I'm presuming by "gun" you mean both handguns & long guns.larryp wrote:Here in Montana you can carry a fully loaded gun in your vehicle without any restrictions. Also if someone breaks into your rig and steals it then uses it to commit a crime you are not liable.
The loaded firearm transportation laws no doubt has a direct relationship to the high Grizzly population in Montana.
If I lived there my 7.5" barrel Ruger Super Redhawk in 454 Casull would be on my person at all time outside city/town limits.
If you are fishing or hunting and smell of fresh meat cause of a rucksack full of trout or are covered with blood & guts after having dressed out a deer you are particularly vulnerable.
I prefer the handgun (in addition to a rifle) for bush carry because I have a tendency to get careless and walk away from my rifle.
If Mr. Grizz pops up unexpectedly and your rifle is leaning against a tree 50 yards away you aren't going to beat the bear in the 50 yard dash........your head will be crushed by that big paw or those steel trap jaws before your trigger finger touches metal.
The securely holstered handgun on the other hand is always with you along with a cylinder full of ammo even if you upset your canoe and the rifle and the rest of your supplies are carried away by the current.
I load the ammo loops in my belt because if the rifle becomes lost in a canoe upset or is stolen I have a dozen rounds + the ammo in the revolvers cylinder for sustenance hunting & defense.
Also a handgun carried under your jacket & protected from the elements will not freeze up like an exposed rifle will in winter.
I remember a day in particular in the late fall when a freeing rain which soon turned to snow started while I was still deep in the bush..........my 94 which had been soaked with water fast turning to ice was as useless for defense as a Popsicle because the action was frozen up but my S&W 629 (44 Mag) was loaded & completely functional in a belt holster covered by my jacket.