I love to hunt wild pigs and have had my fair share of low growls while walking out of the woods after dark. I have been known to carry a 4 D Mag light and I still have a problem seeing them. However, that light really does help discourage them.

All that being said, I carry my SBH in 44mag with a 4 5/8ths barrel.

I have thought about not carrying it when I am hunting with my SRH in 44 or 480, but they are both scoped. When I am going to need an “oh crap” for backup I want an iron sighted great handling backup.

Hey Pab1 speaking of Grizzly. This year while hunting with my Dad we can across Grizzly Bear tracks. They were down at the creek bottom were we where hunting whitetail. I shot a little buck and on the way out talked with the Game Warden. He said they had two sightings of Grizzlys in the area. I think i,m going to start packing my 44 with me during bow season.

Have to concur with that statement just might add "shoot damn fast and straight", as those puppies are realll fast when on a "mission".

As to the OP question - If my main sidearm would ever go down, I'd be SOL.

I carry a Springfield XDM40. I a single shot and 16 shots cant get it down. Im in for it. Use to Carry a SBH 454 shorty Alaskin. Just hated shooting it so it sold.

I know what you mean. I have been coming across bear droppings close to soda can size in the area I usually hunt in. I have seen a couple decent sized black bear in the area but none that I believe would have left these.

I have read all the replies with interest. I have always hunted with open sighted handguns and never have felt a need to carry two of them. This fall I am going on my first black bear hunt, and have pretty much decided to use a FA Mod 83 454 with a Jpoint red dot sight. I have this "thing" about trusting anything electronic, so I am planning to have a back up hand gun. I am not thinking so much in terms of saving my hide as I am having that ONE shot and the battery is dead, or something goes wrong and that little red dot is not there. I cannot seem to make up my mind on what to carry in case that happens. I have it narrowed down somewhat to:

1. 4" model 29
2. 5.5" Redhawk 45
3. 5.5" #5 Ruger 44 special
4. 5.5" FA mod 97 44 special

The specials if used would be loaded with 260 gr hard cast at 1200 fps. The Model 29 probably the same. If using the 45, a heavier bullet same velocity.

Decisions... decicisons.

At least you have some very nice choices!

Thanks...too many choices if you asked my wife.

I am trying to pick one that has a front sight I can see well in low light, and these all have that covered.

Ah yes, a question best not asked! LOL!

For me its the 480 taurus raging bull. Last year the kids and I were hunting on our club. I often will walk the trails during the mid day hours quietly as possible. HAd the kids with me when we cut fresh set of tracks as in just a few minutes before we rounded the corner of the trail. We proceeded down the trail and cut the tracks again. It was a sow and a cub. So I told the kids enough of this we are headed back to the truck. Came back around the turn in the trail 300 yards from the truck and guess what. Same pair of tracks now going the same direction as us and they were over top of our tracks. Thats when the contender went into my daughters hand, son had his 30-30 and I un holstered the 480. Never did see the bear that day but the land owner friend of mine set his trail cam up and took several nice photos of a sow and cub. The Wildlife biologist estimated her weight at just under 600lbs. Squirrel guns be damned!

Amen to that sentiment!

6" S&W model 28 "Highway Patrolman". Ain't big, but it's accurate!

Got a few 28's very under rated gun I think.

with 158's or 180's it can be a real goood sidearm.

Note it was #2 behind the 625

I have carried both a 4 inch S&W Model 63 and a 5.5 inch Ruger SSM in 32 Magnum as hip guns while hunting. They're mainly used to shoot gray squirrels while headed back to camp.

Brian.

The load its self is not hot at all for a FA or Ruger. A lot of people freak out when I shoot it in a Smith & Wesson model 25

'round here, don't have to worry 'bout bears n'such, just 2 legged coyotes...and whatever else might pop up. I like to have several big fat rounds ready to rock and roll.

I like revolvers in 44mag. following Taffin's lead, i like the 300 xtp loaded in front of stout loads of 296, and crimped in the second cannelure, which limits me to redhawks and blackhawks, when light is a factor, the easily changed front sight on the redhawk gives me the option of a fiberoptic front sight which is sweet with the ORH rear aperature sight, but like what has been mentioned, carrying extra freight in the morning, you have to carry it all day, if my single shots let me down, i would swap out to something more reliable,and carry a second hand gun that was intended for something different-ssm in 32 h&rmag or kimber with the 22 conversion kit- or bearcat or.....

