Wilderness guns?

[Old Savage]

KirkD had a great picture of himself by a campfire wearing his Colt 45 Schofield. Then there was a video of him flipping pancakes with the Colt on. I would like to know what guns you fellows use for wilderness travel and how you carry them. Can't say I am a wilderness guy but I get out there once in a while.

[Pisgah]

My main concern during wilderness travels has always been 2-legged varmints. Second to that concern are smaller varmints, like 'coons or skunks, which may be uncomfortably aggressive, or even rabid. Bears are rarely a problem, as long as one behaves as he should in their territory; mountain lions, if such inhabit your wilderness areas, are not hard to kill. As a result, if I carry any firearm at all it is usually a small-frame .38 or .357. And if I forget the gun, or elect not to hump the extra weight up hill and down dale, I've always got a stout stick.

[J Miller]

When out in the wilderness I've always carried either a .357 Mag or a .45 Colt revolver. In recent decades the .357s have stayed home and I've either carried my S&W 25-5 4" or my OM Ruger BH 7.5". Now that I have IJ rebuilt I'll be carrying that. I prefer the single actions to the double actions and IJ is a lot handier to carry than the longer barreled Ruger.
Usually I've used a normal strong side belt holster on a cartridge belt. I also have my knife on it.

Like Pisgah said, my main concern is bipedal varmints with the quadrupeds coming in a far second. I've never had trouble with animals out in the wild areas.


Joe

[Huntermb]

Here you're not legally allowed to carry a handgun for protection or hunting so my bush gun is either a 12" winchester model 1300 or I"ll carry my marlin 1895 or 1894 in 44 mag.

[COSteve]

Deleted

[Modoc ED]

Most times I carry a .22LR handgun (if I take a handgun at all) and carry a Remington 870 Pmup .12ga shotgun.

[J Miller]

That is the thing, if I'm just out hiking and exploring in the wilderness I don't want to carry a long gun. I want my hands free.
Hense, the short gun in a holster.

Joe

[Blaine]

My everyday carry is a JFrame AirWeight. Generally, if I'm in the woods, I'll have a long gun, so the 38 special, or even a .22 AirLite is just fine. If I don't plan on having a long gun with me, the 1911 is a good idea.

[BigSky56]

If Iam in the mtns packing or hunting with stock I carry a pistol for hands free work especially while packing or breaking down game over the years Ive changed my preference from the big boomers to a 22 mag, if it happens it will be up close and personal if you cant hit it in the head with a 22 a 500 s&w wont help also the stock dont seem to mind it to much if you have to shoot from the saddle compared to a boomer. If its a family camp/horse trip I take a 45 lc incase I have to reach out a little for the grandkids protection, all of my pistols I carry in crossdraw or chest/shoulder holsters. One thing Ive noticed is people start out with hand cannons then they leave them in camp or dont take them with when they go to the crick or lake cause its to heavy and bulky, that boomer cant help you if its laying in camp. danny

[fordwannabe]

I have changed my mind a number of times over the years as to what i carry while camping or wilderness walking. I have used a single six for just around the farm when I lived in Maine. The last few years I carried a S&W model 66 in a sourdough pancake strong side. Then last year I bought a 44 mag tracker 5 shot, I think I will be using that but it has not proven itself yet. I also carry this in a simply rugged sourdough. Tom

[KirkD]

I've come to the opinion that a Colt 45 in hand is worth two rifles in the tent 20 feet away. Now if I were in Grizzly country, there would also be a Browning 1886 SRC 45-70 close at hand or, at the very least, a Winchester Model 94 30-30 carbine. Once a fellow gets used to one of those light, fast-handling little 30-30 carbines, one can do brain surgery with it, even on a Grizz ..... at least so it seems to me.

[madman4570]

A 18.5" barreled (27" total OAL) Winchester Model 37 12ga single.
Carried in a modified Condor MOLLE shotgun scabbard on the back.
5 rounds of the 12 pellet 00 Buck Winchester Supremes / and 5 rounds of 385gr Partition Winchester Supremes.
6" Buck General on the side!

