Bullet Type For Wilderness Defense Carry?

[WYO]

I use Xtreme Penetrators or +P hard cast in 9mm or 255 grain +P hard cast in 45 ACP.

 

[Southerner up North]

I voted for and carry Hardcast. I do prefer the coated bullets over the uncoated. They seem to make clean up easier.
The introduction of the Hornady Backcountry Defense line has me wondering if they would be a good choice.
I have tried the copper bullets and I'm not thrilled with the accuracy. The more I read and learn about copper bullets the more critical a clean bore down to the metal then fouled with the copper bullets makes in their accuracy.

The balance? Is a good bonded bullet better? I would never hunt with a hardcast.
I will be the first to say defense and hunting are not the same thing... But are we better off with a hunting bullet???

An article I read this morning started accuracy, bullet expansion and thus humane kills are not the case with copper solids.
A hard cast through the lungs of a deer equal though and through on a deer. Not sure if the same would be the case for a grizzly but should bust bones which creates collateral damage.
As you said defense different than hunting.

 

[westernrover]

What is your preferred type of bullet for wilderness carry ?

Why would it be any different than carry elsewhere? I can see if grizzly bear were present why more penetration would be desired, and possibly moose. My state does not have grizzly, and moose are extraordinarily rare and of no meaningful threat like they can be elsewhere. Mountain lions are by far the most serious wildlife threat, many times over the black bear, but the risk they pose is still extremely uncommon. Neither calls for hardcast or anything different than the most dangerous ~200-pound predator.

 

[ms6852]

I never change regardless of the location or wilderness threat. My choice is always hard cast for mice, bears, dinosaurs, and zombies.

 

[westernrover]

I never change regardless of the location or wilderness threat. My choice is always hard cast for mice, bears, dinosaurs, and zombies.

Why is that?

 

[1RedSoxFan]

.44 mag 240g semi jacketed soft point.
S&W 629-3 Mountain Backpacker.
+ 2 Speedloaders

 

[FL-NC]

Unless I'm deer hunting with my 10mm (in which I use Hornady handgun hunter) I carry whatever I normally would in my handgun, which is a 45. The most "dangerous" things we have not on 2 legs are hogs and black bears, which contrary to popular belief, aren't all that hard to kill. In my experience, they mostly run away if they see a human.

 

[bluejeans]

Depends on my location… Alaska: heavy hard cast. Inland NW: mix of lighter hardcast and hollowpoints. Coastal NW: defensive hollowpoints.

 

[Rodfac]

I spent 20 years working in the woods not being able to carry a firearm with little issue from animals and I've been up close and personal with a few so animal defense is secondary to two legged wacko defense.

Considerable experience, I especially agree with the latter part of your sentence, "animal defense is secondary to two legged wacko defense". The chances of running into a two legged threat is much more likely nearer in, like the "mini-wildernesses" we run across and sometimes hunt, here, east of the Mississippi.

For real wilderness, the kind that's ten or fifteen miles from a road of any kind, here in the lower 48 or much, much farther way up North, might call for a different focus...in my case: I was packing out elk quarters, unarmed in good bear country, up NE of Kenosha Pass. Nothing happened, but I did see fresh tracks along my back trail to the kill site. It'll focus your attention. I've never hunted in real wild country since without a big bore handgun.

But for either, close in or far out, my choice has always been a standard weight for caliber, pushed hard and hard cast, and for the last 30 years, that's been a .44 Magnum.

Best regards, Rod

 

[Captain*kirk]

For 'black bear-carry' .44 mag rounds I prefer 240gr semi-jacketed flat point hot hand loads.

 

[ms6852]

Why is that?

Reason is very simple, you get to know all the quirks of your gun shooting a certain bullet and load. You know and get a feel for where to aim or how to compensate for that one particular bullet. Hard cast bullets have been proven to work throughout history.

