Hiking Gun

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Well, regardless of what you do get, please don't carry JHP's. Go with a good FMJ. Penetration is the name of the game in 4 legged SD situations.

Most any beast you will come up against will have some serious tissue to bust through in order to strike vitals. Keep in mind, we aren't talking about rifle velocities here. You will need all the penetration you can get to drop a bear. Expansion, while helpful, definitely takes a back seat on this one. I'd rather be facing a bear with an FMJ in it's vitals than bear with a JHP stuck in it's fat.
 
You don't need a gun while hiking. I've been backpacking for 30 years in Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, California and have seen bears, rattle snakes, coyotes, etc. and have never carried a gun.
Animals are justly afraid of people. They run or slither away.

But, if you need one for peace of mind, I agree with your idea of a SP101.
Or an LCR in .357 mag, it only weighs 17 oz empty.
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I've done a lot of hiking and packing in national parks unarmed, too. Now that I carry CCW, I just feel naked without it. One of the places I've hiked and ridden primitive roads by motorcycle is Big Bend NP. There, I WANT a gun! There's big problems along the border now days and there ain't NOOOO tellin' what you'll run into down there. Be nice to pack a SAW, but being realistic and the fact that it must be concealed, my .38 snub or my 9x19 Kel Tec would do there. Too much problem to carry my .45 IWB with a frame pack on and, honestly, anything my P85 (high cap 9) can do, my Kel Tec P11 can do and it's a LOT lighter.

Really is not a bother to carry your PDW while you hike and now days, it's legal to carry concealed in a national park. Can't carry open, though, so X frames are out, big guns are out. Of course, New York is probably a little less scary than the border country in the last few years. I know guys that live in Laredo that listen to the gun battles across the river at night. Friggin' Baghdad west. :rolleyes:

And, I've seen scorpions in the Bend I swear could take on a New York black bear and win. :D Look like little land lobsters. I always zipped my tent up good at night down there, between the scorpions and rattlers. Who worries about bears? :D
 
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One of the reasons, and there are a few, that I pack a gun, sometimes two, when I hike into the backcountry, is that I hike deeper than 9 out of 10 hikers will be hiking in, and I hike alone most of the time. If I fall, break a leg, or something that's going to strand me out there for a stay, my carcass won't be found without a gun or two lying around.:D
 
Best packing gun IMHO is a 5 or 6 shot .357 snubby in stainless. Might NOT be the best 'survival' gun (ie you arent gonna killa rock squirrel with it and have anything left to eat) but it's a good comprimise of weight, power and packability.
 
I used to carry a 4" Model 19 (.357) with factory 158 ammo when I used to fish and hike in Pennsylvania. It usually wasnt a problem. My fishing buddy used to carry a 6" K-22 and it never was a pain. I did however wade in deeper than usual one day and my 19 was almost completely submerged. You'll have that though. I did try a 4 5/8 .45 Blackhawk once and it was a bit bulky. I also sold it. A Glock 20 SF would be fine and the 10mm is plenty powerful. I believe and correct me if I'm right but Kimber may have a 10mm. I still the .357 is good enough. I would choose based on what you can shoot well also.

I like Smith revolvers personally and I think Glocks are great. Maybe you can shoot others persons handguns or go to a range that has rental guns. Its a great way to learn about other brands and types as well as having fun. Good luck choose the tool that fits you.
 
Hiking in Utica I think I'd go with the 40. Kidding aside I recently switched from a 45 auto to a 357 revolver for my hiking gun. In over thirty years of hiking, hunting and fishing in upstate NY including the Adirondacks can only remember four times where I felt threatened. Twice I had a coyote coming straight at me like I was his next meal. And twice I had a racoon coming straight at me. One racoon I simple retreated from the other one seemed more agressive and got a slug from my 12 gauge. The coyotes both retreated. one as soon as I turned to face him. The other hung about 50 yds away 'til I sent one from the .45 his way, but it makes you wonder. Never had a problem with a bear. I think either choice will suit your needs. But I would go with the 357 for the versatility and extra penetration should you need it.
 
The Smith & Wesson M&P40 compact should work for anything in the eastern wilderness. If I carried one it would be loaded with the Doubletap 200 gr. wide flat nose gas check rounds.

http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_26&products_id=210

I ordered two boxes and ran one box through my Glock 27. Very accurate and the G27 ate 'em up like candy. The recoil was no worse than shooting Corbon 165 gr. JHPs.

My everywhere/backup gun is a j-frame S&W M&P 360 loaded with Corbon DPX. The majority of time when hiking it's the only gun I have with me.
 
The Smith & Wesson M&P40 compact should work for anything in the eastern wilderness. If I carried one it would be loaded with the Doubletap 200 gr. wide flat nose gas check rounds.

http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/cat...roducts_id=210
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When I go into the mountains, I carry a S&W M&P40 (fullsize). In fact, I also carry with the same ammo load listed above.

I also own a SP101, 2.25". Sixteen rounds is better than 5, I am a very good shot with the M&P, and the M&P has proven itself reliable over thousands of rounds.
 
Agree with jbrown50...

