Pistol for AK adventures...

[HellsCanyon]

While I'm pretty handy around AR's and precision bolt guns, I'm not a pistol guy... A good friend of mine moved up to Bethel AK a few months back and is wanting to buy a big caliber pistol. Won't be for concealed carry but will be carried on hunting trips extensively. Not really a backpack hunter YET but he's looking at both the S&W 500 or AE .50...

What say you guys?

Also I need to start looking into the regs about hunting with him in AK for either brown bear or caribou. He's left an open ended invitation for me to come up and join him... IF I find him the pistol he wants. So you guys gotta help me out here... Thanks

Mike

 

[fillthefreezer]

329pd unless he wants something that throws more that 305-315gr

 

[Ronster]

I used to carry a 44mag. After years of toting it around Im proud to say that it stays home at this point. I have a 10mm GLock that I take occasionally, but I mostly just rely on my rifle. The pistol is mostly camp duty, like having to take a leak at 2am...

My first boss up here gave me a safety briefing (military mind you) and asked if I like to hunt. Of course I said "Yeah". He asked if I had a pistol, to which i replied "yep, a 44 colt anaconda". He then asked if I had the front site filed down yet.... "Heck no, why would I do that?" His reply, "So it wont hurt as bad when the bear shoves it up your butt".

 

[luke moffat]

I have a 329PD....love to carry hate to shoot...put crimosn trace on it so I don't really got to aim once its dialed in....personal protection only to be honest...

But a 454 Casull is a good choice as is a 460 S&W both are capable of packing a power house round, but also can plink with lesser rounds....the 460 S&W would likely be my next handgun. I had the 10mm and just can't appreicate it IMO I don't need that many shots...no way am I getting off more than 6 in a personal defense scenario and 10mm rounds are spendy and the 44 mag is more potent IMO. No right or wrong at all....just what I have found in a balance of power, lightweight and accuracy. So 329PD for me. Though it would be fun sometime to take the Crimson trace off and go tackle a brown bear, but I have too many rifle safe queens to let them miss out on that party.

 

[gobbler1662]

dont forget to take a look at the 454 casull. I have a taurus raging bull in that caliber just for AK

 

[TEmbry]

My opinion isn't the popular one, but pistols are more for your peace of mind than actually stopping a bear. The size pistol needed to drop a charging bear is shot accurately by a very select few.

I carry a 10mm Glock because I figured maybe I can pump a few rounds in him once he's already chewing on me . I only bow hunt though so the few times I've hunted around them I didn't even have access to a rifle.

 

[HellsCanyon]

Thanks for the advice so far. This pistol will be carried I imagine when recreating outside more so than for actually hunting.

Ya'll know the saying... it's better to have it and not need it... etc

I'll check out the suggestions thanks everyone.

Mike

 

[Ray]

How big are his hands? Us folks with smaller hands can find a S&W frame to not feel good or shoot well with hot loads.

I carry a stainless redhawk .44 with a factory short barrel. The only mod are XS big dot express sights. I use a diamond leather guides model chest holster. I carry it for both work and play because I have found long arms get left way to often when you need your hands.

 

[CrzyTrekker]

I like a pistol that actually gets carried by yours truly and not left in the Jeep, so I carry a relatively small weapon when I go on solo backcountry fishing and scouting trips. I never carry a pistol when I'm hunting because I've got a better weapon.

I have a stainless Ruger SP101 in .357 with a 3-inch barrel. I carry it in a 1942 Tanker Holster made by El Paso Saddlery in Texas. I also have a Diamond Leather Guides chest holster, but find the Tanker is better quality and more stable when hiking than the holster I received from Diamond Leather. I've had it on during trips where it rained all day for a few days, and the leather still looks new.

The holster fits right over my abdomen, above the Kifaru waist belt, and is comfortable all day with or without a pack. The holster is easily defendable due to it's central location. If someone or "something" takes you down, you'll still have your weapon. I think anything heavier might get tiresome after a few hours.

For bullets I use Buffalo Bore heavy hard-cast lead. Even if it is just a .357, it will certainly get an animal's attention. I've always wanted a .44, but every time I've picked one up at a gun shop I realize it wouldn't get carried much. Your mileage may vary.

 

[fillthefreezer]

Thanks for the advice so far. This pistol will be carried I imagine when recreating outside more so than for actually hunting.

Ya'll know the saying... it's better to have it and not need it... etc

I'll check out the suggestions thanks everyone.

Mike

more than welcome to shoot my 329 if you are curious about one, putting it out there

 

[Zbowman1]

Mike, I have a 329PD also. I was a fishing guide in AK for a few years and I carried it with me everywhere. Great carry gun although not fun to shoot. I heard that S&W quite making it though. Not 100% sure on that. Anyway, sounds like we are close so if you want to shoot it I can meet you at the range. I have a wide variety of rounds you can try also, including hot Buffalo Bore I carried in it when I was guiding.

Zack

 

[HellsCanyon]

Awesome thanks for the offers fellas. I'll talk to my buddy Josh and let ya know what he's thinking he's lookin for! If I need some range time I'll let ya'll know for sure.

Mike

 

[BRobertson]

I recommend a 5 1/2" Redhawk, or one of the new 4" models if you can find one.

Contrary to what some folks say, a .44 is a viable bear gun with the correct ammo, AND with proper training!!

