Camping Gun Recommendations

[MTPlainsman]

Nobody has mentioned the Smith and Wesson Night Guard line. Nice and light and comes with a front night sight.

 

[Sugar River]

Beachbum,
You don't mention if you reload, but if you do this would be my choice.

http://www.taurususa.com/product-detail ... series=TS2

I have the same model but in Titanium (no longer made) and it is a SWEET package for those wanting POWER in a package.
The only down side in factory ammo is the non-existence of snake shot.

Cheers,
Pete

 

[Triggernosis]

........ and it does sting pretty good ........ I suscpect that a wound created by a bear would hurt infinitely more however .......

Now that's funny.

Come on, folks - .357 Mag. should be a-plenty for a black bear and for feral dogs.
However, I do like the idea of maybe a compact sa/da 9mm or 45.

 

[Knuckles]

A Springfield XD45 Compact... or any other similar good Tupperware in 45acp with extra mags should do the trick.

A good functioning 1911,... who could cry about that?

Revolver in 44spl, or 45Colt running around 950-1050 fps

The other stuff is a bit sharp on the little feller's ears.

A 20ga 'shotty' would be swell too!

 

[Triggernosis]

...
The other stuff is a bit sharp on the little feller's ears.

Is the "other stuff" that much worse than .44 Spec. and .45 Colt?

 

[MMichaelAK]

...
The other stuff is a bit sharp on the little feller's ears.

Is the "other stuff" that much worse than .44 Spec. and .45 Colt?

.357 is a lot sharper report than .44 or .45C. Having done it without hearing protection, I feel very safe in s saying this.

The next thing I'll say is this. Wear your hearring protection so you dont have tinnitus like I do now.

Big bears dont get big by being stupid in areas containing humans. You have more to worry about with the small and medium sized bears. There are a lot more of those than the big boys. A .357 with 180 grain hardcasts will work well on black bears.
But then, so will a .44mag or a .45Colt.
When Im in Prince William Sound, I carry my GP100 loaded with 180 grain hardcast bullets. I bought my wife a Security Six for the same time, place and load. If we arent out on the sound, then I switch to my .45C blued 4 5/8th" Blackhawk. Loaded with 300 grain Cast Performance bullets over 20 grains of H-110, I get 1040fps give or take out of it just in case we run into a brown bear that needs convincing.

That Blackhawk feels shorter and slightly lighter then my 6" GP so its an easy carry gun and pretty compact.

 

[AzRebel]

...
The other stuff is a bit sharp on the little feller's ears.

Is the "other stuff" that much worse than .44 Spec. and .45 Colt?

Some of 'em are. A li'l .357 mag is horrible on ears when shot without hearing protection.

The "boom" of a heavy .45 Colt load seems tame in comparison, and I really can't tell you why. The high pitched "crack" of a .357 mag just rips me hearing up

Daryl

 

[Calthrop]

If a bear sticks its head in your tent and drags you out into the near by brush then begins eating you alive are you going to worry about your hearing?

My family was "attacked" by a pack of feral dogs in Northern Arizona. No shots were fired. We were fishing on private property. I did have a KGP-331 and did draw it. I put it away.There were at least nine dashing targets whose initial rush at us was driven off by a hail of stones. It seemed the bulk of the pack move on yet two or three hung about just out of range. I need to fashion a sling!
I would like to point out about feral dogs is they are not afraid of humans. Revolvers are to low in capacity to deal with fast moving targets and the shooters are undertrained. If you think spray and pray with a hi cap semi auto is the answer I bet you only going to get someone hurt along with;maybe a dog. Training is the answer.

Practice shooting at clay pidgins rolled along the ground at odd angles at varying speeds. They may give you time to put on your ear protection and get out your Glock 20 and a couple of reloads. That is more than the midnight caller will give you. You will not need the 200 grainers for them though. Calthrop

 

[Knuckles]

...
The other stuff is a bit sharp on the little feller's ears.

Is the "other stuff" that much worse than .44 Spec. and .45 Colt?

Why do you even ask?

I did NOT refer to High velocity 44spl/45Colt loads... they can bark too!

 

[deac45]

...The other stuff is a bit sharp on the little feller's ears...

And a bears teeth would be a little sharp on their little arse, too! :lol:
I think with the adrenalin overload most will say they didn't hear a thing.

deac45

 

[M'BOGO]

I remember a gun writer/Alaskan guide that wrote an entire article on how the .357 was better bear medicine than a bigger cartridge.
At the end he admitted he had given his model 65 Smith (.357) to his daughter when she took up guiding.
He now packs a Smith & Wesson Mountain Gun chambered in .44 magnum!

