getting into autos

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flatsticks

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Figured i wouls get your thoughts and experience on getting into the auto pistol world ..

Currently been using a 38 special and that has been my only handgun .

Figred since I am out in the woods a lot and there are a lot of black bears maybe the 38 would not be the best choice.

I always have a rifle with me but it may be over your shoulder and not as at the ready .

Was looking at 10 mm possibly , as people seem to think a 9mm may not be enough .

Can also use the new gun for self defense and who knows maybe end up carrying like a few of my friends do .

Looking for something that will not be too hard to handle since I dont shoot pistol that often .

Going to need to get out more to a range where I can shoot pistol , the one near me closest target is 50 yards .

What are your thoughts ? thanks
 
If you’re use to shooting 38 the 9mm will probably shoot the best for you. 9mm is not the best woods gun but it’s goin to have the highest capacity of any semi more than likely. 15 very controllable rounds may be a better choice than something with more recoil you can’t shoot as fast or accurate. You can get hardcast or extreme penetrators and have a very capable woods gun. Find a local range that rents guns and try out a 9mm and 10mm and see what you like.
 
Most folks seem to like 1911s and Glocks. 😊

Seriously it's pretty tough to beat a Glock 19 for, well, almost anything really. Small enough to conceal, big enough to get a good grip, easy to get hits on target quickly, supremely reliable, modestly priced, and TONS of accessories.

Is it perfect at anything? Maybe not, but it does everything well enough. Even a bear won't shrug off 15 9mm rounds to the head area.
 
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Appreciate the thoughts so far .

My thinking was finding the bets accuracy and something that will hold more rounds than the current 38 .

Finding a range that rents guns is a very good idea to get a feel for them and se what I shoot best .
 
The 9 in the same length barrel is about the same as 38spl +p.

The 10 is about the same as a 357mag. That was the basis of its design.

As since it's introduction, the 6" 44mag revolver is the "bear necessity". I might go min of 454C in big brown bear areas but only as backup to a suitable CF Hunting Rifle.

Elephants and bears have been killed with 22LRs before but that doesn't mean it's the best for the job.
 
flatsticks said:
Currently been using a 38 special and that has been my only handgun .

Figred since I am out in the woods a lot and there are a lot of black bears maybe the 38 would not be the best choice.

Was looking at 10 mm possibly , as people seem to think a 9mm may not be enough .

Can also use the new gun for self defense and who knows maybe end up carrying like a few of my friends do .

Looking for something that will not be too hard to handle since I dont shoot pistol that often .

Going to need to get out more to a range where I can shoot pistol , the one near me closest target is 50 yards .

What are your thoughts ? thanks
Click to expand...

A 9mm semiauto like a Glock 19 or 48 would have greater capacity and less felt recoil than a 38 revolver.
10mm is not the best for someone that does not shoot that often.
IMO people are a greater threat than bears; get a 9mm that is easy for you to shoot well and try to carry it everywhere where you don't like the possibility of being a unarmed victim.
 
As noted above, black bear attacks are rare but do happen. Incident reports indicate bear spray is usually more effective than a handgun. 10mm handguns tend to be bulky, even the Glock compact 29. I am with Armored farmer. The Glock 19 is a do it all handgun and a very good place to start. Bear spray and a 9mm will get you home.
 
Animal attacks are most often really really fast and unexpected. If it is anything else then you have your rifle with you.

If you shoot your 38 special well then I'd stick with it and instead of buying any semi-automatic barrow/rent as many as you can to find the one you shoot better than your 38 special and only once you find one you shoot more accurately than your 38 special consider making a purchase.

10-in-Bucheimer.jpg
 
Bulk brass FMJ 9mm ammo is cheap - $0.166 per round. Cheap ammo bought in bulk (500rds to 1000rds) allows you to shoot more / practice more.

ammoseek.com

9mm Luger Ammo

In-stock best prices for 9mm Luger Ammo | Bulk 9mm Luger Ammunition - AmmoSeek.com
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Having bulk ammo - 2000rds to 3000rds or more allows you ignore all these runs on guns and ammo. Plus keep practicing.

Compare 9mm ammo prices to 38 special - $0.31 per round
ammoseek.com

.38 Special Ammo

In-stock best prices for 38 Special Ammo | Best 38 Special Ammunition - AmmoSeek.com
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And 10mm $0.34 per round
ammoseek.com

10mm Auto Ammo

In-stock best prices for 10mm Auto Ammo | Cheap 10mm Auto Ammunition - AmmoSeek.com
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I also recommend the Glock 19 or a clone of the Glock 19 - a Palmetto State Armory Dagger.
Both must be carried in a quality holster (rigid leather or kydex) that protects the trigger.
 
All the talk about "if you shoot X, then Y might be more difficult for you" is hooey. You practice with what you buy and get good with it, learn how to control the recoil, learn what makes it better than what you had (or worse, or different) and develop the muscle memory and familiarity needed to be competent with it. Doesn't really matter if you're moving up in caliber or changing the platform (revolver to semi or vice-versa). And agreed with Tallball, black bears rarely attack unless you get between Mom and cubs. If you want to use that as a reason to buy another gun, go for it, and you might as well get something that's effective against an animal that weighs two to five times what an adult male does and can run twice as fast uphill as you can and can climb the tree you went up to get away from better than you did.
 
