NEwbie Question Choice of carry for hiking

For defense against people in the woods, you don't need anything more than a 9mm. Period. You don't have to factor in shooting through barriers, like auto glass, or doors. You will be face-to-face with an unarmored target. Any barriers out there would likely stop any other round as well (tree trunks). The weight savings and added capacity will seriously outweigh the diameter of the bullet, not to mention the easier follow-up shots.

If you were talking about hunting hogs in the woods, I would probably suggest a Glock 20, so you can take advantage of the added benefits of a full-powered 10mm round. For people, the rounds just don't do any better than each other. I have worked with trauma gunshot victims routinely for the past few years, and you would be hard-pressed to find anyone in the field who can attribute anything of significance to the caliber of your service pistol.
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When I carry weapons into the woods how they perform on people is the last thing on my mind-- I think more about a charging animal presenting a frontal profile with lots of bone to possibly go through as my parameter for what caliber to carry.
 
Hello.

I bought the Used G29 and got a bit extra knocked off for cash :) took it to the range today and put a couple of hundred rounds through it ..

I would just like to say a big thanks to everyone that recommended it ..I shoot it really well ...

didn't kick as much as I thought it would and really quite a nice shoot, I was hitting center mass on a target at about 20 yards firing quite quickly one handed, and really easy to clean

still a few weeks to practice with it then hopefully I wont need it again :)

cheers all and thanks again for the advice
 
I have a Kel-Tec pmr 30 that I take with me. Loaded with a full 30 rounds of .22 mag it only weighs about 15 ounces. I usually carry 2 loaded mags. The only problem is finding the darn things! If you can find them they are usually over priced. I had to put about 100 rounds through mine before I felt comfortable with its reliability.
 
ok I'll throw my hat in this ring.

my personal opinion. 100 pound black bears seems a bit light. out here we have some of the smallest blackbears in the nation, fish and game guys said the 225 pounder I got a couple years back was a bruiser for the region, but even by those standards I have no doubt that bear could have taken my head off if he had wanted to despite the fact that we both weighed about the same. 100 pounds is a cub and even those can do damage if they want, although they are more likely to run the other way. 175 pound mama on the other hand will not take kindly to your proximity to her cubs. pack enough gun.

my next idea is that handgun weight is not going to be a huge difference. the difference between a 2.5 pound handgun and a 1.3 pound handgun is so slight that you are more likely to have more variance depending on the level of dehydration and whether or not you've pooped recently than the difference in weight between a full sized and a subcompact.

lastly, you want to shoot what you can hit stuff with. if you can't hit squat with an XD-s then that is likely the last gun you'd want, even though it's lighter than the XD full size. my personal recommendation would be a springfield XDM compact in 45ACP. that is generally the gun I pack for bear defense and I have had extremely good experience with it. I've never had a failure with it and I shoot it more accurately than any other gun in my collection(including some target 22lrs). if you absolutely had to have a 13 round capacity it takes the same mags is the XD fullsize and has a grip extension which feels just as good as the full size grip and if not then the 9 round flush fit mags will allow you to cut down on a couple valuable ounces in your pack.

and lastly, practice practice practice. if you can't draw and bring the weapon to bear(no pun intended) in an accurate and timely manner then it's pretty much useless. spend a lot of trigger time(at least 500 rounds over the course of several weeks) to make sure that your gun is free of defects and to help you gain familiarity and build marksmanship skills with it.

EDIT: just read that you already got a glock. congrats, it should serve you well. most of my post is still...somewhat valid:rolleyes:
 
I hike in Colorado and we have cats and bears. I've had only a few encounters with black bears, with no need for a shot to be fired.

Being aware of your surroundings (not to be confused with a state of fear) is the most important thing when hiking. I hope you have made provisions for check in with people who know where you are heading. Being injured and alone is your biggest risk...along with sudden changes in weather conditions. Be careful and enjoy your journey.

Oh and I usually carry a long gun or a full sized pistol in the National Forests here in CO, but only if I am heading to more remote areas. I mate the choice of arm to where I am going. If I am doing a heavily traveled trail or climb a compact pistol in a defensive caliber will do. I prefer .45 ACP, but a Glock 19 will work too. If I am hiking/camping/fishing in a remote area, full sized handguns (.45 to .300 Blackout) or long guns (any centerfire .30 caliber and above) are in tow.

When I hike in state parks, it is not legal to carry a weapon, even with a concealed carry permit, so sometimes I am limited to a sharp stick...which beats nothing or not going.
 
G29 is a great choice. 10 rounds of 10, pocketable. Anything that be done with a handgun can be done with a G29.
 
I have hiked and hunted throughout the PNW for 50 years. I always carried a sidearm when afield.

I have had several encounters with black bears. I fired shots once to scare a persistent bear away from my remote camp. Did not work. No sleep that night.

I once got disoriented in a unexpected snow storm and fired shots to signal camp to get a direction back.

I have fired shots to signal others who got turned around a bit to get them oriented to my location.

I have used my sidearm to take grouse/rabbit for camp food.

I have never run into a cougar when afoot. I have seen several crossing fire roads.

I had one negative human encounter (day hiking) in which I was very glad I was well armed. Two inebriated firewood rustlers on public lands they claimed was private.

That is about it.

I have carried a variety of revolvers and pistols:

Ruger Old Army
Ruger MKII
Virginian Dragoon .44 Mag
Taurus 605 .357 Mag
Ruger SR9
Ruger LCR
Ruger Bearcat
SIG P250 .45 ACP

The area I currently seem to spend a good deal of time afield in an area that has a active pack of wolves. I have only encountered two females but I frequently hear them a night howling across the steep canyons. I think that adds a lot to the experience and it keeps me sharp.

