Skeeter Skelton: Best trail gun?

I don't know about carrying fifty rounds but in the four decades since that was written, we've had a revolution in polymer and alloy construction. There are plenty of choices in 9mm where an extra magazine would easily get you up past thirty rounds. As far as revolvers go, the .32 Long he mentions has had two subsequent generations of improvement. The modern .327 is more powerful than 9mm and can be had in a compact six-round LCR that's literally light enough to forget you're carrying it.

Either of the above rounds will be fine for dangerous people, coyotes, and a bunch of other things. Other wildlife might merit more firepower but even .357 magnum and 10mm come in lightweight packages now. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, just do your best to prepare and practice with what you carry.
 
bamaranger said:
Skeeter likely had the right idea with the .38 spl. Something like a 5 shot, 3- 4" steel J-frame and adjustable sights.
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This is why I picked up a Ruger SP101 .357 in 4”. Adjustable sights and a nice little gun.



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the possum said:
Rock6-
Love those pictures; think I saw you post 'em on Bladeforums in the past. I've been thinking about one of those Hill People Gear chest rigs myself. I rarely get to do the kind of hiking you're talking about, but when I do have a pack, the waist belt really hinders most normal (pistol) carry options. That chest bag, or really any other kind of bag that could attach to the shoulder straps in front, would be a great option.

I can't find any reason to question the gun you've chosen for your stated purposes. In my situation, where one of my primary purposes is shooting at varmints or small game, I don't think the sub compact defensive pistols would be nearly as easy to score hits with. But I honestly haven't practiced with them much like that; maybe they wouldn't be as bad as I expect. Think you could nail a skunk at 25 yards with your CM9 most of the time?
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Yeah, I'm a member over there, so I'm sure they've popped up in the past. The HPG Kit Bag can attach to your pack straps, or you can wear it under your pack as a stand-alone kit. I prefer the latter. While I'm never really away from my pack when distance backpacking, I like the idea of keep my handgun on me as much as possible.

This location of carry (I'll include open carry holsters as well or "tanker-styled" rigs") is about perfect when used with a large pack where using the waist belt as part of the suspension is a necessity. I've slogged through swamps and crossed rivers waist deep, so the other benefit is keeping your handgun high-and-dry is another excellent advantage. While it serves as a concealed platform, it's also like a flapped holster in that it protects your handgun from debris or mud if you take a fall or are beating heavy brush.

I've tried a few options such as the Safepacker, fanny-pack, RIBZ chest pack, etc., and the HPG Kit Bag has just worked best for me and distance backpacking...even in 90+temps and extremely high humidity.

I have carried a S&W Kit Gun or Ruger 22/45 in my Kit Bag for different kinds of activities, so while I might be hard-pressed to hit a skunk at 25 yards with my CM9, I know I could hit a larger bipedal threat:D

Another good option I've recently added and really like is Ruger's LCRx .38SPL with the 3" barrel. I've been impressed with the 15.8oz weight and accuracy. Additionally, when around wetter areas, the snake shot option is much better than with a semi-auto.

ROCK6
 
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Revolver in 10MM? So essentially a .41 Magnum.
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No, not at all.

The hottest 10mm AUTO loads only tread into the .41 Mag's low end range. The closer cartridge analog to the .41 Mag is the 10mm Magnum, which actually exceeds it.

But the 10mm Mag is a different animal from the 10mm AUTO, although you can shoot both (along with the .40S&W) using moon clips in the same revolver if the cylinder has undergone 'conversion' to the longer specs of the 10mm Mag.
 
My Skeeter gun is a Ruger Blackhawk flat top mid-size. Chambered in 44 spl. with a 4 5/8" barrel and the ejector housing along with the grip frame replaced with aluminum ones.
 
I started a similar thread on a now defunct survival forum and the answers I got were close to the responses here. I thought a "Trail Gun" was a gun you carried to plink with, put game in the pot and just to have because you can. Thats because that was my perceived use of a trail gun. I simply didn't consider what others might carry because of where they lived and where they went exploring.

Many responses were from people in bear country. Or places where they might run into some dopers pot field and need to get away from the guards. It was an eyeopener for me. It made me rethink my own ideas.

