Backcountry handguns

RatDrall said:
When we go hiking out in the middle of nowhere I carry my 4" S&W Model 66 .357, because I am more comfortable shooting it at longer distances, and I'm a bit more confident in the heavier bullets.
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I have one of these fine revolvers. Pity they stopped making them.... :(

It's a great woods carry gun. You can bring a pocket full of assorted ammo for it: .38 Special wadcutter light target loads, snakeshot, and full-bore 158gr. .357 Mag.

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
Ruger SP101 .357 (has new Hogue grips on it now...)
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Swampdog said:
I always have my S&W 340 in .357 mag on my hip when I out and about in the swamps of Florida. My main reason for carrying it is because I can load the first two cylinders with #9 rat shot-shells for snakes and the other four chambers with 158 grain hollow points.
Rarely will I kill a snake but if I have to, I can. The hollow points are for larger critters, either two or four-legged.
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Make that 3 rounds of .357 mag... my S&W 340 has a 5 shot cylinder! (I also have a Ruger GP 100 that I have carried a lot longer, but now my wife keeps it at home).
 
PrimitiveMan said:
Well Snareman, you have quite the analysis going there, and I am not about to flame you, all I can say is, you are not going to get me to give up carrying my .45 ACP Colt.

There is NOTHING I can imagine encountering that it can't handle. Man, cougar, black bear. deer. I don't walk around in Grizzly country, if I did I would take a slug gun or big bore lever.

.45 ACP Cocked and locked. 7 rounds with a spare mag and 20 rds in the pack.

If you feel better with something else, go for it.
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I absolutely adore the 45 ACP but, I've used it on a lot of critters and wasn't pleased with penetration.Bummer actually because it is a fabulous fighting round with good street results.

I like the 45 on my hip much more than a 500 S&W in my safe at home when I need it.

One reply to this thread referenced hogs and they aren't regarded as dangerous game. Well, it all depends upon circumstances and locale.

Wildlife behaves differently in different habitat. Coyotes hammer pets right on peoples porches in Los Angeles but would never be caught near an active dwelling in many parts of the country.

Start catching piglets in foothold traps while doing coyote removal work and it will make you feel like you wiped your rear end with a handful of alum...
 
This is what I am trying to locate. I think it is a good compromise of quality, capability and portability.

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S&W Model 60 Pro, 5 shot 357

Doc
 
I like either my Super Blackhawk hunter in .44 mag or Ruger Bisley Vaquero in .45 colt. I'm a die hard single action fan thou Ive owned 2 Super redhawks in the past. sold all my autos except my Sig p220 45acp.
 
I have a lot of respect for hogs after shooting one in the head with a .270 from 20 yards. It required a follow up shot to put it out of it's misery. It kinda snarled and crawled toward me before I shot it again. Anything that doesn't die immediately from a 140 grain slug to the head is either pretty damn tough, or a zombie.

The thought of using a handgun on a full-sized pig is frightful to me given my past experience. I wouldn't do it unless I had to. And if I did, I'd use this one... S&W .44 mag Mountain Gun (because it is the most powerful handgun I have;)).
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Most often, when at the Ranch I carry this Glock 32 in .357 sig loaded with 13 rounds of Hornady 147 grn JHP/Xtp @1225 fps. It very closely matches the .357 magnum balistics.
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I agree, the .45 is not the best game-getter. But it can take game is my preference for defense against 2 leggers, which I think is the more probable need.
 
I love the 45 ACP.
But, I really love the 45LC!!!!!
I've got a few 357s, but most of time I'm walking around I have a 45 of some sort.
Slow and big is how I like them...kinda like my women. :) :)
 
How do you all feel about the .357mag vs 44mag in a lever gun for big game. I think that the .357mag out of a rifle will give a great knock down and still have a effective kill range (maybe 50+ yards?).
 
nate1714 said:
How do you all feel about the .357mag vs 44mag in a lever gun for big game. I think that the .357mag out of a rifle will give a great knock down and still have a effective kill range (maybe 50+ yards?).
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I wish somebody would make a 10mm lever gun.......

