That sir, is a damn fine idea.


https://www.henryrifles.com/rifles/mares-leg/

I had a cousin who killed a nice buck with a .38 special snub nose, believe it or not. Shot placement counts.

Although I have seen many 38s and 9mms emptied into deer with no effect (can't shoot them in the head cause it might mess up the mount) J.J. has killed a many a deer with a little 380 or an airweight 38 that he carries in his pocket. Even killed one one night with his girlfriend's 32. He dropped one that his dog was baying at about 200 yards with his 7mm08. The dog was like "The Lord done smote him down for me". I talked Mike into getting a Glock 357 SIG and he loves it. But he got the sub-compact. He sometimes carries a Ruger Compact in 7mm08 but as we know that is the round that went thru the deer and hit Lucy. I tried a mare's leg but it was heavy, awkward mounting a scope, (really need that scope, especially at night) hard to carry and didn't accomplish much over a pistol. Mr. John carries a 44 mag. Thompson Center single shot pistol with a scope in a shoulder holster but it is very heavy and bulky and only one shot. When I first started tracking I carried an old S&W 38 revolver with fixed iron sights that I painted with fluorescent paint and actually killed a few deer with it. I would recommend at least a 357 SIG. If you or Otis get a deer after you you are gonna want something that will drop it quick and the 357 SIG is good at that. The hunters aren't usually gonna want you shooting their buck in the head. H., next time we get together you are welcome to wear/shoot my pistol and see if you like it or not.For a gun that light and powerful it has very little recoil. Don't get an airweight 357 mag. revolver. It is about like a firecracker going off in your hand.

X2

Thanks Randy!....I appreciate all the feedback fellas. It sounds like the consensus is a Glock of some caliber. I'm still going to check out a few of the other ones mentioned though just to see how they feel.

BTW��..While we�re on this topic, I hope it doesn�t rub too many folks the wrong the way but I�ve decided that next year I�m going to be the only one carrying a gun when we track. I don�t mean for it to take anyone�s glory away from them or to question anyone�s experience/proficiency�..It�s just that after going through a year of allowing the hunter to be the shooter, I can see that if I don�t make this move then its only a matter of time before something goes wrong. It doesn�t seem to matter if we talk about things before hand or go through how a live deer situation should unfold.....when the real situation starts then I see hunters start making their own decisions regardless of what we talked about. A lot of it I�m sure is just the excitement of the situation. There was never anything major that happened last year but an example of one small thing was that I had a hunter shoulder his rifle and start charging ahead of me as soon as Otis let out the first bark. I was like �Woah! Woah! Woah!......� It�s just a matter of time before someone gets excited and shoots when they're not supposed to . Every tracker I�ve talked to has a story about it.

I have tracked and dispatched deer with a Ruger Mark V .22. It is easy to carry, accurate but is limited to head shots.

Pistols are convenient to carry but are not extremely accurate for the average shooter. Add the adrenaline of a large buck and accuracy suffers even more. A semi auto carbine such as a Ruger in .357 or .44 magnum would be very accurate at close range. It also has the second advantage of bullets that would expand quickly and not exit. That is a positive when considering dogs, people and shooting in an unfamiliar area (may not know in the dark what is behind your target).

Glock 40 MOS(10 mm) with a reflex style sight.

Now that's a good idea!

I just watched a couple videos on those things. You guys may be onto something there now. Hmmmmm...

Crimson, i own a Ruger 44 magnum carbine. It looks just like a ruger .22, same size and everything. I would rather have that, than a pistol any day of the week.

I don't blame you a bit for this decision if for no other reason than you have no idea who the people are or how they will react to a situation and i can think of many that could come up when tracking a deer for miles...

i have a S&W 40 cal. very similar to a glock. I can shoot head shots on silhouette paper at 25 yards.

Something else to consider, ar pistol with ballistic tips.

What about that gun taurus makes thats like the judge but has 6 inch barrel. I seen one loaded with buckshot, the owner told me it would kill an alligator.

A 9mm pistol will kill a wounded deer

Go with a revolver - safer, more reliable, can be loaded with snake shot in the snakey months, and to me more accurate. Someone mentioned the .357 4" Ruger GP100. Can't go wrong with it. I like a Smith & Wesson .357, Model 66. The 686 is a little bulky. The 66 is known for it accuracy and portability. Granted, it's not as lightweight as some of these autos, but get the right holster and it's irrelevant for what you are doing.

12ga w/ buckshot, with a tac light - would be ideal.

You have to realize at night easing up to a bayed deer in a thicket all you may see is a set of eyes staring back at you as you shine a light... That deer may break at any moment and theres not a lot of time to be screwing around with a pistol. As soon as the dogs clear, aim between the eyes and pull the trigger.

I like this idea. I've always wanted an AR pistol.

Ruger SA in 44 SPC/45 Colt, SA in 44 WCF, 4" 357 DA Revolver. Have all of the above and would use any or all of them (and have most) to track a deer and finish it off. Would also carry a 1911 with good HP SD round.

I like the Ruger model 44 carbine with a 2x7 scope and sling to carry in to a bay. I don't always carry a rifle but I always carry a pistol. The revolvers are too heavy (a light one has too much recoil to shoot), and hard to find tritium fiber optics for them. If you shoot a mountable buck in the head, the hunter will be a little miffed tho sometimes it is the only shot you will have. H., I vowed last year to only let a hunter carry a weapon if I have all the ammo. I will pass it out when my dog is back by my side. She will tell me if the deer is on the ground alive or standing and I can call her out with hand signals (the deer will break bay if he hears you call the dog or smells or sees you) and then give the hunter a bullet or arrow. If it is not a "book" deer then I will dispatch it myself. If it is going in the record book then the hunter has to dispatch it with the same weapon that he/she originally shot it with.

Crimson, if your not confused by now on what to tote, then you haven't read all the post. LOL