Sidearm

So for the past few years i've been carrying my Springfield .40 xdm handgun while bowhunting. I know 99.9 percent of the time i'll never have to use it but it makes me feel better having it when walking to and from my stand. (sometimes its a long walk). I'd like to get a revolver with a little more power.

Things to keep in mind. I have never shot a 44 mag before and honestly dont know how much kick they really have. I"m a smaller frame guy so if i man up i'm sure i could handle it just fine. I feel alot of the time people are afraid of the gun and then they cant handle it. I'm not that way.

I was just curious what are some good lightweight carry handguns that some of you might recommend? I'm leaning towards a revolver, but honestly i dont feel like carrying around a 10 pound handgun either.

thoughts?

 

Glock 26 & 27 Glock 19 & 23
Sig 226


"Couldn't think of a good Signature"

 

I've always liked the Taurus poly revolvers. Haha what a joke

 

10mm if you'd like to stay with an auto. Revolver are going to wieght more but s&w are most common here

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

I use a Taurus PT845 w/ 200 grain hollow points. Great gun

 

Smith & Wesson Aire Light 44 Mag. here

 

If you want a revolver I'd go with a 357. 357 will give you some bang if you need it in the woods, but since you can shoot 38 rounds, can save you some money when just playing with it.

I was thinking of doing the same thing, but I just didn't find a revolver that felt comfortable to me so I just ended up with a small Sig 938. In the end I determined that I really didn't need that "stopping Power". when walking in or out during season, I'd have a better chance shooting it with the bow, than dropping the bow, pulling the gun and getting a shot off. and if in a tree, if three broadheads, and 14 9mm rounds aren't enough not much is going to be.

 

I was thinking about the 357 mag as well. But wasn't sure about something with a short barrel. I know you lose a lot of power with the short barrels so wasn't sure. I guess I could get a 357 with like a 3" barrel and some heavy loads. ?

 

I was reading in a magazine about those Aire light guns. with the 44 mag load, wouldn't that be a hand killer? I'm a small framed guy so not sure if I could handle it LOL

 

I'd go with a 6" barrel and have it strapped to my thigh.

 

See that's the thing, a 6" barrel 357 will weigh a ton and would be a pain to have on my side during bow season. I think the longest I would go is a 4" I just don't know enough about guns as to which models and such to look at that are not expensive. Might even consider used. Something in the 300-500 range would be perfect.

 

I use a Ruger SRH .44Mag with a 7.5" barrel...but not often - it IS heavy! Most times I carry my S&W 686 .357Mag with a 4" barrel.

Bill

 

4" will weigh about 38-39oz, 6" around 43oz. At that price range, new might want to look at the Taurus 66 or 627.

 

I currently use a 10mm glock for backup on hogs as the 40 caliber 180 or 200 grain bullets have pretty good sectional density hence good penetration. your 40 with 180 grain would likely be pretty effective. if I was in big bear country would explore the larger caliber revolvers, 44 special and up and go with what I could handle well.
performance wise I don't see that much difference between a 40S&W and .357. I have reloaded for both and shot both a lot and doubt any critter you smack could tell the difference. however there are some advantages to a revolver over semi-auto so if you are just shifting to a revolver then 357 might serve you well but for better performance on game in a defensive effort I would take heavier weight bullets in a 44 special or 45 colt over a 357 and recoil should be comparable. good luck with it.

 

I definitely like the look of the Taurus 66 with the rogue grips

 

Can't carry a sidearm while bow hunting here but when I was working as a guide in Wyoming,
I carried a Ruger Redhawk, 6" barrel in .44 mag.


I'm a little guy too and the recoil isn't that bad in my opinion.

(of course I also play with a .460 S&W too!)

 

Sorry if this is a dumb question but just going off what I've read. Some had said that the 357 has more recoil than a 44 mag? I have an uncle with a 44 mag with a 6" barrel so I might ask him if I can shoot it once to see the feel. If I can handle it just fine, then I might as well look for a smaller 44mag with a 3.5" or 4" barrel. Even with a shorter barrel it still should pack a punch.

Thoughts on models for a inexpensive 44 mag with that description?

 

S&W M&P .40 Shield is very nice.

 

Taurus Judge 3.5 in barrel and you can shot 410 shotgun shells or 44 Lc shells

 

357 will kick less than 44 mag in similar weight pistols. its physics. with 357 you are pushing roughly 158 grain bullet and 44 you are pushing 240 or greater weight at similar velocities. if you can, try the 44 mag and see how you like it. go with a weapon you can control well. If the 44 mag is to much, you can always use 44 special in 44 mag which still gives big bore and heavy bullet results but at a lower velocity, hence less recoil.