What to carry into the woods?

Last year when I did a bear hunt in Maine, all the guides in camp carried some sort of .45 ACP with the Springfield XD being the most popular. One guide said he put down three bears with his after they had been shot by hunters. I seem to remember most of them were carrying 230 grain Remington Golden Sabers.

Personally, I carry a Glock 20 in the woods loaded with Double Tap 180 grain Speer Gold Dots when I'm hunting here in PA.

That Glock shouldn't be used on game animals in PA, semi-autos are not legal for hunting.

I picked up a couple of Glock 10MMs (a G20 and a G20C) for woods hunting and especially to be carried as back-up. I still have fond memories, though, of carrying a Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 Mag. I used to have a Freedom Arms .454 Casull (I called it my break-my-arms revolver). Lordy that was brutal!

Geno

Past the pavement My 4 5/8 Ruger Blackhawk loaded with 270 grain Leadhead SWC running just over 1000 FPS. I must say it's more because I want to than because I need to. Two legged varmits concern me more than four legged ones.

Black bears are not known to attack humans. If you encounter a rabid bear I would not want to count on any pistol to put the bear down. I would want a 12 ga loaded with slugs.

If a pistol was my only only choice I would carry a 357 or larger single action pistol with a 6" or longer barrel. Large caliber handgun cartridges need a longer barrel for the powder to burn and the gasses to expand. The local sheriffs department compared my blackhawk to their LCR with their chronograph. The blackhawk almost doubled the velocity with same cartridge fired from an LCR.

Deer_Freak said:

Black bears are not known to attack humans. If you encounter a rabid bear I would not want to count on any pistol to put the bear down. I would want a 12 ga loaded with slugs.

If a pistol was my only only choice I would carry a 357 or larger single action pistol with a 6" or longer barrel. Large caliber handgun cartridges need a longer barrel for the powder to burn and the gasses to expand. The local sheriffs department compared my blackhawk to their LCR with their chronograph. The blackhawk almost doubled the velocity with same cartridge fired from an LCR.

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Actually there have been several documented cases in Canada with some victims being partially devoured. In case you're interested see ISBN 0-9698099-1-3.

I think old Elmer went on up to Canada to actually get hunted by/take care of some man-eating/killing black bears.
Story is, thwack with an axe and a .455 slug in the eye at full run took care of it. I think it was an angry/hungry hundred pounder

12 gauge slug
.500 mag
.44 mag
.357 mag
10mm

...or whatever you have to hand.

I have a 2.25" Ruger SP101 that would work well, but am really looking to trade for the 4" SP as I believe it to be ideal for such duty with a good hard cast load and outfitted with a Crimson Trace grip. None to be found right now, but I expect they'll be around eventually.

S&W 696 44 special in friendly territory or now a S&W 657 41 magnum in dicier areas, both 3". Dennis

Where I hunt here in Florida, we have a lot of black bear. They have become a nuisance, destroying feeders and I even had one rip a game cam off a tree.

I have been within 25 yards of one more than once. While none have acted aggressively, I had a large male stand on his hind legs to get a good look at me from 30 yards or so away. We have sows with cubs all over with cubs of various ages.

Because of these encounters, which occur a bit too often for comfort, I carry a S&W 629 4" .44 magnum loaded with Keith bullets behind a stout dose of 2400 all the time. Even during bow and muzzle season which is a no no in Florida.

The only time I'm worried is walking to or from a stand in the dark. I know the bears are out there, but I can't see them. I've often felt like I was being watched as I stalk in to a stand. We also have Florida Panther. There have been unsubstantiated reports of them near (within a few miles) where I hunt. A guy that works for me swears he saw one and he is NOT a story teller.

First deer hunts were in Wisconsin. Dad was born there, and had relatives farming. I don't carry a handgun when hunting with a rifle, no need. Bow hunting I did carry a .44 S&W.

I do carry a revolver when hiking, canoeing, or camping in Florida woods /swamps. A .44 with the first two bullits in the cylinder is snake shot. Snakes are the biggest problem, both 2 legged and no legged. Had to use a handgun twice for both critters.

Pudge said:

That Glock shouldn't be used on game animals in PA, semi-autos are not legal for hunting.

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Absolutely, but I'm not hunting with it. That would not be legal. The Glock 20 I carry while hunting is for personal protection, not for putting down animals that I might shoot with other legal equipment. I will not go into the woods without a firearm in the area I hunt, particularly in archery season.

While a .357 may be fine for the small hogs, it's woefullly underpowered for the bigguns we're getting here in GA. 200 pounds is NOT big for my area.
500 pounds and up are becoming more of the norm. One around 750 pounds was killed in Fayette County in the last couple years.
Even on a 200 pounder, I'd want a larger bullet than a .35 cal pistol round delivers.
Hogs are built tough. Large diameter, heavy, hard cast bullets with enough velocity to penetrate boar hide, both shoulders and plates, and the heart/lungs are always a good idea.
.357 Mag is a great manstopper, but it's not a dangerous game round.

Absolutely, but I'm not hunting with it. That would not be legal. The Glock 20 I carry while hunting is for personal protection, not for putting down animals that I might shoot with other legal equipment. I will not go into the woods without a firearm in the area I hunt, particularly in archery season.

That's cool, just wanted to clarify. You started your other post by discussing guides in Maine putting down bears with their .45's, so I didn't want you getting in trouble.

I spoke with a PA WCO about coyotes. If you shoot one to protect yourself/property, you need to report the incident to the Game Commission. However, you don't need orange, or to display a license when hunting them in PA. So, if you carry a revolver, and have your license in your wallet while hiking, walking the dog, or whatever and you shoot a coyote, you could be hunting them, and not need to report a kill. Just be aware of safety zones and other game laws.

