Calling all mountain men: Best Sidearm for remote hiking or backpacking

[Sean85746]

Why not get the 329, and still pack the Walther?

They are both light, and there is no law I am aware of that says one cannot pack a pair.

The Walther and a box of a hundred good .22LR HP's "don't weigh much".

Then again, if the bear you are likely to encounter is a black bear like we have here in AZ...I would suggest that the 229 in .357Sig in a HOT load would be pretty good insurance.

I expect you could dump 13 rounds into it pretty fast IF you are practiced with the gun, and are not in the act of crapping your pants (probably more common with larger bear!).

But, not owning a Sig 229 like yours, I'd go with my Glock 20 in 10mm. I like it...it's light...it's daggum accurate, and holds a BUNCH of hot bb's! The Glock Tenifer finish is also quite suited to outdoor use and abuse. That way if a really BIG bear ate you, someone would find your bones and a really good, non-rusty Glock.

Not meaning to be flip...I just tend to try to see some humor in all things.

I think you'd be well served with your 229 and your Walther. I like the Smith 329, and a lot of other folks here have also voiced valid opinions. I'd go with what I was most comfortable with, and what YOU trust your own hide to.

And by god, don't forget to have fun out there. I miss being able to hike!

 

[carolinaman]

Another vote for the .357 revolver

Hi there,

My vote is for a .357 revolver of your choice.

The most dangerous animal in the Wilderness is another human being. The majority of bears that I have run across, i.e. Eastern Black Bear generally won't have anything to do with you unless sick or provoked.

I've read alot of stories about Grizzly attacks and such. The majority of attacks seem to center around being in proximity of cubs invoking the defensive first strike of the sow. Be aware of what's around you and where you are going!

I live right on the ocean, but don't carry a spear gun into the water if I think that there are sharks around... and there are many.

Chris

 

[MountainPeak]

Glock 10mm, loaded with hot handloads.

Carries more rounds than a revolver, weighs about the same as the others discussed above.

pax

+1 I carried a .41mag for years, but recently retired it for a G20.

 

[trueblue1776]

I didn't realize there were so many outdoorsmen here, I though it was mostly "gun show commandos" around here, nice suprise. This is great! alot of good stuff. So far the .357mag is leading with the 10mm in tow, I never took the time to realize the 10mm could be loaded so hot. I've always been on the .357sig side of the fence.

Thanks everyone for good advice.
I'm going for one of these three:

1. Smith Mod 329 (AirLite .44mag)
2. 10mm semi, I'm just not a Glock guy, any other good choices in 10mm?
3. .357mag, smith or taurus probably, dont really know.

 

[michael_aos]

Looking at the Buffalo Bore ammo, you've got the S&W 329 shooting a 255gr @ 1264fps (905 fp/e) -vs- a Glock 20 with a 200gr FMJ @ 1200fps (640 fp/e).

In a .357, I guess I'd be looking at a 37.9oz model 520 or model 620. 180gr @ 1375fps (756 fp/e).

Not much weight-savings over a Model 629 Mountain Gun .44 Mag.

Mike

 

[Dienekes]

Gee, another fantasy trip on the holodeck...

 

[Pilot]

I didn't realize there were so many outdoorsmen here, I though it was mostly "gun show commandos" around here, nice suprise.

I think you'll find most people here at THR are genuine, experienced, shooters, hunters, fishermen, etc. Guns go hand in hand with the outdoors. That's why most of us have them.

 

[MCgunner]

Check out these tasty treats. Seems to me the .41 would be awesome if you worry much about bears. I'd still go .357, myself. I like the total titanium, but the stainless .41 is only about 30 ounces.


http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?model=415SS2C&category=Revolver

http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?model=425SH4C&category=Revolver

http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?model=627SH4C&category=Revolver

 

[Mr Jody Hudson]

After nearly 40 years of changing my preferences for such:

Two guns; My exceedingly accurate and light old 1955
High Standard .22 pistol with QuikShoks and my most accurate
Glock my G20 in 10mm with the longer 6" polygon barrel and Double Taps ammo for the fastest, heaviest, hardest; in these three flavors and two magazines.

Both carried in a safepack style fast-draw-totally-concealed chest pack when packing... which seldom happens anymore or as a shoulder bag accessory when no backpack is worn.

I keep the G20 in the pack and ready for quick access and the .22 ready for the real deal... the meal via a head shot with the QuikShok to the eye or nearby... it IS that accurate.

My highest risk work was when I worked in the filled-with-deadly-critters remote swamp areas of west central Florida, finding large parcels of isolated real estate for a couple of years. How about thousands of escaped Bramha Bulls or thousands of feral 600 pound hogs that are domestic porkers and spanish boar mix... and snakes and gators and crocs and bears and cats and poachers and growers too.

