Author Topic: What's your favorite stand gun? (Read 1274 times)

guns-o-fun · « **on:** October 17, 2009, 07:31:20 AM »

I hunt in the National Forest, so all stands must be removed after use. This year for the first time I am going to carry a light hang-on up into a fairly remote area (17 pounds with harness). I am an old rock climber, so my mode of ascent will just be some 9mm perlon and a couple of prusik knots. Not that much additional weight. Anyway, I am trying to decide what gun to carry. Shots are probably not beyond 50 yards, because there isn't that much of an open shooting lane. I have a couple of handis that are pretty light and would not add that much to my load (hey, its all uphill in one direction and I am an old fart now). Any favorites for the stand in the way of a light rifle?

gendoc · « **Reply #1 on:** October 17, 2009, 07:44:36 AM »

the area i hunt in is simular to yours, except for hills.
longest shot is mostly around 50-75 yrds and i like the 45/70.
its not really light but i like the bang-flop results. i'm a old fart too.

guns-o-fun · « **Reply #2 on:** October 17, 2009, 07:59:40 AM »

gen-doc

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, I don't have a 45-70 (I know, a real short-coming on my part), but I do have one of the 500 S&W handis that weighs in at not much more than 6 pounds with scope. It may not be a 45-70, but I think my handloads are zippin along at a pretty good clip and the energies with the corelokt 385 grainers can't be too much below the 45-70. I've tweeked it until it is a pretty accurate shooter, so that may be a good solution to light weight and power. Thanks Rich

gendoc · « **Reply #3 on:** October 17, 2009, 08:04:43 AM »

yep, that 500 should to the job quite well !!!

petemi · « **Reply #4 on:** October 17, 2009, 08:21:19 AM »

My close range brush work this season will be with Handis in .445 Super Magnum and .357 Maximum. I'm an old fart too.

Pete

blind ear · « **Reply #5 on:** October 17, 2009, 08:23:26 AM »

guns-o-fun
Where I like to hunt is deciduous hardwood. The deer are in the thickest stuff in the day time. They have trails for the available visibility. As the leaves drop they keep moving thier trails deeper into the thick stuff because they only have bare limbs for cover. I set up on the down wind side of the thick stuff close to the first travel trail they are useing at the time. The trail that runs inside the thicket edge so they can look out because they can't nose check that dirrection. I'm close enough to the trail that I wear my mesh head nets turned to look through the mesh so the deer won't see the eye/face pattern. My camo is home made ASAT. I hunt on the ground most times. The deer travel through the woods looking up for hunters. If you don't move on the ground they won't pick you up. Sometimes they are so close before I see them that I can't move to aim. I use a DanWesson 44, 8-3/8". I hunt from 9:00 through the middle of the day and afternoon. You probably know this already, but it works for me. eddiegjr

I'm O&F&OOS, OOFUS, (old & fat & out of shape) and don't bounce up, I'd splatter!

guns-o-fun · « **Reply #6 on:** October 17, 2009, 08:37:34 AM »

eddiegjr

I still hunt most of the time myself, but I thought I would try a portable stand this season. The Natl Forest here is deciduous too, but for some reason, most of the really active deer trails I find are not necessarily in the thickest undergrowth - which is itself a little thinner up here on the mountain tops, and is especailly thin once the season gets started up after Thanksgiving. Stands of trees can be pretty thick though, and left over hard mast along with locust tree pods are food sources not necessarily associated with the thick undergrowth. Top of the mountains in the Alleghenies is where our big wilderness area is. It is a challenging trek to get up to the more remote areas, so usually I just stick to the ground.

