Handguns

[LFC911]

1911 9mm in the past, XDM 10mm in the future

 

[Phaseolus]

In Colorado I typically don’t carry in the backcountry. I will bring my SP 101 .357 to a backcountry camp. It is always in the camper when we truck camp.

 

[shtrbc]

Smith and Wesson 4" 629 Classic. 44 Mag. Magna-ported. 285-300 grain boolits pushed by a heavy charge of W296 or H110.

 

[trophyhill]

S&W .45 shield 230 gr fmj for me in the elkwoods

 

[hobbes]

I bought a Springfield XDM 10 last year but I've not convinced myself to carry the heavy thing. Its not bad by itself, but weighs quite a bit with a full clip of bear rounds. I definitely wouldn't carry it if not in grizzly county.

 

[WormSportsman]

629 PD 44mag is my go to here in Grizzly country. Light weight for what it is and packs a punch if needed with the hard cast lead bullets.

 

[tcpip95]

I have been considering the same with my Springfield 1911. The only predators I have to contend with are black bear, coyotes and the two legged kind. It would be for defense only so the semi-auto would probably be my choice for my area as we are not permitted to hunt with semi's.

How do they differentiate between self defense vs hunting if you’re carrying a semi-automatic pistol out in the field? Are you saying that you can carry the S/A pistol - providing you have a rifle with you?

 

[TheGDog]

The G29 has started to grow on me a lil bit. Even though I'm not a fan of Glock triggers. But I was able to hit the bullseye at 25yds with the G29 the other day at the range (EDIT: Center of the bullseye!). I've not even been able to do that with my old Ruger .357 4", which has a much nicer trigger in SA mode. So it's earned my respect in that regard. I'm sure the Ruger could do it. But with range ammo, and my eye sight issue and how the glasses I wear for hunting are skewed more towards distance viewing, and I practice with them on, on purpose... I really don't "see" the sight blades. I see fuzzy representations of where they are. I just have to try my best to "line up the fuzzies" the needed way for the shot.

 

[Ono]

Grizzly country = Glock20 /10mm. That's the only time I carry a pistol.

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[Rob960]

How do they differentiate between self defense vs hunting if you’re carrying a semi-automatic pistol out in the field? Are you saying that you can carry the S/A pistol - providing you have a rifle with you?

Provided you are in possession of a concealed carry license. Now for the people that don't have a CC license they can purchase a sporting permit from the game Commission but I believe that restricts them to hunting legal firearms.

 

[Wapiti1]

Black bears, nothing unless I have a tag for them. Then it would be one of my revolvers suitable for hunting them. .44 mag, .45 LC, .454 Casull, .500 S&W.

Grizzly and brown bear, .460 Rowland, or 4" .44 Mag.

That said, if I'm hunting with a rifle, I just have the rifle until packout. I swap to a handgun for the meat trips to the truck.

Jeremy

 

[StillBald]

Black bears, nothing unless I have a tag for them. Then it would be one of my revolvers suitable for hunting them. .44 mag, .45 LC, .454 Casull, .500 S&W.

Grizzly and brown bear, .460 Rowland, or 4" .44 Mag.

Tangent: Why does the 44 mag make your cut for grizzlies and not the .454 Casull or .500? I've had the .454 Casull on my radar for a while (almost bought one last week, already kicking myself for not doing so!), just trying to make sure I'm on the right track for a grizzly hand cannon.

 

[roosiebull]

Just curious what everyone carries when in the backcountry and there is a possible threat of bears??


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I have packed a glock 20 for the past few years, but switched to a springfield hellcat this year that I really like. I won’t pack the glock anymore unless I have a reason, but for general woods carry, I like the hellcat and love the sight… very good and repeatable sight picture

 

[TheGDog]

I have packed a glock 20 for the past few years, but switched to a springfield hellcat this year that I really like. I won’t pack the glock anymore unless I have a reason, but for general woods carry, I like the hellcat and love the sight… very good and repeatable sight picture

So awesome hearing what it's like to have the freedom to purchase whatever weapon you want. Not like here in the land of the emotionally led, where they think THIS inanimate object is somehow more dangerous than THAT inanimate object. ETc.

