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

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shep854 said:
I didn't hear how they came up with the stat, but I would have guessed horses (falling off of), dogs, or big cats.
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My guess is that automobile accidents involving deer play a role in that statistic.

I know that car repairs necessitated by impacts with deer on roads is way up back east where most to all of the natural predators have been eliminated along with protection of deer has caused their populations to explode, resulting in lots of auto accidents.

Nem

{Edited: Vern beat me to it. Yeah, what he said.}
 
Actually, a good packing gun is next on my list. I'm looking at a Ruger Blackhawk with interchangable 9mm and .357 cylinders.

I like the look and feel of these guns and the idea of carrying something a little "old school" while roaming the back country.
 
kbheiner7 said:
Actually, a good packing gun is next on my list. I'm looking at a Ruger Blackhawk with interchangable 9mm and .357 cylinders.

I like the look and feel of these guns and the idea of carrying something a little "old school" while roaming the back country.
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I like them as well, but somehow double-action seems more appropriate.

And you're at 40oz empty.

69L.gif
 
Obviously there's a trade-off between gun weight and "shoot-ability".

My current thinking is a hiking handgun shouldn't exceed 2lbs loaded, and that a 4" bbl is a nice trade-off length.

6rds of 180gr .357 weighs around 3.7oz and 8rds is about 5oz. That would put my ideal revolver at around 27oz-28oz emtpy.

The closest thing I see from S&W is the 5" model 327.

170254_large.jpg
 
Bear it

In big bear woods, I'd recommend a heavy revolver. .44 Magnum or better,
loaded with heavy hard-cast SWCs as hot as the gun will safely allow. I also recommend grinding the front and rear sights flush with the contours of the barrel and frame, along with a radical melt job, and if possible, a good teflon-based finish so that if you have to shoot a charging 1200+ pound Grizz or Alaskan Brown...and the bear takes the gun away from you and sticks it where the sun don't shine...it won't be quite so rough on ya.

:D
 
true story

1911Tuner said:
In big bear woods, I also recommend grinding the front and rear sights flush with the contours of the barrel and frame, along with a radical melt job, and if possible, a good teflon-based finish so that if you have to shoot a charging 1200+ pound Grizz or Alaskan Brown...and the bear takes the gun away from you and sticks it where the sun don't shine...it won't be quite so rough on ya.:D
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Quite funny and more truth than we probably want to admit.:)
 
.44 magnum or 45 Colt loaded hot in a quality handgun is the minimum I would consider. Good personal protection against animals and humans.
 
Loaded for Bear ...

One of our commercial ballistic experts weighs in about long hikes into bear country:

"Many hikers who frequent bear country are choosing the 10mm as a trail gun. It is more compact than a heavy-frame revolver, holds more cartridges and its performance exceeds that of the .357 Magnum. For this application, we feel that Speer's tough, 200 grain TMJ is an excellent choice for deep penetration." (Source: Speer Reloading Manual #12, p.537).

Let's get serious. :scrutiny:

Forget the 6-shot boat anchor which you can't fire accurately more than once (without a painkiller anyway) and which you will likely have buried inside the backpack when Mr. Bear suddenly appears. :what:

For suitable bear protection in an autoloader of reasonable size and weight: get a 10mm G20 and stuff it with 15+1 rds of a load using heavy 200+gn bullets and packing between 690fpe-750fpe.

When in stock, Double Tap's 200gn WFNGC HardCast slug @ 1300fps/750fps is a good place to start.

DT also offers a 200gn Hornady FMJ-FP @ 1270fps/715fpe.

There's also Texas Ammo, which loads the same 200gn FMJ-FP @ 1250fps/694fpe.

www.doubletapammo.com

www.texas-ammo.com

:cool:
 
How much does that plastic jammamatic weigh? I've fired a 10mm Glock and it was a rather large weapon. My .45 colt weighs about 40 ounces, not any more than a 1911 goverment that soldiers have packed in combat, with it's 4 5/8 inch barrel. It is a Ruger Blackhawk in stainless. I shoot 18.0 grains of 2400 behind a 300 grain hornady XTP and get 1256 fps for 1050 ft lbs. It shoots 5 shot 2" groups at 50 yards out of a rest. It's still packin' 756 ft lbs at 100 yards! Stuff that in your G20 and smoke it. :D It's a little heavier than a good .357, but you cannot argue with it for either kenetic energy, or the bullet if you're a big bullet fan. :D You may need pain killers to shoot it, I don't. I burn a box or two at the range and it's no biggy. Single actions roll in the hand, don't punch the shooter.