I favor the SIG 250 now mostly due to it's accuracy, rugged reliability and most capable .45 ACP.
 
What part of Arkansas?

I was wondering what part of Arkansas you'd be in. We have gators and snakes in the east and the south. Snakes all over actually and that would be my biggest worry. Pigs in the south could cause you some trouble. Also, an upset elk around the Harrison/Yellville area could possibly happen. Most animals you will not see. They are not stupid, there may be bobcats but you will hardly ever see them. The humans may very well be stupid and they won't run and hide. If they do......run! They are hiding something you may not want to be a part of.

It also depends on when you'll be hiking. Snakes should always be on your mind. Also, weather may play a bigger role than you think. Flash flooding can, and has killed campers and hikers who were not that aware of the danger.

All that being said, there is some great trout fishing here. We have plenty of near remoteness but with some form of civilization 5-10 miles away....even less many times. We have some really good whitewater if that is your thing. There are a number of large lakes and many more smaller ones. Enjoy! Let us know more about your plans and we may be able to lend a suggestion or two.
 
If self defense in the woods is the concern, there is no reason to assume a criminal would not be carrying a rifle. At a 100 yards a 10mm will have as much or more energy than a 45, 40 or 9 does at the muzzle and with a flatter trajectory. Plus there are plenty of hunting loads available for the 10 that offer deep bone crushing penetration for black bears if thats something your concerned with but remember you cant shoot lead ammo out of a stock glock. http://us.glock.com/customer-service/faq
 
Koda94 said:
If self defense in the woods is the concern, there is no reason to assume a criminal would not be carrying a rifle. At a 100 yards a 10mm will have as much or more energy than a 45, 40 or 9 does at the muzzle and with a flatter trajectory. Plus there are plenty of hunting loads available for the 10 that offer deep bone crushing penetration for black bears if thats something your concerned with but remember you cant shoot lead ammo out of a stock glock
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True only if you're comparing a warm 10mm to a standard .40 or .45. If you plug the numbers into a ballistic calculator a warm 10mm (180gr @ 1350 4.6") vs. a warm .40 (180gr @ 1250 4.5"), at 100 yards using a 180gr XTP the 10mm is only about 50 fps faster and shoots roughly 1" lower, that's not much difference. It starts out faster but also looses its velocity at a higher rate.
 
Ruger45LC said:
True only if you're comparing a warm 10mm to a standard .40 or .45. If you plug the numbers into a ballistic calculator a warm 10mm (180gr @ 1350 4.6") vs. a warm .40 (180gr @ 1250 4.5"), at 100 yards using a 180gr XTP the 10mm is only about 50 fps faster and shoots roughly 1" lower, that's not much difference. It starts out faster but also looses its velocity at a higher rate.
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What is the ft-lbs and drop of the warm .40 180g at 100yds?
I dont handload so I dont know what the 40 can be pushed to but I know the original standard 100 is a 200g at 1200fps at the muzzle. I cant really ever find this exact spec offered for sale but if we wanted to compare a true "warm" 10mm load as anything over the original...

Caliber : 10mm

Bullet : 200gr Wide Flat Nose Gas Check Hardcast

Ballistics : 1300fps/ 750 ft./lbs. - Glock 20
1105fps / 542 ft lbs 100yds Glock 20
Glock 29 - 1240fps

http://www.doubletapammo.net/index.php?route=product/product&path=125_178&product_id=594

by comparison, DT makes a similar purpose load for the 40 with the same bullet a 200g pushing 1100fps 538 ft/lbs from a 4.5"bbl.
http://www.doubletapammo.net/index.php?route=product/product&path=125_182&product_id=607

So thats all Im comparing to based on what I know the comparable 10mm load has close to the same energy at 100 yds as the 40 does at the muzzle.
 
It sounds like you are into something like ultralight backpacking. Most ultralight backpackers don't even bother to carry a knife, which seems irresponsible to me, as even a small, lightweight knife has utility. It makes no sense to me to carry a full-size pistol with an ultralight kit, especially if wildlife isn't a problem. I recommend a pocket subcompact in 9 Luger or .380 Auto and a spare magazine. Bring along some rounds loaded with hardcast bullets should deep penetration be desireable.

Thought needs to be given how to carry. Pocket carry is feasible with a subcompact. Traditional belt holster carry, IWB or OWB, will interfere with the belt on your backpack. Something like a Safepacker holster attached to your pack belt or pack strap might work well and have utility when not backpacking. A Chesty Puller chest holster would be a nice way of carrying a big revolver in grizzly country, and would help balance the load on your back.
 
MunchClod,

(your last post was last month, but....)

Congrats on the new pistol, first.

Second, I just wanted to say that I carry a similar sized pistol for my backcountry hiking here in the SE US when using my "big pack". One good thing about the pack I use is that the padded hip belt also has exterior zip pouches on right and left sides. My Glock 27 fits perfectly in the right side pouch. It stays concealed, but is also quickly accessible. Other pouch holds a larger Glock 23 mag for spare.

In my experiences I've never needed a pistol. Been in bear areas some. Never seen one. Only time I ever thought I might have to extract it was once when some coyotes were overly interested in my wife's little dog. He ran back to us and the coyotes vanished as soon as they saw he was not alone. :) Most folks I have ever ran in to were all either fellow hikers or hunters and encounters were either positive or just neutral. Most leaning toward the former.
 
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