Your planning a hunting trip,shots are going to be 100 yards or less,Deer,Bear or maybe a Hog.You proceed to your safe,cabinet,or storage area,now you pick a gun for the hunt.How do you decide?Most of us have several in the same calibers.I have 3 in 44mag for example.How do you decide which one goes on this trip?The caliber is not important but how you made your decission is what I am looking.

As long as it has the power to take the game being hunted, then it just depends on what gun I'm in the mood for. Sometimes I feel like single actions and other times I feel like taking a single shot handgun. Bear hunting last fall I alternated between my .454 BFR, .45-70 Contender, .308 Encore and .44 mag Redhawk. The only real tie breaker for me is if I'm expecting longer shots, I'll go with a scoped gun that can reach out a little farther. If I plan to hunt heavy cover I like an open sighted revolver.

It involves lots of charts, coin flipping, complex mathematical equations and antacids!!

the favorites solve the problem by jumping in my hand if they are apropriate for the task i don't put them back.you don't insult your favorite gun by telling it no it can not go especialy if it knows it can handle the job.treat your gun like that and it could pay you back by purpousely missing the shot of a lifetime.

Dan, I always like it when you put up a "poll" post and let us pick for you!

I did not do that this year...could not decide what to include on the poll!!!

It's very easy for me. I open teh safe and choose one. if I don't like it or any others I close it and open teh other safe. There has to one in there I like!!

Actually, I never take the same one on two hunts in a row except when I back pack into Colorado. Then I limit my choice only 1 long range rifle and 3 handguns. I always pack a 4" M629 and I carry bandito bandolero my 15" 338-06 Encore or my M500. I let style of hunting each day decise what I take on the hunt. I have taken them with a handgun, a rifle and with my Encore and Contender. It's a little nerve racking the night before and during my hike to teh area, but it seems to work for me. This years' arsenal is a 300RUM or a 338, my M500 and maybe my 16" 416 Rigby. I really want to slam something down with that. We'll be shooting it at Dan's shoot this year! Of course, I could take any of my other 47 barrels, but not all of them will take an Elk (to me).

For me it is a lot about where I will be hunting. If I plan to tree stand hunt I will get a 45 colt or a 44 mag. If there will be a chance for a shoot over 100yds I may opt for the encore in 308 or 257. If I know my shot will be limited to 50 yards or I have a doe tag I my opt for a wheel gun 44 or 45 with the open sights.

Old stand by would be the 45 colt Bisley or the 29 S&W

If all else fails, just go with the "eeny, meeny, miny, moe..." method. Or you could lay out all your choices in a circle and play spin the bottle.

i like that spin the bottle idea

Since my big game arsenal only contains 2 Contenders (30-30 and 45-70) I would choose the flatter shooting 30-30. If the terrain is tight and brushy I would use a Ultra-Dot, if open, I would swap out the red dot for a scope.
.480 SRH on my hip for back up.

The method i use depends on if the gun was good to me or bad. If i miss with one then it gets put into the safe until next year.

If I know there is no chance of a shot over 100yds then it's a revolver and I have my favorite which (because of eyes that aren't is sharp as they used to) is my 6" 475 with the scope. Now that I'm building guns it may be harder since I want to take my own creations out and draw blood with them.

of course I was just remembering there is my 4 5/8" 475 that I used to knock this bugger down at 115yds on a dead run. It took 3 shots off hand, the first two to figure the lead but he lost on the third.

Rod...my wife is gonna be pissed that you killed her chihuahua!!

easy. all i got is the 44 sbh. all ive needed so far.

I wright all of the choices on individual pieces of paper put them in a small box, the night before a hunt I draw one out, then I hunt according to the choice

Some times one of my favorites just jumps out when I open the safe, LOL... You know when one jumps out and knocks you down you just can't help that, ya have to take it !

That is the first step I take. Then I decide whether I want to take the Encore or Contender. Some times I just take both and use the off as the back – up

Also, what do I have ammo loaded for…

My decisions are usually pretty easy. Even though I have several contenders & an Encore, I have not hunted with any of them in several years. I prefer the challenge of requiring that I get within "revolver range." For me that is not too much over 100 yds unless a perfect standing broadside is presented.

The choice among the revolvers is also pretty easy. My favorite FA 41 mag (my most accurate revolver) is likely to go along unless it is loaned to one of the grandsons. Then it will likely be one on the other FA 41s or my favorite FA 454. Of course, if the game is bigger, the 454 get the nod. The rest are kept at ready for the metal targets down at our little range or more if they are needed.

Well I do have a few choices.....LOL<LOL I guess the big thing at the time is if I have ammo loaded for the handgun that strikes my fancy that day.

I don't know how you guys do it with them big arsenals and variety of choices.I have three all in the same caliber and that alone will be a strain.The Redhawk got the nod all year with the exception of the last 2 days.And I only had 2 then.I figure my Bisley will be my partner this year 90% of the time.

i like that spin the bottle idea.....

Not with boys I hope....not that there's anything wrong with that though.....

If I am going to a familiar place like my ranch or some of the other Texas ranches I visit frequently then I try to take whatever is new and untested or something I haven't used in awhile. If I am going to a new place or after a new game animal then I reach for either my 500 S&W or 460 S&W revolvers. For 100 yards or less either will work so its just a coin toss. If I expect shots over 100 yards then its the 460.

that is why i only buy female guns