Jan 9, 2026 5 min read

By Dave Bates

Contributing writer

The other morning, over breakfast, our braintrust got into a discussion of the pistols we carry afield (not so much hunting platforms specific to hunting a particular quarry). In that regard, mine would be a Ruger Redhawk in .44 mag offering for whitetails. I have taken a few does with this setup but a buck has eluded me.

But I digress. Rather, I proffered the term “mountain gun” for a more specific use when one of my buddies asked, “What is a mountain gun?” I explained that to my understanding, it is a generic term for a sidearm (mostly revolvers) carried while taking part in outdoor activities, more or less for keeping safe in the outdoors while enjoying one’s time afield. He replied, “Oh, you mean a snake gun?” “Not quite” was my response. Thus, the impetus for this week’s column.

First, a mountain gun fills several roles. I explained to my pal that a mountain gun provides for a much more robust platform than a “snake gun.” He went on to inform me that he simply carries .38/.357 mag birdshot loads in his snub-nosed concealed carry gun and it fulfills all his trail needs short of stopping a bull elephant charge at close range. I felt obliged to offer my input for if this assemblage of great outdoor minds might be unfamiliar with the term then others might fall in line. Here goes nothing.

The mountain gun fills a number of roles, snake gun not to be excluded. It can also be used as a concealed-carry self-defense firearm if the proper permit is secured in order to conceal it legally under a garment or in a vehicle. Another intended purpose of the mountain gun is for use against predators, or maybe more aptly, against dangerous game such as bears, wolves, mountain lions, coyotes, etc. In the eastern United States there are fewer species that bite back, thus alleviating some of the need for excessively large calibers. Obviously, encountering a grizzly on a downed elk carcass requires a bit more umph than an eastern blackbear might require under most circumstances. But every rule has its exception. Like the good Boy Scout might suggest, “Be prepared.”

The mountain gun that I carry and am most familiar with would be the class of guns to include the Smith & Wesson Governor, the Taurus Judge and Public Defender series and a couple of derringer types of pistols by Bond Arms. These are larger-framed pistols and offer some fairly stout yet manageable recoil. They are certainly not for the fainthearted.

The effective beauty of the mountain gun lies in its caliber diversity. Not only does the pistol accept .45 LC but .410 shotshells as well. Further adding to its versatility, shotshells come in birdshot, buckshot and single projectile offerings as well as magnums making for unique combinations of loadings. The Governor also can accommodate .45 acp loads if used in conjunction with moon clips.

Certainly this is not the end-all discussion on this matter, but I guess we can start with the snake gun as well as any place. In all honesty, I’ve not killed more than a snake or two in many years, the majority being death by lawn mower, a Copperhead in the basement the rare exception. When I do run over the occasional squiggly little fellow, I feel poorly about it. As for combatting snakes along the river or trail, I figure if they leave me alone, I’m obliged to do likewise. However, in battle with a hoard of reptiles, I might suggest the mountain gun alternative rather than most pistol caliber snake shot. .410 shotshells make great snake medicine, much better than .38 birdshot.

As a dangerous game round, there are better rounds than the .45 LC but for daily needs it does just about everything one could ask including handling larger black bears. It is an excellent self-defense load, considered quite the man stopper. In an emergency one could certainly dispatch if not outright hunt whitetail size game with the .45 LC. The knock is it’s expensive to practice with and packs a wallop. Since most mountain guns are revolvers, they offer the flexibility of unique loading sequences. Many carriers of this platform choose to carry birdshot in combination with round nose cast bullets, thus allowing the user to choose between snake loads and self-defense loads with a simple rotation of the cylinder.

If you’re considering a mountain gun for your particular needs, here are some thoughts for further consideration:

N A larger set of rubber, recoil-reducing grips go a long way to taming the concussion of this gun.

N A quality holster is necessary for such a bulky shooting iron. Requirements would include solid retention, comfort and ease of access. While I am normally not a thumbbreak/flap holster fan, I might make an exception in this case as an additional level of security. I find chest rigs intriguing but have not carried one much.

N Practice with your mountain gun. They do not shoot like many other more finely sighted weapons. Sights are crude in comparison and take some getting used to.

Good luck in entering the world of the mountain gun. It will open some interesting new doors into your former outdoor realm.

Dave Bates writes a weekly outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter. He can be reached at alphaomegashootingsolutions@gmail.com