 

[Ironworker515]

I have concealed permit and I carry a Sig 250 45 ACP

 

[kit_man_duu]

Glock G40 10mm with Underwood Extreme Penetrators

 

[Wapiti1]

Tangent: Why does the 44 mag make your cut for grizzlies and not the .454 Casull or .500? I've had the .454 Casull on my radar for a while (almost bought one last week, already kicking myself for not doing so!), just trying to make sure I'm on the right track for a grizzly hand cannon.

Type of revolver, size and weight. My .454's are both single action, I won't carry a single action for bear defense. The .500 S&W weighs 5 pounds and is huge.

My .44 Mag, in this case, is a 4" Dan Wesson stainless double action. Plenty of horsepower, and much nicer to carry. My personal opinion is that you don't need tons of horsepower. A 300 grain hardcast at 1150-1200fps is plenty, and I can control it.

If I carried one of the others, it would be loaded to balance control and penetration. The Ruger Redhawk Alaskan or Toklat would be great. Or a Smith and Wesson Mountain Gun in .45 LC.

Jeremy

 

[roosiebull]

Tangent: Why does the 44 mag make your cut for grizzlies and not the .454 Casull or .500? I've had the .454 Casull on my radar for a while (almost bought one last week, already kicking myself for not doing so!), just trying to make sure I'm on the right track for a grizzly hand cannon.

will it just be for bear defense? the 454 is a sweet cartridge, but i would imagine a small one would be a handful. i eventually got rid of the 454 and got a 500, which may be the most fun firearm in the world to shoot.

if i was hunting grizz country, i would probably take my chances with my 10mm, because my next step up from that is my s&w 629, which is a good bit bulkier and heavier... in reality, would i stop a grizz with a 44mag that i wouldn't with a 10mm? i doubt it.... so much of the woods protection conversation is "in theory" not trial and error.

here on the Oregon coast there is potential people problems back at the pickup well after dark in the boonies, and there is unknowingly walking into a bad situation with a bear or lion, which is not likely to be dangerous, but could be.

i walked up on a lion on it's kill, with a tiny cub laying on top of the kill off the side of a spur road behind a locked gate... i came around the corner head down walking quick at last light, and was stopped in my tracks by an aggressive scream... i knew what it was before i looked up. i was spring bear hunting and had a rifle, so i slowly unslung my rifle and clicked the safety off before even looking up... long story short, that lion left me 5 yds from it's kill and cub rather than jumping me... it showed me how dangerous lions aren't to people, but also made me consider packing a pistol bow season, because i doubt they all would take that route... luckily that one did... lot more to the story, but luckily that evening ended without anything bad happening

 

[StillBald]

will it just be for bear defense? the 454 is a sweet cartridge, but i would imagine a small one would be a handful. i eventually got rid of the 454 and got a 500, which may be the most fun firearm in the world to shoot.

Yeah, I was looking at the Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan-- so double action and just for bear defense (I've got suppressed firearms when I'm not out bowhunting). It does look comically large, but after reading the stories about pistol rounds bouncing off grizzly skulls, I figure I'd better go big.

 

[Wapiti1]

Yeah, I was looking at the Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan-- so double action and just for bear defense (I've got suppressed firearms when I'm not out bowhunting). It does look comically large, but after reading the stories about pistol rounds bouncing off grizzly skulls, I figure I'd better go big.

Yeah, that has nothing to do with cartridge choice and everything to do with bad shot angle coupled with panic shooting. They charge with the head fairly flat and any bullet will glance off the top. Shooting them in the head is not the best idea. The shape of the skull won't allow a brain shot from the top in a charge.

You aim for the nose/mouth, and shoulders in a frontal charge. It's possible to get the brain from the nose/mouth, but really a brain shot is very difficult and mostly luck. Otherwise, you want to break bone to slow it down and put as many rounds as possible into the vitals.

There is a ton of BS and armchair speculation out there on what's best for bears.

Jeremy