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #7 on:** October 17, 2009, 08:43:14 AM »

357 Max, 44 mag, 45 Colt, 444 Marlin 45-70. It's all good. DP

blind ear · « **Reply #8 on:** October 17, 2009, 09:23:02 AM »

Guns,

If you can find a clear cut in regrowth, a tornado scar or any such severe opening up it can offer what I'm talking about. Outside of it is open woods, inside of it the deer can travel in daylight in safety looking out. The trails won't be "hog trails" and you have too look for them because they don't seem to run in a normal dirrection. The older does that come into rut first will go to the bucks in these areas to let the dominant bucks keep the young bucks from running them to death, The old boy will follow her around till she is ready to stand and not beat her to death with his horns. When the old does are bread the old bucks will start to run also. Thier testosterone will drop earlier and they will lose thier horns earlier. Seems to work that way down here in Mississippi.

Good Luck, eddiegjr

guns-o-fun · « **Reply #9 on:** October 17, 2009, 09:42:05 AM »

Thanks - I will keep an eye open for the situation. Good hunting to you

. Rich

Graybeard · « **Reply #10 on:** October 17, 2009, 09:48:21 AM »

Hey if it's not up hill both ways and a foot of snow how bad can it be?

Reminds me of the ten miles I used to have to walk to elementary school back in the day, ya know up hill both ways and always a foot or more of snow.

Whatchamean it don't snow it Alabama, it did back then.

Seriously I'd take a handgun for such hunting. Old moutain climber or not your method of ascent and descent needs a serious rethink. Whatever you do make sure you leave the gun on the ground as you go up and down and use a pull rope to raise and lower it. Make sure it's unloaded as well.

A light weight climbing stand would be a much wiser choice assuming reasonably straight and limbless trees or if you can saw limbs off on the way up.

GrampaMike · « **Reply #11 on:** October 17, 2009, 10:02:55 AM »

Since this is the Handi forum...

Don't think up can beat the 45 Colt Buffalo Classic... light and compact and good at the ranges you will have.

Mike

guns-o-fun · « **Reply #12 on:** October 17, 2009, 10:04:27 AM »

Appreciate your concern. But if I use a climber, then I am either limited by location (where are the trees with no lower limbs...) or I have the extra weight of something to cut with. I can fall off a ladder, but I can't fall off a rope to which I am attached. If I could trust it 200 feet off the ground, I should be able to trust it 20 feet off the ground; and I would never climb with, raise or lower a loaded gun.

guns-o-fun · « **Reply #13 on:** October 17, 2009, 10:08:17 AM »

GrampaMike

You may have given me yet another reason to buy one of those sweet little 45LC BCs. I have been drooling over photos for a while now. Now, if you could just convince my wife that, with both my gun safes full at this point, I should be allowed to buy yet another gun, I would be eternally grateful!

Rich

Doublebass73 · « **Reply #14 on:** October 17, 2009, 10:46:52 AM »

The 500 will work fine for what you're doing but I'll also say it - get the 45 Colt! It's the only centerfire Handi I have right now. My hunting is very similar to yours, 50 yards is a long shot in the thick woods I hunt so I don't really need anything alse. It weighs around 6 pounds and is very compact, balances perfectly when carrying it by the receiver and has no recoil. Tell your wife you NEED it because it's so light

guns-o-fun · « **Reply #15 on:** October 17, 2009, 10:54:53 AM »

Doublebass73

I'll try the I'm old and need a nice light gun with no recoil tack. I already tried the I need another gun safe ploy, and that one wouldn't fly. Thanks Rich

45-70.gov · « **Reply #16 on:** October 17, 2009, 11:20:51 AM »

the 500 is such over kill [one reason i own one too]

you can chop it to 16 inches and still have plenty of power

but if you just want a 45colt bc........cut it later

the 500 is 3 times the power of a 44mag
and you have it in a rifle
don't let it knock you out of the tree

maglvr44 · « **Reply #17 on:** October 17, 2009, 12:51:41 PM »

.44 Special

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #18 on:** October 18, 2009, 01:00:44 PM »

I really have good luck with my .357s Mag and Max. At 50 yards or less the mag is sweet and a handfull of bullets aint nothin to carry. No recoil to speak of at all The Max or a .44 would be my next choice but if you don't have one of those and you have a .500 that's what would be in my hand.