 

[Anchorite]

For me, depends on the location and likely encounters. To that end, I’m equally at home with a cast or jacketed bullet, even a HP. After all, it’s the Indian more so than the arrow, isn’t that what we always argue about?

 

[WYO]

For a critter that is charging you, the face and chest are coming straight at you. All you need is a few inches of penetration into the brain to put the animal down. A heart-lung shot also would get through, and still no different with a hollow point than a mono-metal or hard cast. Same for a shot to the front legs/shoulder.

If you are talking about a broadside shot, yeah, you would want a lot of penetration. But, it's not charging you so that is a plus, unless it is going for something you care about!

 

[Rexster]

Just a further thought, if I were to be far from a road, overnight: My inside-the-sleeping-bag gun, which would be a revolvin’ pistol, might well be loaded with hard-cast full-wadcutters, or equivalent, whereas my daytime, walking-about gun could be a different weapon, probably a belt-holstered duty-type weapon, which, as I age, is increasingly an “orthopedic” Glock, with a duty-sized grip. I would carry whatever ammo that chamber and barrel “liked” best, which would not be a full wadcutter, and could well be solid copper, or copper-jacketed.

 

[Anchorite]

Just a further thought, if I were to be far from a road, overnight: My inside-the-sleeping-bag gun, which would be a revolvin’ pistol, might well be loaded with hard-cast full-wadcutters, or equivalent, whereas my daytime, walking-about gun could be a different weapon, probably a belt-holstered duty-type weapon, which, as I age, is increasingly an “orthopedic” Glock, with a duty-sized grip. I would carry whatever ammo that chamber and barrel “liked” best, which would not be a full wadcutter, and could well be solid copper, or copper-jacketed.

During one of my conversations with Hamilton Bowen he said that when he went bear hunting in Alaska he slept with a 4” Redhawk in 44M in his sleeping bag.

 

[Outpost75]

I follow the leaded gospel of Elmer Keith.

Use a caliber which starts with a "4"
Using a bullet weighing not less than 1/2 ounce
Having meplat not less than 1/2 bullet diameter
At velocity not less than 850 fps.
Is completely unnecessary to exceed 1100 fps.

Full charge .44-40, .45 ACP, .45 Colt do it for me.

 

[Plainsman]

I like a mix!
I figure two legged predators are going to be most prevalent and like good defensive ammo ready to go. Penetration for dangerous four legged animals leads me to good hardcast in the cylinder.

Lastly, if Im hunting, then the cylinder is full of hunting loads which will work defensively just as well. Also, if Im hunting, Im not in any places where there are bears, but I may run into moose, so having good, reliable ammo with tough bullets construction is needed. So I pick my hunting loads carefully.

 

[Trey Veston]

I am often in the Idaho woods and my carry gun is almost always a 10mm with 200gr XTP handloads going around 1200fps.

Normal threats are wolves, cougars, moose, and humans. The XTP is fine. When I go further east into grizzly country, I prefer a 200gr cast bullet.

 

[CraigC]

For me, EDC and wilderness carry are different jobs requiring different tools. A Glock in the woods just never made sense to me. If it's not a .22, 99.99% of the time it's going to be a big bore revolver in any of myriad .44 or .45 persuasions, shooing a flat nosed cast bullet of 240-300gr at 800-1200fps. Usually it's something moderate in both weight and velocity and usually a single action. If there was anything toothy I'd trade up to a +300gr at 1200fps.

 

[.308 Norma]

A Glock in the woods just never made sense to me. If it's not a .22, 99.99% of the time it's going to be a big bore revolver

Me too, except my favorite "in the woods" .22 is a Glock - a G44.
The fact is, I was carrying that little Glock (along with my Kimber bolt .22 rifle) when my wife and I were out looking for ground squirrels to shoot last Friday. We didn't get any though - it was wet and windy here, so most of the ground squirrels were staying down in their burrows and out of the weather. Which is what my wife and I should have been doing!