Projectile Choice for Woods Carry

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Al-jim19 said:
True fact: a guy 20 minutes from me killed an aggressive black bear with a .380 last year.
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I would love to read the story on that one. Do you have a link to a website that you could share?
 
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Hmm up in my parts there's some black bear,yotes and the rumored mountain lion (fish and game declines it,but there has been various pics contradicting them and there was tracks up in my old stomping grounds around cherry plains state park). Not usually worried about critters. However I always feel better with a gun on my hip when walking the woods.

I usually carry anything that will poke a good hole in them as a last resort. So federal 158 gr .357 jsp for the the 6" gp100 or 2.25" sp101. Or 230 fmj in the 1911. What I grab depends on how I feel that day. Just picked up some 255gr +p fnrp Underwood ammo to try out in the 1911. Hopefully it feeds nice. Also have a new 44 special Blackhawk that I would like to carry stocked with some buffalo bore hardcasts. But need to try them out and become more familiar with the gun first.
 
bassjam said:
On backwoods fishing trips in the Black Hills and around Breckenridge/Silverthorne I didn’t carry anything, but that was before I had my CCW permit. I didn't give it a second thought though, animal encounters are pretty rare.
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I live in CO and have hiked probably 20,000 miles in the mountains over the last 20 years. Saw one bear in all that hiking and he saw me first and when i saw him he was running away from me as fast as he could. Black bears are not much of a threat.
 
So the Springfield reporter actually took the pitch from Nolan Ryan? That is quite a bear story.;)
 
CraigC said:
I'm afraid that hardball is not what people seem to think it is. A good flat nosed hardcast is better in every way.
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True, but I'm still betting that a few 180gr flat noses leaving the muzzle at 1250fps are gonna work on small northwestern black bear. Well, that and I'm far too cheap to pay $1 per round for lead.
 
Bones741 said:
Hmm up in my parts there's some black bear,yotes and the rumored mountain lion (fish and game declines it,but there has been various pics contradicting them and there was tracks up in my old stomping grounds around cherry plains state park). Not usually worried about critters. However I always feel better with a gun on my hip when walking the woods.
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Quite a few years ago I was out riding my mountain bike on a forest road and I suddenly realized that a mountain lion was pacing me along the top of the road cut. I immediately stopped and put the bicycle between myself and the cat. It turned from pacing me and crouched. I then took out my Makarov. At that point, pistol in hand, I was willing to try what the outdoor safety class from high school said to do. I raised my arms and made a loud, low, noise. Guess what, it worked, The cat looked at me differently, stood up and walked away.

Later that week I stopped by Fish and Game to report it. I also asked them, at what point could I have legally fired. The answer was that I could legally shoot once I reasonably felt that my life was in danger. I pointed out that some would have felt that way at the point they realized they were being paced. The answer I was given was that, yes, a person could have shot at any time.

They also said that the makarov was a good caliber for that situation.
 
my centerfire pistol ammo is all fmj/ball, except for wadcutters in a 38spl s&w airweight, and it is what i carry in town or woodswalking, or to the practice range.

when im out in the woods wearing gloves in cold weather i like a trigger guard-less bond arms 410/45lc derringer, loaded with federal or hornady handgun specific 410 buckshot, with 45lc ammo on a speedstrip.
 
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Here’s the new and approved 16 round bear spray! I think 9mm has better penetration than many other rounds.
 
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Hasaf said:
Quite a few years ago I was out riding my mountain bike on a forest road and I suddenly realized that a mountain lion was pacing me along the top of the road cut. I immediately stopped and put the bicycle between myself and the cat. It turned from pacing me and crouched. I then took out my Makarov. At that point, pistol in hand, I was willing to try what the outdoor safety class from high school said to do. I raised my arms and made a loud, low, noise. Guess what, it worked, The cat looked at me differently, stood up and walked away.

Later that week I stopped by Fish and Game to report it. I also asked them, at what point could I have legally fired. The answer was that I could legally shoot once I reasonably felt that my life was in danger. I pointed out that some would have felt that way at the point they realized they were being paced. The answer I was given was that, yes, a person could have shot at any time.

They also said that the makarov was a good caliber for that situation.
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It's really fortunate you noticed it and did what you did. You basically told the cat, "Hey I'm not food." A lion's instinct is the same as a house cat. If it moves quickly, it might be food, and it might be fun to catch. Once their cover is blown, or they realize you aren't food, they want nothing to do with you.

I have a lot of lions in my area, see their tracks frequently in the snow and mud, and spent about a decade working alone in the woods among them. I have seen 2 in all that time, and heard a few more during mating season. You are fortunate to have seen one at all, because they are skittish, but also because it was thinking about pouncing, and not actually attacking. One of the cats I saw I scared stupid as I was driving. It was utterly amazing how quickly it moved.

I know our state lion specialist and he personally saw a 90 lb female cat take down a young cow elk on it's own. He estimated the elk's weight to be about 400 to 500 lbs.

Glad nothing bad happened, and I agree, a Mak is plenty to stop a lion.
 
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i enjoy several months per year in the desert southwest. no woodswalking here, i usually carry a ruger sr22 for plinking. look at the tip of the pistol to see a rattlesnake that just i passed by. yikes!

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I live in the mountains but work some in dangerous urban areas. In the 1990’s I did business with a man who was a reserve deputy. His force adopted the S&W 4006 and he put a lot of trigger time in at his company’s Deer lease with the 180 Grain .40 JHP Taking a white tail Deer at reasonable ranges was easy work.

Since then, I’ve had good luck with this load. This .40 round can be carried in the woods with confidence.
 
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