about their diet reside there. So to go along with the .357 lever action, a .357 Highway Patrol revolver tags along*.
There are circumstances where a small .25 or .380 may be desirable due to smaller size.
It's all about matching the tool to the perceived need in the situation
Your mileage will vary!
*Depending on the season, handguns are not always welcome in wildlife management areas.

 

At one time I hunted hogs with a dog & a knife, but the dog got to Old.
Never needed a dog to hunt Gators.
But I must admit that when I hunted the most dangerous of game, a 1911 was the next to the next to the last ditch weapon of choice. Yet I must state that matching the tool to the perceived need in a situation has always proven to be overkill in my experience. YMMV.

 

Amen! A good sidearm is what feels best in your hand. My brother has several pistols that I'd almost (I said almost) would rather hit my thumb with a hammer than to shoot them. Now that is just plain dumb to try to do anything with them, as you build bad muscle memory/habits. But throw one of my 1911's into my hand, or my trusty old Highway Patrolman, and I'm good to go. Have a new favorite CC weapon, a 9mm Honor Guard. It is a "minute of bad guy" accurate (can't say I originated that phrase), and I can shoot it all day without breaking a sweat unlike some small 9's. I carried a Browning Hi Power in my flight vest in combat due to the added mag capacity, and I was the most accurate with it until I got my Kimber Custom II 1911. (...and in those days the bank account was lighter so I didn't have a lot of pistols, and the HP fit the built in holster well.)

Like you said, YMMV. Be well!

 

There is no one size fits all.
I switch carry guns depending on time of year, weather, the kind of clothing I need to wear, ect. Mainly I carry a 1911 of some sort or my old BHP. When I get around to building up one of @Ura-Ki's double stacked 10s I'll add it to the carry line up. I am a big fan of the 10mm and the Delta Elite is one of the 1911's I mentioned. Down here the .45ACP or the 10mm will take care of any critter that could pose a possible threat. Out west during hunting trips I almost always carry a .41 mag in my gun belt, a .30-30 on my riggin and my .300WM in it's hard case on my packer.

 

Yep... Mines a .367 kill anything you want (with good shot placement...)... as for multitasking I have a bottle opener and a P-51 on the holster...

 

Hand guns are not my thing. Ill never claim to be good with one. small game with a .22 hand gun. Alrighty then. I suppose it is possible if you are really good with one and close enough. I can get pretty close to squirrels and did take a running rabbit once with a .22 Bersa pistol. So I suppose with the right .22 pistol you could take small game with one. Not the right tool however . An accurate .22 rifle is. To me ? A pistol has one purpose. Self defense or offense in close quarters. In a building , between houses, super dense cover, but close range combat where a long gun is too slow. The old saying a hand gun is used to fight your way to your rifle comes to mind. I f I could afford another gun it would be a high capacity 9mm but at this time I cant afford one. .44 mag is stopping power for sure. If you have one pistol and plan on close quarters fighting its hard to choose anything else. Bigger is better.

Both my wife and I own small Ruger SR-22 pistols. I did a lot of testing with these little guns and the ammo we chose for them. A CCI Velocitor gets 1000 feet per second from that short barrel and that is fast enough to expand the hollow point to about 36 caliber. 38 if it hits a rib going in. That is about the very best you can get from a .22 . I would not however bet my life on these guns. BUT, They are cheap to shoot and because of this we both are very good shots with them. I hope to someday be able to afford a real pistol or two or three. Until then Ill hit what I aim at.

 

If you ever get a chance to try your hand at a NRA Hunter's Pistol course, (scaled down target size) I think you will like it and it may change your opinion on taking small game with a .22 LR Pistol/Revolver. Handgun Hunting (excluding Large Dangerous Game) is commonplace. I spent allot of time Silhouette Shooting with a .44 Mag on actual size steel targets, chickens at 100 yards, pigs at 200 yards, (Dang) Turkeys at 300 yards, and Rams at 400 yards.
Yes, the .44 Mag is strictly a defensive weapon on large dangerous game at close range. (that includes Moose) The 10 round magazine of .45 ACP makes the G30 SF a much better choice as an Urban self-defense weapon. The .44 Mag is powerful, but you will find that your times on most Combat Courses will be much improved with the .45 ACP. JMHO. But due to it's versatility the .44 Mag is probably the best at multitasking. No, you will never become skilled enough with a speed loader to make up for a mag change with a higher capacity semi-auto pistol, but many have survived fire fights armed only with a wheel gun. Speed helps, accuracy kills.

I totally agree that a rifle is superior to a sidearm, and even in Close Quarters I'd rather be armed with one. Even the lowly 5.56 NATO deliverers far more stopping power at close range than a sidearm, and it's not that difficult to swing an eleven inch carbine. There are specialty firearms designed for each and every specific task that a sidearm can fill, but without a TACTICAL WHEELBARROW I'll be forced to choose sidearms that have the ability to Multitask.

 

Kimber 1911 5"
loaded with
.450 SMC Nosler
Caliber : .450 SMC
Bullet : 185gr. Nosler JHP
Ballistics : 1350fps - 749 ft./lbs. - 5" 1911
6" Lone Wolf bbl
1440fps
Box of 20rds.

other than having a rifle or shotgun when more appropriate.