Why is everyone in IN concerned with a "woods gun?"

[rhino]

I have also never heard anyone in Indiana talking about a "woods gun." Or a "trail gun" for that matter. Apparently I'm missing out on a "huge deal!"

I've heard people talk about backpacking guns, but that was in the context of the lightest peashooter they could find to save weight like a Ruger 22/45 with a lightwieght upper, a compact S&W Model 422, or a Ruger LCR in .22.

If I were in the woods around where I live, I'd think body armor, an AR, spare mags, and several of my buddies would be in order for the kind of critters one might likely encounter making their products. Ah, the smells of ammonia and ether fill the air!

 

[Mark 1911]

Huge deal?

I thought we just defined a "woods gun" as a rifle?

If not, and it is some sort of pistol then I can tell you that there is always yammering about which gun to carry as the gun nuts think the gun does the fighting. Magic sword talk that you hear at every gun shop. It is all teeth talk/nonsense. Grin and shake your head.

Indiana's state park carry ban was repealed a few years ago, so maybe people are just getting their heads around carrying in state parks, don't know.

I carry a gun because of the stakes, not the odds.

I've lived in Indiana all my life and never heard of 'woods gun'. But what came to my mind when I first read the OP, and this is most likely just my deer hunter background talking, but I was thinking of a woods gun as one used for close range hunting in the woods, as in brush gun. Could be a rifle or shotgun or pistol, typically with open sights as opposed to a scope for getting off a quick shot at close range.

And, if it fills the above description for hunting, then it will also fill the same description for self-defense.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Here's an INGO "woods gun" thread. https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/327624-handgun-woods.html

I guess some people do use the term. I find more Internet reference to "woods gun" specifically "woods rifle".

Growing up I heard "brush rifle" a lot, but never "woods gun" until recently and really did not understand the definition.

 

[rhino]

Here's an INGO "woods gun" thread. https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/327624-handgun-woods.html

I guess some people do use the term. I find more Internet reference to "woods gun" specifically "woods rifle".

Growing up I heard "brush rifle" a lot, but never "woods gun" until recently and really did not understand the definition.

Looks like that topic is only six days old! The apparent obsession we have a "woods gun" is new, so we have not yet missed the trend!! Woo-hoo!

 

[Hookeye]

Again, I think by using the term "woods gun" the person implies possible sporting application, so the guns might have longer barrels, lesser capacity and adjustable sights.

I've lived here all my life and heard the term in gun circles for at least 20 years (always referring to handgun).

But it was used by folks who spent time afield, and hunted.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Pffft, I was into Woods Guns before they were cool.

Kirk and Rhino hunting with their woods guns:

 

[Hookeye]

"Backpacking guns" from those I know who backpack, were always big bore stuff in case of bears.
.41 mag minimum.

 

[Nevernoluck2]

Woods gun you ask? Because all those hopped up meth heads out making the stuff in the woods deserve a bigger hole in their head or body to match their teeth

 

[OEF5]

I assumed that a "woods gun" was one that was something that you didn't treat as a safe queen and didn't care if it got beat up in the woods being used. But then I don't have a safe, or any queens so....are all my guns "woods guns?"

 

[indiucky]

Coyotes (pack or not) aren't going to attack humans (if you're alive and kicking that is. They may eat a dead carcus, though). Hell, I saw a pack of 15-20 when I was on a run in Ohio in the middle of the night, and didn't think anything of it.

Uhhhhhh.....Not quite.....

[video=youtube;u7_-_0-1yy0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7_-_0-1yy0[/video]

 

[LockStocksAndBarrel]

I am in no way concerned about a woods gun. Looking at the above, I'm not the only one. Your premise in the thread title is, therefore, wrong. Please change it for our convenience.

Seriously, I've never heard a reference to a woods gun before now.

 

[fastwally]

I've used the term "woods gun" for years, since the 60's. What it meant to me was the 44mag that I drug around when on my hunting trips out west. The big bore that caught hell most of the time. I still use the term for the one I carry out west when hiking or just sight seeing. To me it means a big bore that would give me half a chance against a bear.

 

[indiucky]

I was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska... that's where one should be asking questions on "woods guns."
Just my honest opinion.