But then there is my .45-70 and my...................

Swampman · « **Reply #19 on:** October 18, 2009, 01:17:37 PM »

My .45-70 or my Glenfield .30-30.

The Hermit · « **Reply #20 on:** October 18, 2009, 02:19:59 PM »

.45-70 Handi, 3x9x40 scope, Hornady LE 325 grain works for me, but everything listed so far will get the job done. When I hit 80, will I be considered an old fart too?

The Hermit

Doublebass73 · « **Reply #21 on:** October 18, 2009, 02:57:17 PM »

Quote from: guns-o-fun on October 17, 2009, 10:54:53 AM

Doublebass73

I'll try the I'm old and need a nice light gun with no recoil tack. I already tried the I need another gun safe ploy, and that one wouldn't fly. Thanks Rich

I use the my guns all look the same approach, H&R's with straight grip and Schnabel forends. Anytime I get another one I get one of those and nobody around the house can tell the difference.

Slufoot · « **Reply #22 on:** October 18, 2009, 04:30:48 PM »

Hey guns-o-fun, my favorite stand gun is my 500 S&W Handi-Rifle. I used it last year to take the buck in my avitar picture and also took two more deer with it, 3 shots and 3 deer.
If you really want to get the 45 Colt then tell your wife that you're afraid the 500's recoil might nock you out of your stand and you really need a Handi with alot less recoil!

GOOD SHOOTING!
Slufoot

45-70.gov · « **Reply #23 on:** October 18, 2009, 05:15:27 PM »

i didn't answer your question

don't have a favorite as my mood changes

i consider my boring 308 howa with 3x9 scope the most reliable

Mitch in MI · « **Reply #24 on:** October 19, 2009, 07:19:24 AM »

If you've already got the 500, use it. Heck, if you wanted to, you could get fine results with cast bullets and black powder at 50 yards.

If I were going to buy a gun for that purpose, I'd probably go for a .357 mag carbine or a .44 mag revolver.

guns-o-fun · « **Reply #25 on:** October 19, 2009, 09:27:00 AM »

Thanks to all for all the replies. At least I got a darn good reason to buy a BC 45LC carbine out this thread - which I just did off of Gunbroker.com, NIB great deal. Much as I think it is cool to have this classic old caliber, I will probably have my smith ream it out to 460 S&W at some point after hearing Quick's reports about his. Love those big pistol calibers in a carbine. Thanks to all. Rich

Natty Bumppo · « **Reply #26 on:** October 19, 2009, 09:40:48 AM »

I use a .38-55 during primitive weapons season here in Louisiana, but use a Win. Mod. 70 in .270 during rifle season, whether I'm in the woods on on a field.

petemi · « **Reply #27 on:** October 20, 2009, 06:47:42 AM »

Quote from: The Hermit on October 18, 2009, 02:19:59 PM

.45-70 Handi, 3x9x40 scope, Hornady LE 325 grain works for me, but everything listed so far will get the job done. When I hit 80, will I be considered an old fart too?

The Hermit

I agree with all the above. My .45-70, 445 Super Mag and .357 Max handle it all. The Hoarnady LEs are hard to beat. I like 'em.

Pete

wtroger · « **Reply #28 on:** October 20, 2009, 10:13:19 AM »

I still hunt all the time either from a stand or blind. I only shoot with something that has .35 or larger hole in the pipe. And I have several

spooked · « **Reply #29 on:** October 20, 2009, 04:32:11 PM »

Hmmmm, lightweight hunh! Welp, I guess I might just use my 30-30 158(the profiled one)

Yeah, that'd do it, after I drive by the foot of my ladder stand with the jeep and set my plunder out at the foot it's only about a 50 yd walk back from my parking spot

Tough, but i can handle it.