[AJMD429]

Here you're not legally allowed to carry a handgun for protection or hunting so my bush gun is either a 12" winchester model 1300 or I"ll carry my marlin 1895 or 1894 in 44 mag.

(...and to think I once thought Canada would be a cool place to go live in relative 'freedom'... )

What exactly CAN you do with a handgun in Canada, then...?
Can you have it if your 'purpose' is just shooting dirt clods, or would you have to 'prove' you weren't hunting...?




Around our parts, there's no 'wilderness' so the biggest 'threat' would be 2-legs, then perhaps the occasional pack of feral dogs. A handgun of whatever type covers both pretty well.

[Stan in SC]

I used to carry my 9 shot .22 revolver but now most of the time I carry a 7.62X25 Tokarev when I am just woods walking.My NAA .22 magnum is always in my pocket wherever I am.

Stan in SC

[rock-steady]

I live so far back in the woods, we have to wipe owl she-it off the clock to see what time it is. My wilderness gun is a 5 1/2" barreled Ruger SBH in 44Mag carried in a crossdraw holster. My other accoutrements carried in the boonies are snake-leggins and a machete.

[Booger Bill]

I live in utah. We have pretty good gun laws and I have a ccw. I do get out in the boonies a lot as I love exploring on my quad about twice a week on the average. I dont like walking much, so we are talking my atv doing the leg work. I can carry any size gun on the quad. On top of that I have been a accumilater forever, and have many guns of all types. So it follows I am apt to be carrying anything. Right now I notice in my luggage box I have ammo in .22lr, .38 special, and .44 special. Recently I bought a rossi puma 92 in .357 and plan on carrying that. I have many guns I WONT carry as I dont want to get them dusted or scuffed up. For instance I have 6 fine .44 specials as they are my favorite caliber, however I leave the safe queens home and general carry my scuffed up old s&w HD conversion and leave the exspendsive colt saa`s and safe queen smiths home. I also have a old s&w m&p that I carry a lot and leave my fine pythons home. Sometimes I pack a s&w snub model 34 .22lr, but when I do I also am packing at least the .38 or .44 special along with it. Its kind of funny, I have a batch of good .357s and also .45 colts but seldom carry them. One gun I havent worked with much is a .32 h&r mag in a ruger single six and I belive I will work with it and start carrying it. I think it should make a fine trail gun. Here it is. I have to juggle back and forth to edit this and post the ones I carry, bear with me.

[jeepnik]

Well, for most of the local SoCal trips, it's usually a 1911. or S&W 1917, as two legged critters are the most likely problem. When I get a bit further in, it's more of a four legged issue. In that case it's either a .45 Colt Blackhawk, or a S&W 58 (.41 mag), either should do nicely for two legged critters as well). However, a rifle or shotgun isn't usually very far away, but I've found the few times I needed a firearm, the long gun isn't right at hand. A good belt gun is pretty much always there, so while a rifle or shotgun might be best, the handgun is omnipresent.

[2ndovc]

I used to carry my 9 shot .22 revolver but now most of the time I carry a 7.62X25 Tokarev when I am just woods walking.My NAA .22 magnum is always in my pocket wherever I am.

Stan in SC

The Tokarev is also my Dad's favorite woods gun..


My favorite is my Bowen SBH/44 mag paired up with any of my levers.


jb

[2ndovc]

I used to carry my 9 shot .22 revolver but now most of the time I carry a 7.62X25 Tokarev when I am just woods walking.My NAA .22 magnum is always in my pocket wherever I am.

Stan in SC

The Tokarev is also my Dad's favorite woods gun..


