Best Backwoods Gun - Page 3

Mercenary · July 29, 2011, 08:15 PM

While its no suprise that the 357 mag, 44 mag, and 10mm have been the top contenders of this post, I am suprised that no one has mentioned the 357 SIG. Isn't it suppose to be close at somewhat duplicating the ballistics of the 357 Magnum?

I think for the price a good Ruger or S&W 357 Magnum is goind to be hard to beat in what I've seen so far. I have yet to find a 44 Magnum in my price range. The only one I've seen was a Taurus. I have not heard good things about Taurus firearms, especially their customer service. I could have a Glock 10mm for less than what I've found any other 44 Mag. Any suggestions?

BarryLee · July 30, 2011, 12:03 AM

Quote:

I have yet to find a 44 Magnum in my price range.

Yes, new .44 Magnums are kind of pricey and hard to find in the LGS. I have found a S&W 629 and Ruger Super Redhawk, but I really want a regular Redhawk and haven’t found locally yet. I may end up ordering one site unseen, but I really hate to do that. I may try to visit a gun show next month and at least have a lot of options to look at even if I do not buy anything. If you have the opportunity you might want to consider doing so also.

TylerD45ACP · July 30, 2011, 12:08 AM

How bout the 10MM. I like it you think really hot loads HARD CAST out of a Delta Elite would be good. Im not really going to be in the woods anytime soon just curious as I like the catridge. I know its between a 357 mag and a 41 mag in terms of power. Any thoughs on the 10MM?

treg · July 30, 2011, 12:49 AM

My current thinking puts the S&W Mountain Gun at the top of the pile for best woods gun. It is light weight and very packable for it's power level. Also comes in calibers that can be loaded or bought from mild to wild, in a wide variety of bullet shapes and sizes.

.44 mag / Special would be my caliber of choice.

Alaska444 · July 30, 2011, 12:54 AM

The .44 magnum has been king of the hill of back woods guns for decades and for good reason, they get results. It is my first choice and I feel confident if I can learn how to shoot them well and be able to put a bullet where it needs to be, it will drop about anything in North America. Not at all the first choice for large Alaska bears, but it has killed quite a few of them nevertheless. Many want the reliability of a revolver for woods guns. Perhaps just an individual choice, but that is the way I look at it.

stevelyn · July 30, 2011, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Now, if i was in Alaska, different story. I'd want the largest magnum my hip could stand! I'd 100% be looking at a S&W 500 magnum.

How did we ever survive up here before those were invented???

Just about any .357, .41, .44, or .45 Colt will serve your needs in the L48 just fine. Just make sure you use a hardcast bullet that'll crash through lotsa muscle and bone.

Alaska444 · July 30, 2011, 01:35 PM

Quote:

stevelyn
Senior Member

Join Date: May 19, 2004
Location: Fairbanksan in exile to Aleutian Hell
Posts: 2,345
Quote:
Now, if i was in Alaska, different story. I'd want the largest magnum my hip could stand! I'd 100% be looking at a S&W 500 magnum.
How did we ever survive up here before those were invented???

Just about any .357, .41, .44, or .45 Colt will serve your needs in the L48 just fine. Just make sure you use a hardcast bullet that'll crash through lotsa muscle and bone.
__________________
McCain/PALIN '08

Squished bugs on a windshield is proof the slow/heavy bullet theory works.

People simply took their 30-06 everywhere with them in Alaska in the back window of their trucks. That was what my dad when we lived in Alaska in the 1950's and 60's. On the other hand, the critters were more scared of us back in those days and you hardly ever saw predators unless you were looking for them, at least in the Anchorage area that is. We ran around the woods as kids without ever thinking about bears. I suspect parents don't let the kids do what we did anymore.

carsinc · July 30, 2011, 01:51 PM

If you really have lived in western NC for a number of years and are just now asking for this advice, here on this forum ......... then my advice is 1) stay out of the woods, 2) move to where you don't need this type of advice.

