Carrying a pistol

[Robin101]

Yeah, you're right.
Robin

 

[smo]

Most of the time I carry a back up of some type…

So far I have needed too use it.

 

[loud-n-boomer]

Maybe a bit off topic. topic. I am always curious about what the guys who hunted with muzzleloaders did when there only were muzzleloaders. So what did the old-timers do? Based on art from the day I suspect some carried and some didn't. A gentleman hunter out for a day's stroll in generally settled land probably did not. A man days or more from civilization may well have. Take you guidance from history if you are in doubt.

 

[Jay Templin]

I always carry a handgun when hunting, but not for dispatching game. I’ve noticed more trespassers in my woods every year, and they get bolder and more aggressive. Last year I had to call the sheriff for one who, when I told him he needed to get out, stood there and called one of the other guys in his hunt club. I was 18 feet up a tree and not about to turn my back on him to climb down.
Jay

 

[brazosland]

In Texas we can shoot most anything, with most anything. Hogs can be hunted with tannerite if you want.

Pretty much always have a handgun on me since I teach it, and I live in the country. That goes for hunting too. Most of my hunting is now exclusively with my flint/perc guns.

I have fired a bare ball twice in a rifle as a second shot. Once as a finisher and once to take a second doe that walked up just as I was pouring powder…had primed (don’t want to hear it…you do you) and was holding patch and ball.. dropped the patch, dropped the ball down the bore raised and fired. 15 yards or so. Dead deer.

Have also used a bare ball dropped on top of a turkey load to kill a hog that wondered up. Love a .62 smooth rifle.

I carry my pistols not really as finishers but either as a super fast second shot, or just as a first shot because it’s fun to shoot stuff with a pistol. Also carry a New Orleans Ace in my shot pouch occasionally. I’ve read at least one story of a mountain man using a belly gun to escape from Indians.

Below is a pic of my three main pistols for killing stuff. Left is the newest addition, a .54, the flint is a .58 and the last is a .44 that I made for my 16 year old. Have a couple of Lyman’s in .50 and .54 also.

The hanger/hunting sword is new, need to get it bloody and make a post about it! It goes everywhere with me now in the field.

Have finished hogs with spike hawks also.

We have cats, hogs, javalina, feral dogs and feral people here in Texas…all good reasons for a back up.

 

[Marshhawk]

I always carry a handgun when hunting, but not for dispatching game. I’ve noticed more trespassers in my woods every year, and they get bolder and more aggressive. Last year I had to call the sheriff for one who, when I told him he needed to get out, stood there and called one of the other guys in his hunt club. I was 18 feet up a tree and not about to turn my back on him to climb down.
Jay

Know what you mean. Deep in covid days I was up a tree and suddenly could hear talking about 70 yds out. Then came the sparks of cutting torches through the brush. A chop shop on the dirt track on the property line?! I had an unmentionable but only 3 rounds. I climbed down as quietly as I could in a climber. Luckily they were making a ton of noise. I carry extra rounds these days and a semi-auto pistol when I'm hunting muzzle-loader.

 

[hanshi]

I always carried a sidearm into the woods back when I hunted. Usually something like this:

But not always a BP sidearm. Any time I go or have gone into the woods I've had a pistol with me and usually something modern. When hunting, though, it was usually BP.

 

[springfield art]

In New York, one cannot carry a loaded sidearm without it being on one's pistol permit (which are only available to NY residents.) That includes muzzle loader pistols or revolvers. I have the required permit, and have in the past carried my "backup" flint pistol. As above, since I immediately reload before retrieving a deer or bear, I found it cumbersome and not needed. I cannot think of a time where it would have been an improvement (except style points!) I do hunt occasionally with just the .50 flintlock pistol (as a tree stand gun), but no longer carry both.

ADK Bigfoot

I do note that the recent "immigrants" to NYC haven't had any trouble getting pistols, just sayin'.

 

[longcruise]

When I hunt with a rifle ml or modern I don't carry any handgun unless maybe for small game. Prefer no extra weight so consequently quite a few grouse have lost their heads to a 54 ball.

 

[Fatboyz]

I will relate a situation where I wish I could have had my 45 mountain pistol. Here in Canada we can't carry a pistol. (With current Govt. can't buy sell or trade one anymore either) I was moose hunting with my TC percussion Hawken .54. I spotted a nice bull about 75 yards away eating behind a clump of willow. He came forward a bit and I had a shot, but the shot hit a little high in the back and dropped him, but was above the lungs. I quickly reloaded and ran over to fire the final shot. after three tries and only the cap going off it hit me! In my rush to reload i forgot the powder! Now I have a bull moose thrashing at my feet and a muzzleloader I can't fire. Well all I had was a small Buck woodsman knife. I got to the side of the bull and pinned the antlers to the ground with my foot and cut it's throat! Sure wish I had my pistol. After that situation I am very careful when reloading after a first shot on an animal!