IF... I were to have a bad breath encounter with a bear that did not want to submit to my sales techniques... I would like to have the accuracy and quality and quantity of those DT 10mms down the throat (that would likely be the target of opportunity) and toward the hoped for target of the brain stem...

Or... If I just wanted to eat him... Shoot him in the eye with my .22 when he wasn't trying to eat me...

 

[carebear]

Here's that chest holster I mentioned.

http://www.alaskasportsmanproducts.com/

 

[Highland Ranger]

More data, and not that they know better than anyone else, but S&W now has a firearms selector.

If you pick |Personal Protection| and then |Wilderness Protection| you get this list (commentary by me):

Model 500 Revolver - 4" $1,196.00 [for real men, the big boy]

Model 329PD Revolver - HIVIZ® $960.00 [my personal choice, lightweight scandium 44mag]

Model 629 Revolver - 4" $787.00 [the old stainless standby in 44mag]

Model 386PD Revolver $872.00 [another lightweight in 357 mag b/w 7 shots for those pesky bears]

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...1&parent_category_rn=15154&top_category=15154

 

[Pilot]

Don't even worry about it - if they don't want you to see them, you will never know they are there. And if they want to eat you, there's probably not much you can do. It happens all the time - like four or five times at least in the US in the last 100 years.

That's why 4 or 5 people have been killed or badly hurt by Mountain Lions in California in the past few years. There's a lot you can do if your attacked by a Mountain Lion, and none of them start with "Whistlin Dixie". Sorry, but you are misinformed.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

That's why 4 or 5 people have been killed or badly hurt by Mountain Lions in California in the past few years. There's a lot you can do if your attacked by a Mountain Lion, and none of them start with "Whistlin Dixie". Sorry, but you are misinformed.

There are a lot of cases of people surviving lion attacks -- and in most cases they saw the lion before it attacked. If you see him, you can defend yourself -- if you're prepared. Of course carrying a handgun is problematic in California.

I do a lot of backpacking, and have a six-foot walking stick -- a formidable defense weapon all by itself. If you have a blade with a socket, it's even more formidable.

 

[trueblue1776]

Piolt, yeah there has been A LOT of lion attacks in CA recently. I know of three fatalities off the top of my head, in the last three years or so.

I have seen bears a few times and a lion once, I'll take bears any day of the week!!!!! I had chills for an hour, the lion had been watching me for a while! bears usually just mosey around.

 

[roscoe]

True - I was speaking hyperbolically. Actually, there were 10 deaths from lions from 1991 to 2003 in the US. Statistically speaking, that's a pretty unusual event (.8 a year across the US). As a comparison, 756 people died from lightning strikes in the same period. My point is that it is so unusual that it really need not be a factor in deciding what to carry.

Hairless bipeds are by far the greatest threat.

 

[MCgunner]

True - I was speaking hyperbolically. Actually, there were 10 deaths from lions from 1991 to 2003 in the US. Statistically speaking, that's a pretty unusual event (.8 a year across the US). As a comparison, 756 people died from lightning strikes in the same period. My point is that it is so unusual that it really need not be a factor in deciding what to carry.

Hairless bipeds are by far the greatest threat.

How many deaths by black bear in the last decade? Guess I could google that if I weren't so lazy. It's gotta be pretty rare I'd think. Grizzlies are meaner and I don't know that even THEY kill people that often.

If you venture north to the tundra in Polar Bear country, now you're talkin' dangerous animals. There aren't too many people up there, though.

 

[MCgunner]

Did some googling out of curiosity. Bears are more a concern than cats, but not all that much and mostly grizzlies.

according to Dr. Steve Herrero bear attacks are rare but obviously traumatic events. In all of North America there are an estimated 800,000 black bears and 60,000 grizzly bears. Each year people have millions of interactions with bears. A very small fraction of these results in human injury. During the decade of the 1990s bears fatally injured on average 3 people each year and seriously injured about 12.
the percentage of serious/fatal injuries in Alberta that occurred inside National Parks (as opposed to on Alberta lands outside of National Parks) was disproportionate (high) to the relatively small numbers of bears in the parks.
the probable explanation for the above findings is the very large number of visitors in bear habitat in Alberta National Parks, and the associated challenge of human food and garbage management.
injury rates for backcountry visitors to the National Parks were significantly higher than for front-country visitors.
black bears far outnumber grizzly bears in both provinces. Grizzlies, however, were responsible for a significantly greater percentage of serious/fatal injuries than were black bears.
data demonstrate behavioural differences between the two species. For example, competition with hunters, often over carcasses, and adult females acting in defense of their cubs were commonly associated with grizzly attacks in B.C. No cases of either type were recorded for black bears.
(Herrero and Higgins In PressA and Herrero and Higgins In PressB)

Greatest misconception: The greatest misconception about black bears is that they are likely to attack people in defense of cubs. They are highly unlikely to do this. Black bear researchers often capture screaming cubs in the presence of bluff-charging mothers with no attacks. Defense of cubs is a grizzly bear trait. About 70 percent of human deaths from grizzly bears are from mothers defending cubs, but black bear mothers have not been known to kill anyone in defense of cubs.