The city-fied version would be, "I've lived in south Philly for several years, what gun should I carry".

DAS9mm · July 30, 2011, 02:29 PM

If carrying a .357 magnum, remember to file off the front blade site. That way it won't hurt when the bear shoves up your rear.

Seriously, I've backed packed in New England, the Pacific Northwest, and Montana. I've come across black bear, brown bear, and cougar. I have never carried a gun with me. They are heavy and I already am carrying enough crap with me. Also, it's not allowed to carry guns in National Parks, regardless of what the wild life may or may not do. My wife is a field biologist who spent years in the back woods of Alaska, and didn't carry a gun. They had shotguns if they wanted them, but again heavy. Another friend of mine worked for the state of California. The only time he carried a gun was when the police called Fish and Game to dispatch a maimed deer. And when he lived in his apartment in Crescent City. The only person I have known who regularly carried a handgun was a female graduate student who was afraid of being raped when she was out in the field in eastern Oregon. She had a Taurus 0.357 magnum.

I guess, why do you need to carry a gun in the woods? People are the biggest threat. The cats are going to jump on your head from behind and bears, for the most part, are totally uninterested in people.

RalphS · July 30, 2011, 03:31 PM

Eastern and Southern States - 4 inch 357 Magnum with 180-185 grain hardcast bullets
Western and Mountains - 4 inch Redhawk 45LC with 325 grain Buffalo Bore bullets at 1275 fps.
Alaska - 12 Gauge with Brennekes

Some thoughts -
357 ammo is available everywhere. 38 and 357 brass can be found on the floor and in the bins at most ranges (especially 38). The cartridge is easy to reload and cheap. You will practice alot with this. 357 and 38 brass lasts a long time and I never lose any at the range. I've never had to buy 357 or 38 brass although sometimes I buy some cheap ammo at Walmart to shoot at the range and then reuse the brass. This is the most economical woods gun for me.

10mm is very interesting and can be loaded almost to 41Mag levels but I'm always turned off by the fact that I never find any 10mm brass at the range. It's expensive to buy brass and it gets lost easily at the range. It's hard to find loaded ammo and it's expensive too. I'd like to get a 1911 in 10mm someday but it's not an economical choice.

45acp - too slow for me. I like to shoot "heavy for caliber" bullets at 1100-1200 fps. The 45acp can't shoot at 250 grain bullet at that speed. Buffalo Bore offers a 255gr hardcast 45acp at 960fps. My 45LC revolver can go way beyond that. Not even a close comparison. Had an XD45. Sold it.

There are many people who will say that a 255gr bullet at 960fps is good enough. They are probably correct but I can handle 1100 fps easily and that's what I like.

btw - I also like 44 Mag and a 4 inch 44M is as good as a 4 inch 45LC but my 44M is a 5.5 inch Redhawk and that's a little too big and heavy for hiking. I like 4 inch handguns the best for hiking.

Stevie-Ray · July 30, 2011, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Also, it's not allowed to carry guns in National Parks, regardless of what the wild life may or may not do.

Think again.

Quote:

I guess, why do you need to carry a gun in the woods? People are the biggest threat. The cats are going to jump on your head from behind and bears, for the most part, are totally uninterested in people.

Do what you want, though I think that attitude reckless. But don't try to convince anybody that wants to protect himself in the woods that he doesn't need to. That's even more reckless.

L_Killkenny · July 30, 2011, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Do what you want, though I think that attitude reckless. But don't try to convince anybody that wants to protect himself in the woods that he doesn't need to. That's even more reckless.

Call me reckless then but my comments are as much for any young impressionable gun nuts that may be reading as for the OP. A youngin reading this site will be seeing the boogie man behind every corner if he spends much time here. So I'll chime in with what I believe: a .22 is fine in the woods, you don't need a bug and a bug for your bug, you don't need to carry 100 rounds, etc, etc as much as I dang well want. Someone has to display a certain amount of common sense. By your reasoning anyone who argues against anything that they think may be over the top is reckless. Think not.