I was hiking on a well used trail in a state park in WVa last summer when I came up a steep bend and saw an animal about thirty feet away in some light brush. At first, I thought it to be a deer or large dog but quickly realized it was an adult black bear. She was staring at me with her head lowered. I was sure it was a female because about 20 feet away was a yearling cub. The cub ignored me but mamma bear looked to be very unhappy with my presence. I has a S&W 337 ti snub on me and drew it but felt pretty underarmed with that loaded with some puny .38 125gr JHP +P...FIVE of them. I had the gun mainly for ferral dogs and human predators. It was light weight for hiking in the mountains...So, I backed up slowly and was able to back down the trail and leave the area...I think I will go with my S&W 625 Mountain Gun in .45 Colt loaded with some of my 250gr LSW at about 900fps. while in any bear habitat..I believe black bears have attacked and consumed a good number of people over they years. Perhaps I am wrong but I don't want to find out the hard way and wind up as bear poop...

4 5/8 Blackhawk in .357. Very versatile.

I hunt in Algoma, WI not too far from Oshkosh. I'm usually hunting with a Win 94 .44 mag loaded with some pretty hot Underwood 300 gr XTP rounds. I don't feel the need for a sidearm when I'm walking around with this set up.

If I'm using one of the old bolt-action rifles we have around camp, I like to have my GP100 by my side.

That being said, I've never seen a bear near our camp (hardly see deer either for that matter).

Ideally? An STI Perfect Ten. (Saving my pennies.)

Wishoot, I like to carry a revolver when hunting with a rifle or a bow.
However, your point is valid. A .44 mag levergun is a good bit more effective than any .44 mag revolver. When I hunt with my Marlin 1894P .44 mag, I don't usually carry a revolver either. I can hit better with the carbine, and it's very handy.
If I had to shoot a bear or hog to keep my own pelt unperforated, I'd rather use my .44 or .444 carbines than any handgun. The .444 is my hog hammer. It hits like the hammer of Thor with 300 grain SP or 310 grain wide-flat hardcast.
So does the .44 carbine.
Walking around with 56 ounces of Redhawk in a hip or shoulder holster isn't terribly convenient.
But, that's why I got the BH .45 Convertible. ACP and Colt tier 1 loads for paper punching, .45 Super and Colt tier 2 and 3 loads for protection from such beasts as have fur and fangs or bristles and tusks.
We've been having an explosion of the feral hog population in GA.
The flattop BH .44 Spl, with Buffalo Bore hardcast ammo is fine for 200 pounders and under.
For bigger uns, I'm more comfortable with Tier 3 .45 Colt, .44 Mag, or .444.
Of course, a 12 gauge Brenneke slug hits deer and hogs like a cannonball.

Coyotes have been a big problem here since at least the 1990s.
Unfortunately, the coyotes east of the Mississippi River get bigger than the ones west.
The yotes in GA get downright huge (for a yote).
ISTR reading that western yotes average 35 pounds and eastern yotes average 65 pounds. And they aren't too friendly.
Here in GA, they have plenty of small animals/pets/garbage to eat.
They don't take a big gun to stop, but I prefer something that hits with authority.

I remember talking about hog hunting with a non hunter once. They asked what I shot them with. I told them about the .444. They looked shocked and told me that their grandfather raised hogs and all he ever shot them with was a .22 LR.
Yeah, that's great with a domestic hog that's separated from your carcass by a pen.
Not so great for a feral porker with tusks, free roam of the woods, and a nasty temperament.
Don't think I'll hunt hogzilla with a rimfire or a Gamo airgun, any time soon.

Growing up in Alaska, I've spent plenty of time in the wilderness with nothing but a fishing pole, a bottle of bug spray, and a back pack full of fresh salmon. When I bought my first pistol, a Ruger P90, I carried it whenever I got too far from civilization (read... more than 100 yards from the road). I never thought it was enough gun to stop a charging bear, but it would certainly make some noise. Then, when I inherited my dad's 6-inch Dan Wesson 357, I carried that. These days, I carry my S&W 460v in a chest holster.

Over the years, I've seen bears in the wild many, many, times (as close as 10 feet once - had to fire a few shots from a 12ga to shoo it away from the airplane while we were fishing). But, although I've never had to shoot a bear in a DLP (defense of life or property) situation yet, I certainly feel more secure these days knowing I'm carrying a hand cannon rather than the P90.

If I had to give up the 460, I'd certainly go back to the 357, at least until I could pick up a mid-length double action 44. But, the heavy X-frame S&W is just as easy to shoot as the 357, and 325 grains of hot lead at 1600fps might even make mama bear reconsider her decision to eliminate the strange looking two-legged threat to baby bear. So, at least for now, I'm going to hang on to it.

The truth is, if you're "bear smart", you probably won't ever need to pull the trigger. But, if you do actually have to shoot in a DLP situation, it probably won't matter what you're carrying. Because even though they do tend to make the carrier feel safer, most handguns are woefully under powered for that particular task.

(Keep in mind we're not talking about hunting, here. There are plenty of handgun cartridges that will take down a calm bear with a well placed shot. But, a sow protecting her cubs has a whole bucket of adrenalin pumping through her veins, and that's a totally different scenario.)

.357 Mag is a great manstopper, but it's not a dangerous game round.

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+1. It's a marginal deer cartridge at best, and I would never recommend it as a defensive round for bear. I quit using it for deer, and use a .45 Colt with my hand cast heavy bullets now - Much Better!

Don

I carry a Taurus 627 .357 magnum when I am in the woods. I hope that I never have to use it though because it would make anyone's ears ring for a week.

I would carry my Redhawk in .45 colt...

Redhawk 45C or 460 Rowland 1911....