I had no idea ya'll had Copperheads, Timber Rattlers, and Pygmy Rattlers in Anchorage...I knew you had some serious gang activity up there along with most other problems associated with a Big City but a "woods gun" in Anchorage, Alaska? Seriously? Just use your Big City Gun for your woods walks...

Just my honest observation based on episodes of "Gangland" and "Ice Cold Killers" concerning crime in Alaska...

Now if you lived in Southern Indiana or some other place with a population of poisonous reptiles I could see you needing a "woods gun" (My "woods guns" are a Ruger Bearcat, Smith 617, or a Smith Model 17 when I am feeling a little "old school") but Alaska? Seriously? Just use the gun you would carry to a Starbucks in Anchorage.....

IMHO ofcourse....

http://www.streetgangs.com/news/111609_anchorage-gang-history

 

[VERT]

Just For grins I googled "woods gun". Most references were to big bore pistols for defense against wild animals. Basically pistols to big for EDC. Huh? I googled trail gun and saw stuff about rimfires. Especially .22 revolvers. Actually revolvers seem to to the norm in the woods and on the trail, at least on the internet.

I know guys who carry .22 pistols when trapping. And growing up I had a friends/family that had guns for when when we were in the woods. Hence woods guns suppose.

 

[halfmileharry]

I have also never heard anyone in Indiana talking about a "woods gun." Or a "trail gun" for that matter. Apparently I'm missing out on a "huge deal!"

I've heard people talk about backpacking guns, but that was in the context of the lightest peashooter they could find to save weight like a Ruger 22/45 with a lightwieght upper, a compact S&W Model 422, or a Ruger LCR in .22.

If I were in the woods around where I live, I'd think body armor, an AR, spare mags, and several of my buddies would be in order for the kind of critters one might likely encounter making their products. Ah, the smells of ammonia and ether fill the air!

I know of the Trail Gun. Growing up we had a 9 shot H&R revolver the family took with them to the "outhouse". We lived in the deep hills of TN. The outhouse was about 75 yds from the main house. We had lots of game, snakes, and goblins to fend off. .22 In hindsight was light but it would on occasion scare the *&^% of the person on the adjacent seat.

 

[rhino]

I know of the Trail Gun. Growing up we had a 9 shot H&R revolver the family took with them to the "outhouse". We lived in the deep hills of TN. The outhouse was about 75 yds from the main house. We had lots of game, snakes, and goblins to fend off. .22 In hindsight was light but it would on occasion scare the *&^% of the person on the adjacent seat.

Glocks make good going-to-the-outhouse guns. If you drop them in the stinky place, you just have to fish them out and hose them off.

 

[rvb]

Glocks make good going-to-the-outhouse guns. If you drop them in the stinky place, you just have to fish them out and hose them off.

how convenient since you are in the outhouse! .... oh, you didn't mean THAT hose?

-rvb

 

[ghuns]

I am almost never without a 1911 of some form. For anything on 2 or 4 legs that I am likely to encounter in an Indiana woods, that'll do.

But now that you mention it, since being bitten by the AR bug, I must confess to rarely walking across a field or through the woods without one. Either in 5.56 or .458.

What? Some of them rabid Northern Indiana groundhogs is mean.

 

[tjh88]

My woods guns are usually a little more beat up and usually but not always magnums. I do carry my 9mm but usually my 357 or 41 both in 4" barrel. We have had some bear sightings in Indiana. I've not seen them but I do personally know 2 people that swear they have and I believe them. Most of my woods carry is for the 2 legged dangers along with some pack dogs. I have have a couple of run ins with the pack dogs.

 

[halfmileharry]

"BBQ gun" is a fancy gun that is only carried at special events. In Texas I believe it is the nice/dress gun that gets worn to court by local law enforcement. I have heard Lovemywoods refer to and ask about BBQ guns. He was referring to highly engraved or otherwise dressed up firearms.

I have always though of a BBQ gun as a pistol that is carried only on special occasions regardless of how ornate they are. These are basically guns that have enormous sentimental value and not something suitable as a working gun for EDC. But I have since learned that is not the true definition.

I guess I do have a BBQ gun. Kimber Combat Elite with the beautiful Kimber USMC EGA Grips, a beautiful cordovan custom leather OWB made for it, and matching Bull Belt. It is my "Fancy go to meeting gun" as I call it. I guess It's a BBQ gun. Dumb me never know'd the difference.
I guess I'm still in INGO favor after all.