LK

Stevie-Ray · July 30, 2011, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Call me reckless then

OK you're reckless.

Quote:

but my comments are as much for any young impressionable gun nuts that may be reading as for the OP. A youngin reading this site will be seeing the boogie man behind every corner if he spends much time here. So I'll chime in with what I believe: a .22 is fine in the woods, you don't need a bug and a bug for your bug, you don't need to carry 100 rounds, etc, etc as much as I dang well want. Someone has to display a certain amount of common sense. By your reasoning anyone who argues against anything that they think may be over the top is reckless. Think not.

So why do you bother to even carry a .22? Trying harder to convince yourself it seems to me. Some of us carry everyday. Simply changing caliber is very easy and doesn't pose a challenge for us, sorry if it does you. It wasn't directed at you anyway, go back and take your meds.

RalphS · July 30, 2011, 08:29 PM

I've hiked all over the country - Allegheny Forest, Smokey Mountains, Everglades, Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Utah, California, etc. without a gun and I'm still in one piece.

The odds of an attack are very small, but they are not zero.

There was a hiker killed in Yellowstone this year by a grizzly. There was a camper pulled out of a tent and killed in the Gallatin Forest last year along with two others who were injured by a bear. A mountain goat attacked and killed a hiker in Olympic National Park last year. A bunch of teenagers were attacked in Alaska last week. That's four attacks out of millions of hikes in the woods.

So, don't get paranoid. Enjoy the wilderness. Keep your eyes open and pay attention to your surroundings.....and carry a gun just in case.

L_Killkenny · July 30, 2011, 08:32 PM

When I carry any gun in the woods or out on the town it's for one or more of the following:

- because I can
- because I want to
- hunting
- plinkin
- man's teddy bear
- I like GUNS

Not because of some deep routed fear of ghost, goblins, big foot or the boogie man. I never say not to carry. Carry all you want and how ever many you want. Make it is big as you want. But if you a going someplace where you really really think you are gonna die without em you are going someplace you shouldn't be. Time in the woods is one of the safest places to be for Lords sake.

And I don't need to talk myself into anything, the voices do it for me.

LK

Chesster · July 30, 2011, 08:45 PM

Any good 4-6" 357 or 44 mag. If you handload, add the 41 mag. If you have a Ruger and handload, add the 45 Colt. In the woods, I only use an autoloader as a BUG.

shooter1911 · July 30, 2011, 10:11 PM

This is my choice of field gun. In non black bear country it is stoked with 250gr hard cast Keith .44 Specials at 950 fps. In blacky country it carries the same 250gr hard cast bullet loaded at 1200 fps out of the four inch barrel.

shooter1911 · July 30, 2011, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Not because of some deep routed fear of ghost, goblins, big foot or the boogie man. I never say not to carry. Carry all you want and how ever many you want. Make it is big as you want. But if you a going someplace where you really really think you are gonna die without em you are going someplace you shouldn't be. Time in the woods is one of the safest places to be for Lords sake.

Obvioulsy you never saw Deliverance.

Alaska444 · July 30, 2011, 10:30 PM

We have had about 14 people attacked and I believe 2 or three killed in the last month alone. Yup, safe to an extent, but it seems some folks are in denial about those critters with fangs and claws. There are about 400,000 black bears in North America from Mexico to Canada and Alaska. The number of encounters with bears is increasing due to loss of habitat, increased bear numbers as well as a lot more people out in the woods than there used to be. In addition, because people today have the attitude that the woods are safe, they are becoming cavalier about real risks as the news of the last month should tell all.

