Which caliber & how many rounds when hiking
- Thread starter Onward Allusion
- Start date
I used to live in MT. Four animals really worth your concern: human; mountain lion; grizzly; Moose.
The meth heads are out of control, but 9mm-45 ought to work pretty well. With the 9, you might want to put three rounds on target before assessing your result.
Mountain lion should respond to most calibers, but I can see them being hard to hit.
An attacking grizzly probably cannot be stopped by a pistol, but could possibly have a change of heart with a 44 mag.
Moose....just quit bothering them and they go away.
The meth heads are out of control, but 9mm-45 ought to work pretty well. With the 9, you might want to put three rounds on target before assessing your result.
Mountain lion should respond to most calibers, but I can see them being hard to hit.
An attacking grizzly probably cannot be stopped by a pistol, but could possibly have a change of heart with a 44 mag.
Moose....just quit bothering them and they go away.
Many years ago, I read Elmer Keith's comments about pistols and bears. He said, essentially, that with any decent centerfire round, you would win a fight with a bear, if you kept your nerve.
Every bear opens its mouth when it attacks, shoot through the mouth and break the bear's neck. He never claimed you wouldn't get clawed or "chawed", only that if you kept your nerve, you would win.
I always thought that was probably true. If you don't have to shoot through the rest of the bear, any round suitable for personal defense against humans will break a bear's neck, but ONLY if you can hit it. That's where the keeping your nerve part comes in.
I used to shoot a lot of .44magnum level loads, and even more .45 Colt loads just a bit under .44mag levels. Depending on the gun, I could put 5 shots on 5 separate targets (bowling pins) in just over 5 seconds (semi auto) or 7seconds (SA revolver). Of course, the pins weren't running at me, either.
I know a number of people who simply cannot do this. I know a few who can do better. Too much gun is possible, and how much is too much depends on the skill of the shooter. Also helps a lot to know bear anatomy. Unlike the sleek tailored looking cats, Mr bear wears a shaggy, sloppy fitting suit. His vital spots aren't quite where most people think they are from looking at him.
Every bear opens its mouth when it attacks, shoot through the mouth and break the bear's neck. He never claimed you wouldn't get clawed or "chawed", only that if you kept your nerve, you would win.
I always thought that was probably true. If you don't have to shoot through the rest of the bear, any round suitable for personal defense against humans will break a bear's neck, but ONLY if you can hit it. That's where the keeping your nerve part comes in.
I used to shoot a lot of .44magnum level loads, and even more .45 Colt loads just a bit under .44mag levels. Depending on the gun, I could put 5 shots on 5 separate targets (bowling pins) in just over 5 seconds (semi auto) or 7seconds (SA revolver). Of course, the pins weren't running at me, either.
I know a number of people who simply cannot do this. I know a few who can do better. Too much gun is possible, and how much is too much depends on the skill of the shooter. Also helps a lot to know bear anatomy. Unlike the sleek tailored looking cats, Mr bear wears a shaggy, sloppy fitting suit. His vital spots aren't quite where most people think they are from looking at him.
I use to camp, fish, hike in and around Island Park Idaho. I carried a number of different shooters from Elmer's bullet in a .38 spec. case with a bunch of 2400 in a J frame .357 another was .44 spec. again with Elmer's bullet and load. Also carried a SAA Colt. Always felt better with a revolver, but only once ran into griz on the trail. He went one way and I went the other.
Deaf Smith
New member
My 629-1 .44 Magnum and extra 6 to 12 rounds.
Texas field load is hand load of 250 gr gas checked hard cast SWC at 900 fps. Very easy to shoot. Normally about as big as you need in Texas.
Big Texas stuff: Buffalo Bore Lower Recoil .44 Magnum Ammo - 255 gr. Keith - gas checked slug at 1264 from a 4 inch barrel. Easy to shoot fast yet still reach a bear's CPU and break shoulder bones.
And if I ever go to big critter places, Double Tap 44 Magnum 320gr Hardcast Solid. 320 gr. at about 1175 fps from a 4 inch bbl.
Deaf
walking in the woods
I do not hike out west. I do spend a lot of time in the Pennsylvania uplands....10s of thousands of acres of wooded land, me and the setter, Belle. There are black bears and, while I have seen them at my house, I have never seen them while hiking. There are coyotes.....Occasionally, I can hear a pack coursing through the woods but I have not encountered such up close.
I carry either a S&W 317 snubbie and a few extra cartridges (.22LR) or I carry an FN FiveSeven in a holster. 20 round magazine and, sometimes an extra magazine. A varmint gun on my belt.
I do not hike out west. I do spend a lot of time in the Pennsylvania uplands....10s of thousands of acres of wooded land, me and the setter, Belle. There are black bears and, while I have seen them at my house, I have never seen them while hiking. There are coyotes.....Occasionally, I can hear a pack coursing through the woods but I have not encountered such up close.
I carry either a S&W 317 snubbie and a few extra cartridges (.22LR) or I carry an FN FiveSeven in a holster. 20 round magazine and, sometimes an extra magazine. A varmint gun on my belt.
Bear and Wild Cat are sure to be a possible threat, but you will miss most of your shots within 10'-16' feet as you enter tunnel vision. They move fast and you will be surprised when confronted, for sure! A .357 mag would do the trick if it is a revolver, or a 45 acp with 8 shots on the wild animal's charge, until you are out of ammo with your Adrenalin pumping. Big game....Big, Quick problem!
When my wife and I hiked last Saturday in the Mountains in New Mexico, I was armed with a Ruger Sp101 .357 magnum with hollow points and a Ruger Blackhawk .45 Colt loaded with 328 grain flat nose cast lead bullets. 11 rounds total. The only animals we saw were friendly human hikers and one Bull Elk.
FairWarning
New member
686 6", 7 shot + two speed loaders. Usually carry Federal Power Shok 180 gr JHP. If I lived out West and still carried .357, Federal Vital Shok 180 gr cast core. Or more likely, Ruger Bisley Super Blackhawk .44 Mag. 
gunfighter48
New member
I have the New Ruger Redhawk 45 Colt/45 ACP. I bought it to do some Colt load development with some 280gr to 320gr lead blunt nose bullets. Haven't had a chance to work up any loads. But I bought a box of HSM Bear Loads. They're 325 gr lead bullets being pushed at 1155fps (considered standard Colt loads). They will definitely wake you up and make you take notice of your grip!!! I don't hike anymore due to back knees. But I would be taking my Redhawk with me and several extra cylinders worth of regular 250gr. standard 45 Colt loads and at least 6 rounds of Bear Loads!!! All we have are black bears anywhere that I've hiked. But they can be mean at times, especially during mating season and when the cubs are born. In bear country for those times of the year I'd be loading the Bear Loads!
I don't hike anymore due to back knees. But I would be taking my Redhawk with me and several extra cylinders worth of regular 250gr. standard 45 Colt loads and at least 6 rounds of Bear Loads!!! All we have are black bears anywhere that I've hiked. But they can be mean at times, especially during mating season and when the cubs are born. In bear country for those times of the year I'd be loading the Bear Loads!montanaoffroader
New member
^^^^^ This. I carry a .357 or a .44 depending on where I'm going and what I'm doing.