Every hunter has been tempted to bring a sidearm into the field. Sometimes it’s for protection, sometimes it’s for finishing a wounded animal, and sometimes it’s just because you want the comfort of having a backup on your hip. But in reality, most of those pistols only see daylight once before they’re tucked away in the back of the safe. The reasons vary—too heavy, too awkward, too much recoil, or they simply don’t make sense alongside a good rifle. Hunters eventually realize that carrying one is more hassle than help.
There are a handful of pistols that fall into this category more often than others. They might have sounded like a smart idea when you bought them, but once you actually strapped them on for a day in the woods, the truth became obvious. These are the pistols that hunters carry once, regret on the hike out, and never take afield again.
Desert Eagle
The Desert Eagle is one of those guns hunters convince themselves will be useful. It throws massive rounds like .50 AE or .44 Magnum, and it looks impressive. The first time you strap it on for a hunt, the weight alone becomes a punishment. At nearly five pounds loaded, it’s like dragging a brick on your hip all day. Hunters who try it quickly realize the burden outweighs any benefit.
Then there’s recoil and blast. Firing it in the field is loud, dramatic, and rarely practical. Accuracy is decent, but the pistol is far too cumbersome for quick follow-up shots. Ammo is expensive and not something you’re likely to find in small-town shops near hunting country. Many hunters who carried a Desert Eagle once admit it went right back in the safe afterward, more of a showpiece than a real working gun.
Taurus Judge
The idea of carrying a revolver that shoots both .45 Colt and .410 shells seems appealing. Hunters often think it’ll serve as the perfect all-around backup. The problem is, it doesn’t excel at either. With .410 loads, penetration and range are weak. With .45 Colt, accuracy varies, and it’s still not powerful enough for serious big-game defense.
Hunters who tried carrying the Judge into camp quickly learned it was more novelty than practical tool. It’s bulky on the hip, and the performance never matches expectations. A rifle does the real work, and a reliable sidearm should inspire confidence. For most, the Judge doesn’t. After a single trip, it usually gets retired to the safe, where it serves as a conversation piece rather than a trusted companion in the field.
Smith & Wesson 500
The S&W 500 is one of the most powerful revolvers on the market, and it definitely has presence. Many hunters pick one up thinking it’s the ultimate backup for bear country or other dangerous game. The reality is, most never carry it again after the first trip. At over four pounds and with punishing recoil, it’s simply not enjoyable to pack or shoot.
Firing the 500 in the field is intimidating, even for seasoned shooters. Follow-up shots are slow, and ammo is extremely expensive. Hunters realize quickly that the gun feels like overkill for most situations, and it doesn’t add much confidence when compared to carrying a well-placed rifle. The S&W 500 might be fun to shoot at the range, but in the woods, it’s more of a burden than an asset, which is why it spends most of its life locked away.
Glock 40 MOS
When Glock released the 10mm Glock 40 MOS with its long slide and optics-ready design, hunters jumped at the idea of a reliable semi-auto sidearm with power. But reality often disappointed. The gun is long, heavy, and awkward to carry on the hip for a full day in the woods. It prints more like a target pistol than a practical backup.
Yes, the 10mm cartridge has merit, but the size of the Glock 40 makes it less than ideal for the task most hunters want. Drawing it quickly is awkward, and optics can add even more bulk. Many who carried it once realized a compact 10mm like the Glock 20 or 29 would’ve been a smarter choice. The Glock 40 MOS often ends up sitting in safes after that first trial run, proving that bigger doesn’t always mean better when it comes to a field sidearm.
Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan
On paper, the Super Redhawk Alaskan sounds like the perfect bear-defense revolver—short-barreled, chambered in hard-hitting calibers like .454 Casull or .480 Ruger, and built tough. In practice, most hunters who carry one once don’t repeat the experience. The recoil is brutal, the muzzle blast is extreme, and the short barrel makes accuracy at any distance a real challenge.
Carrying it around isn’t fun either. The gun is thick and heavy, and finding a comfortable holster setup is difficult. Many hunters admit they felt secure carrying it, but when it came time to shoot, they struggled to control it. A firearm that inspires hesitation isn’t a reliable backup. After one trip, most hunters stash it in the safe, chalking it up as a lesson in why some guns are better left for the range.
Kel-Tec PMR-30
The PMR-30 grabs attention with its lightweight frame and 30-round capacity in .22 Magnum. At first, hunters think it’ll be the perfect lightweight sidearm for camp chores or small game. Once carried, though, its weaknesses show. The gun has a reputation for being finicky with ammo, and reliability is hit-or-miss. That’s not something you want in a pistol you’re depending on.