As a non-resident , you cannot hunt brown/grizzly bear here without a guide, and your buddy has to live here for a full 12 months before he can get a

resident license.


Bob

 

[Yellowknife]

Ruger or S&W .44 mags are pretty much the "standard" carry gun up here. Lots of .460's, 500's, .454's etc also, but I haven't met very many people yet who actually practice with those big cannons. At $2-$4 a shot, its simply too expensive for most people. The .500 in particular is a expensive beast to feed. They are fun to shoot though.

One warning on the 329. They recoil back fast enough that many of the heavy loads will jump crimp and lock up the gun. My brother carries one, but can't use anything stronger than HSM 300 gr loads. The 320's or the +P 300's will cause problems in his gun. He's also had a couple issues with the recoil tearing up internal parts, and it's been back to the factory once for a rebuild.

I mostly carry a Glock 10mm now. Not because I think it's better, but because I can just flat shoot it faster and more accurately than I can my .44's. The extra capacity is a bonus that that doesn't hurt. Sure I might not get more than a couple shots of if a bear charges me..... but its 50/50 odds that it will be chewing on my partner instead, and I want all the rounds I can get in that scenario.

The Ruger .44's aren't getting sold though. I like them too.

Yk

 

[Daniel_M]

Admittedly even I at one point had the ole big bore fever, just had to have a 460. But in the end, it was a pistol that left the safe as I wasn't confident enough in my proficiency. I cross a lot of guys who carry giant handguns because we have put them on a pedestal that big bores are the new standard in a realm where once the .44 and .357 was highly sufficient. That said, I carry a 10mm now on occasion when ElaineII, my sexy 45-70, doesn't get carried. Not because the 10+ clips but because it's a manageable, repeatable shot I am good with.

I'd get your hands on several and send a few down range before making a commitment.

 

[Zbowman1]

Ruger or S&W .44 mags are pretty much the "standard" carry gun up here. Lots of .460's, 500's, .454's etc also, but I haven't met very many people yet who actually practice with those big cannons. At $2-$4 a shot, its simply too expensive for most people. The .500 in particular is a expensive beast to feed. They are fun to shoot though.

One warning on the 329. They recoil back fast enough that many of the heavy loads will jump crimp and lock up the gun. My brother carries one, but can't use anything stronger than HSM 300 gr loads. The 320's or the +P 300's will cause problems in his gun. He's also had a couple issues with the recoil tearing up internal parts, and it's been back to the factory once for a rebuild.

I mostly carry a Glock 10mm now. Not because I think it's better, but because I can just flat shoot it faster and more accurately than I can my .44's. The extra capacity is a bonus that that doesn't hurt. Sure I might not get more than a couple shots of if a bear charges me..... but its 50/50 odds that it will be chewing on my partner instead, and I want all the rounds I can get in that scenario.

The Ruger .44's aren't getting sold though. I like them too.

Yk

I can attest to this also on the 329. Mine has been at the smith twice. First time for a longer firing pin, I was have a hard time getting all the rounds in the cylinder to fire. Second time to have all the threaded parts in the gun tightened up. Things like to rattle loose in the 329.
Also you can forget about shooting any ammo with and aluminum case, they just can't crimp the bullet into them hard enough. Like I said in the first post this gun is a dream to carry but a bear to shoot. (Pun intended)

 

[luke moffat]

I can attest to this also on the 329. Mine has been at the smith twice. First time for a longer firing pin, I was have a hard time getting all the rounds in the cylinder to fire. Second time to have all the threaded parts in the gun tightened up. Things like to rattle loose in the 329.
Also you can forget about shooting any ammo with and aluminum case, they just can't crimp the bullet into them hard enough. Like I said in the first post this gun is a dream to carry but a bear to shoot. (Pun intended)

I single loaded my 329PD with 320 grainers just to verify I didn't want to shoot them anyways. Since them I've been using the 255 grain reduced load by buffalo bore that still gets the 255 grain bullet going at 1250 fps which is still well ahead of a 10mm in power and my follow ups are MUCH faster than with the 300 grainers I was using prior and I am more accurate. For being still less than 2 pounds with six shots its the next best thing to having my 5.75 pound 325 WSM on me at all times....but that nearly weighs 3 times more. I would say I am either unarmed totally hiking around or with a rifle FAR FAR FAR more than am I in the woods with just a pistol. And if I have a rifle along there is zero reason for me to be hauling a handgun as well IMO. Certainly no right or wrong, just find what you prefer and shoot well and hope you never have to use it for the reason you bought it for.

 

[HellsCanyon]

What do you guys know about the .460 XVR? Apparently able to shoot .460, .454, and .45 long Colt... a google search pulled it up on another forum.

Mike

 

[Daniel_M]

What do you guys know about the .460 XVR? Apparently able to shoot .460, .454, and .45 long Colt... a google search pulled it up on another forum.

Mike

Yep. Toted one myself for a year but sold it. Ammo was a premium, at times hard to find, expensive to shoot.

 

[Yellowknife]

Luke,

If I was using a 329, that is likely the approach I would use also. My brother has been either using 240 gr hard cast handloads or 300 gr HSM loads, which are noticeably milder than the 300 gr BB stuff. He mostly practices with .44 spl now. That seems to have cured the issues he was having, and like you said it's a very nice carry gun.

He also noted that bullet pull with aluminum case ammo.

Yk