There is a fellow that comes on the radio show Coast To Coast named David Paulides, a retired LE and talks about all the people that disappear in the forest and mountains. Maybe they got lost, maybe they were snatched by druggies because they stumbled on to a pot field or maybe a bear got them. So being armed with a bigger than a 22 may not be a bad idea.

There is no way I would ever pay this much for this book but its what I am referring to.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1466216298/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
 
There is a fellow that comes on the radio show Coast To Coast named David Paulides, a retired LE and talks about all the people that disappear in the forest and mountains. Maybe they got lost, maybe they were snatched by druggies because they stumbled on to a pot field or maybe a bear got them. So being armed with a bigger than a 22 may not be a bad idea.
There is no way I would ever pay this much for this book but its what I am referring to.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/14...t_bibl_vppi_i0
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Yes, I've heard of that dude ...

Besides bears and crazo-druggies as possible explanations for these unexplained disappearances, they should include alien abductions. (By the way, that's 'aliens' as in Mr. Spock, not Jorge Yo-Tango who jumped an Arizona border-fence yesterday :rolleyes: ).

The problem with the Alien Abduction explanation is the fact that we learn of these reports only because alleged abductees have been returned by their alleged off-world abductors, and at some point afterward come forward to reveal their experiences.

If it was the aliens who were permanently disappearing folks taken while out on a long romp through the forests and boonies, how would you ever know it?

Of course, I guess there could be more than one type of alien species engaged in abducting humans for genetic study, anal probings, etc., and maybe some of them are "harvester"-types - like mushroom hunters, so they keep what they find. :eek:
 
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agtman said:
Yes, I've heard of that dude ...

Besides bears and crazo-druggies as possible explanations for these unexplained disappearances, they should include alien abductions. (By the way, that's 'aliens' as in Mr. Spock, not Jorge Yo-Tango who jumped an Arizona border-fence yesterday :rolleyes: ).

The problem with the Alien Abduction explanation is the fact that we learn of these reports only because alleged abductees have been returned by their alleged off-world abductors, and at some point afterward come forward to reveal their experiences.

If it was the aliens who were permanently disappearing folks taken out on a long romp through the forests and boonies, how would you ever know it?

Of course, I guess there could be more than one type of alien species engaged in abducting humans for genetic study, probings, etc., and maybe some of them are "harvester"-types - like mushroom hunters, so they keep what they find. :eek:
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What caliber for space aliens?......

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The problem with the Alien Abduction explanation is the fact that we learn of these reports only because alleged abductees have been returned by their alleged off-world abductors, and at some point afterward come forward to reveal their experiences.
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Agtman don't make fun. I was once abducted myself by aliens. Three Mexicans in a Pee-Cup gave me a ride when I broke down.:eek::D;)
 
Interesting reading, but that was 42 years ago. A lot has changed.

Rock6, if you're still following the thread, I've been to several places in your photo's. Springer Mt and Rough Ridge. Killed a bear near that Rough Ridge trail sign many years ago. And that area is FULL of bear. I wouldn't hike there without a gun suitable to stop a black bear.

My choice if black bear are in the area is a G29 loaded with 200 gr hardcast bullets. If no bear a smaller 9mm will do just fine.
 
When I'm hiking, I like to go light, especially if it's not an overnight trip. Plus here in FL humidity and sweat is a big factor. So, I carry my Beretta Pico in my front pocket. Stainless slide and 6+1 of .380 jhp, and the sights+trigger are pretty good for a pocket gun. Only have really run into racoons, snakes, and other humans on the trail, never had to use it though. Now if I was in brown bear country, bear spray and my 45 colt go on the hip.
 
Just a thought but I'll question the plinking role of trail guns. Yes, you might see a great spot with something you really want to shoot at for fun, besides an animal destined for campsite cooking. How often does this happen? If it does happen, how much of the limited ammo you are carrying has now been spent on plinking? How much do you have for the rest of your trail time, presumably including the hike out?

