General HG Caliber For Field Use/Handgun Hunting/BUG For Bow Hunting/Hiking/Rural

[25ACP]

Since were going back and forth about the .40 and the 10mm, I'd like to ask a question. Can't some guns fire both rounds? Somebody told me this but I don't know how true the claim is. I would assume that a 10mm might be able to fire a .40 but I don't think I'd try putting a hot 10mm in my 229. Just to stay on topic, I'll throw one more vote in for the .357 magnum as an all-around gun unless you are hunting something real big. I carried one while hiking for a long time and liked it quite a bit, but it was heavy and uncomfortable with a pack on, so I switched to the Sig, which rides a lot better and has 12 rounds vs 6.

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

.357 mag

 

[Browning]

I couldn't care less what the FBI says or does and following and liking something just because they like and use it would be the height of stupidity. They continue to use the 10MM in their MP-5's, but I'm not sure how many of their agents use the 10MM as a sidearm, but really who cares? As far as I'm concerned the FBI consists of some of the biggest jackasses in the American Law Enforcement community. I started to list everything that I think is wrong with the FBI but I realized that it really has nothing to do with thread and it would be WAAAAAY too long of a post. Just because they dropped it as a pistol caliber doesn't mean I have to follow them and make the same mistake that they did.

Suffice it to say I'm more likely to like the 10MM in spite of the FBI, not because of it.

Most of the people who like the 10MM do so because of two reasons.

1) It's an excellent outdoors cartridge and it's probably THE best if you like auto-loaders better than revolvers.

2) It's an excellent defense round that offers good penetration on auto glass, vehicle doors, through brush, front doors and other metal, glass and wood materials that might be used as cover or concealment.

Neither one of these reasons have anything to do with a certain LE agency that has a piss poor record who has killed or injured alot of civilians simply because they don't like their religion or politics and that has a record of covering up facts when their agents or their lab screws up completely.

If people are so stupid that they're going to miss out on a great cartridge because the FBI hired a bunch of wimps that can't shoot real cartridges then that's fine, that doesn't bother me a bit. If that's the case, they deserve to try and make do with less. Most of the people that are buying .40 S&W's just based on if the FBI uses it or not probably don't even shoot them anyway, they just sit there watching TV while holding their .40 and day dream about being a FBI "Hostage Recue" guy (that unit name's a laugh) busting into people homes on dynamic entry's.

 

[TimboKhan]

Oh, Browning, don't misunderstand me, I am not suggesting that one (or, in this case, you) should purchase a caliber based upon what LE in general uses, but the fact is that they do. Proponents of the .45 GAP frequently point out that several state agencies have adopted it (ignoring aggressive discounting on the part of Glock) as a way to bolster the rounds popularity, even though I think most people would agree that the .45 GAP is probably a dying cartridge.

What I will say is that the magazines and LE (and, for that matter, the military) do is strongly influence peoples buying decisions as they relate to caliber. In some cases, I think you have mall ninjas buying certain things to emulate heroes, but in a lot of cases, I think people just assume that a particular caliber popular with LE and the military must be good. There are a whole lot of shooters out there that just don't have the in-depth knowledge of ballistics to realize (or, frankly, care) that Round X is better than Round Y. You also have the issue of availability. I don't disagree with you that the 10mm is a pretty good round, but I will never own one because the rounds are relatively hard to find and because I will never reload for it. Additionally, I am perfectly satisfied with the .45ACP (and, for cheaper shooting, the 9mm)as my auto-gun caliber of choice. Recoil, for me, is less of an issue, although I have my limits. Ever fire a .357 in a ultra-light titanium/scandium frame? It sucks, and I will likely never do so again. I suspect that the bulk of shooters that tried the 10mm felt the same way about those guns. You can adapt, but I think in most peoples minds there is a question of "why?" Why adapt to the sharp recoil of a 10 when you can shoot better and more comfortable with a .45 (or 9mm, or .40, or whatever else), and ballistics be damned?

