Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Sidearm for Elk Hunting

I've got a horseback hunt for Elk in Idaho in October '06. The outfitter suggested I bring my .44 mag if I wanted to. I'm not sure its neccesary, but I got to thinking about the best way to carry on horseback. Would it be a shoulder holster, cross draw, OWB strong side carry? According to the outfitter weather will be cool, but it could warm during the day to 60's.

Wondering what you need a sidearm for? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

My question exactly. The outfitter commented that it might be neccesary for a wounded animal. I don't think I want to be that close to a wounded bear. I am taking my .300 WM, and that will suffice. I was just asking for discussion purposes. Thanks

What unit?Sidearm..Maybe for the nasty Wolves that are multiplying like rabbits and bravor than ever..

I like a shoulder/belt combo for my .454.Makes it more secure than one or the other if a guy falls off whatever he is riding.

Jayco

If my outfitter was telling me to bring a sidearm for wounded game,I'd be finding a different outfitter!

ONny if you want to carry around another 4 lbs on your hip. Also, you don't want anything over 4" barrel, to carry on a hip holster. Anything longer, and they interfere with the cantle on the saddle.

They just aren't required. As for finishing off an animal, it's a lot lighter tpo carry an extra round for your rifle rather than a whole handgun and ammo.
As for bear protection. You had better be a darn good pistolero to put your life on the line with one.

Didn't mention my type of sidearm. I have a S&W 629 4in 44 mag. I didn't take the suggestion as a negativity. In talking about setting up the hunt I mentioned I usually carried a sidearm when hunting here in the east. He was just giving me the ok if I wanted to.

I carry either a 6" bbl .41 mag in a belt holster or a 7.5" bbl .44 mag in a shoulder holster. A hand gun with a 6" bbl is about the upper limit of what you carry with comfort on your belt.

There have been times I needed them to finish off an animal and they are handy when you need them. One time I had to pack out a deer on my back. This was in mt. lion territory & I definitely had a hand gun with me. Mine was out of ammo so I borrowed one. It is kind of hard packing a deer, carrying a rifle & looking for cats. There might be a time when you are seperated from your rifle for what ever reason when a handgun might mean survival or a salvaged hunt. This may sound like extremes but thing have happened. People have become lost and and seperated from their rifles. With a handgun you have the means to fire the universal sign of distress; three rapid shots. What happens if you are 6 miles from camp and your rifle has been damaged in a fall? As you are on your way back the buck of a lifetime appears at rock throwing distance. This may seem a bit far fetched but things like this happen every hunting season and with what a non resident has to pay a good handgun can be cheap insurance.

You can even carry a downloaded round for your .300 if you don't want to use a "full house" round for a finisher. Use a different style bullet or mark the cartridge so it doesn't get confused.

The only reason you'll need to bring a handgun is to keep someone from taking your rifle.

Assuming the elk is down, but "head up" after the first shot, get a really good rest and bust it again in the upper neck with your rifle.

Everything you carry elk hunting costs you and every single thing that you carry better be worth it's weight. A handgun isn't.

Steve

I like to carry a grenade launcher...

Yeah, but then you just have to bring grenades to make sure no one takes your handgun! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

hmmm, grenade launcher....

I don't wear a handgun when hunting unless I am handgun hunting, but I do tend to drop my ruger markII in my daypack. tom

While lion hunting on mules, I have occasionally carried a 4-inch S&W Model 629 in a "pancake" type belt holster that I bought from a South African holster maker 8 or 9 years ago. The pancake design keeps it high on your body and minimizes interference with other things that you are doing. On cool days, my brush jacket covers it and keeps it from catching on tree limbs and shrubs. When guiding (without a rifle), I carry a Model 66 with a 4-inch barrel and have found it perfectly adequate for finishing off wounded animals. It's considerably lighter and handier than the 629. I either use CorBons in factory loads or handloads with a 180-grain jacketed bullet.

Over the years, I have had a few guests that were somewhat overwrought by the time that they got an animal down. It was just easier for me to walk up to a disabled animal and put it down with a shot in the neck (not to mention safer).

I carried a S&W 629 4'' Mountain Gun loaded with Cast Performance 275 Gr. WFNPB LBT style bullets in a cross draw hip holster on both my pack in elk hunts. We did not use an outfitter, but trucked our own horses and gear to CO ourselves. I didn't actually hunt with the revolver on, but wore it on the pack in, pack out, and anytime we went anywhere on horseback. When hunting on foot out of camp, I left it in camp and only carried my rifle because like everyone here has said, every ounce makes a difference when you're on foot at 10,000 feet.

There were several reasons I carried it:

1. Wrecks with horses, while rare, do happen and I'd rather shoot one than be dragged by one.

2. Horses sometimes decide to leave the country with your rifle in the scabbard and rifles sometimes break. We were 9 miles from the trail head and back up rifles. If something happened to my rifle, I could walk back to camp, get my pistol, and keep hunting versus a long ride back to the truck for another rifle.

3. I actually like handguns more than rifles even though most of my hunting is with rifles. I liked having it with me. I would have no qualms finishing my hunt with a handgun.

If your packing in with horses, take it if you want to. You can always leave it in camp when hunting on foot. It's cheap backup to have around and much lighter than a backup rifle. On the other hand, I wouldn't take a handgun if I were backpacking in.

I just dont get this finishing off wounded animals with a handgun??

I just walk up to the animal, put the muzzle of my rifle a half dozen inches from its head or upper neck and touch off.

I always have my 7 1/2" Ruger SBH in crossdraw when horseback hunting for much the same reasons jds gives. If I were to part company with my horse in an unexpected manner, my rifle would be in-scabbard and not in my hands. I'd rather face one of our 12' brownies <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> with a handcannon than a stick.

I don't know about the finishing off of animals with handgun either. But there certainly is nothing wrong with toting a handgun on any wilderness hunt. I have had so many strange things happen in the backcountry that the idea is not at all lost on me. I think its decent insurance -though not a substitute for good backcountry sense. I won't go into it but I can tell you a book is coming one of these days with which I will share my wild experiences with all who care to read. I'm just shaking my head even thinking about them. For all of you lucky enough to never see/need any of the wisdom in being over armed, I hope your good fortune continues. As for me, I don't currently own a handgun, but I would NEVER fault anyone from deciding that it may be a good idea. And, if $$$ were without limit I'd own one right now and carry it at least when I'm in the backcountry. Theres everything from hungry kitty cats/bears/wolverines and the occaisional fugitive on the run all of whci I have had the dubious pleasure of meeting in the most remote places. That I'm still alive is a mercy.