“model 629”

Outfitting this smooth-cycling .22 WMR wheel gun with a red-dot optic makes it a potent small-game hunting option. If you’re looking for more punch than a .22 LR pistol can provide, with tight groups to boot, this wheel gun deserves your consideration.

Hornady’s new Handgun Hunter load marries a solid mono-metal design with an elastomer-filled cavity, allowing for rapid, reliable expansion at close ranges and the slower velocities typical of handgun calibers.

Custom, tricked-out handguns are great, but all you really need can be found in these basic hunters.

Even though we often have a rifle, shotgun or bow with us, it’s a very good idea for hunters to carry a handgun. It’s a dangerous world out there and a responsible person hopes for the best, but prepares for the worst.

A handgun does no good on a shelf back in camp. But the trouble is, handguns chambered for cartridges appropriate for wilderness protection and/or big-game hunting tend to be a bit heavy. It’s common enough to head into the hunt with good intentions, but after a few exhausting days when even your shoelaces become too heavy, you often find a reason to leave the handgun behind.

Carry guns can take many forms, but choosing one to wield in the wilderness deserves special considerations.