I have sent my son all the reports on bear attacks I come across over the last couple of years. Here is a sample I have sent in the last month:

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/a...traight-to-her

http://www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_...126089238.html

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/07/24...est=latestnews

http://www.9news.com/news/article/20...uth-Lake-Tahoe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsaRk...layer_embedded

For myself, I am not going to lie to someone and belittle the dangers of bears and other animals in North America's woods. This is only part of the news in the last month alone. You tell me whether there are no dangers in the woods. People are lulled into a false sense of security because the attacks are relatively rare compared to the number of people in the woods. Yet for those that do become the person in these articles, better preparation would have been a bright idea before they were attacked.

Unfortunately, several have died in the last month alone. Yup, it is a low likelihood, but carrying a handgun is minor inconvenience which I find to be no inconvenience myself. Since carrying is such an easy option, why not.

Alaska444 · July 30, 2011, 10:53 PM

Here is a new article. The title tells the whole story.

Quote:

Bear attacks on the rise

Wetmore rancher loses llama; teenage camper bit.
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Posted: Saturday, July 30, 2011 12:00 am
By TRACY HARMON | [email protected] | 0 comments
The Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife warns Southern Colorado residents that hungry bears are causing problems in the region.
A Wetmore rancher lost a llama this week — the third animal lost to bear attacks on the ranch this summer. On July 15, a bear bit the leg of a teenager camping near Leadville.

As a result, wildlife officials are asking residents and vacationers to take extra care to avoid attracting hungry bears to homes, cabins, campgrounds and picnic areas.
"Within the past few weeks, wildlife officers have responded to a higher than normal level of calls about bears entering homes, garages, sheds, tents, chicken coops and damaging beehives," said Michael Seraphin, spokesman for the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife "Officials also had to kill the bear that injured the teen camper — it had apparently ransacked a cooler outside a tent in an adjacent area of the camp prior to the incident."

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/...cc4c002e0.html

Deja vu · July 30, 2011, 10:58 PM

If I had the choice of any hand gun caliber it would be the 41 mag... that said I think a 357 will due especially if you use good ammo like Buffalo Bore

MLeake · July 30, 2011, 11:05 PM

LKilkenny, my lady is from Story County, Iowa. Generally speaking, you don't have the same issues there as we do in some other parts of the country.

For instance, in the southeast, in addition to 4-legged predators we also have an abundance of marijuana fields and meth labs. Their proprietors can be rather unfriendly.

A friend of mine in NC has problems with armed trespassers poaching ginseng, of all things. (Yup, perfectly legal herb, but more expensize by the ounce than saffron...)

In Georgia, we made headlines not too long ago when a drifter in the woods murdered a hiker named Meredith Emerson. Turns out the same guy is a suspect in several other murders, all of hikers in the woods between Georgia and Florida.

In Florida, at least several years ago, game wardens had a higher fatality rate than other law enorcement types, due to a mix of poachers and drug growers.

So, while I agree time in the woods should be a time for peace and safe reflection, I don't agree that it always is.

bamaranger · July 31, 2011, 03:01 AM

RE the "who's got a 10mm", .....I've got one, had it for 10-12 years or so now, a Glock 20. As a "woods pistol" it carries easy, flat and compact, much more so than a revolver of equal power. I suspect it is much more durable than my 629 Mtn/.44, and possibly my Ruger Black Hawk /.357, both of which serve the same role. I feel certain that the Glock carries easier than the revolvers, no hammers or sight blades to gouge or get hung on, or ding.

RE guns in national parks..pro or con, the firearms laws in NP's changed about 2 years ago and possesion of same in many circumstances in NP's is not illegal.

I would rather be armed, anywhere, than unarmed.

Regards the OP, you SURE you got mtn. lions in NC?

L_Killkenny · July 31, 2011, 10:36 AM

Quote:

I suspect it is much more durable than my 629 Mtn/.44, and possibly my Ruger Black Hawk /.357,

Quote:

I feel certain that the Glock carries easier than the revolvers, no hammers or sight blades to gouge or get hung on, or ding.

Say what?

