What's the longest barreled Revolver you'd CCW for a "Woods-Gun"?

[HamHands]

As the title says: What is the longest, biggest framed Smith that you can comfortably, "Conceal Carry" for your "Woods-Gun"? Obviously, you want to get the hardest hitter that you can put into action the fastest in the draw presentation department without alerting others that you are carrying. Flying under the radar has been my mantra for as long as I can remember. I find a 3" barreled "N" frame .44Special or .44Mag to be my max but probably could go with a 3.5" barreled "N" frame with practice, holster, belt, and appropriate dress around plays the biggest factor. Concealment, comfort, and fastest presentation are the paramount factors here. First hand experience and pics are both welcomed and invited here!

I'll go first with my rig...

 

[Buford57]

I've been using a 5.5" Ruger Vaquero in .45 Colt in a cross draw holster. I may switch to a 629 Mountain Revolver in a Roy Baker Pancake or a Shoulder rig for the Ruger.

 

[cgt4570]

Depends on the area and potential predators. For at home in NE TN, my 3" Model 60-10 Target in .357 is typical woods carry for me. It's enough for any 2 or 4 legged adversary I'm likely to come across and it disappears on the belt or in a pocket.
If further west, a snub 2-3" in .44 Special, .45 ACP or .44 Mag will be with me, unless I'm actually hunting for something.

 

[bmcgilvray]

I've occasionally toted 8 3/8-inch Smith & Wessons (mostly the Model 17 and Model 29) for years on walking around hikes and for hunting on our old family place at the lake.

They're not too hot for riding the roads on the place in the pickup, but it's better to walk it anyway.

 

[Valmet]

5-6” for me. I’ve been known to use one of two revolvers as Woods guns in the past- a 4 5/8” Ruger Blackhawk in .44 Spl or a 5” S&W 27-2.

 

[pjpjr]

For me I like my Ruger "Sheriff" Vaquero model. Stainless 357 magnum with 3 5/8" barrel.
Sits real nice on belt and plenty power for my area.

 

[3rdgeargrndrr]

Depends on the area and potential predators. For at home in NE TN, my 3" Model 60-10 Target in .357 is typical woods carry for me. It's enough for any 2 or 4 legged adversary I'm likely to come across and it disappears on the belt or in a pocket.
If further west, a snub 2-3" in .44 Special, .45 ACP or .44 Mag will be with me, unless I'm actually hunting for something.

Same here. The 60 3” or the sp101 4” nowadays. The 66 and 686 stay home

 

[MCorps0311]

One of the longest I have is my S&W 69 .44 Mag.4".for a wood gun.

 

[hkcavalier]

I used an old camo top with the sleeves ripped off as a vest, which nicely covered a 5" 629 Classic in a shoulder holster. I even wore it out at a sit down restaurant after a hike. No one was the wiser. Wood grips help as cloth won't slide on rubber.

Downside: you are wearing a ripped up camo vest and look like an extra from an episode of A-Team.

 

[brucev]

I prefer a nice four inch 28-2 carried in a Bianchi 111 Cyclone cross draw holster. Just about all my wandering in the woods/fields is either in preparation for or participation in deer and hog hunting. I simply prefer a .357 S&W Magnum for whatever might need shooting in the Southeast U.S. Must say, have a couple of K-frame 19/66 revolvers with the obligatory four inch barrel. They are also carried in the 111 holster. A better revolver for CC while out and about ... don't know what it might be. Sincerely. bruce.

 

[DeafSmith]

I guess my Ruger Security Six 2 3/4" .357 or my S&W 625-3 3" .45 ACP.

The Six is lighter but the .45 has more boom.

 

[sw282]

As the title says: What is the longest, biggest framed Smith that you can comfortably, "Conceal Carry" for your "Woods-Gun"? Obviously, you want to get the hardest hitter that you can put into action the fastest in the draw presentation department without alerting others that you are carrying. Flying under the radar has been my mantra for as long as I can remember. I find a 3" barreled "N" frame .44Special or .44Mag to be my max but probably could go with a 3.5" barreled "N" frame with practice, holster, belt, and appropriate dress around plays the biggest factor. Concealment, comfort, and fastest presentation are the paramount factors here. First hand experience and pics are both welcomed and invited here!

I'll go first with my rig...

What's a ''Redvolver''? Never seen one of those before

ps. See thread title

 

[sandog]

I use my 5 1/2" .45 Flattop for woods carry, although my 6 inch 686 isn't much bigger.
If I'm out in the "woods" though, I don't worry about concealing my handgun. The Bears and Mtn Lions don't care if I'm carrying openly.

 

[BC38]

Not sure why I'd need to conceal for woods carry.
For general woods carry, 5" max, though I prefer a 4"
If I really had to conceal it, a 3" or even a 3-1/2"
44 mag of course.

 

[bluelund79]

The largest I CC here in Montana is my 4.25” M69 in a Simply Rugged pancake holster. For autoloaders, a 5” 10mm 1911 goes with me when I feel like it. I prefer the revolver for simplicity

 

[Mehutch]

I don't have a 'Redvolver' (sounds like a German car). But when I backpack I use to carry my 7.5" Ruger Blackhawk .44 magnum, but changed to my 5" 629 S&W .44 magnum. A casual walk in the neighborhood woods with my dog it is my 2.5" S&W 686+ 357 magnum.


With my Ruger Blackhawk 44 mag.




Now I carry my S&W 5" 629 44 mag.

 

[Autonomous]

Around here cougar are more of a threat than bears. After a very close (50') encounter my wife and I had with a cougar I bought a 4" S&W 629 in .44 mag mainly because I had been lusting after one.
Now that I have discovered 1911s that is what I am likely to carry in the woods. In an area with more black bears the 629 for sure. Were I wandering around brown bear country an X frame S&W with enough barrel (~8") to make full power or a big bore lever action.

 

[Combat_Diver]

Woods roaming would be 657 6.5" Classic Hunter or 6.5" Blackhawk. For concealed carry it would be my 4" 58. I like .41s

CD

 

[CH4]

4 inch is the longest revolver I would likely CCW anywhere.

 

[Rick_A]

4"...though it's a bit too pretty for woods carry. My 5" 1911 is my usual companion.
20140921_222918 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr