best hiking, camping, fishing caliber?

D

dalegribble

New member
say that you like to hike, camp, fish......spend time outdoors off the beaten path. do you feel the need to carry a handgun? if you do what would be your favorite caliber for the area you frequent? is a rimfire enuff or do you need a mega magnum or something in between? you can add what gun you like to carry but this is more about caliber and why you like/need that for YOUR activity in YOUR area.
 
If black bear are in the area a Glock 20 in 10mm loaded with 200 gr hardcast bullets at 1300 fps from Doubletap. If no black bear, anything I would normally carry anywhere else. Usually a Glock 19 in 9mm, but could be almost anything depending on my mood.
 
I'd say 357 magnum. Plenty of power for protection and the ability to shoot light loads for small game and plinking.
 
For that sort of use, hard to go wrong with a good old .38 Special revolver.

Bears are pretty much a non-entity in my neck of the woods, and a .38 Special with the right cartridges is very effective against two-legged critters, if necessary.
 
I carry the flavor of the day and depends on if it is a day hike or over night. It will vary between my carry 38spl (Smith), a 4" double action 22 revolver (Colt or Smith), 357 mag revolver (Ruger or Colt), or 4" 41 mag revolver (Smith)... or just a camera. There are bears in the mountains in my area and you do have to pay attention. There have been a couple deaths in the Blue Ridge portion of East TN. But I feel pretty comfortable carrying my 22 revolver for the most part. I am not particularly worried about 2-legged predators and in most cases I feel I can make do with the 22.

For fishing, I'd want a very light firearm that is seldom shot. It would be there mostly for the off chance of a rabid raccoon or skunk mostly.
 
Depends.

Down here along the mexico border, smugglers and such are the most likely threats. They often carry full-auto AK-47's, so having a rifle isn't a bad idea.

As far as handguns though, a 4" barreled .357 mag isn't a bad choice. A somewhat compact .40 cal isn't bad, either; something like a Glock 23 comes to mind.

In areas away from the border, I'd rather carry a good SA revolver in .45 Colt. Sometimes a rimfire is sufficient, and can provide a meal from small game. For fishing around here, a snub .38 is about as good as it gets; easy to carry, and sufficient for most needs associated with the activity.

So, it depends. If I had to have just one gun for all of it, I'd choose a 4" barreled .357 mag. Something like a GP-100 or S&W 686 would fill the bill nicely.

Daryl
 
357 magnum. I had an SP101 that was the best handgun for those task. 180 grain cast core for bear, 158 grain med load, 125 grain for two leg beast, and 38 special wadcutter for rabbits and pesky camp racoons.
 
.357 Mag with 180 gr cast core and some .38s for goofing off.

Sometimes .22 LR or 9mm also. Would like to get a Ruger Blackhawk in .45 LC eventually for this duty and also high powered recreational shooting.
 
The tough Ruger SP 101 (3") will handle Buffalo Bore cast +P loads. Fire a few first, know what to expect. Proven tough, weather resistant, only about 27oz. empty, easy to carry, and...reliable, what more could you want? Some will say more rounds, but if you did not stop whatever you were worried about with 5 rounds, your screwed anyway.

Second thought... a light weight 5 round .44 special. Charter Bulldog? A little larger, but lighter. Hmmm... Stay away from the +p rounds for anything but defense use. Again, hard cast bullets. A slower round, but with 200+ grain bullets, same as the .357.
 
Down here along the mexico border, smugglers and such are the most likely threats. They often carry full-auto AK-47's, so having a rifle isn't a bad idea.
Click to expand...

Not according to Janet Napolitano.

If I'm likely to get wet or really dirty then I carry my Glock 22.
Most of the time I tote a Colt SAA, .45 to back up a shotgun.
 
Smith & Wesson Mod. 34, .22 long rifle. Best little camping woodsy gun ever.
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Taurus judge my friends is my choice..bird shot of 410 will do good for snakes buck shot for coyotes or hogs.. Or full slug or .45 long colt for bear.. Thats everything you need for a trail gun..
 
i'm kinda surprised there wern't more mentions of a 22 handgun. I have a sweet little high standard senitnel with duel 9 shot 22/22mag cylinders that i like to carry when i'm not going too far off the beaten path. it used to be a good 22 like a colt woodsman or charter arms pathfinder was all people felt they needed for a trek in the woods. i guess the bigger guns are just a sign of the times.

i live in az also and as someone said if i was near the border my favorite handgun might be a RPG or 50 barrett :) seriously either my hi cap 9mm taurus pt-92 or one of my full sized springer 1911's with extra mags would be on my hip.

when i go hunting with a shotgun or centerfire rifle i do like to take a smaller 22 or 22mag handgun for small game and snakes n such. a little 22/22mag and a box of shells don't weigh much or take up much room and goes a long way :)
 
It varies around home it could be my EDC gun 9mm, .45 or .380 more likely to run into canines or two legged threats. If I get a little further out I generally go with my Glock G20 10mm, but I really need to find a better holster.
 
I've evolved a bit over the years. Used to insist on a big ol' .357 or .44 mag in case I ran into a (black) bear. Not as worried about Black bears as I used to be, especially in Arizona. They are not generally aggressive.

I do carry Bear Spray, which is light, cheap and will work on anything, at close range at least.

I also carry a handgun, an XD 40 mostly these days. Figure that's enough for human aggressors and any other animals. Have also carried .38 revolvers with 158-grain loads, also 9mm+P.

The farther you get from the trailhead the less likely you are to run into anything resembling a criminal, so I wouldn't worry too much. In addition to Bear Spray, I would carry what you feel comfortable carrying for general personal defense.
 
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