My favorite is my Bowen SBH/44 mag paired up with any of my levers.
I carry it in a cross draw holster and a pocket full of shells.


jb

[jhrosier]

Wilderness is pretty relative to circumstances.
Even here in central Massachusetts, you can be in the wilderness 100 feet from the road and just barely out of sight of the nearest house. There are enough bears, coyotes, and wild dogs around to make a sensible person cautious.
I carried a .22 Mag revolver until a couple of close encounters. Since then, a .44 Mag or .45 Colt single action revolver is a sensible choice.

Jack

[C. Cash]

I always grab my Super when I'm going to the woods or when I travel. I trust this gun to go bang every time and to hit where I'm pointing. OK so this 20-25 yard target is not so good but she will do much better. When openly carrying, I wear it on an Uncle Mikes nylon crossdraw(three persons) rig and love it. I don't recommend Uncle Mike's now as they are now manufactured in Vietnam .

[madman4570]

Some nice guns you guys!
I should have noted on my post my choice is what it is, is because of living directly right on the New York/Pa border and most of my woods dealings presently is in NYS and not being a NYS resident at this time(NO handguns allowed for me in that state)

[rangerider7]

I like this combo of a Colt 45 SAA and a Winchester 86 in 33 caliber. The belt and holster rig holds ammo for both.

[FWiedner]

For hiking, exploring, and general purpose wandering about in the woods, I prefer to carry a carbine or short rifle, .357 or .30-30. Usually without a sling.

For the last 25 years or so when I've felt the need for an open-carry sidearm, I've carried a 4" .357 revolver of one flavor or another. First there was the Colt Python, and now depending on my mood, it's either a NM Ruger blackhawk or a Ruger GP100.

[BigSky56]

Kirk an old boy around here told me that a 30-30 carbine works just fine on griz in dark timber matter of fact I know a guy that used a 25-35 to drop one back when it was legal to hunt them one shot to the head good sized old boar too. danny

[shooter]

Used to always carry my 5 1/2" Super Blackhawk, but I made a recent acquisition, and my new woods bummin' gun is my Ruger Vaquero .45 Colt with a 3.75" barrel. If I'm carrying specifically for deer hunting/hogs, I carry my 5 1/2" Clements Bisley

[Huntermb]

Here you're not legally allowed to carry a handgun for protection or hunting so my bush gun is either a 12" winchester model 1300 or I"ll carry my marlin 1895 or 1894 in 44 mag.

(...and to think I once thought Canada would be a cool place to go live in relative 'freedom'... )

What exactly CAN you do with a handgun in Canada, then...?
Can you have it if your 'purpose' is just shooting dirt clods, or would you have to 'prove' you weren't hunting...?

Handguns here can only be taken to and from designated ranges and used for target practice. You used to be able to get a permit to carry in areas where there was grizzly and you had a reason to be up there for up, but they don't even do that anymore. I carry the shotgun in a three point rig so it is always nice and handy or the rifles are always slung around my back. I can bring them into action pretty darned fast (army teaches a person good things here and there). I also carry a tomahawk that I am pretty decent with as well.

[Mac in Mo]

OS I like to carry my 624 3" most of the time. I will also carry the Blackhawk with 5 1/2" bbl usually with the 45 Colt cylinder in it.

Booger Bill That Heavy Duty is very cool, especially so with the conversion done. Getting one of those has been on my "to do" list for a long time. I would have it set up just like yours.


Kevin

[2X22]

I am lucky enough to live close enough to wilderness that I use a satellite for internet and a generator for power! I walk 100' out the front door and I'm in the wilderness so to speak, though I will cross the occasional logging road over about 40 miles.

Anytime I head into the woods I'll have a 4 5/8" Ruger .44 special with 250's @950fps. It will be in an El Paso Saddlery crossdraw holster and belt. If it will be more than a couple hours I'll pack a short rifle in .44 that takes the same load that I feed the Ruger.

