Vacationing out west - the trail and the city

[FunYet]

I might be taking a trip through the Rockies this summer, then might keep heading west to New Mexico, Arizona, whatever we have time for.

I'm trying to decide what handgun to take along as a good, general -purpose weapon (on the trail and in the city).

-I have my Ohio CCW license which has reciprocity with some of the states we'll travel through. I have Florida non-resident permit to cover most states that don't honor the Ohio permit. I know that carrying in national parks is not permitted so I won't be carrying if and when we're in the park system. I'm reluctant to take my family so far from home to isolated areas without the comfort of a CCW. Paranoid? Perhaps, but I prefer to think of it as going prepared.

-I realize that when out west, IF I should encounter an aggressive bear or cougar a smaller CCW handgun (e.g. my 442, Kahr MK9) will likely become bear/cougar poop. I also realize my chance of running into one of these animals in a confrontation is slim if I observe common sense and proper precautions while visiting the habitat of these animals. After all, I survived hikes through Glacier and the Tetons despite my midwestern up-brining.

Given all of the above, here are my current options:

S&W 686+, snubby
Sig 229, 9mm (15 round magazines)
Glock 26
..or a new (fill in the blank)

Thanks!

 

[MillCreek]

If I were to limit the choices solely to what you already own, my choice would be clear for me: the snubby 686. Great for both city and trail in my humble opinion.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Paranoid? Perhaps, but I prefer to think of it as going prepared.

You're safer in the west than many parts of the country, but a bit of extra caution is plain old-fashioned common sense.

 

[dairycreek]

Dear FunYet!

Of the choices that you list the 686+ snubby would certainly be my recommendation. You do, however, leave it open for another choice and for backpacking and trail work in general I certainly can recommend the S&W 629 Trail Boss - a 3" 44 magnum.

[/IMG]

I does offer a margin of additional protection against larger animals should you run into one and, it is formidable, for all others you might encounter.

 

[FunYet]

.44 mag vs .357 mag

>>>I certainly can recommend the S&W 629 Trail Boss - a 3" 44 magnum.

Now that's an enticing gun! How does .44 magnum compare to .357 magnum when it comes to recoil and handling?

Thanks

 

[Erich]

Chill out.

Speaking for NM, I wouldn't worry about black bears. I live in black bear country (my house is in what's been called Canon del Oso since the 1700s), they come down into our subdivision every summer (we back up to the Natl Forest), I see their scat all the time when I hike - they leave you alone. There have been black bear attacks and even killings here in NM, but they tend to be when the victim is asleep and smells like food. Hiking, you're not going to have a problem.

Black bears here rarely run over 300#, and they are easily hunted with a .357 mag pistol (I have a friend who successfully does it every year). I realize that's not the same thing as fighting off an angry animal, but - you're not going to get attacked by a black bear. These are giant raccoons (probably nicer than raccoons, though), not terminators like the brown bears.

Cougars, OTOH, will sometimes stalk and harrass hikers. They are very easy to kill, however (I've got lots of friends who hunt them with guns as small as .22s) - a .38 spl should do it easily. Alertness is probably more important with cougars than caliber - watch your back when you sit down on ridges.

Even if you bring the little guns, you should be fine. It sounds like you already know this, though.

I'm a NM lawyer: feel free to PM me if you need to know anything about NM carry law.

P.S. - no one here can describe how the difference between a .44 mag and a .357 mag will feel to you. You'll have to compare and determine how you feel about the difference. Obviously, a .44 is quite a lot more to handle, but many folks consider it quite reasonable.

 

[Dienekes]

Either the 686 or the 229. In the remote likelihood of running into Griz nothing you can carry conveniently in a holster is really up to the job anyway. My 4 5/8 Flattop .44 is a gesture in that direction but mostly bluff.

My Security Six .357 4" goes everywhere so I guess you would say that is my all-around choice. Everything else (other than the 442 in my pocket) is a plaything.

You are wise to take the CCW (first rule--have a gun) along for your family. When it comes to being aggressive and predatory the bear is a gentleman in comparison with people.

