Out in the woods ...

Bear spray for the bears and cougars. 1911 for the 2 legged predators. I'd go with hard cast +P and a couple of extra mags.

Here is my woods gun, Glock 10mm with 6" lone wolf ss barrel, not a stout as some mentioned, but double tap in 200gr. hard cast x 16 works for me. 22lb spring with 600 lumen light and tritium sights.

I think the big bore magnum revolvers are an excellent choice for a dedicated hunting handgun. But for general walking/self defense are more than most would be willing to carry. If there is a possibility of bear attack a medium framed 357 loaded with heavy bullets is a good option. But I prefer the Glock in 10mm myself.

I've posted this photo many times, but it drives home a good point. My G20 is 1" shorter and 3/4 lb lighter than my 3" Smith 629. From longer barrels the 44 mag is in another league, but from the 3" barrel will only give me 1150 fps with 240 gr bullets. The much more compact 10mm gives me 16 rounds of 200 gr DoubleTap bullets at a chronographed 1315 fps. The 44 from the snubby just isn't that much more powerful. And I have all of the advantages of higher mag capacity for the much more realistic human threats.

This is exactly where a G20 in 10mm really shines. It is really more than needed for humans. Not the best choice for pure handgun hunting. But a very good dual purpose gun giving true magnum performance and large magazine capacity from a reasonably sized handgun.

"you won’t run into a brownie in WA. "

The biggest Grizzly I've ever seen was in WA . (by the Paysayten Wilderness, a little east of North Cascades National Park, and maybe 75 feet from a fairly well travelled forest service road).

Up there I carry a 44 mag (specifically, a 329PD). In the Seattle foothills a 1911. Weight is something to consider; a Redhawk might be fine for a casual day hike, but they are on the heavy side for longer trips.

FWIW, a 'Safepacker' holster thingy is a fairly discreet way to carry a 1911 or Glock 20 in the foothills.

Stick with the 1911. For black bears and cougars, it's more than adequate. For penetration of the bears, I may be inclined to stick with hardball.

Sooo....

Are you and your wife on good terms? If not, you could trip her if one of those critters attacks...




Seriously, a walk in the woods is very much like a walk anywhere else when considering self-defense...situational awareness is your first line of defense. Be alert and observant...not just so that you can avoid such critters, but so that you also avoide startling them.

I'd venture to say that most attacks by wild animals are because people blundered into them unknowingly, and by then it's too late: the line has been crossed.

Aside from that, I don't think either of these two critters have bodies that are any more resistant to bullet penetration than humans, and I don't see why what you already have shouldn't be adequate.

I think you're probably fine with a 1911. Maybe a 460 Roland conversion?

If you want a revolver, you'd probably be fine with a 4+" .357, but a 44 or 454 would certainly be more potent.

Love my 1911's, and the vast majority of my other guns as well My talisman for when I'm in the woods, or out on my land with the dogs, is a Glock 20 that I bought for that specific purpose.

Why not a small, inexpensive .38 Special you can stick in your pocket? I mean, your not trying to make a clean hunting kill, your just trying to keep them off of you. And....a couple of .38 slugs does a pretty-good job of saying "Be-gone Critter!".

Why not a small, inexpensive .38 Special you can stick in your pocket? I mean, your not trying to make a clean hunting kill, your just trying to keep them off of you.

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Terrible idea.

Many animals are driven to attack when injured. They don't run in fear because you have a gun, and you could kill them. They don't register that a gunshot wound could be fatal. They only know two things, you are food, or a threat. In the later case, they will either flee or attack. I'm not saying you can't scare a wild animal off with a warning shot, or repel one with a .38. but you should never ever shoot an animal to wound. You should shoot to kill.

You also run the chance of injuring an animal, making it hyper defensive, and allowing it to encounter other people to attack as a result.

Leaving an animal in pain and severely wounded is also inhumane.

You should carry a gun that will allow you to humanely dispatch the largest possible threat you will encounter.

If you aren't willing to do this, then I think bear spray is a better option.

I've hunted black bears for over sixty years and I would not attempt to do so with a .45acp. They may not be bullet-proof but the penetration of the .45acp leaves alot to be desired and a pissed-off black bear is not an animal you want to encounter.

Get a 10mm 1911 or a Glock 20. They'll serve you much better.

There are better guns and loads than a 1911, but it would work at close range. Ball ammo is pretty poor for game use. Flat point solids generally penetrate better and give more shock effect.

Originally posted by Palehorseman

For close up and personal protection for such, IMHO, nothing beats a short barreled 12 ga shotgun and 3 or 3.5 inch shells loaded with triple ought buck. One placed shot to head takes out a predator's sight, hearing and sense of smell, that in addition to taking off half of said head.