2x22

[Leverluver]

It's always a 44 SP. Sometimes my 4.25" Freedom Arms M97 and sometimes my 624. Getting more partial to the 624 as it fits neatly between my butt cheek and the love handle above it

[Booger Bill]

Kevin, heres the story to that .44 special heavy duty. About 35 years ago I found the .44 special barrel off a model 21 at a gun show. I sat on it looking for a heavy duty for close to 5 or more years. Finaly found a cheap 4" HD, nothing wrong with it, just well used for about $165s at the time. I had a gunsmith friend swap the barrels and ream the clyinder to .44 special. Nothing more. I may or may not get a nice reblue someday. Untill then it shoots just fine and I belive I might have about $300s at most in the gun! Here is a group shot of my .44 specials.

[C. Cash]

For hiking, exploring, and general purpose wandering about in the woods, I prefer to carry a carbine or short rifle, .357 or .30-30. Usually without a sling.

For the last 25 years or so when I've felt the need for an open-carry sidearm, I've carried a 4" .357 revolver of one flavor or another. First there was the Colt Python, and now depending on my mood, it's either a NM Ruger blackhawk or a Ruger GP100.

The GP-100 is an impressive package. A little heavy, but scarily accurate with that bull barrel. I love my SA's but I don't think there is a a better DA revolver that could do most anything you want.

[Malamute]

I like the 4" Smiths or 4 5/8" Ruger SA's for carry guns. I find them comfortable for all day carry. I've forgotten I had them on when used with decent rigs. Long ago I realized that longer barrel guns werent very comfortable or handy to carry when you have shorter versions around, so the longer ones got cut down or traded off. Like Danny said, they don't do much good if you don't have it when you need it. The shorter guns are great in vehicles, on the ground, in chairs, whatever. I like a Threepersons type rig for carry, on a plain 2" cartridge belt. I punch holes in the belt and back of the holster belt loop and tie the holster to the belt so it can't move around, and you don't have to juggle it to keep from losing the holster when you put it on and off. I can hang it by the buckle also. For long guns, I carry a Browning 86 carbine, Winchester 71, scoped bolt 30-06 or 35 Whelen. I've carried a 94 carbine a lot when down off the mountain, but there's been a lot of grizzlies down low the last couple years, so I tend towards the larger calibers a bit more. You can run into a grizzly literally anywhere now.

I like that the scoped guns give me a good 300 yards or so range to keep my dogs out of trouble. There's plenty of canine varmints, Mt Lions, and what have you around. I'm out at least a little about every day, if only for a walk to loosen up my back and excercise the dogs.

The 4" Smith 44, in a modifid Threepersons type holster I had made up to my ideas. This gun has been absolutely the most reliable handgun I've ever owned, including above Ruger SA's. Had it almost 30 years.




Ruger 45 Colt in an 1890's Miles City style holster. I like the looks of the holster, but it sits a bit low for my preference. It needs a little adjustment in height on the belt, a little forward cant, and lose the skirt. It would be pretty close to a Threepersons style at that point. It hits the truck seat as it is, I don't like to have to mess with it when I get in a vehicle to get it comfortable. I have a couple Lawrence 120's I've used a lot, but don't like the location of the snap and the cut of the body of the holster.





71 Winchester in a snowbank in July, about 10,000 ft elevation.




1886 Browning carbine, leaning against a tree with bear bites in it and grizzly hair in the bark.
I had the barrel cut to 20", installed sling swivells, and a Lyman no 56 sight.





This is the only pic I have of the Mauser sporter in '06 and the Ruger 77 in 35 Whelen. I've carried a 1903 Springfield sporter in '06, but am liking the Mauser recently. Mauser has a 4x Weaver, the Ruger was a 2-7x Leupold VX-II. I really like how much light the Leupold gathers. I can see deer in my yard (as in out to a couple hundred yards) in the moonlight very well with it. I'd like to get better glass on the Mauser, like a similar Leupold, or a 3-9x version. The 1903 has a 4x Leupold on it. It gathers light pretty well also. Don't have a pic of the 1903. Decent scopes are amazing!