You can go further with a kind word and a gun than a kind word alone.

 

[TallPine]

A 4" double action 357 magnum revolver of your favorite brand will suffice for just about anything.


Also, I would suggest taking along a 22 rifle and a couple of bricks of ammo in case you want to plink somewhere along the way. There's lots of FS and BLM land out west here. Just use common sense in picking a location to shoot.

 

[444]

I would carry whatever I normally carry.
Or, out of the list you give, I would choose the Glock 26

I don't think you need any kind of special gun for your trip. I don't think you have any real worries about being attacked by wild animals. I think your biggest worry will be comfortable and discreet carry.

This was already mentioned, but I can't resist a comment. I keep reading these threads about what gun to carry for defense against mountain lions. As was mentioned, people who seriously hunt mountain lions normally use a .22LR handgun. Two guys I work with are absolutely obsessed with mountian lion hunting. They have packs of dogs, horses, trailers for all their gear and spend a LOT of time out hunting lions. When they are not actually hunting, they seek out other lion hunters and old former government trappers to discuss lion hunting. When they hunt, they carry ONE .22LR revolver between the two of them. The gun is an afterthought. It is just whatever one of them happened to own when they took up the sport. I am not even sure they have a holster. I am sure that they didn't expend one brain cell worrying about what ammo to carry or any of the stuff discussed on here.

 

[roscoe]

You are pretty unlikely to see a lion that is stalking you, were that ever to happen. California had 6 people killed by lions in the entire 20th century, the most of any state, so it is really nothing to worry about, anyway.

If you even see one, count yourself lucky. Worry about the hairless bipeds, they are far more dangerous.

 

[jonathon]

Where exactly are you going "Out West"?

Generally speaking.. From California to Washington.. you won't find anything bigger than a fat blackie, which won't bugger you unless you got food, or are inbetween her and her cubs. You wouldn't be undergunned with that 686 at all, and a .357 mag will do the job just fine on a Brown bear, let alone a lil ol' blackie.

Now.. if you need an excuse to buy a real big bore.. Get a .44 mag Should be able to sell that idea over with your "superior"

//EDIT

By the way, on the mountain lion note: I've tracked the one we got around here, on several occasions found pretty fresh fecces and such. In the 4 or 5 years since I've known 'bout him, never saw him.

 

[parsec]

I've lived in Colorado all my life, so I'm pretty familiar with the wildlife around here. The black bears are nothing to worry about. Even if you miss the bear entirely the sound of the gun will scare the dickens out of them. The Boy Scout summer camp here scares them off with potato guns in fact. The only real danger is if you get between momma and her cubs. But if you make any kind of noise at all while you hike, such as singing or just talking, any bears around will hear you and move off long before you hear/see them.

As for mountain lions, the only time you'll see one of those is if it wants to be seen. That only happens if it hasn't eaten in a month. I'm nearly tripping over rabbits when I walk out my door these days compared to the last couple of years, so I don't think starving mountain lions are going to be much of a problem.

I guess I'm saying that you should choose the best weapon for varmints of the two-legged variety. Those are by far the most likely to give you any trouble. If you have something that can take care them, your next task should be to worry about what type of camera you should be using to shoot those other, more majestic beasts with. To see one of either in a couple of weeks will make you luckier than I've been. I've seen two or three bears in the wild in my life, and never a mountain lion.

 

[dairycreek]

Dear FunYet!

Now that's an enticing gun! How does .44 magnum compare to .357 magnum when it comes to recoil and handling?

The 44 mag does have more recoil and there's no getting around that. As to how much more? That is so subjective I can't really answer that question. I can tell you though that the 3" 44 mag sure makes a lot of noise. Ear protection is recommended.

 

[FunYet]

Rented a .44 mag today

In response to advice in this thread I rented a .44 mag. Rather than go into detail in this thread and running things off-topic I started a new thread in the "revolvers" forum.

http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=1723920#post1723920

Thanks for all the great feedback and advice!