Lived in rural AK for 7 years and carried a .44 magnum for bear, until I used it on a cow moose, where it proved most disappointing. After that I took the old timer's advice and carried a sawed off two row 12 when fishing, hiking & etc. Never had occasion to use it for defense, but I never felt under gunned.

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Could you relate more details of the moose encounter and shooting? Things such as the load, where you shot her, angle, etc would all be useful.

I haven't seen much to get me to believe that any shotgun load is quite as effective as indicated. Can you provide some instances where they performed like that?

as others said your gun should be enough esp for 2 leggers. a cannister of bear spray and make lots of noise occasionally while hiking. I got a "super blast" pump air horn from Sportmans guide and it is VERY VERY loud! It would also be great to have in case you get lost and need to signal others that are looking for your location.

V-fib

tired fingers....At this point you need to get your wife shooting and working her up caliber wise. The other posters missed the point......the caliber limit is your wife's at this point. Until you get her shooting +P loads in one of your .45s or in something else that is comfortable in her hands carry what you already have both of you.

Grizzlies have been spotted in the Snoqualmie Pass area and North for almost 20 years. Bear trails have certain characteristics and you need to learn them and pay attention to everything.

We have black bear where I live, but no cougar. I've been walking through the woods here every day for years with a S&W 642, as I'm more concerned about humans than anything else.

Of course it helps to have a large vicious dog with you at all times.


Seriously, a dog will let you know of a problem before you know it's there. Black bears, they go their way, I go mine. While it's possible a cougar could attack two grown humans, it's fairly unlikely.

Carry whatever feels good, but if you keep up the hiking thing, you'll be shedding weight where you can before long.

Bullet Bob said:

We have black bear where I live, but no cougar. I've been walking through the woods here every day for years with a S&W 642, as I'm more concerned about humans than anything else.

Of course it helps to have a large vicious dog with you at all times.


Seriously, a dog will let you know of a problem before you know it's there. Black bears, they go their way, I go mine. While it's possible a cougar could attack two grown humans, it's fairly unlikely.

Carry whatever feels good, but if you keep up the hiking thing, you'll be shedding weight where you can before long.

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That dog was so scary when I first seen the pic I was startled. Kidding nice looking dog. I always take a dog while camping, best alarm system in the world in my opinion.

I always take a dog while camping, best alarm system in the world in my opinion.

I think the conventional wisdom is that dogs can be contraindicated in brown bear country. The theory is that the dog will notice the bear that was quietly watching you go by, go off to bark at the bear, and then return to you with the bear in pursuit. YMMV, of course. I doubt there is enough solid data to be sure one way or the other.

pintler said:

I think the conventional wisdom is that dogs can be contraindicated in brown bear country. The theory is that the dog will notice the bear that was quietly watching you go by, go off to bark at the bear, and then return to you with the bear in pursuit.

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First I ever heard of that.

Just take a small yappy slow moving dog you don't like that much. The bear or whatever gets a snack and you get away.

Stick with the M1911.

I live on 185 acres of woods, and here In Arkansas, we have plenty of bears and the occasional mountain lion. I often walk the woods with a Colt Woodsman (.22) and consider it adequate, but also carry a Colt New Service revolver in .45 Colt.

Use what you are comfortable with and the 1911 is just fine. But if you want to purchase a new revolver, consider a 357 mag for your purposes. Great general purpose self defense caliber and you really won't need it for the black bears, but it might make you and your wife feel better. My choice would probably be a 3 or 4" Ruger GP-100. You really don't need the 454 in your case.

Ticks are a bigger concern in the woods than black bears or mountain lions. But I know how you feel.

I have lived in Western Washington since we moved here in 1968 when I was 12.
I have been camping, backpacking, climbing and kayaking ever since. I have had many encounters with bears (as close as 30 feet) and have never felt the need to be armed around them.

On the other hand, on only a few occasions, I have felt the need to be carrying when around some two-legged creatures. So now I carry, especially when my girlfriend is with me - which is pretty much every trip.

Damn Vern, you're a lucky man, living on 185 acres of woods!

graywolfkayak said:

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I have been camping, backpacking, climbing and kayaking ever since. I have had many encounters with bears (as close as 30 feet) and have never felt the need to be armed around them.

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Kinda the same way I feel. Because of this, over the years I have probably been a tad harsh on others tho, that have a greater fear, especially towards those with little or no real experience with bears/wolves/coyotes/cougars/bobcats in the wild. While there is no real reason to be paranoid, there is good reason to be prudent. As with any SD tool, use what you are most proficient with, most comfortable with and have the most confidence with......and practice with it regularly.