[.Dirty-.Thirty]

When I'm stirring them beans around in a kettle at camp I have on my 4 5/8" Blackhawk in .357Magnum. My famous beans w/ smoked deer hocks and a spoonfull of lard have been accused of cracking louder than my revolver? Although some have called 'em a kettle of .38's

.Dirty-.Thirty

[RIHMFIRE]

in the Florida swamps I carry a SW 629 classic with 2 snake shot, 2 SWC and
2 240 gr hollow points....in a shoulder holster
and my winchester 94 AE SRC in 44 mag

not to much too worry about except for water moccasins, coral snakes,
copperheads, eastern diamondbacks, and a ton of black bears...
and 2 legged varmits....when I hunt near the prison.....

[Rdm_01]

I carried a Ruger Vaquero .357 mag with a 4 5/8 barrel most of the time. Now I use the Ruger Vaquero .45 LC in a rig similar to the one John Wayne used. If I feel the need for a rifle, it's usually the Marlin 30-30, or now my Rossi 92 in .45 LC.

RDM

[firefuzz]

About the only wilderness I ever get to anymore is SE Oklahoma during deer season where we do have some black bears and a few mountain lions. In the field I carry a 6" S&W 686 in a crossdraw type holster, back at camp my little Taurus 3" slips into my back pocket and my hunting rig gets locked in the truck along with the rifles.

My big camp gun is a 870 Remington loaded with buckshot, I'm a lot more concerned with 2-legged varmits or a rambling bear there. Back in the late '70s and early 80's several out of area hunters were armed robbed at night of all their guns, money and vehicles in that area. In '86 we got paid a visit from one of the game rangers at our camp at night. He was invited and ate supper with us, commenting on the "varmit" gun leaning against the tree at my back, but it didn't seem to bother him. (It's illegal to hunt deer with buckshot in OK)

When working around the home place, the little Taurus is always on my belt and usually my B92 .357 is either in the truck on on the tractor. The other day, Monday, we were clearing up some trees and I was dragging them off on the tractor, Mom and her pup Sassy were following me and cruising around in the golf cart that she uses as a "carry all" around the place. The dog got it's hackles up around the woodline where I was working but I never saw anything. But....not 4 months ago I saw a mountain lion not 100yds from where we were. When we got back to the shop I put the little sawed-off Mossberg 20ga pump in the rack that Dad had put on the golf cart for the shotgun and told Mom to leave it there. It's loaded with #2 pheasant loads which should convince a mountain lion to go away and Mom knows how to use it.

Rob

[Steve Collins]

Either my 4" Model 19 .357 or my 4" Model 29 .44 Magnum rides with me when I step off the pavement, in Simply Rugged leather. Sometimes I carry my Wrangler .44 levergun with me, also.

[KirkD]

I like those photos, Malamute. That 44 Mag pistol in the first photo looks especially good with its worn blue.

[Old Savage]

+1 On that - those outfits have been well used. I like the photo of the guns by the door.

[Modoc ED]

C. cash said:

I don't recommend Uncle Mike's now as they are now manufactured in Vietnam .

Ain't that the truth. Not long ago I ordered a upland vest from Cabela's and the tag in it said; "Made in Vietnam". I sent it back.

Back on topic now -- (sorry about that Fred) -- every once in awhile I'll carry a .38 S&W Special caliber handgun but not often. The last time I carried one was a couple of years ago I think. This is a S&W Model 64 I got last year. Haven't carried it yet. Haven't even fired it.



Lots of nice guns in this thread. Thanks for posting them guys.

EDIT: Yesterday I said; "Most times I carry a .22LR handgun (if I take a handgun at all) and carry a Remington 870 Pmup .12ga shotgun." I like to claify that by saying if I'm going to a heavily wooded area I like to carry a shotgun but if going to an area that has quite a bit of open space, I like to carry a rifle such as a .30-30 or .444 Marlin.

[KirkD]

Related to this, especially if a fellow has a longer barreled revolver ... I have found the angled cross draw position to be the most practical for the kind of sixguns I've worn in the bush that have 5 & 1/2" to 8" barrels. You can see in the photo below what I'm talking about ...



