Options for mountain/backcountry gun..

[jr24]

If you aren't worried about grizzlies then 10mm or .357 will be fine for blacks and cats. I like to carry Underwood 200 grain hardcasts @1200+. I also carry on occasion Underwood .45 +P 255 grain hardcasts and feel fine.

In all reality you shouldn't need to worry about bears as long as you pay attention and don't do anything stupid (like get too close on purpose).

A can of spray is sufficeient for simply curious bears.

I don't know enough about big cats to advise.

If grizzlies or browns are around, then my minimum is .44 mag with hot hardcasts. Again your best bet is paying attention and avoidance, as bears as a whole don't want to mess with us anyway.

[mk70ss]

We trail ride mules all over creation and my wilderness guns of choice are either a S&W 686 2 1/2 inch eight shot .357, an Uberti SAA clone in .45 Colt, or a Ruger Redhawk .45 Colt. each has a round of snakeshot up first. Always at least one speedloader of spare ammo in the saddlebags.

[ShootistPRS]

Cougars, although they are about the fourth largest cat, are less lethal than their cousins. They weigh from just over 100 pounds to just over 200 pounds and can be stopped with most handgun rounds with a well placed shot. They kill their prey with a bite that separates the upper spine in the neck area while grasping the animal with their front legs. The technique doesn't work well on humans because their teeth are not aligned for our necks. An athletic man or woman can fight them off by hand. They typically ambush running game so if you stop and move to approach them they will most often run.

[chuckscap]

Black bears don't take a lot of power to put them down generally. I'd go with your 45. Buffalo Bore is great if your gun is built to handle +P ammo and feeds and functions with them. If not a 230g XTP hollow point isn't far behind. For a woods gun, I carry my Springfield V16 Longslide shooting Buffalo Bore 45 Super 255g hardcast at 1100 fps. I'm in Colorado too. I carried more in the woods when my kids were small. I'm too old and tough for any of the animals to want to eat me any more

[shafter]

I would strongly advise not to carry any FMJ of a round nose variety. Those will glance right off a bear's skull. I've seen it happen in person. What you want is something flat along the lines of a semiwadcutter which is why I choose a revolver for backcountry. Semiautos just aren't reliable with the type of ammo you need.

What I don't see people stressing enough is practice. A bear can move really fast and big cats move even faster and usually from ambush. You're going to need to be able to hit a small moving target under pressure.

[chuckscap]

I can't argue that a revolver is inherently more reliable, and can be had in more powerful calibers but some of us are just semi-auto pistol guys. My Springfield V16 Long Slide loves the Buffalo Bore 45 Super 255g hardcast bullets. It's incredibly accurate and reliable with them. It also feeds regular 45 ACP 230g Golden Sabres and 230g hardball flawlessly. More than a couple of Alaskan brown bear guides have begun to carry Glock 10mm pistols as well.

[Mannlicher]

I have a new favorite trail revolver, a S&W 60-15. .357 Magnum, three inch barrel, adjustable sights, Hogue grips. 5 shot, but it's light weight, and packs easily in a chest holster for easy access.

[ThomasT]

Mannlicher I have a gun close to yours. Mine is a model 36-6 38 special with a 3" barrel and adjustable sights and a matt finish like a model 28 Hiway Patrolman. And yes it makes an excellent trail gun. And a hot 38 is about all I care to shoot out of it. But more mild 158gr loads around 800fps does all I want it to do. Or even some WC loads at 750fps. Those are nice little pistolas.

[Mannlicher]

ratshooter, I have to admit that virtually all I shoot in this Model 60 is my handloaded .38 Specials. Those .357 loads are just uncomfortable. When going out though, I carry one speed loader with Winchester 145 grain Silver Tips. Just in case.

[chrisintexas]

from where do you buy those winchester 145 grain silver tips in 357 magnum?

