No handguns?

[pavcho]

Am I the only one who really feels the need for handguns for self defense? How am I supposed to fend off mad bears and moose in a thick forest with a scoped rifle

[6Taylor4]

Within the game parameters, have you tried switching to your secondary weapon to deal with a charging animal? That length of time may be longer than the time for the animal to close on you. Swapping weapons is very laborious in this game, and I maintain, as said elsewhere, that a hand gun would be no more efficient at defense than your current secondary weapon; simply too slow to work.
I don't think there's any plans to add handguns; hope I'm wrong.

[pavcho]

I did figure out I can just keep a shotgun equiped when in dangerous areas, and it works just fine, but I just find it odd there are no handguns in a such a grand hunting game

[6Taylor4]

Originally posted by pavcho:

I did figure out I can just keep a shotgun equiped when in dangerous areas, and it works just fine, but I just find it odd there are no handguns in a such a grand hunting game

It's a European dev team, in that area of the world, handguns are not generally used for hunting - that's my guess.

[Peacemaker]

Originally posted by 6Taylor4:

Originally posted by pavcho:

I did figure out I can just keep a shotgun equiped when in dangerous areas, and it works just fine, but I just find it odd there are no handguns in a such a grand hunting game

It's a European dev team, in that area of the world, handguns are not generally used for hunting - that's my guess.

in germany it is quite common to carry a handgun (Kurzwaffe) to finish off a wounded deer at point-blank (Fangschuss), you need this if animal lie down but dont die, so, its used for hunting of course

[6Taylor4]

from an AI:
In Europe, the use of handguns for hunting is generally restricted and not as common as using long guns like rifles due to strict firearms regulations in most countries, with many nations only allowing handguns for specific hunting situations, usually requiring special licenses and often only for smaller game at close range; the specific rules vary significantly depending on the country.

[sneakybass]

This is not cotw sorry to say not everything will kill you in this game actually more realistic just for that alone.I only hunt with a bow In this game like In real life never had the need for one ever In real life. Except when I was attacked over on the coast at night time. Or a bear attacked one of my friends around Los Angles . It snuck up on him knocked him out then chewed his fingers up and left a tooth In his skull where he followed him down the hill. Black Bear completely knocked him out when he fell 20 to 30 feet.Thing about It he heard the animal a day earlier.

[Antorius]

I've been bit by a badger and charged by a doe. It's not a big deal. You can usually dodge and then either scare the animals away or get away yourself. In the worst case, you "lose consciousness" and wake up in the Lodge, so self defence is moot.

[Andi]

How's it relevant where the devs from when you virtually hunt american maps? This statement doesn't make sense.
Yes, handguns!

[Mauserich]

Originally posted by Peacemaker:

Originally posted by 6Taylor4:

It's a European dev team, in that area of the world, handguns are not generally used for hunting - that's my guess.

in germany it is quite common to carry a handgun (Kurzwaffe) to finish off a wounded deer at point-blank (Fangschuss), you need this if animal lie down but dont die, so, its used for hunting of course

This would be a nice Fangschusswaffe.

MR73

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0w2x3COYlk

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0nXYRau-9Lk

[Alf Tupper]

Originally posted by pavcho:

Am I the only one who really feels the need for handguns for self defense? How am I supposed to fend off mad bears and moose in a thick forest with a scoped rifle

By stepping behind a tree and watch them run past. Then watch them run off again. Meanwhile - 50% of maps are not 'american' ;-) but yes a nice Manurhin would be very cool.

[6Taylor4]

Until someone can prove to me you can get charged by an animal and you can show you have time to:

put primary weapon away
select secondary weapon
equip it
raise the scope/sight
find target
aim (correcting for distance and windage)
fire

All in the time it takes a charging animal to close on you?

Even worse, you're hunting in a dense woods and get attacked - tell me please how you can swap out weapons to take down charging animal? You're not always warned, or you can miss the warning.

Under most circumstances, a pistol is not going to be of any better help than what is already in the game.
In my opinion, you have only two choices: take out the charging animal with your current weapon (and a prayer), or sidestepping. EX: The best charge I've had was a water buffalo that I hit from about 100 yds, but not fatally, and it charged; I was kneeling, and fumbled with my scope, and still got the shot off and luckily (no aim involved) it dropped him, and he slid right up to my boots and expired - right out of a movie! Wish I had a video of that...

[Mauserich]

Originally posted by 6Taylor4:

Until someone can prove to me you can get charged by an animal and you can show you have time to:

put primary weapon away
select secondary weapon
equip it
raise the scope/sight
find target
aim (correcting for distance and windage)
fire

All in the time it takes a charging animal to close on you?

Even worse, you're hunting in a dense woods and get attacked - tell me please how you can swap out weapons to take down charging animal? You're not always warned, or you can miss the warning.

Under most circumstances, a pistol is not going to be of any better help than what is already in the game.
In my opinion, you have only two choices: take out the charging animal with your current weapon (and a prayer), or sidestepping. EX: The best charge I've had was a water buffalo that I hit from about 100 yds, but not fatally, and it charged; I was kneeling, and fumbled with my scope, and still got the shot off and luckily (no aim involved) it dropped him, and he slid right up to my boots and expired - right out of a movie! Wish I had a video of that...

It depends on the situation, on the game to be hunted, on the rifle, on the vegetation, on the ground. The primary goal is to shoot with a rifle.

If you are tracking wounded game or stalking more dangerous game, you choose other guns, take the scope off if possible or at least turn the magnification down. Hunters who mainly do this task, such as dog handlers, usually have a special shorter rifle with open sights and a powerful cartridge, because they have to expect a wild boar for example to get up again and attack the dog or hunter. Short full-stock rifles in 9.3x62 with open sights are very common for these type of task.

The common hunter with a fixed mounted scope with higher magnification, without open sights, usually approaches an unseen spot when in doubt that a dangerous animal like wild boar for example is not dead, with a drawn, powerful handgun to fend off an sudenly attacking animal or to give it a quick mercy shot. Hunters may also be called to animals hit by cars to give them the coup de grace, depending on the ground and environment a handgun can be an advantage here.

A revolver in the second slot would be quite realistic. A scope that is removable and open sights on the hunting rifle would also be an advantage for such a situation.

[Antorius]

As far as self defence goes, I don't think hand guns would help. I was just "knocked unconscious" by an animal I didn't even know was there -- from behind, and completely soundlessly. (As I "lost consciousness" then I heard the sound of hooves on the stone around me.) Felt unfair, though I appreciate the irony in a game where you do your best to sneak up undetected and put an animal down with a single shot.

[pavcho]

I am from a European country, and indeed owning a handgun here requires a completely different licence from what is required for a shotgun or rifle, and most hunters don't own one. And obivously dodging animal attacks, and just generally dealing with charging animals is quite easy in this game. I just expected to see handguns here, and I was a bit disappointed

[tortisaur]

I actually think we should have bear spray!! I live in canada and handguns are not considered valid hunting weapons. Not that I really care if they are in the game or not mind you. But in reality bear spray is taken everywhere here. And it's generally been proven more effective than guns of any type at repelling an attack. There are lots of studies on it.