Whats your hiking/camping gun and why?

My camping and hiking gun is a S&W model 66-2. I carry it because the .357 can stop a bear, which is a real thing where i lile going but is still affordable and has more bullet selections, such as snake shot.

1 Like

Campground camping or backpacking camping @Jonathan1? I haven’t gone camping since I’ve started carrying (not because I was carrying, life just got in the way). I will definitely be watching this thread as we have plans to camp this summer!

1 Like

Camping in total general, but hiking as in day hikes.

2 Likes

Mine is a .22Lr 1911. It’s light and comfortable. It’s more of a lunch getter as I most likely am carrying a long gun too.

1 Like

Ok - I totally didn’t know this was launching today! The next Live Broadcast will cover carrying while you’re camping and traveling across state lines!

@Jonathan1 - it’s almost as if you knew! :slight_smile: (BTW, he didn’t know!)

Check out the first sneak peak!

2 Likes

I saw the first video for situation when camping posted just earlier and it got me thinking about other poeples preference.

2 Likes

LOL! I suppose I should keep up-to-date on my emails! :slight_smile:

1 Like

After Army life I camp in the Holiday Inn. :grin:

3 Likes

This puppy right here. 6 inch Ruger GP100 .357 mag. It’s heavy, so it handles recoil with ease. The 6 inch gets maximum velocity out of the ammo, and gives excellent sight radius. The .357 loaded to its max, and using heavy lead bullets(180 grain Underwood for me) will stop all but the biggest predators. Where I camp/woods walk, the biggest thing might be a cougar, or black bear. Wild dogs and coyotes are the biggest threat around here.
image

2 Likes

@45IPAC nice. My S&W has a 6inch barrel too. I like 158grn rounds personally. But is that really knife. “Thats not a knife, this is a Knife”

2 Likes

That’s my Buck 110 hunter. It’s hard to beat a lockblade Buck in the woods.

2 Likes

I was thinking of posting this today. Glad someone did. I’m usually carry a 9mm for many reasons. However this is not sufficient for four legged threats. I’m torn between a 10mm or 45 acp semi auto. Leaning towards a Glock because I can get the blue label discount.

1 Like

I carry a 10 in the woods and a 9 in the hoods. :joy: I do carry a Glock 20, sometimes I even EDC it. Cold weather is great for being “goofy”.

1 Like

The 10 in my opinion would be better to use against animals, a subsonic round doesn’t penetrate fur, hide, and bone as well as one that flies at like 1200+/- fps.

I carry a Glock 29 with full power 10mm buffalo bore ammo. You have to be careful shooting hardcast out of a polygonal rifled barrel, but if you clean the barrel every 20 rounds you’ll be fine. And you probably wont get 3 mag dumps on a bear.

1 Like

@James

Thank you. Yeah the velocity of the 10mm is why I’m leaning that way. I was thinking of carrying a good quality defensive round the federal HST.

3 Likes

Yeah, I just carry the hard cast stuff for bear. You need that penetration quality to the ammo. But if you’re carrying on the trail and are more worried about people, then hollowpoints. I will say, even in the woods you probably have more of a chance using a gun to defend yourself from a human, animals don’t really pick fights unless you’re doing something wrong. That’s why I always say I wish more people behaved like animals.

2 Likes

I agree. There’s just more and more encounters and sightings with predators on trails out here so something more practical for that threat is needed. Time to start looking for a 10mm glock. Lol

2 Likes

Go with a revolver for woods. Little more reliable and you can switch up ammo types on the fly like snakeshot. Just my opinion

2 Likes

Then I would definitely look into hunting rounds and not self defense ammo. The self defense stuff might mushroom out on the fur.

1 Like

But in all reality, your best bet is a 12 gauge that shoots slugs and rabid dogs. That’s what a guy I know says about bear defense. He’s a fishing guide in Alaska, and helps his buddy guide for bear when he has slow periods. He’s been charged a couple times by a bear that were shot poorly, and once by a bear at a fishing spot that he had to kill. He said it was so quiet til it started running and huffing. Ive only had one bear not happy with me, but I wasn’t really charged. More like a “I’m going to stand up and huff at you and make you pee a lil bit” kind of thing.

2 Likes