guyandarifle

The smallest thing the OP mentioned was coyote so I'm not sure if the "varmint" angle really need be weighted too far. The premium bullets of today have really upped the capabilities of rounds like the .243/.257 Roberts/.260 and all are pleasant to shoot and accurate in good rifles. I still vouch for the .308 as lighter bullets can be driven with alacrity but without undue pomp and circumstance while, if desired, 180gr bullets can still be driven over 2600fps. It's this feat that the 24's/25's just can't pull off. Throw in the fact that the .308 is about as ubiquitous as it gets regarding availability and can get by with shorter barrels/actions than the .270/'06 class rifles and there's a lot to like.

If I were to start over now and wanted a dedicated deer-on-down rifle it'd be a lightweight 7-08. Actually unless you're talking about game larger than deer there's not much need to sweat calibers much unless you are serious about shooting at extended ranges where flattening the trajectory does help things. Personally I've got a .308 (enormous availability and variety of ammo) and it's just about retired the rest of the arsenal other than sentimental trips with the 30-30.

I thought I'd covered that in the end of my post with this: If it was more an observation that one can't carry under the presuppostion that merely pulling your weapon will be sufficient you were going for then I'm certainly in agreement there. As to your 2nd assertion if you haven't made up your mind that you're going to be willing to pull the trigger if (God forbid) that situation arose then you very much need to reassess the whole carry issue.

It is my understanding that the overwhelming number of DFU's (Defensive Gun Uses) in this country each year involve never firing a shot. (The actual estimates are wildly diverse from around 100K to over a million but the idea is the same) Point being most bad guys, once they ascertain they are actually at risk of being shot, will think of something that needs done elsewhere. (left the curler on, forgot Big Cheezy was coming over and you left your favorite crack-ho unattended, etc) So, statistically speaking anyway, being able to present any firearm has a high probability of sending the vermin scurrying. A caliber debate involving people cognizant of their mortality is pretty moot. It's the few that are "driven" (for whatever reason) to press an attack that can make one wish for a .357/.40/.45/10mm as opposed to that easy-carrying .380. My bottome line is that something trumps nothing and if you aren't willing to keep it on you worrying about caliber is folly.

Regarding Capstick I was thought he was most associated with the "normal" African calibers but particularly the .470 Nitro. In fact he was the inspiration for the .470 Capstick. (which IIRC is basically a .375 H&H with a .475 bullet) Agreed that for the money it'd be hard to beat a CZ though not the most refined and generally considered on the heavy side. (though in African calibers a little extra weight does help with recoil) While the arguments are endless it would seem most "professionals" seem to choose CF actions over PF. I actually ran across one of the limited run .375 "Classic" 700's a few years ago for a really good price. Traditionally speaking I'd rather have a mauser/M70 for that caliber but still...it was an awfully good deal.

Offhand what it sounds like you want a .375 H&H. It's classy, steeped in history and in fact pretty damn practical. Seriously, Remington's 30/06 180gr Express load is a whole 1" flatter at 300yds than their .375/270gr load with a 100yd zero. Granted 4300ftlbs of muzzle energy is more than needed for hunting anything in TN but you surely could...and from any range you'd care to shoot. And of all the "African" calibers you'd surely be able to find ammo more easily (and cheaper) than anything else.

Maybe I'm just paranoid and I know thousands of people crank out zillions of round of ammo (especially handgun) on their progressive presses...but not me. I use a single stage press and weigh EVERY powder charge. I've got one of the dipper sets and choose one that puts me right at the desired charge and trickle the rest. It's more time consuming but I like the peace of mind. * *I don't know how I'd manage this if I was a genuine high-volume shooter but since I'm not it's no big deal.

