Favorite .357 Revolver?
- Thread starter NDguy
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shootbrownelk
Veteran member
I have a 10mm Glock (A G20). I really enjoy it as a handgun but I find myself carrying it less and less. It's honestly just the weight and size.
In upland game / turkey / waterfowl seasons when I have a shotgun I never carry it - I just bring a few slugs. During rifle season I have that, and despite the stories, bear/cougar attacks during a field dressing operations (when I'd set it down) are VERY rare, at least here in Colorado. And I'm no archer but I'd bet the CPW would give the hairy eyeball to anybody carrying a big pistol on an archery hunt "just for self protection". And it's kind of a ridiculous thing to have on you "in camp", like you're expecting a German invasion or something!
Another issue for me is where to carry it. I don't like drop-leg holsters - at least, with the two I've tried, it flops around too much when you're squeezing through brush. It's too big for an ankle holster, and appendix/back carry with bulky hunting clothes doesn't leave it readily accessible, and interferes with prone-shooting/glassing and wearing a pack. Hip carry interferes with shoulder-carry of a shotgun/rifle (I've tried every angle/position, and have the scuff marks on the sides of things to show my failures). Chest carry works REALLY well with it - unless you want a bino harness. Which I do. So...
And the G20 with a single 15-rd mag weighs 2lbs 14oz. There are tents that weigh less than that! My average hike is 5-10 mi. I definitely notice the difference at the end of a day.
Finally, even when I work around all this, when I get done with my day and get in the truck I still can't carry it anywhere - hip carry would be my preference (I love my Blackhawk Serpa holster with it) but it interferes with the seatbelt or digs into my hip. Chest carry is ridiculous while driving down the highway. And it's really too big to conceal comfortably, at least for me. So I take it off... in which case what good is it doing me?
At the end of the day, while hunting, I always fall back to "my main weapon plus a can of bear spray". For camp or driving, a G42 380 that I never take off.
That said:
1. It makes a VERY nice sidearm while scouting or generally hiking, especially on the chest rig I have. When I'm not carrying a long-arm, I always have this.
2. I'd be lying if I didn't admit I still love pistols. I've been toying with getting a scoped pistol with a 10" barrel. I hunt for meat, not trophies, and 7 in 10 times (if not more) I run into game, it's bumping a doe while poking around a small meadow on an early-season scouting hike for a later-season hunt. If I had a pistol I was confident out to 30-40 yards or so with, something like a BFR or Taurus Hunter in 444 or 45 Mag, I honestly might just carry that and leave the 8lb rifle in the truck. I know it sounds silly, but pistols are fun!
In upland game / turkey / waterfowl seasons when I have a shotgun I never carry it - I just bring a few slugs. During rifle season I have that, and despite the stories, bear/cougar attacks during a field dressing operations (when I'd set it down) are VERY rare, at least here in Colorado. And I'm no archer but I'd bet the CPW would give the hairy eyeball to anybody carrying a big pistol on an archery hunt "just for self protection". And it's kind of a ridiculous thing to have on you "in camp", like you're expecting a German invasion or something!
Another issue for me is where to carry it. I don't like drop-leg holsters - at least, with the two I've tried, it flops around too much when you're squeezing through brush. It's too big for an ankle holster, and appendix/back carry with bulky hunting clothes doesn't leave it readily accessible, and interferes with prone-shooting/glassing and wearing a pack. Hip carry interferes with shoulder-carry of a shotgun/rifle (I've tried every angle/position, and have the scuff marks on the sides of things to show my failures). Chest carry works REALLY well with it - unless you want a bino harness. Which I do. So...
And the G20 with a single 15-rd mag weighs 2lbs 14oz. There are tents that weigh less than that! My average hike is 5-10 mi. I definitely notice the difference at the end of a day.
Finally, even when I work around all this, when I get done with my day and get in the truck I still can't carry it anywhere - hip carry would be my preference (I love my Blackhawk Serpa holster with it) but it interferes with the seatbelt or digs into my hip. Chest carry is ridiculous while driving down the highway. And it's really too big to conceal comfortably, at least for me. So I take it off... in which case what good is it doing me?
At the end of the day, while hunting, I always fall back to "my main weapon plus a can of bear spray". For camp or driving, a G42 380 that I never take off.
That said:
1. It makes a VERY nice sidearm while scouting or generally hiking, especially on the chest rig I have. When I'm not carrying a long-arm, I always have this.
2. I'd be lying if I didn't admit I still love pistols. I've been toying with getting a scoped pistol with a 10" barrel. I hunt for meat, not trophies, and 7 in 10 times (if not more) I run into game, it's bumping a doe while poking around a small meadow on an early-season scouting hike for a later-season hunt. If I had a pistol I was confident out to 30-40 yards or so with, something like a BFR or Taurus Hunter in 444 or 45 Mag, I honestly might just carry that and leave the 8lb rifle in the truck. I know it sounds silly, but pistols are fun!