Anyway, my point is this: The 10mm is an interesting round, and it is a good round, but I also think it is a round that appeals mainly to a particular group ofhardcore handgun-nerds. There isn't a thing in the world wrong with that, but it also pretty much guarantees that mass-market appeal will never be forthcoming. That being said, I think that the 10mm is here to stay, because there are just enough customers that see and use the potential of the round to keep it alive.

 

[Browning]

I can certainly understand the argument regarding availability (in regards to not just the ammo and the guns, but also the parts and mags for them as well), but when people just base their opinion on whether a firearm or a caliber is effective or not based on what agency is using what then that's getting a little ridiculous as there's lots of reasons an agency goes with a particular gun.

Usually it's because the firearms, ammo and service contract are the cheapest option available to that particular agency at that particular moment in time. That doesn't exactly speak well for the fact that this would be the best option for someone to choose if they really want "the best" does it? I certainly don't think so.

I can just see some dumbass out there proudly saying...."Yeah, I went with that 'cause that's what the Navy Seals carry" and then have that guy learn the fact that the only reason that the Navy Seals went with that particular gun or piece of equipment is because it was made by the lowest bidder and that all the Seals actually think that the gun or piece of equipment in question was a piece of crap and that they all buy something else out of their own pocket.

People should do some research on their own before they run off and buy something instead of just blindly trusting that the US Government/Military/Federal LE community is always going to make the right decision in regards to the gear and weapons they buy.

That just seems like common sense.

 

[mavracer]

Just to be a little different I voted 45 colt. while 357/44 mag would undoubetably be the mainstream favorites, 45 colt is more than capable of getting the job done.

 

[XD-40 Shooter]

357 mag, can load powder puff 38 specials to nuclear 357 loads. There are a myriad of bullet weights and designs as well. I figure if I need more than 6 rounds, I'm pretty much screwed anyway. For the purposes the OP listed, 357 mag fills the bill quite nicely.

 

[.41Dave]

While I think any of the calibers listed would do just fine in the role of general field/hunting/hiking/etc. use, a .41 Magnum, .44-40, and to a lesser extent, .44 Special and .45 Colt will fill that role with a bit more style and panache. Here is my highly opinionated tongue-in-cheek opinion, with electrolytes...

.357 Sig: Just a 9mm on steroids pretending to be a tactical hi-cap .357. Kinda the mall ninja of the ammo world. Unless you are a Texas DPS trooper, in which case .357 Sig is a fine choice. Just please don't give me a ticket, ok officer?

.357 Mag: A fine choice, except everyone and his idiot brother Daryl has one

.40 S&W: A 10mm for the limp-wristed. Such delicate flowers should be in hothouses, not in the woods.

10MM: Cool caliber, but it's cultish following have made its adherents kind of the moonies of the shooting community. .41 Mag people love the 10mm because when others look askance at us, we can point to the 10mm cultists and say: "Hey, at least we aren't those guys!"

.41 Mag: For those who choose the road less travelled, those who dare to ignore the bleating of the herd, there is the thinking man's magnum.

.45 ACP: Fat and slow is not good in the wilderness...

.44 Special: Excellent choice when hand-loaded, has that vintage Elmer Keith goodness.

.44 Mag: Good choice with the same drawbacks as the .357, but with added Dirty Harry groupies.

.44-40: Vintage cool. I mean, this is John Wayne's personal choice fer cryin' out loud!

.45 Long Colt: Classic. What more need be said?

.454 Casull: Just a .45 Colt with low self-esteem and anger issues.

.475 Linebaugh: VERY cool, but I can't afford one, which makes me cranky and unreasonable.

.480 Ruger: A .475 Linebaugh for the same group of girly-men who can't handle the 10mm.

.500 S&W: A superb choice if you are in rogue elephant or velociraptor territory. Otherwise, it is a bit of overkill, not to mention it's heavy. And please don't get anyone started on the whole internal lock thing...

 

[Markbo]

19-3 Ben, It was not my intent but your input is noted and appreciated.

Timbo, my apologies.

 

[19-3Ben]

Ah, The response of a true gentleman. Well done. I look forward to your future input here on the high road.

 

[Fishman777]

Black Bear mauling in Wisconsin...