Where I live black bears can and have been a problem. It has been years since we’ve had a problem here at the house, but it will happen again at some point. The big bears are very rare in the immediate area but a possibility.
That said what I carry around the homestead is a pocket Ruger 3” SP101 357. Fits in the back pocket in a pocket holster. Light enough not to be a problem, heavy enough to be controlled with full house loads. A 357 158 sp, no hollow points, has a great amount of penetration. So for me summer the 158 sp 357, winter 38 special 158 hp.
I’m to old to have the natural muscle memory with a semi automatic like I have from years of growing up with a revolver.
If you go with a semiautomatic use proper ammo. FMJ slugs are ok for poking holes in stuff but a TC style bullet has a lot more disruption internally.
 
Lots of good info here .

I know black bears seldom attack but have seen them around with cubs and that can change things in a hurry.

Would like to have something that has more capacity and least as as accurate as the 38 or better for me .

Like mentioned I checked out a local range and they dont rent 10mm but do have the glock 9mm to compare.

Have been carrying bear spray but if the wind is wrong that will not help .
 
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And when the wind is right the bear will know you're there by smell and most likely try to avoid you anyway.

It's when the wind is wrong and the bear doesn't smell you long before you get close when you're more likely to be seen as a threat and so charge.
 
While you may see a bear when walking in the woods, IMHO you are 50 times more likely to run into a sociopath who would hurt you than a bear. (And even those odds are rather slim.)

For woods, and urban ccw, a Glock 48 would be perfect. It is slim enough to carry easily yet large enough to shoot well. Loaded with 11 rounds of +P Hornady Critical Duty 135 gr JHP, you would be pretty well armed for just about any life-threatening confrontation you may encounter.

Whatever you buy, get a lot of practice ammo and sign up for some good ccw oriented training with your new auto. It is always best to become competent and confident with your ccw choice before you have to rely on it to save your bacon.

Good luck, and stay safe.
 
I still like my revolvers best, but the truth is that the 9mm is just more easily carried.
I went into the woods Sunday afternoon to scout a nice buck I had seen. My day pack has a quick access holster concealed inside. I have the holster formed to fit my sr9c 9mm with 17rd mag. I wanted to carry my new 3" s&w model 10 instead. I finally got it wiggled into place but the entire grip protruded outside of the pack. The cylinder created a bulge that I could feel rubbing my back. The slim 9mm gas 3x the capacity, better sights, similar weight, and fits in the same space.
 
Be realistic about the chances of a bear encounter. I like 10mm, have owned one for years and with some of the best loads designed for bear protection it is quite capable. There are loads made by companies like Double Tap and Buffalo Bore with 220 gr bullets at around 1200 fps and 200 gr at around 1300 fps. Those loads have successfully stopped the largest bear in Alaska.

I camp/hike a lot in black bear country and have spent some time camping in grizzly country. If it weren't for that I wouldn't keep a 10mm pistol.

If you're never going to see anything larger than a black bear, and if the odds of that happening are slim to none I think you'd be better served with a 9mm. Even when I'm hiking/camping in black bear country the chances of needing a gun for 2 legged predators is far greater.

The best 9mm loads will send a 124 gr bullet at 1250-1300 fps which is almost exactly the same as a typical 357 mag shooting 125 gr bullets from 4" or shorter barrels. Yea, I know the ballistics charts say 1500 fps. But that is from 8" barrels. The 125 gr load from common 4" LE guns earned a reputation as one of the best fight stoppers ever made. The same bullet diameter, same bullet weight and same velocity from a 9mm does the same thing.

And for that remote black bear encounter they make 147 gr hardcast 9mm load @ around 1000 fps that give extreme penetration. Remember, most black bear are no larger than a typical adult human male.
 
I carry a .38 Special with 3" barrel in an area that has a ton of black bears. My compromise is semi-jacketed flat point bullets, just to get more penetration. Hard cast is ideal for bears, but I don't like swapping out my carry ammo all the time depending on where I'm going, so - I just carry that everywhere, hiking, in town, shopping, in auto.
 
Several years back a guy not far from here surprised a mama bear and cubs. She went after him and he managed to get a little way up a tree but she climbed up and chewed up his feet. When she backed off he was up the tree bleeding bad and wasn't sure if she was gone or nearby watching finally decided he had to chance it or bleed to death. Got down the tree crawled back to his truck and managed to drive himself to the hospital.
 
flatsticks said:
Figured i would get your thoughts and experience on getting into the auto pistol world ..

Currently been using a 38 special and that has been my only handgun .

Figured since I am out in the woods a lot and there are a lot of black bears maybe the 38 would not be the best choice.

I always have a rifle with me but it may be over your shoulder and not as at the ready .

Was looking at 10 mm possibly , as people seem to think a 9mm may not be enough .

Can also use the new gun for self defense and who knows maybe end up carrying like a few of my friends do .

Looking for something that will not be too hard to handle since I don't shoot pistol that often.

Going to need to get out more to a range where I can shoot pistol , the one near me closest target is 50 yards .

What are your thoughts ? thanks
Click to expand...
My first question is, have you ever SEEN a black bear in the wild? I have. It was running the opposite direction as fast as it could.

To actually answer the question, get yourself any reputable brand 9mm.
 
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