Which side arm makes most sence

[onlybrowning]

If you want to handgun to maybe hunt, get a handgun for that and have fun with it. The pistols you already have are good for your situation.


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[Desk Jockey]

The answer is always to buy a new gun. Sadly I don’t spend enough time in grizzly country so far from an expert.

I do spend a decent amount of time behind a pistol. The revolver vs semi debate is interesting. I spent this year shooting steel challenge matches with a SW 617 10-shot 22 LR. I can shoot it well now but much more slowly than a semi. Staging the trigger is an art that requires some practice and more careful aim. I have years of trigger time behind glocks. Follow up shots are slower with 10mm vs 9mm but the muscle memory still holds for handling and manual of arms.

Like others, when I go afield in grizzly country, I tend to favor a glock 20 with some decent hard cast bullets. I figure I will have a better chance mag dumping 15 rounds of 10mm on a brown bear than 6 44 mags. Outside of grizzly country, I favor a p365 xl. For me, it strikes a balance of shootability and concealment. 13 rounds of 9mm is not ideal brown bear medicine but it is plenty for smaller critters and it conceals better around town.

 

[Nine Banger]

Not to derail...But how many of these heavy hardcast rds have you put through your P365?

This is a good point...

I have 2 boxes of Buffalo Bore 9mm set up in color coded mags for G19 and G43x I carry in chest holster under bino harness.

But I've never tested it!

I'll shoot them and order more assuming they work.

 

[sclb745]

I carry a Glock 34 when hunting. I don't have big bears to worry about, black bears and hogs but both of those are rare. My main concern is two-legged critters and I prefer to have capacity for my needs.

 

[StuckInTheEast]

This is a good point...

I have 2 boxes of Buffalo Bore 9mm set up in color coded mags for G19 and G43x I carry in chest holster under bino harness.

But I've never tested it!

I'll shoot them and order more assuming they work.

Shoot with what your gonna carry is always best practice...ask anyone running heavy hardcast through a Sig xten...I loved the feel and accuracy of that gun, but it wouldn't eat buffalo bore or Underwood HC loads remotely reliably, glad I bored one to try from a buddy before buying.

I put plenty of blinking rounds through but always run at least a box of carry loads before finishing a session with the cc gun or heading out with the G20...gotta know how the loads in your mag are going to behave

 

[Calcoyote]

I don't have the sig or any m&p pistols....but I have every other one written about and I have killed a big bear with a 10mm at face to face.

I carry a 43x with berry's hybrid 147's or a g23 with 180xtp's.

With regard to the 43x I have similar 9mm carry guns (Sig P365, G26, Hellcat Pro). I also have the larger G17 which I feel quite safe carrying and did use it in a bear defense in 2022 down in Southern Oregon.

The G23 is a GREAT gun that I don't own yet. It is the same exact size as the G19 but packs more punch. I have a G20 and the smaller G29 for when I am in Grizzly country.

With regard to the 180g XTP all I can say is that it is a VERY under-rated projectile. Hornady designed it to be a controlled expansion which means deeper penetration than a standard HP. You can watch penetration tests on Youtube and the XTP does not fragment or separate from the jacket and gives great penetration but needs to be pushed hard to get full expansion. Some don't like it for personal defense because of the deeper penetration. I must admit they have a point there, but I am NOT as concerned with over penetration and it makes the XTP great for Woods Protection. Underwood makes the 10mm with the 180g and 200g XTP and they are loaded for full power. I carry both of these with confidence in my 10mm's. Obviously the 40 S&W shoots the same projectile except it is slower (but has less recoil too). The G23 is a great setup. I need to get one.

 

[DMTJAGER]

With regard to the 43x I have similar 9mm carry guns (Sig P365, G26, Hellcat Pro). I also have the larger G17 which I feel quite safe carrying and did use it in a bear defense in 2022 down in Southern Oregon.

The G23 is a GREAT gun that I don't own yet. It is the same exact size as the G19 but packs more punch. I have a G20 and the smaller G29 for when I am in Grizzly country.

With regard to the 180g XTP all I can say is that it is a VERY under-rated projectile. Hornady designed it to be a controlled expansion which means deeper penetration than a standard HP. You can watch penetration tests on Youtube and the XTP does not fragment or separate from the jacket and gives great penetration but needs to be pushed hard to get full expansion. Some don't like it for personal defense because of the deeper penetration. I must admit they have a point there, but I am NOT as concerned with over penetration and it makes the XTP great for Woods Protection. Underwood makes the 10mm with the 180g and 200g XTP and they are loaded for full power. I carry both of these with confidence in my 10mm's. Obviously the 40 S&W shoots the same projectile except it is slower (but has less recoil too). The G23 is a great setup. I need to get one.

I absolutely concur with you statements about the Hornady XTP. I have shot literally OVER 1000 .452" 300 grain types out of my Encore 209x50 inline ML and shot MANY into utterly water saturated then drained newspaper from 50-200 yards and the recovered bullets all looked like picture perfect for bullet sales adds mushrooms with jackets still fully attached. Most underrated HG bullet in existence today IMHO.

Thanks for all the very thoughtful and very well written replies. I recently upgraded my P320s to optics cut slides and are simply amazed how much better I shot both my 3.9" carry and my 4.7" FS very first time outas in my 15 yard groups were more than cut in half in size.

I will do as advised stick with my 18+1 P320s in my Safariland ALS or GLS holsters.