Good backup hunting handgun - Page 2

drive_sideways · July 5, 2014, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lee n. field

4" barrel .357 revolver be enough?

For close range protection i wouldn't see why not...

codefour · July 5, 2014, 11:28 PM

If I could only have one handgun caliber, it would be the .44 Magnum. For protection against both two and four legged predators, it is the most versatile of them all.

It has stopped every game animal on the planet including elephants. It can shoot snake shot, mild .44 Special to 300+ grain elephant stoppers.

When I go in the woods where there is any kind of threat, I carry a 4inch Redhawk with heavier loads. I hunt with a SBH Bisley Hunter in .44 Mag as well

It's pretty hard to beat the .44 Magnum's versatility. It is a very easy cartridge to handload and can be loaded from 180-340 grains..

hartcreek · July 6, 2014, 04:07 AM

Since you are using a charcoal burner get yourself a Uberti Walker or dragoon either will do the job.

badge851 · July 6, 2014, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drive sideways

Quote:
Originally Posted by badge851 View Post
I carry this in 41 Remington Magnum.....

While the 41 Mag was discontinued you can still get the same gun in 357 Mag or 44 Mag.....

• Taurus TRACKER Stainless 357 Magnum
• Taurus TRACKER Stainless 44 Magnum
• Taurus TRACKER Blue 44 Magnum

Prices in my area are....
$450-$500 for new
That one has the ported barrel i see. Make quite a difference?

Yes it tames the recoil A LOT!

Bezoar · July 6, 2014, 05:40 PM

porting makes more noise. everyone tells me that. lot more tiny holes to clean. 1 barrel and 7 chambers is MORE then ENOUGH CLEANING> and i LIKE cleaning.

now ive only used one brand of 357 magnum. federal champion 357 158 grain jsp 1250 fps on the box. no barrel length given. so id assume 4 inch barrel as thats what federal uses on their 38 spcl.

now that load, does lift the gun up. it does have recoil. but i really cant tell much difference wise from remington - umc 130 grain MC in .38 special or remington HTP 38 spcl +p 110 grn sjhp.
just more NOISE.

drive_sideways · July 6, 2014, 06:10 PM

I could see how it would cut a lot of recoil but also make a lot of noise. Anything with any form of muzzle break is always much louder. I'd love to shoot both an see how they do

Super Sneaky Steve · July 6, 2014, 08:37 PM

Quote:

From 3" barrels 357 mag won't even make 9mm speeds.

Most people on this forum would prefer a .357 magnum revolver over a 9mm when up against a bear.

Try shooting 180 grain bullets out of your 9

Besides I have real data from my guns.

From my Taurus 9mm with 3.2" barrel my Winchester NATO rounds which are 9mm +P and 124grain bullets went 1,119fps or 344ft/lbs.

From my SP101 3" barrel my handload with a 125 grain Speer Gold Dot went 1,367fps or 518ft/lbs.

So all things equal .357 wins hands down. When you throw in larger bullets to penetrate big animals the magnum leaves the 9mm far behind.

Colorado Redneck · July 6, 2014, 11:19 PM

I agree with SuperSneakySteve. A 158 gr. 357 caliber XTP bullet traveling at 1250 fps has about 550 ft. lbs of energy out of a 4" bbl. See Ballistics By The Inch:
http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/357mag.html

That is pretty good wallop for the black bear scenario the OP referred to.

I personally carry a 4" SP101 for back up when hunting. Nice shooting gun.

buck460XVR · July 7, 2014, 08:33 AM

Since you are using a smokepole with one shot, I assume you want a handgun capable of handling a ****** off wounded bear, that does not give you time to reload. This is a whole different scenario than shooting a stationary, relaxed bear. In that case, you need a firearm just as capable as your primary weapon and you need to be just as proficient. Most folks that carry handguns as backup, practice far to little to hit a moving target, accurately, even at close range. This is especially for those on a tight budget that cannot justify the cost of ammo. Proficiency with a handgun does not come easily or cheaply.

I often wonder why one can afford a $600 backup handgun, but cannot afford $600 to replace their primary weapon, which would eliminate the need for the backup gun. Many times I think these "which handgun for a BUG against bears?" threads are folks trying to find some sort of justification for buying a handgun. Truth is, unless you are going to use the handgun as the primary weapon, it really don't matter. You're primary weapon should always be capable of doing the job. If it isn't or your are not capable of doing the job, you need to re-evaluate the situation.

drive_sideways · July 7, 2014, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buck460XVR

Since you are using a smokepole with one shot, I assume you want a handgun capable of handling a ****** off wounded bear, that does not give you time to reload. This is a whole different scenario than shooting a stationary, relaxed bear. In that case, you need a firearm just as capable as your primary weapon and you need to be just as proficient. Most folks that carry handguns as backup, practice far to little to hit a moving target, accurately, even at close range. This is especially for those on a tight budget that cannot justify the cost of ammo. Proficiency with a handgun does not come easily or cheaply.

I often wonder why one can afford a $600 backup handgun, but cannot afford $600 to replace their primary weapon, which would eliminate the need for the backup gun. Many times I think these "which handgun for a BUG against bears?" threads are folks trying to find some sort of justification for buying a handgun. Truth is, unless you are going to use the handgun as the primary weapon, it really don't matter. You're primary weapon should always be capable of doing the job. If it isn't or your are not capable of doing the job, you need to re-evaluate the situation.