I saw a video report yesterday on the internet (either on msn.com or yahoo.com) about a hunter that was just mauled by a black bear in Wisconsin. While this attack pales in comparison to a Brown Bear mauling, the survivor looked pretty beat up. Even smaller black bears are extremely dangerous and shouldn't be taken lightly. If this hunter hadn't been with a hunting buddy, he wouldn't be around today.

For those of you that don't think black bears are a threat, think again. I've also seen documentaries on the Discovery channel about a drought that happened a few years back in Ontario. This show aired probably about nine months ago. According to the documentary, black bear do get aggressive and attack when their normal food supply becomes scarce. It is a matter of survival to prepare for hibernation. If their fat reserves get too low, they start to resort to desperate measures to ensure their survival. Over the course of a few days, there were something like five attacks reported and one death at a park in Ontario. In light of all of the drought that North America faced this year, be aware that the bear may be more aggressive than usual. Be careful out there.

 

[Ala Dan]

I voted for the time tested .44 magnum~!

Maybe not the ideal choice for handgun hunting, but a S&W 329PD
makes for an excellent backpack/camping/hiking handgun. It also
would work well, as a back-up when bow hunting~!

 

[Browning]

.41Dave : .44 Special: Excellent choice when hand-loaded, has that vintage Elmer Keith goodness.

I've always been kind of interested in the .44 Special because of that, but only if it was loaded to what it's capable of instead of downloaded to it's lowest common denominator (the older .44 Specials made with softer steel). I've kind of been looking at some of those Lew Horton and Thunder Ranch .44 Specials with some interest, but I don't need yet another caliber added to my collection.

 

[cyclist]

Just a comment, then maybe another comment if my fingers don't get tired

First off, "BUG for bow hunting": many regions specifically prohibit the carry of a firearm during bow season, so I mentally struck that option out.

Second off (guess my fingers didn't get tired yet), for all the rest apart from handgun hunting the primary concern is usually centered around bipedal predators and with that in mind I picked the .357 from the list for the simple reason that everybody and their cousin have one and also because they can shoot .38 Specials and shotshells. For handgun hunting I'd pick based upon my intended target and potential encounters. Basing it upon what I'd like to have as opposed to what I actually have (very little), I might take a single shot centerfire handgun and then a .45ACP as a backup, or I might take a large caliber revolver as the primary and a little .25ACP as a backup sleepingbag piece. Just depends upon where I was going and what I was going after and where I might find myself on the way there and back.

There are very few absolutes, but lots of options and opinions.

 

[packnrat]

i only went for the .40 cal as you stated hiking, if i hiked i would want my gun to be a lighter one, and with the abilaty to do a quick reload. if not then a .357 wheel gun.
but for hunting a much more powerfull cal is needed.

 

[countryrebel]

I voted 10mm,I bought a glock 20 a few months back and enjoy it.When I am out in the canyon all by myself I have a better sense of security with my G20 than with my 44mag.With 15+1 hot reloads and extra mags I do not feel under gunned.Plus the lighter weight helps also.I like the 44 and 357 also so if I had something smaller than a 6.5 inch 44 those would be second and third for me.

 

[Markbo]

So with 50 rounds of ammo it is lighter than a reasonably sized revolver? Is 16shots not sufficient where you hike? I am just trying to understand your perspective... not an attack.

When I am just out in the woods and not actively hunting, I can't imagine every needing more than 6 shots. Then again I don't know where you live or what your perceived threats are.

 

[oklahoma caveman]

any of them above given that you can shoot it accurately and know its limitations

 

[trickyasafox]

i like the 357- i admit now i didn't read all 3 pages of posts- but check local regs to make sure its legal to carry any firearm with you while bow hunting

 

[19-3Ben]

So with 50 rounds of ammo it is lighter than a reasonably sized revolver? Is 16shots not sufficient where you hike? I am just trying to understand your perspective... not an attack.

When I am just out in the woods and not actively hunting, I can't imagine every needing more than 6 shots. Then again I don't know where you live or what your perceived threats are.

Somebody has obviously never encountered a zombie horde whilst hiking in the woods.