Three 44s

Don't take this as sharpshooting.
He also was citing now hard to get loads, and recovery time between shots, and foremost, it allowing the keeping of a cool head and command presence.
He also keeps a .416 Rigby in the one holer, for a reason.

 

[Rclark]

Say aren't we talking about Florida here ... instead of Alaska? Surprised the .475, .480, and .500 haven't been mentioned yet :roll: .

I think with the adrenalin overload most will say they didn't hear a thing

Sure .... but I firmly believe the full load craaaak of a .357 is harder on the hearing than the boom of a .45 Colt even if you consciously don't 'hear it' . One reason I pack the .45 Colt now instead the hot .357 in the woods....

 

[countglockula]

44 Special and 45 Colt are easier on the ears because they are subsonic. Loads that exceed 1100fps or so have that 'crack' and really hurt the ears because the bullet is exceeding the sound barrier.

First time I shot a .357 with factory loads without hearing protection was the last time!

However, my typical 45LC target loads are loud, but not painful. That's why I have switched to 45LC for woods carry, as well as having a bigger bullet.

Ron

 

[BearHawk 357]

When a person finds themself in a situation, where there is a REAL need of a gun, while enjoying the great outdoors, two important elements exist. They are: survival (hunting for food if lost) and survival through protection from predation. We, outdoorsmen, will find ourselves in a situation where the need for food becomes more of a common reality as compared to the "a bear is chewing on my arm and I need a big gun" story that we often hear about. When I think of camping I think of many differnt types of terrain, shelter, wildlife, weather and various amounts of contact with other humans. There are a lot of variables to consider here.

So, with that being said.....here are my choices: A Ruger or Browning 22lr semi-auto pistol (light, tapered, shorter barrels are better than long bull barrels IMHO). These 22's will keep you alive in the woods. Keep them short and light. The long heavy ones only shoot better in theory. You don't want to "pay" the weight penalty that the long and heavy models put on a hiker. Carry a fully loaded mag in the gun with another fully loaded mag on your belt. Also, it is no problem to throw a plastic pack of cci mini-mags in your pack for more support.

A person camping and hiking in bear country may require the use of a bigger piece of iron/lead. However, a bottle of pepper spray, made for protection againts bears, is way lighter to carry and it offers survival benifits for both you and the bear. I say, stop thinking about the "monster" that's going to eat you and turn your focus towards that rabbit or squirrel that you need to pop for your own survival nutrients. Also, think of the added benifits of teaching youngsters to shoot the quiet and gentle .22 rounds. It would bring more folks into the shooting sports as compared to blasting the ears of young scouts with the 357 recoil/report.

It's always better to have more gun. Well, what if you are packing a 5 or 6-shot big bore and you miss all of your shots but still find yourself in need of more shooting? I would almost rather have 20 small semi-auto shots at the ready as compared to only 5 shots of the big stuff. I know what most people would say to that.....they would say, "that sounds crazy." Take it from a military guy. There is nothing worst than being in a fight for your life and running out of ammo. Having a couple full mags of .22's, to fire, is better than using your x-frame as a club.

Maybe having a combo of two small and light guns is the ticket. Get a super lighweight snubbie in a big bore. Keep it fed with some hot, heavy, solid cast bullets for when the SHTF. Carry it in a fanny-pack type of gun holster. The type that opens with the quick pull of one handy strap. Also, carry a .22 on your hip in a standard style holster. This set-up would provide the total package, of what you would want/need, as a camper/hiker.

 

[maxpress]

for your situation i would go with a 3" sp101 if it were me. its concealable enough that nobody would ever be the wiser and its powerfull enough to end the type of threats your talking about. on the other hand a glock 29 would fit the bill if your not stuck on a revolver. 41 mag power but with but with 11 shots total and its size and weight are less than a 4" .357

 

[wild_weasel]

This one is easy, a 5 1/2 inch Ruger Blackhawk Convertible in 45 Colt/ 45ACP. It is the same frame size used on the .357s and is lighter in that more metal is bored out for 45. If yor worried about things that bo bump in the night load it with Corban 45 Colt +P ammo. In 45ACP Federal HydoShock and even Winchester White Box 230gr FMJ will get the job done.

Cheers,
W-W

 

[Quarterbore]

I carry when hiking and what I have on me varries quite a bit. The gun I most often carry in bear country, and here in PA we have some huge Black Bears, is the Glock 20 loded with 15-rounds of very hot 10mm hardcast loads from double tap. I carry a second mag loaded with hollow points in case the threat is of the 2-legged variety which is honestly the bigger threat then black bears.