Alaska444 · July 31, 2011, 03:50 PM

Glock is known for long barrel life, but Ruger is the king of the hill as far as being the most rugged hand gun around. The joke is if it doesn't fire, you can always beat the bear to death with it as a club.

July 30, 2011, 12:49 AM	#54
treg Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2006 Posts: 1,104	My current thinking puts the S&W Mountain Gun at the top of the pile for best woods gun. It is light weight and very packable for it's power level. Also comes in calibers that can be loaded or bought from mild to wild, in a wide variety of bullet shapes and sizes. .44 mag / Special would be my caliber of choice. __________________ .44 Special: For those who get it, no explanation is necessary. For those who don't, no explanation is possible.

July 30, 2011, 01:51 PM	#58
carsinc Member Join Date: March 10, 2011 Posts: 64	Advice If you really have lived in western NC for a number of years and are just now asking for this advice, here on this forum ......... then my advice is 1) stay out of the woods, 2) move to where you don't need this type of advice. The city-fied version would be, "I've lived in south Philly for several years, what gun should I carry".

July 30, 2011, 03:31 PM	#60
RalphS Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2010 Posts: 111	Eastern and Southern States - 4 inch 357 Magnum with 180-185 grain hardcast bullets Western and Mountains - 4 inch Redhawk 45LC with 325 grain Buffalo Bore bullets at 1275 fps. Alaska - 12 Gauge with Brennekes Some thoughts - 357 ammo is available everywhere. 38 and 357 brass can be found on the floor and in the bins at most ranges (especially 38). The cartridge is easy to reload and cheap. You will practice alot with this. 357 and 38 brass lasts a long time and I never lose any at the range. I've never had to buy 357 or 38 brass although sometimes I buy some cheap ammo at Walmart to shoot at the range and then reuse the brass. This is the most economical woods gun for me. 10mm is very interesting and can be loaded almost to 41Mag levels but I'm always turned off by the fact that I never find any 10mm brass at the range. It's expensive to buy brass and it gets lost easily at the range. It's hard to find loaded ammo and it's expensive too. I'd like to get a 1911 in 10mm someday but it's not an economical choice. 45acp - too slow for me. I like to shoot "heavy for caliber" bullets at 1100-1200 fps. The 45acp can't shoot at 250 grain bullet at that speed. Buffalo Bore offers a 255gr hardcast 45acp at 960fps. My 45LC revolver can go way beyond that. Not even a close comparison. Had an XD45. Sold it. There are many people who will say that a 255gr bullet at 960fps is good enough. They are probably correct but I can handle 1100 fps easily and that's what I like. btw - I also like 44 Mag and a 4 inch 44M is as good as a 4 inch 45LC but my 44M is a 5.5 inch Redhawk and that's a little too big and heavy for hiking. I like 4 inch handguns the best for hiking. Last edited by RalphS; July 30, 2011 at 05:23 PM.

July 30, 2011, 08:32 PM	#65
L_Killkenny Senior Member Join Date: February 2, 2007 Location: Iowa Posts: 2,676	When I carry any gun in the woods or out on the town it's for one or more of the following: - because I can - because I want to - hunting - plinkin - man's teddy bear - I like GUNS Not because of some deep routed fear of ghost, goblins, big foot or the boogie man. I never say not to carry. Carry all you want and how ever many you want. Make it is big as you want. But if you a going someplace where you really really think you are gonna die without em you are going someplace you shouldn't be. Time in the woods is one of the safest places to be for Lords sake. And I don't need to talk myself into anything, the voices do it for me. LK Last edited by L_Killkenny; July 30, 2011 at 08:41 PM.

July 30, 2011, 10:11 PM	#67
shooter1911 Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: DFW Area Posts: 265	629 Mountain Gun This is my choice of field gun. In non black bear country it is stoked with 250gr hard cast Keith .44 Specials at 950 fps. In blacky country it carries the same 250gr hard cast bullet loaded at 1200 fps out of the four inch barrel.