The light polymer build feels great until you actually shoot it. The recoil impulse is sharp for its caliber, and the trigger isn’t always crisp. More importantly, the .22 Magnum cartridge doesn’t give hunters much confidence for backup use. Most who’ve tried carrying it once admit they didn’t bother again. The PMR-30 ends up back in the safe, brought out occasionally for range fun but not for serious hunting trips.
Magnum Research BFR
The Magnum Research BFR is marketed as a revolver for serious hunters, chambered in massive calibers like .45-70 or .450 Marlin. While undeniably powerful, most hunters who strap one on once never do it again. The gun is enormous, heavy, and unwieldy. It feels more like carrying a small rifle than a practical handgun.
Firing it is an experience, but accuracy and follow-up shots are tough to manage. The sheer bulk of the BFR makes it a chore to carry, and hunters quickly learn that it doesn’t add much value compared to the rifle already in their hands. The novelty wears off fast, and the BFR spends most of its life locked away, brought out occasionally to impress friends but rarely carried again in the field.
Springfield XD-S .45
Plenty of hunters picked up the XD-S in .45 ACP thinking it would make a slim, lightweight backup for the field. On the first trip, most found out it wasn’t what they hoped. The single-stack design makes it easy to carry, but the recoil in such a small frame is snappy and unpleasant. For follow-up shots, it slows you down rather than helping.
The short barrel also limits accuracy and velocity, leaving hunters feeling undergunned compared to a mid-size 9mm or 10mm pistol. After carrying it once, many admit it simply didn’t offer enough to justify its place on their belt. The XD-S ends up back in the safe, sometimes carried for concealed use, but rarely brought into the woods again.
Colt Anaconda (New Production)
The modern Colt Anaconda in .44 Magnum brought back a classic name, and many hunters rushed to buy one. After carrying it in the field, though, some admitted regret. The revolver is heavy, long, and not as refined as many hoped. Compared to other .44 Magnum options, it feels more like a collector’s piece than a true working gun.
Carrying it for a full day is tiring, and the size makes it awkward to draw quickly. While accurate, it doesn’t deliver anything that competing revolvers don’t already do better. Hunters who wanted a practical backup often found themselves reaching for a Smith & Wesson 629 instead. After the first hunt, the Anaconda often gets placed back in the safe, where it’s admired more than actually carried.
FN Five-seveN
The FN Five-seveN stands out with its lightweight design and high-capacity 5.7x28mm cartridge. Hunters who bought it often thought it would be the perfect high-capacity field pistol. But after carrying it once, most discovered it doesn’t quite fit the role. The cartridge lacks the stopping power hunters want in a backup gun, and ammo is expensive and not widely available.
The gun itself is comfortable to carry, but its utility in the field is limited. For small game, it’s excessive; for backup against predators, it feels underpowered. Many hunters admit that after one trip, they left it in the safe and never brought it back. The Five-seveN may have a place at the range, but it rarely finds a purpose in hunting country.
Ruger Blackhawk in .30 Carbine
The idea of carrying a revolver chambered in .30 Carbine is intriguing, especially for hunters who already own a rifle in that caliber. But in practice, it rarely makes sense. The Ruger Blackhawk in .30 Carbine is loud, produces excessive muzzle blast, and doesn’t deliver the performance hunters expect from a field revolver.
The recoil and noise are disproportionate to the round’s actual effectiveness, and ammo options are limited compared to more traditional hunting revolver calibers. Hunters who tried carrying it once usually admit the novelty wore off quickly. It’s fun to shoot at the range, but in the field, it feels impractical. Most end up retiring it to the safe after realizing there are far better revolvers suited for hunting backup duty.
Beretta 92FS
The Beretta 92FS is a legendary service pistol, but in the hunting world, it rarely earns a repeat trip. Hunters who carry it once often find it too large for a 9mm, too heavy for what it offers, and lacking the power needed for serious backup. It’s reliable and accurate, but it doesn’t serve a strong purpose in the field compared to other options.
After a day of carrying the full-size Beretta, many hunters admit it didn’t feel worth the effort. Smaller, lighter pistols in 9mm or more powerful revolvers make better sense as sidearms. The 92FS often ends up back in the safe, respected as a solid pistol but not one you want weighing down your belt on a long hunt.
SIG P229 in .357 SIG
The SIG P229 in .357 SIG gained attention for its ballistics, but hunters who carried it into the field usually didn’t repeat the experience. The pistol is heavy for its size, and the caliber is expensive with limited availability. For backup, hunters quickly realized it was overcomplicated compared to simpler, more common options.
The recoil is sharp, and ammo costs add up quickly. More importantly, .357 SIG doesn’t provide enough advantage over 9mm or 10mm to make it worth the trade-offs. After one trip, many hunters admitted they shelved the P229 in .357 SIG, keeping it for the range or defense but never again for hunting. It’s one of those guns that seemed like a smart idea at the time but rarely sees the field twice.
*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.