Its also gonna b used for hiking/camping an carry. Not just gonna b hunting backup.

drive_sideways · July 7, 2014, 01:56 PM

Also i hav only ever needed more then one shot an am very capable of hitting a moving target. I am just trying to justify buying a handgun, yes

drive_sideways · July 7, 2014, 03:08 PM

No more then one shot*

redrick · July 7, 2014, 03:57 PM

I bought a .44 mag. last year because what I think was a bear, came close to me the year before, when I was deer hunting during the ML season . It was stalking me when I was walking out of the woods . It followed me all the way to my truck ( which wasn't to far away ). I yelled out a few times and it still kept coming my way .

I never saw it , but the person (a policeman ) living in the house that borders our land saw it a few times that year . I didn't know this until after my incident .

So when I saw a used Redhawk for sale right before the season opened last year , I bought it .

I feel better now with the .44 mag. when I am in the woods .

I don't hunt bears, so it would just be in the rare case it decided to hunt me .

Grant D · July 7, 2014, 04:20 PM

I used to carry my 2 1/2" Smith model 66 in my hip pocket, but now seeing as I bought a model 60 snub 357 I guess I would carry it, but they are both around your $600.00 price limit.

July 6, 2014, 04:07 AM	#28
hartcreek Junior member Join Date: April 22, 2014 Location: Washington Posts: 1,549	Burn charcoal Since you are using a charcoal burner get yourself a Uberti Walker or dragoon either will do the job.

July 5, 2014, 11:28 PM	#27
codefour Senior Member Join Date: April 2, 2012 Posts: 114	If I could only have one handgun caliber, it would be the .44 Magnum. For protection against both two and four legged predators, it is the most versatile of them all. It has stopped every game animal on the planet including elephants. It can shoot snake shot, mild .44 Special to 300+ grain elephant stoppers. When I go in the woods where there is any kind of threat, I carry a 4inch Redhawk with heavier loads. I hunt with a SBH Bisley Hunter in .44 Mag as well It's pretty hard to beat the .44 Magnum's versatility. It is a very easy cartridge to handload and can be loaded from 180-340 grains..

July 6, 2014, 05:40 PM	#30
Bezoar Junior member Join Date: October 19, 2004 Location: michigan Posts: 578	porting makes more noise. everyone tells me that. lot more tiny holes to clean. 1 barrel and 7 chambers is MORE then ENOUGH CLEANING> and i LIKE cleaning. now ive only used one brand of 357 magnum. federal champion 357 158 grain jsp 1250 fps on the box. no barrel length given. so id assume 4 inch barrel as thats what federal uses on their 38 spcl. now that load, does lift the gun up. it does have recoil. but i really cant tell much difference wise from remington - umc 130 grain MC in .38 special or remington HTP 38 spcl +p 110 grn sjhp. just more NOISE.

July 6, 2014, 06:10 PM	#31
drive_sideways Senior Member Join Date: July 4, 2014 Posts: 142	I could see how it would cut a lot of recoil but also make a lot of noise. Anything with any form of muzzle break is always much louder. I'd love to shoot both an see how they do

July 6, 2014, 11:19 PM	#33
Colorado Redneck Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2008 Location: Northeast Colorado Posts: 1,993	I agree with SuperSneakySteve. A 158 gr. 357 caliber XTP bullet traveling at 1250 fps has about 550 ft. lbs of energy out of a 4" bbl. See Ballistics By The Inch: http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/357mag.html That is pretty good wallop for the black bear scenario the OP referred to. I personally carry a 4" SP101 for back up when hunting. Nice shooting gun.

July 7, 2014, 08:33 AM	#34
buck460XVR Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2006 Posts: 4,342	Since you are using a smokepole with one shot, I assume you want a handgun capable of handling a ****** off wounded bear, that does not give you time to reload. This is a whole different scenario than shooting a stationary, relaxed bear. In that case, you need a firearm just as capable as your primary weapon and you need to be just as proficient. Most folks that carry handguns as backup, practice far to little to hit a moving target, accurately, even at close range. This is especially for those on a tight budget that cannot justify the cost of ammo. Proficiency with a handgun does not come easily or cheaply. I often wonder why one can afford a $600 backup handgun, but cannot afford $600 to replace their primary weapon, which would eliminate the need for the backup gun. Many times I think these "which handgun for a BUG against bears?" threads are folks trying to find some sort of justification for buying a handgun. Truth is, unless you are going to use the handgun as the primary weapon, it really don't matter. You're primary weapon should always be capable of doing the job. If it isn't or your are not capable of doing the job, you need to re-evaluate the situation.

July 7, 2014, 01:56 PM	#36
drive_sideways Senior Member Join Date: July 4, 2014 Posts: 142	Also i hav only ever needed more then one shot an am very capable of hitting a moving target. I am just trying to justify buying a handgun, yes

July 7, 2014, 03:08 PM	#37
drive_sideways Senior Member Join Date: July 4, 2014 Posts: 142	No more then one shot*

July 7, 2014, 03:57 PM	#38
redrick Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,041	I bought a .44 mag. last year because what I think was a bear, came close to me the year before, when I was deer hunting during the ML season . It was stalking me when I was walking out of the woods . It followed me all the way to my truck ( which wasn't to far away ). I yelled out a few times and it still kept coming my way . I never saw it , but the person (a policeman ) living in the house that borders our land saw it a few times that year . I didn't know this until after my incident . So when I saw a used Redhawk for sale right before the season opened last year , I bought it . I feel better now with the .44 mag. when I am in the woods . I don't hunt bears, so it would just be in the rare case it decided to hunt me .

July 7, 2014, 04:20 PM	#39
Grant D Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2011 Location: Brazos County, Texas Posts: 1,038	I used to carry my 2 1/2" Smith model 66 in my hip pocket, but now seeing as I bought a model 60 snub 357 I guess I would carry it, but they are both around your $600.00 price limit.