July 29, 2011, 08:15 PM	#51
Mercenary Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2011 Location: NC Posts: 311	While its no suprise that the 357 mag, 44 mag, and 10mm have been the top contenders of this post, I am suprised that no one has mentioned the 357 SIG. Isn't it suppose to be close at somewhat duplicating the ballistics of the 357 Magnum? I think for the price a good Ruger or S&W 357 Magnum is goind to be hard to beat in what I've seen so far. I have yet to find a 44 Magnum in my price range. The only one I've seen was a Taurus. I have not heard good things about Taurus firearms, especially their customer service. I could have a Glock 10mm for less than what I've found any other 44 Mag. Any suggestions?

July 30, 2011, 12:08 AM	#53
TylerD45ACP Senior Member Join Date: July 16, 2010 Posts: 1,654	How bout the 10MM. I like it you think really hot loads HARD CAST out of a Delta Elite would be good. Im not really going to be in the woods anytime soon just curious as I like the catridge. I know its between a 357 mag and a 41 mag in terms of power. Any thoughs on the 10MM?

July 30, 2011, 12:54 AM	#55
Alaska444 Junior member Join Date: April 3, 2010 Posts: 1,231	The .44 magnum has been king of the hill of back woods guns for decades and for good reason, they get results. It is my first choice and I feel confident if I can learn how to shoot them well and be able to put a bullet where it needs to be, it will drop about anything in North America. Not at all the first choice for large Alaska bears, but it has killed quite a few of them nevertheless. Many want the reliability of a revolver for woods guns. Perhaps just an individual choice, but that is the way I look at it.

July 30, 2011, 02:29 PM	#59
DAS9mm Member Join Date: June 15, 2010 Location: Michigan Posts: 61	If carrying a .357 magnum, remember to file off the front blade site. That way it won't hurt when the bear shoves up your rear. Seriously, I've backed packed in New England, the Pacific Northwest, and Montana. I've come across black bear, brown bear, and cougar. I have never carried a gun with me. They are heavy and I already am carrying enough crap with me. Also, it's not allowed to carry guns in National Parks, regardless of what the wild life may or may not do. My wife is a field biologist who spent years in the back woods of Alaska, and didn't carry a gun. They had shotguns if they wanted them, but again heavy. Another friend of mine worked for the state of California. The only time he carried a gun was when the police called Fish and Game to dispatch a maimed deer. And when he lived in his apartment in Crescent City. The only person I have known who regularly carried a handgun was a female graduate student who was afraid of being raped when she was out in the field in eastern Oregon. She had a Taurus 0.357 magnum. I guess, why do you need to carry a gun in the woods? People are the biggest threat. The cats are going to jump on your head from behind and bears, for the most part, are totally uninterested in people.

July 30, 2011, 08:29 PM	#64
RalphS Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2010 Posts: 111	I've hiked all over the country - Allegheny Forest, Smokey Mountains, Everglades, Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Utah, California, etc. without a gun and I'm still in one piece. The odds of an attack are very small, but they are not zero. There was a hiker killed in Yellowstone this year by a grizzly. There was a camper pulled out of a tent and killed in the Gallatin Forest last year along with two others who were injured by a bear. A mountain goat attacked and killed a hiker in Olympic National Park last year. A bunch of teenagers were attacked in Alaska last week. That's four attacks out of millions of hikes in the woods. So, don't get paranoid. Enjoy the wilderness. Keep your eyes open and pay attention to your surroundings.....and carry a gun just in case.

July 30, 2011, 08:45 PM	#66
Chesster Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2007 Location: Dixie Posts: 2,538	Any good 4-6" 357 or 44 mag. If you handload, add the 41 mag. If you have a Ruger and handload, add the 45 Colt. In the woods, I only use an autoloader as a BUG.

