Is a snub .38 enough for Mountain Lion?

[Paul B.]

As long as I have been camping or hiking, I've alway carryed a reasonably powerful handgun. On the 4th of July weekend back in 1959, My girl friend and I were camped with a church group comprised of young college aged couples. As usual I had the most powerful handgun I owned just in case, an S&W 38/44 outdoorsman. The cartridge was the forerunner to the .357 Mag. Along about two in the morning there's screams and a Black Bear is dragging a woman from her tent. two shots ended the problem with the bear and now we had to get the woman to a hospital. It was lated determined that the woman was at "that time of the month". The cartridge was the .38 Spl. loaded to what they call plus P plus with 158 gr semiwadcutters today.

On another occasion, in 1978 IIRC, I was hiking up a canyon scouting for deer as the season was only a month away. I was also hoping to shoot a coyote to check out the condition of the hide. Handgun was an old 1917 S&W and I had a rifle in .243 to try for the coyote. Is I worked my way up the canyon, I had the feeling I was being watched. I looked behind me and there was a Mountain Lion about 50 yards out. I flapped my arms and hollered for it to beat it and it ran off out of sight. I continued up the canyon and the feeling came back and when I looked back I saw the cat again only closer to me than before. I scared it off again but it soon was back and close enough to spring that I just shot it. The .243 that close is a bit messy. I decided to scout another day and went back to town and called Fish & Game. I went back out with the warden and he took it in for autopsy. Seems the cat was very young. Warden thought mama chased it off so she could take up with a new male. The cat upon autopsy had stomach with no food whatsoever. Warden concluded that I was probably on the menu for that night.

Those were the only two times I had an encounter with animals in the wild where harm or potential harm occurred. I've spent much of my time in the Nevada and Arizona mountain and desert and have seen Mountain lions and Black Bears more than once, sometimes fairly close up. never had a problem. But I was aware of their presence and I hand by big bore handgun in my hand. Just in case. I treated rattlesnakes the same was. leave me be and I'll leave you be. It worked out quite nicely.

[Mosin44az]

Good stories Paul B. We’re those incidents in Arizona?

Recall a terrible incident in the 80s or 90s where a Black Bear pulled a girl out of her tent on Mt. Lemmon, the group leader shot it with a .44 magnum, it ran off, hunters found it lying barely alive the next day. Turns out some lady in the little town up there (Summerhaven IIRC) was feeding it.

[jar]

The good and bad that I can see in this question so far haven't been discussed.

The good is that a snub is a better contact weapon than a semi-automatic.

The bad is that contact with a mountain lion is very seldom good.

[Super Sneaky Steve]

Revolvers have the best power to weight ratio by far. When I'm active outside I like something as light as possible. Usually a S&W 351PD with 7 shots of 22mag or an LCR in .38 Spl.

[ammo.crafter]

Stub nose revolver are quite difficult to shoot consistently or accurately. As others have mentioned when faced with a split second condition, accuracy will suffer...massive adrenalin rush will also effect accuracy.
The 38 splc is a good round but not the best choice for an unexpected emergency.

If that is the only handgun you have practice, practice, practice and use the same loads you will be taking with you.

[Kreyzhorse]

It really depends on how well you shoot it under pressure. Same with a 9mm, or a 44mag.

All of them could anchor a big cat if you hit it or at least persuade it to move onto something that isn't armed.

[44 AMP]

Revolvers have the best power to weight ratio by far.

I ran into a guy who looked at it the other way around. His measure of "power" was Ft/lbs, AND he took the ME of the round, and multiplied it by the number of rounds the gun held. THAT was the power of the gun, to him.

Using his method, semi autos nearly always have more "power" than revolvers, HE was also "a bit odd" in some other ways, as well...

Thinking about it, wouldn't the highest power to weight ratio in a handgun be a .45-70 derringer???

The good is that a snub is a better contact weapon than a semi-automatic.

Nice broad statement, Not 100% true. It depends on the gun. There ARE semis that will not be pushed out of battery by pressure on the muzzle.
I own some.

[MSD Mike]

I think the cartridge could do the job but I know a snubbie would be tough for me to use effectively.

Mike

[44 AMP]

The cartridge has sufficient power to do the job IF the shooter puts the bullet in the right place.

Doing that is the hard part.

[JustJake]

Yeah, but the OP is still ambulating between the .38 Spc Ed. and the 9-minimeter.

https://thefiringline.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=616685

No way either cartridge is a for-sure Mtn. Lion remediator.

[44 AMP]

No way either cartridge is a for-sure Mtn. Lion remediator.

Disagree.

As I've pointed out (repeatedly in both threads) the CARTRIDGE has the power needed to do the job.

Delivering that power where it will do the job has nothing to do with the cartridge at all. It is 100% the shooter.

Whether you or I or anyone else CAN do that has nothing to do with the capability of the cartridge

No cartridge is a " for-sure Mtn. Lion remediator" unless the shooter puts the bullet in the right place. Not even an elephant gun.