Ruger NMSBH in .44mag with 4 5/8 bbl shooting 310 grn Buffalo Bore Hard Cast. My main hunting rig, a scoped SBH original 3-screw without modification, is fed the exact same diet.

Bear, angry momma moose, or a crackhead with poor judgement, It's always the same gun, it's always the same POA. My Daddy told me when I was just a button, "Beware the man that shoots one gun, son, for he invariably shoots it well.".

Words of wisdom!

In a way, backup guns are a lot like cameras, the best one is the one that you have with you. If it is too big, you will not carry it as much, and will probably miss the "perfect shot". I usually carry a 4" Model 66 Smith (.357 Mag) with the old 168 gr. Keith bullet. If there are unfriendly residents with large teeth in the area, I will have my 3" Lew Horton 629.

That's a really nice piece, Sawfish!

Thank you.

45 Colt 4 inch barrel Ruger Redhawk

4 5/8 blackhawk .45 colt or 5 1/2 in bisley .45 colt

ANY gun is best but this shows how important it is to have the best for a real vicious animal.

Whitworth has a lot of real mean chipmunks.
I just ended a problem with a coon that would tear up bird feeders. I set a live trap and he would set off the door by going to the back to roll out the food. Three times and he got the food. I got my plastic recycling bin, turned it on it's side and put the back of the trap in it. I caught him this morning, a real old one. A shot to the head with a .22 pistol and he took a long time to die. I would not like to have it loose at the time.
This guy had gone into the barn and tore up bags of chicken food and caused all kinds of damage. He has cost us a lot of money.
The ground was torn up under the trap and he even yanked the handle off. I tried to pick the trap up and he tried to bite me. I smacked him in the nose a few times.
I really needed the .500!

You need a minumum of a .475 on chipmunks......

My new Ruger Black hawk .44 Special!!

I usually carry a stainless S&W 1911 with good ol' 230 grain jacketed bullets or Corbon DPX's, it has an allow frame so its light and points naturally for me. I live in Arizona so the mountain lions, black bears, and "aliens" are what I need to be protected from. I am a wheel gun fan but around these parts the 2 legged variety is more scary and prevalent and since I use the 1911 in IDPA style competitions it's what I'm fastest and most comfortable with.

For defense against two-legged predators, I carry a Wilson Combat custom M1911 A1.45. Speer 230 grain Gold Dots should be sufficient.

I would think!

45 Colt 5.5 inch barrel Ruger Blackhawk


or

Ruger Super RedHawk 480 Ruger

Ruger P90 .45 acp.

Handgun hunt with my Ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter in 44 mag...My backup is my Glock 27 in 40S&W...

Ruger SBH for a main hunting rig. Springfield compact .45acp for when I may incounter predators of the two leg kind. Browning Buckmark for woods runnin. Black bears and ferral hogs are the biggest things in the woods here.

Earlier I posted I carry my S/S 5.5" Bisley 45 Colt just about everywhere I go. Recently, I fell in love with my new Ruger flat top 4.625" Bisley in 44 Special. This is my new everyday gun, it is so easy to carry it is unbelievable.

Been considering a camping/hiking trip to Arkansas' Ozark National Forest next September. Supposed to be a few black bears and feral hogs in the area, right? Present handgun choices .357 mag Ruger Speed Six (good for packin' and hiking) or a 7 1/2 inch .44 mag Redhawk (darn long and heavy). Will the .357 mag git-r-done?

Stoked up right, the 357 will do fine.

Take the 357, 158 gr pills will handle just about anything you shoot at.

Living in Arkansas i can say that a big boar hog is in the 200lbs range. Most of them that I have taken here have been between 80-150lb range. There are some large hogs (north of 300lbs) but they are not common here.

According to two biologist friends of mine the average bear weights are between 300-400lbs. There are some larger than that here but thats an average. Having no desire to kill a bear I didnt know much about them other than where they are mostly at in the state.

For me I like the versatility of the .44mag but you should be fine with the earlier statement by infantryhammer of 158gr payloads. They served me well in the past. Just make sure that you carry in the open if you dont have a CCW license from a state that has restiprosity with ours. If your unsure I know some people here who I can ask if your states CCW is honored here or not. The National Forest falls under federal guidelines but AGFC does patrol there and they tend to follow the state regs more than federal regs.

Arkansas does honor nebraska's ccw permits. A very good source for concealed carry info is: http://www.carryconcealed.net.