[wiiawiwb]

My main woods gun is a Glock 40 MOS. I love the gun and the red dot is on 24/7 when in the woods. It is 10mm and I use Underwood 220 gr hard cast flat nose rounds. It is the handgun I shoot more accurately than any other.

Other times, I'll carry my Ruger Toklat with 360gr hard cast flat nose 454 Casull rounds. It's a handful but very comforting knowing you can call upon it.

[chaim]

As others have mentioned, bear are most likely going to try to avoid you. If you are in a dangerous encounter, your best bet is likely bear spray over a gun. Mountain lions aren't as thick boned and muscled as bear and likely anything that is good to defend against an attack by people will work with them. You are most likely (even in the middle of nowhere) to need to defend against a human attacker if you need a gun in the woods.

That said, a woods gun makes for a good excuse (for me) to carry a revolver. Usually my S&W 625MG, and if I ever put enough rounds through it that I trust it I'll occasionally take my 3" Rossi 461 (if not, I will likely replace all of my snubs with a 3" S&W 686 Plus soon). With the consideration that you are more likely to need it against people, and if you want more capacity, a 10mm with hard-cast bear loads (like the Buffalo Bore Outdoorsman loads) would be acceptable against bear (probably similar to .41mag) and give you semi-auto capacity.

Though, if you want to try to use what you have, I'd go .40S&W (penetration is important against bear) and get the Buffalo Bore Outdoorsman rounds and probably feel as well prepared as with any other handgun.

[Danoobie]

I do a fair amount of walking in the woods.
I prefer a .44 Magnum, with a couple rounds
of ratshot, for snakes. Some of the 300 grain
lead bear rounds might be in order.

[jstert]

there are black bears in rural and even suburban new england these days, none when i was a boy scout on many camping trips in the 1960s.

i only day hike now. as comforting in the hand at the range as my ruger blackhawk 45lc is, it is only a fantasy woods gun for me. im more worried about wild dogs, rabid raccoons and feral humans so my daily ccw goes to the woods too: s&w airweight snubbie with 38 wadcutters, naa guardian 32acp, bond arms derringer in 9mm or 410 in the tube & 45lc on speedstrips. im comfortable and accurate at defense ranges with them. im not a hunter so i make noise when i hike with my walking stick and a tied-on small metal cup or bell to warn off animals.

if i were ever to venture far out overnight up in moose country i would be suv camping and bring the ruger 45lc, with a ruger single six 22lr/wmr and a h&r single shotgun.

actually lyme disease is likely the most pressing outdoor threat here but bloused boots and bug spray probably work better than snakeshot on ticks.


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[jrothWA]

I carried mostly aRuger SS6 with Mornday 140ge XTP and two speedloaders.
Second loader was loaded with Federal 180gr HARD caat lead for serious needs. Never needed.

Back-up was Gm1991A1 with Hornady 230 XTP and two mags, second loaded with Hornday's 230 FMJ-FP.

First bear I located, stopped behind tree and observed as it was feeding on rotten truck, when it lowered to root, I did a withdraw.

Just being prudent.

Got involved with prospecting group and added a A5 for effect.

[gunguy56]

Just a footnote to the above postings...more people are actually killed by black bears ..mostly by young male black bears in a protective mode of their territory..than by grizzly/brown bears..of course, the probability of running into a black bear is much more likely than running into a big brown bear because of the much greater range and population of black bears...as mentioned in the previous posts, penetration is crucial to stopping a bear ..I agree that hard cast heavy .357/.41/.44 bullets are the correct medicine for killing bears with a handgun..

[shooter1911]

My Colorado companion loaded with 250gr HC Keith loaded just under max load at approx. 1250 FPS.

[walks with gun]

I like Ford trucks best. I only threw this in their because the OP gave two options and very few can stick to the topic.

[Buckeye!]

Hiking in Northern GA , & Carolinas .. other than Black Bear .. you have to be more concerned anout 2 legged predators ...
My vote is a 29 stoked with Underwood 200 grain XTP