Which method of carying your side arm do you like best??

[matt345]

I am relatively new to hunting with a bow, this will be my first season carrying a pistol 357 S&W while in the field bow hunting. Any suggestions would be great as I am confused about the best holster etc!!! I usually have on a pack with a waist strap and a pair of binoculars with a shoulder harness as well. What do you feel is the most comfortable and accessible holster???

[carpsniperg2]

for my hunting holsters i like something with a good strap on it like uncle mikes sidekick holsters. when crawling threw brush and crap i don't want tot have to worry about back tracking a few miles to find my handgun. i always carry on my strong side which is my right side. since when i draw my bow it will be out of the way. don't like shoulder holsters for bowhunting myself. my inside the pants holsters are a little to easy to get my gun out of. i carried my xdm last year some and used a serpa holster and liked that but its to open and a bunch of dust and crap can get into your gun way to easy. hope this helps

[GoldTip]

I will carry both strong side as well as cross draw at times.  Sometimes will depend on which side arm I am carrying, other times I may just be feeling hinky and decide to carry cross draw.  I practice from both positions anyway.

[FC]

OWB or outside waist band is my preferred way to carry, get a good fitting belt holster. A pancake holster is nice for carrying in the woods or winter time under a coat or in the open which ever you prefer.

[FC]

One caveat to the pancake holster. Get a gun belt or you will HATE it! A proper belt will make all the difference in the world.

[Drifterat]

Strong side, well worn in Galco leather thumb break belt holster.

X2 on the gun belt. They are spendy, but worth every penny when wearing a 40 oz handgun.

[bullcanyon]

Like mentioned. GET A GOOD BELT:)

[Shootmoore]

X3 on the good belt.  Strong side carry is my suggestion for archery.  As it will keep the gun out of the way from the bow in a shooting position.  On top of that I assume that you have trained mostly in strong side carry, which I always suggest carry what you practice.  As it does no good to practice strong side then carry in a should rig.  When poo poo hits the perverbial fan your hand will reach for the gun where you trained with it.

I also like to carry a flap holster or a lvl 2 security holster as keeping the gun secure in the holster with the brush is important.  Just remember if you get a lvl 2 or 3 or a flap holster to practice with it so it becomes second nature to work the security features.

Shootmoore

[wildmanoutdoors]

I use a Bianchi Accumold belt slide holster for my SP 101. It can be snapped on any belt for what ever pack I will be be using. Strong side or cross draw. I dont like leather in the woods when it gets really wet out. It can be easily removed once your pack belt is unsnapped and transfered easily without removing buckles on the pack but stays secure once your belt is tightened.

[Stickerbush]

my 357 mag is pretty bulky and heavy, I cant justify taking it with me if I am trying to pack light bowhunting. I think if I upgraded to a lighter synthetic pistol I might pack one around. I think a holster from the thigh would be pretty good though if I had a lighter gun

[jackelope]

I think the problem/question is where do you put your holster when you are wearing a backpack and the waist strap is riding on your waist?

[JackOfAllTrades]

With day pack, fanny pack, back pack, I never carry pistol on my hip.  Weak side shoulder holster. Leather worn in well so it doesn't make noise.  Is your Smitty a snub nose? then go spring held horizontal. If longer than 3" then go either vertical up or down.

I've carried pistol in the woods with rifle for the last 25 years and this has been the most comfortable for me. Not on my hip where the rifle hits it when I've got it slung or when I'm carrying in hand. -Which is how I bet you'll carry your bow; In hand. You want that pistol out of the way, but accessible. If you have a pullover camo shirt/jacket, this won't work. Button/zip up the front, with the zipper half open works great.

The only other way I'll suggest is a weak side cross draw that doesn't interfear with your daypack belt if you feel you must have it on your hip. Keep it out of the way of your bow and balance out the weight you're carrying in-hand/on your body. And yes, a thick leather belt is better than the best nylon web belt.

-Steve

[jackelope]

Does a shoulder rig work comfortably with a backpack and a bino-harness?

[JackOfAllTrades]

I do carry all three at the same time. Binoc harness on the bottom. Holster next. Day/back pack next.  I am going to employ a change to the binoc harnes, where I'll add elastic/clips to my day pack shoulder straps for the binocs and not wear the binoc harness. A different way to carry the binocs would be with normal wide strap over the neck and one shoulder on the oposite side of the holster, under the jacket, but above the pack-waist belt.  That makes them still accessable, yet out of the way of the handgun. Out of the way of the rifle/bow that's in hand, but out of the elements too. (even though they're fog/water proof, if you're not sweating then the outer lens and controls are dry. I hate it when wet binoc eye cups touch my glasses.) Also balances the load.

You have to find what works best for you and not every shoulder holster is going to be compatible with every binoc harness. Carrying a daypack, the holster needs to be low enough, whether up/down or horizontal to make getting to the gun a simple movement outsideof  the pack shoulder straps.
 
A snubbie/<3" under the weak side arm pit in a muzzle-up vertical holster has been by far the most comfortable and most accessible rig; as the grip frame pull is down and away to the front, never to interfere with shoulder straps of the pack or the straps of the binoc harness. Carry position is mid rib cage. Next would be a revolver or semi auto on the weakside in a muzzle-horizontal rig carried a little higher.  Next is actually how I carry most often- is one of my 44mags in a vertical muzzle-down shoulder rig.

I've shot several Blacktail with this last setup so I can tell you that there's plenty of access to the gun.

But, throw a jacket in the mix and the muzzle-down, top access shoulder holster with the pack straps over the top of the jacket severly limits access to the gun. You see... The holster needs to sit on the outside of the pack straps. You can't get to it if the jacket is under the pack straps. So.. Carry the gun/holster on top of the jacket. (All Pistols Carried in the Field should be Stainless!) That allows unobstructed access to the gun on top of the jacket, outside of the pack straps. It's not quite so bad with holsters that are horizontal or allow bottom drop out but there's still things to think of if you want fast access to your pistol. I'll change which way I carry, depending on whether I'm wearing a jacket, daypack or not.

Another reason I don't like a pistol on my hip. (now, I realize this is the archery thread) I carry my rifle in my strong hand. A pistol on my hip is normally carried on strong side. But that bangs on my rifle! So, cross draw comes to mind. But how much does that impair my ability to hike up steep incline. How much of that impacts the propper fit of my pack waistbelt? If it cramps my style, I'm not for it. OK... There are holsters that allow IWB 'small of the back' for strong arm access. I'd only even think of this with a high riding day pack, Probably not a full back pack.

Now... for anything on my hip the size of a pistol; (I carry my big Puma White Hunter on my weak side actually behind my hip- again, so it doesn't interfere with the rifle in strong hand), Has anyone ever slipped and fell down while climbing up a hill in the woods? Falling on a pistol on my hip has proven painful! Not to mention not so good for the gun. Using a shoulder rig protects the gun and you.

-Steve

[BlackRidge]

Shoulder holster FTW!