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A beater Ruger Security Six or GP100 in .357 would cover damned near all bases and affordably so.

A beater Ruger Security Six or GP100 in .357 would cover damned near all bases and affordably so.

Agreed!
Ruger Security Six would be hard to beat, or a RUGER BlackHawk in just about any caliber would do.
My two favorites fro when I'm working at the Ranch is either my old model Ruger Vaqeuro in 45 Colt, or my Glock 32 in .357 sig caliber.

I carry my old S&W Model 66 .357 service revolver all the time since I moved to the toolies. It would be good medicine if a wolf decided to try to eat my German Shorthair while we are out roaming the woods and fields together.

It rides in a full flap holster, loaded with Winchester Silvertips that I got free when the department went to semiautos a few years before I retired..

Getcha a Glock 10 mm, and put a fast fire on it. Or 6 inch 357 mag.

I put an elk down with a 380, I think a 357 will work for deer and stock.

...assuming the kids leave home.

I admire that model a bunch. Are you confident in the .357 for putting down stock or deer?

Is that what you carry on your ranch, Sean?

Oh good. TRH only wants people to post about things they have direct experience with.

I hunted deer for several years with my 6" S&W 686 with 145gr SilverTips. Worked kind of okay with thru-the-ribs shots. However, one year I was in my tree stand when a shot rang out. Along came a limping large doe that had been shot in the hind quarter. She decided to bed down directly under my tree. So, I thought I would do the half-@ss shooter a favor and put his deer down for him. My shot was from above and down thru her back on one side of the spine and angling into the chest cavity. At the shot the deer got up and walked off. I was astounded. This was the morning, and after lunch I returned to the same general area to hunt. I was on the ground now, and along comes a limping doe (Yep, same deer) that I dispatched with my shotgun. In dressing the deer out, I found a nicely mushroomed .357 SilverTip bullet in the heavy fat on the back of the deer. The bullet never penetrated into the chest cavity. I quit hunting deer with the .357 Magnum after that, as I find it to be a marginal deer cartridge. Now I use a .45 Colt that puts them down with authority. While the 145gr Silvertip may be okay for a defensive load, it is woefully inadequate as a hunting round. Just MHO.

Don

I spent 25 years as a game warden. I carried the 66 with Silvertips as a service weapon for about 9 years. It accounted for about 30 deer and one bear during that time, plus several feral dogs. I have no doubt that it would suffice for any 2 or 4 legged problem I would ever encounter around here.

I hunted deer for several years with my 6" S&W 686 with 145gr SilverTips. Worked kind of okay with thru-the-ribs shots. However, one year I was in my tree stand when a shot rang out. Along came a limping large doe that had been shot in the hind quarter. She decided to bed down directly under my tree. So, I thought I would do the half-@ss shooter a favor and put his deer down for him. My shot was from above and down thru her back on one side of the spine and angling into the chest cavity. At the shot the deer got up and walked off. I was astounded. This was the morning, and after lunch I returned to the same general area to hunt. I was on the ground now, and along comes a limping doe (Yep, same deer) that I dispatched with my shotgun. In dressing the deer out, I found a nicely mushroomed .357 SilverTip bullet in the heavy fat on the back of the deer. The bullet never penetrated into the chest cavity. I quit hunting deer with the .357 Magnum after that, as I find it to be a marginal deer cartridge. Now I use a .45 Colt that puts them down with authority. While the 145gr Silvertip may be okay for a defensive load, it is woefully inadequate as a hunting round. Just MHO.

Don

Ruger calls this their Ranch Rifle in .223

I'd carry a .44 mag or .44 Special with 250ish grain Keith bullets loaded to about 950fps.

If it will see lots of rounds, I'd buy a heavier gun. If it won't see lots of rounds, I'd buy a lighter gun.

I'd keep the barrel 4" or under (that's what she said).

If not this choice, I'd get a 66 and load it with 158gr SWC's to about 900fps.




Dave

I admire that model a bunch. Are you confident in the .357 for putting down stock or deer?

What is your favorite carry companion for doing ranch chores?

We are being run over by varmits. Armadillos, feral dogs, opossums, coons, etc. I usually keep a .22 rifle behind the seat of the truck but it is almost never handy when I actually stumble onto critters. It is too light for putting down stock too. I have done it, but it is never the best option. The wife has a Glock 26 she carries when working on the farm. She does alright with it at close range, but it is too small for me. I'd like better accuracy too, and better sights. I use to have a Ruger Blackhawk in .45 that did a pretty good job, but I don't have it anymore and I am not sure it would be the best option today. Any ideas?

I was thinking a TC Contender would be the thing for the truck and tractor, but even with a 10 inch barrel it is likely too much to carry when mending fences and the like.

An alternative would be an older 4 or 5" S&W in .45 or .44, but I am not sure if I could use them for the odd small game opportunity. I have looked through the .44 thread and noticed lots of folks take rabbits with a handgun, but we don't have many of those. I could definitely see trying a shot at a grounded squirrel while deer hunting, would the big revolvers be up to that? A K-38 might be a better choice for small game but I don't believe it would be ideal for putting stock down or even a small deer.

Not sure how to get one handgun for all of the various jobs. And one gun is much preferred, I don't want to try and convince the boss I need her milk money for both a new Smith and a Colt Match Target too

Thanks for your time,

-Rex

I've put down more deer THan I can count and a few cattle and one horse with a 357 Sig

I am faced with this same issue. I have a 466 ac farm and never know what I will come upon that needs shooting. I thought I found the answer in the Keltec PMR 30. Thirty rounds in .22 WMR in a pistol is a lot of firepower. I put it in a Simply Rugged chesty puller rig so it would always be outside my clothes at the ready. The gun turned out to be so inaccurate that I missed a groundhog at 25 feet. I sold the gun and will soon sell all the things I bought for it (holster, speed loader, brand new extra barrel and what is supposed to be the best ammo for it-Hornady Critical Defense). I am currently settled on just using my concealed carry gun (Glock 26-summer or Glock 19-winter) and a CZ 512 Tactical in .22 WMR if it is a shooter(have not shot it yet).

Sean sent out the Bat Signal hours ago. What took you so long?