Maybe it's just the decades of plinking here but I prefer shooting actual stuff, like bottles and cans. Sure, you might want to aerate some emptied cans the morning after camping out but then you've already planned to haul canned beverages to a campsite and you probably planed to haul extra ammo. The point is, at least for me, that plinking tends to be a planned activity. It involves a change in role from what I consider in a general trail gun.
 
I think a lot are missing the definition of a trail gun. It's purpose is not SD or to
use in bear attack. Might be different if your trail is a path in a metro area park or area where you might encounter a bear. A trial gun has to be accurate, not
7' gut buster level. When you spend a lot of time in the woods such as you do on
a farm or ranch while doing chores or fishing and any other activity other than hunting, it is what you carry. You may what to shoot a squirrel or a varmit. Hard to tell what you may want to put a hole in. Most carry a 22 or 38sp (357). Most
guys will put up with a little extra weight to gain accuracy. Other than 22s I don't
know of any plastic guns that would fill this roll. The ultimate trail gun would be a S&W Kit gun. I prefer a m17 or m14, bigger and heavier but deadly accurate. Some would go with m15 or m18 with shorter 4" barrel. We don't call them trail guns, we call them Cruzin Pieces and I've herd them called Loafen' Guns. They are for people that are in the boonies a lot of the time, not for occasional hikers
or people worried about SD.
 
jmr40 said:
Interesting reading, but that was 42 years ago. A lot has changed.
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yep....and what constitutes a proper trail gun is really defined by the trail one is on. Walking a trail in Central Park is probably gonna dictate a different 'trail" gun than one used to walk on Kodiak Island.
 
I think a lot are missing the definition of a trail gun. It's purpose is not SD or to
use in bear attack. Might be different if your trail is a path in a metro area park or area where you might encounter a bear. A trial gun has to be accurate, not
7' gut buster level. When you spend a lot of time in the woods such as you do on
a farm or ranch while doing chores or fishing and any other activity other than hunting, it is what you carry. You may what to shoot a squirrel or a varmit. Hard to tell what you may want to put a hole in. Most carry a 22 or 38sp (357). Most
guys will put up with a little extra weight to gain accuracy. Other than 22s I don't
know of any plastic guns that would fill this roll. The ultimate trail gun would be a S&W Kit gun. I prefer a m17 or m14, bigger and heavier but deadly accurate. Some would go with m15 or m18 with shorter 4" barrel. We don't call them trail guns, we call them Cruzin Pieces and I've herd them called Loafen' Guns. They are for people that are in the boonies a lot of the time, not for occasional hikers
or people worried about SD.
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DMR50 I agree with you 100%. I started shooting back when that Skeeter article came out. There was no internet so if you wanted to learn about guns you read gun magazines. Thankfully they were far better than they are today. They gave you real information and not just a long winded ad for the gun being reviewed. And they talked about guns for SD but they also talked about the other uses like target shooting and trail walking. They weren't as obsessed with shooting and killing another person like we are today. And it was those early articles that shaped my opinion on what a trail gun was and how it was used.

And I did use my 22 caliber trail gun to get myself out of a really tight spot. No shots were fired but if I hadn't have been armed I might not be writing this today. Even bad guys don't want to be shot even if its just a 22 they are being shot with.
 
Trail gun to me means fairly lightweight, easy to carry as you are doing other things not firearms related. Hmmm, that sounds a lot like my Glock G-19 — pushing a cart in the grocery store with a Glock under my sweater.
 
I have carried a 22 since I was big enough to load one. When I was kid, I had a Route Gun.
A Single-6 22. My paper route took me in and out of village limits. A couple neighborhoods
were so bad with vicious dog problems the PO would not deliver the mail. Paper boys didn't
have that option. After being bitten requiring stitches my old man OKed going armed. I shot
two dogs, after they bit me and had to go to court 3 times for discharging a firearm in village limits. Charges were dismissed. That was the only time I ever actually shot something that was necessary. Never have had to pull a gun on a person in the boonies. I
have shot a lot of snakes and chipmunks that were minding there own business and lots of
rabbits, squirrels and grouse for the pot. Mostly just spur of the moment plinking sessions.
The 22 is not so good as a tool to chop firewood like Skeeters 44spec. was. I did once use
a 1911 to make holes to run 12/2 wire from a generator into a shed.
 
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