The second gun I like to cary is a 5.5-inch Ruger Redhawk and upto this past fall it was a 45 Colt. Last fall I picked up a rather ugly 5.5-inch 44 Mag and now it is my woods gun as I can't harm that guns finish. The disadvantage with the Redhawk is it is much heavier then the Glock and I am limited to 6-shots compared to 15 +1.

The third gun I carry is my every day carry gun which is a Glock 19. I don't carry it when hiking in the big woods where I have run into bear but for most any other threat here in PA it is very adequate. The Glock 19 is just much easier to carry. In the woods, I carry a spare mag loaded with FMJs in case I should need to have more penetration then I get with the hollow points that are in the gun but with a 9mm lets be honest it will not work well against a big and angry criter.

JMHOs. I do like carying the Glock 20 better then a big and heavy revolver and the huge mag capacity is a plus too.

 

[CraigC]

If a bear sticks its head in your tent and drags you out into the near by brush then begins eating you alive are you going to worry about your hearing?

No, I'm gonna worry about my hearing beforehand. I completely disregard the .357 as a revolver cartridge for numerous reasons. One of the biggest is the noise. The .357 is ear-splitting and it has little to do with being supersonic and everything to do with the pressure to bore size ratio. Simply put, you can get more performance on flesh with a moderately loaded big bore and NOT make your ears bleed. Yes, they are all loud without hearing protection but the famous 125gr .357 load can disorient even the shooter if fired within enclosed areas. It WILL permanently damage your hearing.

 

[Stoots]

When a person finds themself in a situation, where there is a REAL need of a gun, while enjoying the great outdoors, two important elements exist. They are: survival (hunting for food if lost) and survival through protection from predation. We, outdoorsmen, will find ourselves in a situation where the need for food becomes more of a common reality as compared to the "a bear is chewing on my arm and I need a big gun" story that we often hear about. When I think of camping I think of many differnt types of terrain, shelter, wildlife, weather and various amounts of contact with other humans. There are a lot of variables to consider here.

So, with that being said.....here are my choices: A Ruger or Browning 22lr semi-auto pistol (light, tapered, shorter barrels are better than long bull barrels IMHO). These 22's will keep you alive in the woods. Keep them short and light. The long heavy ones only shoot better in theory. You don't want to "pay" the weight penalty that the long and heavy models put on a hiker. Carry a fully loaded mag in the gun with another fully loaded mag on your belt. Also, it is no problem to throw a plastic pack of cci mini-mags in your pack for more support.

A person camping and hiking in bear country may require the use of a bigger piece of iron/lead. However, a bottle of pepper spray, made for protection againts bears, is way lighter to carry and it offers survival benifits for both you and the bear. I say, stop thinking about the "monster" that's going to eat you and turn your focus towards that rabbit or squirrel that you need to pop for your own survival nutrients. Also, think of the added benifits of teaching youngsters to shoot the quiet and gentle .22 rounds. It would bring more folks into the shooting sports as compared to blasting the ears of young scouts with the 357 recoil/report.

It's always better to have more gun. Well, what if you are packing a 5 or 6-shot big bore and you miss all of your shots but still find yourself in need of more shooting? I would almost rather have 20 small semi-auto shots at the ready as compared to only 5 shots of the big stuff. I know what most people would say to that.....they would say, "that sounds crazy." Take it from a military guy. There is nothing worst than being in a fight for your life and running out of ammo. Having a couple full mags of .22's, to fire, is better than using your x-frame as a club.

Maybe having a combo of two small and light guns is the ticket. Get a super lighweight snubbie in a big bore. Keep it fed with some hot, heavy, solid cast bullets for when the SHTF. Carry it in a fanny-pack type of gun holster. The type that opens with the quick pull of one handy strap. Also, carry a .22 on your hip in a standard style holster. This set-up would provide the total package, of what you would want/need, as a camper/hiker.

Excellent post!

 

[Jeff H]

One thing I don't really see discussed here is bullet choice. It seems to me that if I were choosing a camping gun, I would be just as interested in what bullets I would use as the gun. You're going to be much more successful with a 357mag loaded with 158gr LSWC or 180gr LRN then you would with the wiz-bang 110gr JHP that I have on hand for self-defense.

If you don't handload, Buffalo bore and Double Tap make these hard hitting rounds. You're not likely to find them at Wal-mart.