The curve of the underside of the holster creates a natural space for my upper leg when I'm squatting or sitting. The grip is nice and handy, and the whole rig sort of curves around the hip so that nothing is sticking out much. When I first started packing, I wore my pistols strong side, but the holsters for the longer barrels jammed into the ground or the seat when I'd sit down, and I'd often hit the grip with my wrist when working at something. Cross draw, the grip is tucked into my stomach area where it seems to stay out of the way.

Another added bonus ...... when nature calls, and a fellow is squatting down in the bush contemplating life, the cross draw position keeps that grip nice and handy right in front.

[336A]

I use either a S&W M60 no dash with Rem 158gr +P SWCHP in a Simply Rugged Silver Dollar pancake, or my S&W M10 for sidearms. Most of the time though I take my S&W M10 heavy barrel loaded with a SWC doing about 850fps along with 3 speed loaders of the same. Until recently I packed the M10 in a Bianchi Accumold with a thumb snap, now it rides in a Simply Rugged Range master holster.

My travels will never take me into big bear (grizzly bear) country, though there are blackies around, I'm quite content with this combo. Most black bears around here go about 150-200 pounds, I'm pretty sure that a 158gr SWC will perferate one fairly well. If not then a 240gr JSP from my Marlin 1894SS .44 mag that accompanies me will

[Mac in Mo]

Kirk, I'm with you on the crossdraw holster. My 5 1/2" Blackhawk rides in a Threepersons style crossdraw made by a local leather guy. It carries so much nicer that way. Another plus is that the butt of the revolver doesn't bang into a rifle when carrying both.


Kevin

[rodeo kid]

Well, I carry my Colt Anaconda when out in the Boonies. It is loaded with Buffalo Bore heavy .44specials with 2 speedloaders of .44mag Silvertips. Do not carry a long gun here as the worst predator I have seen is a coyote. God Bless.

[2571]

Ruger .22 Single-Six although a good pocket knife is more useful.

[CowboyTutt]

All of my handguns and rifles have been chosen in calibers to be wilderness guns as I outdoor tent camp a lot in primitive and remote areas only accessable by about an hour worth of off-roading from the nearest highway.

In black bear country like the Sierras or Mendocino National Forest, my Kimber 1911 in 10mm in a crossdraw holster "cocked and locked". Like Kirk D. said, it fits better, doesn't interfere with my arms swinging when carrying a day pack or when I'm squatting down.



I used to carry my 5 1/2 Accusport Bisley with its Bob Munden action job and Belt Mountain punch bullets in 45 Colt but I've since taken to carrying my 460 S&W Emergency Survival revolver instead when in brown bear country. Its smaller and shoots, well, just about anything in 452 diameter! The snubbie I can carry either strong or weak side in a Galco hip holster (I guess I have no pics of that!). The last pic is of me shooting it with full house 460 loads. -Tutt

[pokey]

were your ears ringing after this?

[CowboyTutt]

I actually had ear plugs in but your right, you can't see them in the picture???? Curious. I learned years ago when I fired my 454 Casull Raging Bull one time without plugs to never, EVER fire a big boomer without hearing protection! -Tutt

[AJMD429]

Ruger .22 Single-Six although a good pocket knife is more useful.

Gotta admit, it IS pretty funny when, as "Mr. Prepared", I am someplace like in our back yard at a cookout, with my Single-Six, yet someone says, "Anyone have a knife...?"

"Well, uhhh..., I have this here gun; will it do...?"

The Single-Six will beat the knife for self-defense, varmint-control, or signaling-for-help, but I generally don't have to do any of those things at family cookouts (some of daughter's boyfriends could qualify as 'varmints' though, I suppose... ). The more normal task is cutting open a package of sausage (hard to do with a Single-Six without 'splatter'), or sharpening a stick to roast said sausage (wastes too much ammo).