July 30, 2011, 10:30 PM	#69
Alaska444 Junior member Join Date: April 3, 2010 Posts: 1,231	We have had about 14 people attacked and I believe 2 or three killed in the last month alone. Yup, safe to an extent, but it seems some folks are in denial about those critters with fangs and claws. There are about 400,000 black bears in North America from Mexico to Canada and Alaska. The number of encounters with bears is increasing due to loss of habitat, increased bear numbers as well as a lot more people out in the woods than there used to be. In addition, because people today have the attitude that the woods are safe, they are becoming cavalier about real risks as the news of the last month should tell all. I have sent my son all the reports on bear attacks I come across over the last couple of years. Here is a sample I have sent in the last month: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/a...traight-to-her http://www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_...126089238.html http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/07/24...est=latestnews http://www.9news.com/news/article/20...uth-Lake-Tahoe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsaRk...layer_embedded For myself, I am not going to lie to someone and belittle the dangers of bears and other animals in North America's woods. This is only part of the news in the last month alone. You tell me whether there are no dangers in the woods. People are lulled into a false sense of security because the attacks are relatively rare compared to the number of people in the woods. Yet for those that do become the person in these articles, better preparation would have been a bright idea before they were attacked. Unfortunately, several have died in the last month alone. Yup, it is a low likelihood, but carrying a handgun is minor inconvenience which I find to be no inconvenience myself. Since carrying is such an easy option, why not.

July 30, 2011, 10:58 PM	#71
Deja vu Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2010 Location: Border of Idaho & Montana Posts: 2,584	If I had the choice of any hand gun caliber it would be the 41 mag... that said I think a 357 will due especially if you use good ammo like Buffalo Bore __________________ Shot placement is everything! I would rather take a round of 50BMG to the foot than a 22short to the base of the skull. all 26 of my guns are 45/70 govt, 357 mag, 22 or 12 ga... I believe in keeping it simple. Wish my wife did as well... Last edited by Deja vu; July 30, 2011 at 11:10 PM.

July 30, 2011, 11:05 PM	#72
MLeake Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2007 Location: Outside KC, MO Posts: 10,128	LKilkenny, my lady is from Story County, Iowa. Generally speaking, you don't have the same issues there as we do in some other parts of the country. For instance, in the southeast, in addition to 4-legged predators we also have an abundance of marijuana fields and meth labs. Their proprietors can be rather unfriendly. A friend of mine in NC has problems with armed trespassers poaching ginseng, of all things. (Yup, perfectly legal herb, but more expensize by the ounce than saffron...) In Georgia, we made headlines not too long ago when a drifter in the woods murdered a hiker named Meredith Emerson. Turns out the same guy is a suspect in several other murders, all of hikers in the woods between Georgia and Florida. In Florida, at least several years ago, game wardens had a higher fatality rate than other law enorcement types, due to a mix of poachers and drug growers. So, while I agree time in the woods should be a time for peace and safe reflection, I don't agree that it always is.

July 31, 2011, 03:01 AM	#73
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,799	some answers and 1 question RE the "who's got a 10mm", .....I've got one, had it for 10-12 years or so now, a Glock 20. As a "woods pistol" it carries easy, flat and compact, much more so than a revolver of equal power. I suspect it is much more durable than my 629 Mtn/.44, and possibly my Ruger Black Hawk /.357, both of which serve the same role. I feel certain that the Glock carries easier than the revolvers, no hammers or sight blades to gouge or get hung on, or ding. RE guns in national parks..pro or con, the firearms laws in NP's changed about 2 years ago and possesion of same in many circumstances in NP's is not illegal. I would rather be armed, anywhere, than unarmed. Regards the OP, you SURE you got mtn. lions in NC?

July 31, 2011, 03:50 PM	#75
Alaska444 Junior member Join Date: April 3, 2010 Posts: 1,231	Glock is known for long barrel life, but Ruger is the king of the hill as far as being the most rugged hand gun around. The joke is if it doesn't fire, you can always beat the bear to death with it as a club.