The accounts that I've read about about people using weaker autoloading handgun calibers on black bear generally involve JHP ammo. JHP rounds are probably not the best idea on Black Bear unless you are using at least a .44 magnum. Weaker JHP rounds may not always penetrate deeply enough to do the trick.

Conventional wisdom would be to use a powerful magnum revolver, or a 10mm in Black Bear country. This would probably be the best advice. While this may be true, I think that these cartrides aren't going to help if you can't hit what you're aiming at.

There are plenty accounts of people taking bears down with handgun cartridges that have no business killing a bear. How did they manage this impossible feat? They managed to hit a vital area. A lot of peripheral hits, even with a powerful cartridge won't always take down a human, much less than a bear.

Shot placement, shot placement, shot placement. I might also add penetration, penetration, pentration.

In terms of power, those .40 S&W double tap rounds are pretty much low end 10 mms. The important thing about those rounds is that they are built from the ground up for penetration. Bears have a lot of muscle and fat. Unless you have *a lot* of power behind the bullet, JHP will expand and may not penetrate far enough to do any real damage on an adult black bear. The flat nose design helps to maximize penetration of the bullet. The bullet also has the equivalent sectional density of a 255 .45 caliber bullet. Personally, I'd like my chances with a full magazine of these suckers. That would give me a lot of chances to hit something important. Will this be as good as a rifle or a .44 magnum? No way, but it is light enough alternative to carry and with your M&P40c, you'd have 11 chances to hit something important instead of six. Shot placement is important when talking about human hostiles. It is just as important with anything else.
 
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I own a S&W M640 and would be comfortable carrying it in NYS BUT, I would probably carry my 4" M686 instead.

Of the 2 you listed I would buy the SP101 over the semi-auto but then again I am a revolver guy...
 
montess85 said:
I am looking for a gun to use for hiking.....I live in NYS so I don't need to stop grizzly bears....I have narrowed it down between 2 guns....The first is a Ruger SP101 with a 2 1/4" barrel or a Smith&Wesson M&P40 compact.....Both are around the same price and weight....I was looking for anyones opinion....I already own a 6" GP100 and love it thats why I was thinking about its little brother, but I like the Idea of 10 40sw rounds vs 5 357....
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Having lived in Alaska for 4 years I would carry a Marlin Guide gun in 45-70 which I did, but in NYS you don't have such big critters and the choice would be the S&W .40 if it were me.
 
I guess I am just a bit simple and find my old chopped Ruger 44 Flattop ideal. It's plenty light so it's easy to carry, it drills beer cans consistently at 50 yards and has all the thump (or not) that anyone could want. I am thinking the new Ruger 44 Special with a 4 5/8" barrel and an aluminum grip frame would be darn close to ideal if something new is desired.

SBH271.png
 
I carried a alloy J frame on the continental divide trail & appalachian trail and though it was very light they arent very accurate outside pointing range. I'd carry a glock 26 next time.
 
FWIW, I personally would carry my G29 while hiking in the woods. If I couldn't do that, it would be my S&W 66 4 inch.
 
I always feel bad when I contribute to this type of post where somebody wants advice on which gun to get and he has already reduced the candidates to two pistols, and then we all suggest a zillion other options! LOL. We're all gun kooks and love them all!

I have a G20 and they are great guns, but unless you reload the power levels don't offer much, if anything, more than a .357 Mag. Easier on the hand though than a hot .357 in the SP101.

Are you comfortable carrying the MP40 chambered? I always ask because some folks hike carrying the gun in a fannypack or Mexican style in stuffed under their belt. With Glocks and other lighter trigger pistols with no manual safeties, this is a dangerous practice. Of course the same could be said for the SP101 carried that way.

It's hard for us to push one way or the other until you hopefully get a chance to shoot both of your choices and see which is the right one. Of course, you could end up getting both and not worrying about it! You probably will anyway.

In your location a .40 or .357 (even a .38) should be adequate to stop two legged predators. Not sure what four-leggers you have out there, but the .40 or .357 should be enough, especially if it's black bear which tend to run off at the sound of gunfire.

Let us know how you make out.

Best,

Steve
 
Though I don't think they are being made anymore, I still see the Taurus Model 415, five-shot snub-nose revolvers at various gunshows, selling new for well under $400.00 or so. They are chambered in .41 Magnum and have 2 1/2" ported barrels and were made in steel or alloy. Mine is the stainless steel variation (I have a feeling that the alloy model may be a mite difficult to make controllable repeat shots) and have found it to be a reliable, accurate revolver that packs a lot of punch in a fairly compact package. It's been a very satisfactory "packing" revolver for me.
 
3" SP101 is a great all-around gun, damn near indestructible, and incredibly versatile. With the right .357 ammo (check Buffalo Bore or Double Tap hardcast ammo) it is plenty for black bear, and can also shoot .38 special for lesser foes.
 
I carry my Glock 23 hiking all the time. 14rounds of .40S&W is hard to beat.

glock23.jpg
 
I used to most frequently carry a Glock 23 when hiking or as backup when deer hunting. Potential wild threats in Georgia are black bear, boar, and coyote or wild dogs.

The 23 one of the firearms I most regret selling when I enlisted. :(
 
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