Andy
 
nate1714 said:
How do you all feel about the .357mag vs 44mag in a lever gun for big game. I think that the .357mag out of a rifle will give a great knock down and still have a effective kill range (maybe 50+ yards?).
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I have a good friend that is a ranch foreman in north Texas that shoots a Rossi copy of a 1892 Winchester in .357 mag. He has killed more hogs with that rifle than I'll probably kill the rest of my life. 357 in a rifle is indeed a beast. :thumbup:

My father owns the same gun in 44 mag, but has not yet had the chance to test it against a pig. It does, however, work very well with shotshells against rattlesnakes.;)
 
nate 1714,

Dan Wesson used to make "Pistol Pack" kits that included several different length barrels---but all the same caliber. I expect it would take some expensive engineering to make a revolver with both interchangeable cylinders and barrels in different calibers that could handle magnum cartridge pressures.

DancesWithKnives
 
My maximal urban jungle pocket protector is my minimal woods carry. I carry 200gr Gold Dots, which make 805 fps from the 2.5" barrel, in the urban jungle, and a mix with 240gr LSWCs making 770+ fps from that short barrel while woods stomping. While .44 Specials aren't much good against a hog or a bear, they should more than suffice for other threats. The key is simple - it's a CCW - something I can pocket carry, where my CCL is acceptable. That's a Robert Mika pocket holster. So fitted, the combo fits 75+% of my pants front pockets.

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My deep woods carry has been a large coat pocket or pack carried 625 Mountain Gun in .45 Colt. I'll post a picture of the one I carry with the new holster later, when my light source is 'up'. Loaded with either 250gr Gold Dots or 255gr LSWC, it's an easy shooter. If I was in the NW, I'd likely sub my 4" 629 with .500 Magnum grip - and some warm .44 Magnums.

Interesting about the .45 ACP not being up to the task for the woods. Perhaps a 625 in .45 ACP would be a better choice - especially if you reload. That revolver will take moonclipped .45 ACPs for very fast reloads - or, less the clips, you can load the .45 Auto Rim cases - with regular .45 Colt bullets, like those aforementioned Speer #4484 250 gr Gold Dots or 255gr LSWCs. As the .45 Colt is a 14kPSI round and the .45ACP/AR is a 21+kPSI round, one has little trouble exceeding .45 Colt performance with such loads and modern propellants. With the longer bullets in the .45 AR cases, one wouldn't be tempted to pop them in their jam-o-matic, like .45 ACPs, either.

Stainz
 
DocGP said:
This is what I am trying to locate. I think it is a good compromise of quality, capability and portability.

178013_large.jpg


S&W Model 60 Pro, 5 shot 357

Doc
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You can buy a 3" Model 60 (5 shot .357) with fixed sights (better for woods carry,nothing to fall and break off) everywhere, it's a standard catalogue item.
 
I've always been a strong proponent of carrying something in the woods.

I think the best all-rounder in the woods except in grizzly country is a .357 wheelgun. Since I do have largeish hogs and black bears in my area, I'd load it heavy -- 158gr or 180gr softpoints. If I'm carrying shoulder rig, I'll take a 6", if a belt rig, a 4".

If you absolutely want an autoloader, then pick one in 10mm or .45 Super. Bonus is, both are excellent manstoppers and can double as your EDC outside of the woods. Not to mention if you have one rigged for .45 Super, you can just swap out a lighter recoil spring and remove the buffer and shoot .45 ACP, as the cartridges are exactly the same size.

That being said, back when I had more than a couple of guns, my favorite woods gun was an S&W 629 4". 240-gr softpoints handled just about anything 2- or 4-legged that needed killing, and a few spare shotshells worked wonders on snakes or small game. The short barrel allowed for pretty good patterns and packability.

As for leverguns in .357 and .44 magnum: on deer sized game, the .357 guns are good to 100 yards, stretching to 125 if you know how it shoots well. The .44 is good to 150 yards, maybe 175 if you really know the gun. Otherwise, on that class animal, there's no real difference, both drop them quite well. With very large game, like moose, brown bear, etc, the .44 will have an advantage, although at that point, I'd rather have a .45-70.
 
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