Also came across one site where they were talking about a bear's swimming ability. They said there was a bear swam over 9 miles in the Gulf of Mexico. I got to thinkin' how strange that'd be if I was out at the nine mile rigs snapper fishing and a bear swam buy.... ROFLMAO!

 

[roscoe]

Now we gotta talk about what kind of spinner would that thing strike.

 

[Inner Monkey]

I have carried my G29 10mm. many, many times while hiking & back-packing. With full pressure loads it is pretty potent for almost anything I think I would encounter. If I am not charring a large pack or lots of gear I will take the G20.

 

[rick_reno]

2 1/2 inch Ruger Alaskan in .454. It carries well and has enough power anything I'm likely to encounter. Accurate little gun too. Where I live and hunt we're very close to a grizzly bear protection zone, and I own property that borders on the one just north of here. I've never seen a grizzly, but on almost every outing I encounter a moose or two which are a very dangerous animal. This time of year we've got them in the yard. I carry my Alaskan with 300 gr. handloads using the Laser Cast hard bullets. I used to carry a 5.5 inch Redhawk in 44 mag - the Alaskan is much less noticeable on my hip than that RH ever was, and I lugged it around for about 15 years.

 

[mnrivrat]

Backpacking in area where bear may be of concern --- S&W 329 in 44 Mag.

Carry some cowboy loads in 44 Spl for rabbit taking .

 

[NorthernExtreme]

Bears are common for me to see while hunting an dfishing here in Alaska, I've seen at least 60-70 over the years. Only 2 times have I needed a gun to break off a charge (I go far out of my way to avoid them, or give them as much room as they want) I carry a 41Mag (Taurus Ti) 2 quick shots sent one of them running off into the woods, and left the wed of my hand bleeding (verry sudden, no aiming, not a good grip on the gun), the other time I had a 30-06 and both times I felt verry under gunned. The time with the 06 was a shot over his head as he cleared the brush (I heard him coming) the time with the .41 was so fast, I don't even know if the barrel had cleared the holster by much at all (no blood, so I doubt I did more than wing him at best).

I guess what I'm saying is, there aren't many people who would hunt big bears (Brown/Girzley) with a 30-30 because it's considdered way under powered. But they seem to feel confident with their .44. It makes me laugh. I carry the .41 because I'm out to enjoy the outdoors, and the Ti. 41 is lighter and smaller than any .44 or larger, and I can enjoy the outdoors all day (or several days) without beig dragged down by a heavy gun. I know if I need it; any handgun is on the very light side, but you will not catch me in the woods or on the river without 1. My thought is to carry the largest gun you can without having to take it off because it's too big and heavy. If you do need it; there is a very good chance you may only get 1 shot (on target) so you need to make it the the biggest and deepest penetrating round you can. The .41 mag is my minimal gun.

I'd like to add that there are times when the most dangerous thing I've met in the woods walked on 2 legs.

Regards,

 

[mnrivrat]

I guess what I'm saying is, there aren't many people who would hunt big bears (Brown/Girzley) with a 30-30 because it's considdered way under powered. But they seem to feel confident with their .44.

Good point ! Particularly the issue of being confident . I would not feel confident with any handgun to take care of a bear that wants a piece of me. The best I would hope for is that if I am going to die - so is the damn bear - eventualy. Anything above that (like living) is good luck I think.

I would prefer maybe an RPG or something carraige mounted perhaps !

Although the one bear I have dispatched was at close range with a 30-30 he was only a little over 300 pounds and was not at a running charge.

You also make a good point about light enough to carry and something else I forgot to warn about with the S&W 329 . I think it is as light of a .44 mag you can get and that is perfect for carry, however , one should get a decent set of rubber grips on it that give some cushion between the web of your hand and the backstrap of the gun. The recoil of this light gun with magnum loads is not very tolerable otherwise.

 

[Mad Magyar]

This is what I strap on when cutting a load of wood in the NM mountains, near Silver City.They released some wolves in the area: wife sey's, Be Prepared".

 

[Thin Black Line]

I will counter that with:

Bears have big heads.

If a bear is charging you his head is the biggest target on him.

PLUS you have atleast 5 shots in a every 44mag I've ever seen. One is bound to enter an eyeball.

I'd like to see someone do that to a charging bear....not in person, of course.

What's wrong with a pistol-grip 12g loaded with slugs as your side arm?!