 

[DanL]

I have been in several deer hunting situations where I had opportunity to get a close shot at a game animal with a pistol and did not have one with me at the time. So... I started carrying a companion pistol with me matching the type of hunting in which I was participating.

I take a .50 Lyman plains pistol with me while muzzleloader hunting. I can use it as a back-up to my rifle. I can shoot deer, squirrels or pigs with it at close ranges. We can shoot a buck and doe each day 'til the buck limit (3) is reached so I have on occasion killed a doe with the pistol after killing a buck. There are many enjoyable opportunities to use the pistol while deer or other hunting. I say take it with you to enhance the experience and enjoy the day!

 

[BillinOregon]

Seems to me a Plains Pistol in .54 would be a highly versatile accessory.
Brazosland, all three of those pistols are beauties and that hanger is to die for!
Bill in the Clear Fork drainage.

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

I ALWAYS carry a pistol on me in woods - well everywhere. Reason I say this as I had permission to hunt my buddies 174 acres. It was just a wooden lot no dwellings he doesn't live on or even close to it. Anyways I was scouting the property with just the bow in my hand and walked up on a "plant" growing operation and an "illegal" "pharmaceutical" manufacturing spot. I thought it was just guys trespassing and went to tell them to leave. Luckily I didn't go racing in and when i seen their "farming" plants. I was like rut ro raggy (in Scooby Doo voice). Luckily they didn't see or hear me, and I spotted or at least think I did and avoided all their trail cameras. I backed out called by land owner buddy told him and he called police and gave them my information, and they handled it and took down the "operation". This was before cell phones too. Now I am not risking it anymore.
Also one time I shot a big buck about 2 miles back in the swamp on public land at 2;15 in November up in Michigan with the bow the day before gun opener. I'm not saying it took forever to get the buck out alone (buddies weren't showing up until opening day of gun) but they gun hunters were headed into the woods as I was almost back to campsite, and I didn't have orange on. Literally all night I could hear and at times see the coyotes flanking me on both sides of the trail I was on. Freaked me out all alone with nothing but a knife, tired, hot (even though it was 31 degrees out). Luckily a game warden was at edge of swamp at the walking bridge to get over the river where camp was checking hunters. After he told me i need orange on - duhhh. He ended up shooting one coyote at 15 yards from us with his service pistol as it tried to come eat the deer while we talked. He said son - never go into the swamp without a gun. Then he said he had to shoot his way out of a group of wild dogs and coyotes that had surrounded him the year before. So GUN EVERYTIME EVERYWHERE FROM NOW ON.

 

[Thingamajiggy]

As stated, a ML pistol for hunting needs to be .50 to be legally used to hunt/dispatch big game in PA. I do not carry a backup pistol, always reload the rifle after shooting, even if I see animal drop, was caught un-prepared once in archery, never again. I do carry a modern pistol for protection purposes when in the woods mostly though, have had enough things happen over the last 40 or so years that since I can, I carry.

 

[Tony Logan]

I have taken 2 with a flintlock 50 caliber pistol. It worked but neither one would have left a blood trail. I saw them both fall as they were pretty close under the tree I was 20 feet above them. I recovered the smashed lead balls and wasn’t certain the ball had enough energy to really get the job done. Probably used 30 grains of 3 fff. I would load as much powder as I could safely shoot if I did it again

 

[BillinOregon]

Nice bucks, Tony. I'm thinking a .54 ball over 50 grains of Swiss FFFg ought to apply considerably more horsepower to the work. If I ever get the chance, I will chronograph this.

 

[brazosland]

My experience has been that 40 grains of 3F is about all you can use in a normal length barrel before you reach the point of diminishing returns.

 

[Rancocas]

Maybe a bit off topic. topic. I am always curious about what the guys who hunted with muzzleloaders did when there only were muzzleloaders. So what did the old-timers do? Based on art from the day I suspect some carried and some didn't. A gentleman hunter out for a day's stroll in generally settled land probably did not. A man days or more from civilization may well have. Take you guidance from history if you are in doubt.

Before the mid 1800's handguns were never numerous. More wealthy individuals might have one, but the average guy probably did not. Almost everyone, did have a knife, and a hatchet or tomahawk. Cut a deer's throat, or brain it with your hatchet.

 

[Sam squanch]

I imagine the average guy could only afford one gun, a pistol wouldn’t have made much sense for hunting for survival. I’m sure knife fighting was a commonplace thing back then.

 

[longcruise]

Before the mid 1800's handguns were never numerous. More wealthy individuals might have one, but the average guy probably did not. Almost everyone, did have a knife, and a hatchet or tomahawk. Cut a deer's throat, or brain it with your hatchet.

There is some evidence that many of the trappers in the rockies carried a pistol. Sometimes two. Maybe the inventories of trade goods might mention pistols??