280ackimp
Active Member
Here is something I found interesting, this year in elk camp that is located in Griz central the following sidearms were carried by guides and camp staff
1. Ruger SA 44mag 7.5" in a shoulder hoister, unknown load
2. Ruger SA 45 lc 5.5" in a threepersons style strong side belt holster with HSM loads
3. Springfield XDM in 45 acp, strong side pancake belt holster unknown loads
4, Springfield XDM in 40 s&W strong side
5. Springfield XDM in 9mm strong side
carried by hunters
6. CZ compact in 9mm with Buffalo Bore hard cast lead, strong side askins style holster
7. S&W m629 44 mag 4" unknown loads strong side thumb break holster
8. S&W M57 41 mag 6" 175gr silvertips, strong side strap holster - left in camp because it was too big/heavy
9. Glock 40 S&W strong side belt holster
10. S&W 657 41 mag 3" HSW loads -stong side holster Sparks AW200
Of 6 hunters 1 did not carry at all and 1 carried only one day due to weight and sized
Of the six guides 1 did not carry a weapon at all and one carried a rifle and a revolver.
The guide with the shoulder holster took it off while working on a kill, the others did not. This is a questionable practice knowing theat the wyoming guide who was killed was not wearing his weapon when needed. We all recovered game in groups of 3 and 2 doing the work and 1 on overwatch with a pump gun. As a backdrop, we had bears in camp a few nighs, and we saw them in the field frequently.
One point is if you ask many people you will get many perspectives. Just as in life, if you dont plan for the encounter you run the risk of overlooking important points such as, will you have the gun when you need it and will your choices perform as needed. I practice a lot and I have a few sidearms I am prone to carry, I practice with each of them otherwise they are paperweights. A good carpenter has many tools to perform the chosen task and is practiced in the use of each.
1. Ruger SA 44mag 7.5" in a shoulder hoister, unknown load
2. Ruger SA 45 lc 5.5" in a threepersons style strong side belt holster with HSM loads
3. Springfield XDM in 45 acp, strong side pancake belt holster unknown loads
4, Springfield XDM in 40 s&W strong side
5. Springfield XDM in 9mm strong side
carried by hunters
6. CZ compact in 9mm with Buffalo Bore hard cast lead, strong side askins style holster
7. S&W m629 44 mag 4" unknown loads strong side thumb break holster
8. S&W M57 41 mag 6" 175gr silvertips, strong side strap holster - left in camp because it was too big/heavy
9. Glock 40 S&W strong side belt holster
10. S&W 657 41 mag 3" HSW loads -stong side holster Sparks AW200
Of 6 hunters 1 did not carry at all and 1 carried only one day due to weight and sized
Of the six guides 1 did not carry a weapon at all and one carried a rifle and a revolver.
The guide with the shoulder holster took it off while working on a kill, the others did not. This is a questionable practice knowing theat the wyoming guide who was killed was not wearing his weapon when needed. We all recovered game in groups of 3 and 2 doing the work and 1 on overwatch with a pump gun. As a backdrop, we had bears in camp a few nighs, and we saw them in the field frequently.
One point is if you ask many people you will get many perspectives. Just as in life, if you dont plan for the encounter you run the risk of overlooking important points such as, will you have the gun when you need it and will your choices perform as needed. I practice a lot and I have a few sidearms I am prone to carry, I practice with each of them otherwise they are paperweights. A good carpenter has many tools to perform the chosen task and is practiced in the use of each.
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I just bought a Glock 20 for some AK hunts I have planned. My favorite 386XL Hunter S&W 357 is discontinued and increasing in value as well. I figure I can beat up the Glock instead on some of the longer trips where I won't be able to take care of it as well. I ordered a KKM barrel, night sights, and a pair of Razco holsters. One plain chest holster for fishing and packing meat, and one that works with my FHF bino harness for hunting and scouting. I'll see how they work when they arrive. The holsters are designed to fit the G20 with my Streamlight TLR-1 attached. I figure if I'm going to pack the pistol I just as well have the extra 4oz of the light as well. I might take a 10rd mag to offset the weight, can't see needing more than 11 rounds before getting back to camp and still getting back to camp!
The biggest drawback I see to the chest rigs is having to take them off to change layers. I do it with my bino harness now anyway so it will really only be one more buckle.
The biggest drawback I see to the chest rigs is having to take them off to change layers. I do it with my bino harness now anyway so it will really only be one more buckle.
Prerylyon
Veteran member
Congratulations, they are nice guns.
I have a Pro series S&W 60 with a 3" barrel. It's a darn nice gun. It jumps quite a bit with loads I'd use in the woods but it's an accurate little gun. I have gone to 110gr Winchester JHP's in mine. I don't carry it as much as I used to. When I lived in town I cat fished some areas where I felt better having a gun along after dark, and that one was nice to pack concealed.
The 357 definitely benefits from barrel length. The 158gr JSP's I shoot from my 6" gun seemed to hard for the 3" gun, didn't expand the same.