EDIT

I went and looked it up on the Glock website, unloaded weight with magazine about 30 oz, lighter but not much. I reckon 16 rounds of 10 probably weighs about what 6 rounds of 105 howitzer...er....45 colt weighs. I'm 52 years old and if I was in bear country I could handle the extra 10 ounces. I've carried this revolver all day on quite a few occasions.

However, for all around outdoor use, I'd still rather have a medium frame .357, and that all titanium tracker sure would be LIGHT. :D We ain't got bears down here. When I have carried my .45, it was just because. Besides it's a pretty gun, freaks out the other guys on a lease when I'm in hunting camp. Get lots of ooohs and aaaahs. :D I reckon if I get to go to New Mexico next year, I'll carry it just for that reason. LOL
 
I'd say just stick with the 229. Maybe get a 357 sig barrel for it, for maximum penetration. Grab a box of 147 grainers and go hiking.

Otherwise, I would recommend a g20, as some others have stated.
 
For hiking and or backpacking where bears are not a problem, 10mm in a G-20 package or other format in 10mm.

Where bears could be encountered, 12 guage slug gun with rifle sights or red dot sight or a large framed revolver in 44 mag or other large caliber that you can shoot accurately.

12-34hom.
 
Glock 20 with 6" hunting barrel.

Hot handloads, or the Double Tap Bear Claw round would be in it. It's what I carry in the woods when I'm elk hunting in Idaho.

Tom
 
pax said:
Glock 10mm, loaded with hot handloads.

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

pax
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+1

But no hand cannon is going stop stop a PO charging Bear, and if you get lucky and do kill it; Murphy's law will kick in and the bear will land on you and you'll end up trapped under it.
 
10mm. For me it's my Delta Elite, usually PMC 200gr TC solids. That's in the wilds of upper Michigan. I wouldn't change a thing in your area, except that I would probably also carry a light rifle or carbine.
 
Just to weigh in on this one: 1. 45-70 Marlin Guide Gun with Hi Viz sights
2. If you stick with a handgun then get a holster from Bianchi that attaches to your pack frame.

3. Check out the sportsman holster that Bob Mernickle of Mernickle custom holsters makes. Shows a gal fishing in waders in Alaska with the gun on.

I worry more about Moose than Bear. Wife and I were out walking a short distance from the house this summer and bumped into a cow moose with twin calves. She immediatly let us know how much she didn't like humans. I had a Smith Mtn Gun on loaded with Keiths. But we did the prudent thing and let the area and walked rather quickly home.:uhoh:
 
1911 guy said:
I'd vote for a .44 mag any day. Insurance. If you got it you'll not need it, if you don't got it, you'll wish desperately you had it.
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I agree. My SW 629 carries well in a shoulder rig. That feeling of real power is hard to equal with an auto pistol, and out in the woods, all kinds of things can happen to a hiker.
 
1911Tuner said:
In big bear woods, I'd recommend a heavy revolver. .44 Magnum or better,
loaded with heavy hard-cast SWCs as hot as the gun will safely allow. I also recommend grinding the front and rear sights flush with the contours of the barrel and frame, along with a radical melt job, and if possible, a good teflon-based finish so that if you have to shoot a charging 1200+ pound Grizz or Alaskan Brown...and the bear takes the gun away from you and sticks it where the sun don't shine...it won't be quite so rough on ya.

:D
Click to expand...

That's so funny that you say that.
A friend of mine (years back) use to do geological surveying in areas with
polar bears. I believe it is when he started off in the oil industry. One of
the guys had a .44 with him. The guide told him to shave off the front site.
When asked why he replied so when the bear shoves it up your @$$ it won't
hurt so much.

That would not have been you would it?
 
Who?

Working Man said:
That's so funny that you say that.
A friend of mine (years back) use to do geological surveying in areas with
polar bears. I believe it is when he started off in the oil industry. One of
the guys had a .44 with him. The guide told him to shave off the front site.
When asked why he replied so when the bear shoves it up your @$$ it won't
hurt so much.

That would not have been you would it?
Click to expand...

:p
 
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