Am I being hunted?

[SDShooter79]

Here in western SD, we have quite a few Mt Lions. The area I'm hunting this year is prone to having a few of them. What kind of pistol would you guys carry for a possible quick dispatch of a big, nasty, ****** off cat.

[CWKahrFan]

Glock 20 10mm is my suggestion... 15+1 rds. of juicy reliable firepower that still only runs @39-40 oz. loaded seems the best overall-confidence-defence-package to me.

[graysmoke]

Glock 23.... .40S&W....13+1...Very accuate and reliable.

JHP ONLY.

[Deja vu]

Pretty much any common center fire handgun would probably work. Use what you are best with.

[SDShooter79]

Here are my current choices from what I own. Springfield Armory 9mm (16+1), H&K 9mm Compact (13+1), or Ruger GP100 357 6 inch bbl.

[Jason_G]

Check your laws before you carry a handgun.

Here in Louisiana, we can only carry a .22 rimfire pistol during bow season, and even then the law states that it must be loaded only with rat shot. A centerfire handgun would be okay here once gun season starts. Check your WL&F website.

Jason

[jgcoastie]

What's your primary hunting weapon? If it's a rifle, I'd say you're better off with it than any handgun.

If a bow, and if it's legal to do so, I'd take the .357 loaded with this or this. Bullet choice would boil down to just how big of a cat we're talking about...

[Edhem]

Here we dont have any mt lions, but insetad have some very nasty bobs. Sure thing would be a SW pistol loaded with .357 Sig ammuntion. Lots of stopable power indeed, the Virginia State Police has reported that attacking dogs have been stopped dead in their tracks by a single shot, whereas the former 147 grain 9 mm duty rounds would require multiple shots to incapacitate the animals.

[JACK308]

take your pick:

9mm,40 cal,10mm,45acp
357,44,

223 rifle -, lions are thin skined easy to kill

[mete]

I just saw a deer that had escaped a Mt lion attack .It was limping and it's back was sliced and diced badly but it survived !!
Of course this is in NY State where "they don't exist" !!! But there isn't anything that jumps on the back of prey like that , no coyotes ,bears or anything but large cats . A 10mm pistol or 41 or 44 mag revolver would work for the cat .

[swopjan]

Here in Louisiana, we can only carry a .22 rimfire pistol during bow season, and even then the law states that it must be loaded only with rat shot.

i think i'd rather defend nyself with a machete. or even a screwdriver.

[ritepath]

Nice to see someone mention the G23....I'm thinking of buying a 23 for my carry sidearm while hunting here.

[ClayInTx]

I'm told that a Glock, any Glock, any calibre in a Glock, will stop a herd of raging elephants.

So--it seems you cannot go wrong with a Glock.

When I go into the woods here in east Texas where we have cougars, feral boar hogs with tusks 4 inches long, and the occasional black bear; I carry a




S&W 4" .357 State Trooper.

[Double Naught Spy]

Am I being hunted?

No, you are not.

[jrothWA]

.4" .357Mag revolver. Don't miss.

[Sport45]

Originally Posted by SDShooter79

Quote:
Am I being hunted?

And if you are, you lose.

Big cats are pretty stealthy. I imagine if one really wants you he'll have the back of your neck before you could unholster anything.

[Discern]

Sometimes mountain lions do hunt hunters. The same can be said for trail bikers and runners. It is alarming how many have been killed or spotted near walking paths and elementary schools in small towns and some small cities.

With what you have, I would go with the GP100 in .357 Mag IF you are accurate with it. You need to practice. Be sure to check your hunting laws and regulations. I believe SD says (or use to say) a rifle for hunting mountain lions has to meet the same requirements as a deer rifle, and my guidelines are the same for a handgun - meet the requirements for deer hunting. I would also use a bullet designed for hunting deer sized game. Some of the big cats in the northern states can be 200 lbs or more.

[graysmoke]

I say this from personal expierence. I have used a .40S&W caliber bullet from a Glock 23 to take down succesfully a full grown black bear, and oversize wild bore.

The two most important things is distance and shot placement. Especialy when trying to hit at a Fast Moving Target in a self defence scenerio.

A .357 mag load in a revolver is fine. But your not hunting. Your shooting at a charging beast to protect yourself. .....So, keep in mind you only have 6 shots with a revolver. As appose to 13+1 .40 caliber in a more rapid fireing Glock.

[hogdogs]

oversize wild bore.

What exactly is an "oversize wild boar"[sp] 700, 800, a thousand pounds?
A "big ol' bo' hawg" can go 400-500 pounds in the wild as true feral swine... So "oversize" has to go bigger than that...

If you can "brain 'em", I think any of the common SD pistol rounds from 9mm on up would drop a stalking cat... But I would have to already have it in my hand before I knew of the danger for me to feel like I would have time to get a well placed shot off.
Brent

[reconcoupe]

all you need is a surgical-steel hemostat.

http://discovermagazine.com/2010/the...tart:int=2&-C=

But my vote goes for what ever you feel comfortable with.

[SDShooter79]

I kinda envision an "oh ****, that cats 20 feet away" type scenario, Definitly not a hunting scenario. I figure, that in that type of close range situtation, I would feel more comfortable getting a quick shot or two with my 9mm vs the 357 mag.

Granted, I would either have a 270 or 7/08 with me as my primary hunting rifle, but I feel the liklihood of being able to employ it at that close of range is pretty slim.

And lastly, by the time the cat is that close, your probably toast anyway. I've always been told that by the time you spot one, it's too late.

[Daryl]

Granted, I would either have a 270 or 7/08 with me as my primary hunting rifle, but I feel the liklihood of being able to employ it at that close of range is pretty slim.

Practice with it and you'll be able to.

Wish I had a dollar for every coyote I've killed at close range with a rifle. I've killed a couple or three with a handgun, too, but lots more with a rifle. A 'scoped rifle, btw.

Any centerfire handgun commonly used for SD on 2 legged coyotes will work fine on a mtn lion. Like Jack said, they're thin skinned, and not that hard to kill. 9mm, .357 mag or larger.

Use hollow point ammo.

Daryl

[brmfan]

+1 Glock 23, especially the Gen 4 which has a beefed up barrel block & double recoil spring to handle hotter loads.

[jackmon]

I use a taurus judge magnum. Cats dont like a face full of bird shot. And if that fails. A 45 slug will stop them no problem.

[Double Naught Spy]

And if you are, you lose.

Big cats are pretty stealthy. I imagine if one really wants you he'll have the back of your neck before you could unholster anything.

More people are attacked and even more people are killed by deer every year than mountain lions. The threat from mountain lions is quite slim. Lots of people are followed and watched by mountain lions without ever being "hunted" by them.

An even greater concern is the threat from hunters (others and/or self) http://www.ihea.com/news-and-events/...orts/index.php

On average, there are less than 6 attacks per year in the US and Canada, combined, and less than 1 death per year.

Mountain lion attacks in South Dakota seem to be nearly non-existent.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,334557,00.html
http://tchester.org/sgm/lists/lion_attacks_nonca.html

Having a side arm is great for hunting as a backup safety precaution, no doubt. However, the notion of a mountain lion specific gun for self defense is pretty far fetched given how little the threat of mountain lions really is. A general purpose pistol suitable to multiple tasks and animal times would be a much better consideration than just selecting for for proection against mountain lions.