Flashlights and steak dinners aside are there specific limitations to ASP carry as opposed to a handgun? For instance, are there places one could legally carry an ASP that would not allow a handgun? (And I mean as a matter of statute, not the obvious answer that some places are posted by private ownership) If this is the case then there might very well be some merit to getting such a license if you wanted to have "something" if otherwise disarmed. You obviously can't carry guns everywhere so if you could carry an ASP as an alternative for defense it seems a reasonable course of action unless most people simply agree that one might be better served with mace/pepper spray.

If shooting cast make sure it's a wide meplat design, like an LBT. Guys like Elmer Keith and Larry Kelly shot the hell out of everything that walks with the .44 and hardcast bullets...you can too. (Just don't shoot soft or RN bullets, at least not for hunting)

308 or 30/06 is awfully tough to beat not just because they are versatile to begin with but ammo can just about be found by looking under rocks in your yard. If you're looking for something that can fit your needs and kick a little less than either of the above you could look into the 7mm/08. (308 case necked down to 7mm) Really sweet ballistics without much fuss. If you wanted to go lever there's a gazzillion 30-30's out there and ammo is plentiful and still pretty cheap.

For "most" black bears (in some areas they can get awfully big, poke around the internet and you'll see what I mean) good bullets (NOT those intended to expand in people, they won't penetrate enough in a bear save for maybe a bullseye in the brain) a .357/10mm would probably be fine. Obviously they "could" work against larger bears but then you can also get into the "elephants have been killed with .30 and even less rifles" argument. Fine, hunt elk with a Red Rider too, what I'm getting at is if it's a serious question put in a little effort to match the tool to the task. Once you get into grizzlies, much less browns, if I can't carry at least a .41 mag I'd start seriously considering pepper spray as first line of bear defense with whatever smaller caliber handgun I have as backup. Short of getting into the heavy loads in .475 Linebaugh/.500 S&W class any pistol is pretty puny as a big bear stopper and most people aren't up to those anyway. I've got a .500 and while whatever shots I could manage would be a beast the gun itself is heavy,unwieldy and recoil is such that two genuinely aimed shots would probably be all I could manage. OTOH I've got a .44 Redhawk that would be a lot more nimble in both presentation and aimed fire and 320gr hardcast at over 1300fps would probably be discouraging to most bruins. A sturdy .45LC capable of handling what that cartridge can really do wouldn't be a bad option either. In any case make sure it's something you can HIT the bear with as a 9mm hit is still a hell of a lot better than a .44 magnum miss.

Just to be thorough I do know the Savage 10ML does, in fact, use smokeless powder. It's also the only one I'm aware of to do so and you should be able to print out any number of warnings (probably directly from various ML manufacturers) that state quite clearly that black and smokeless powders are not mixable nor interchangeable. The proprieters of this establishment should also take it to heart how much liability they could be carrying while engaging in such shenanigans as throwing a can of Varget (which would be too slow a powder even in the aforementioned Savage) on the counter an telling people to stoke their smokepoles with it.

If I was going to actually be expected to carry said weapon it would be my .500. Very big, very shiny with a really cavernous hole in the business end. You'd have to dress around it somewhat but as long as you could wear a large jacket/coat it could work. Overall though, and this is getting almost Pavlovian about things, I'd go pump 12ga. We've got a whole generation of people who've grown up watching movies/tv about pump action 12ga's blowing people through walls or, better yet, conveniently placed windows or other large panes of glass. The "pump rack" is so utterly ubiquitous in the "Your in deep shiznit now!" presentation that shotguns get racked for no sane purpose at all other than the actual act of doing so for effect. (Why yes, as a matter of fact I have been creeping through this place that's crawling with bad guys with an empty chamber. I don't bother racking one in until I've got it in some douchbag's face and need to ask them where that hot chick I did in Scene 3 is currently being held.)

I've got one of the Wilderness Instructor belts and like it. Beltman is universally praised but is pricey. My leather belt is one I got from Crossbreed when I ordered my Supertuck. Can't say I'm in any way disappointed with it so far.

I will caveat that I usually pocket carry when it's warmer but when clothing permits I'll often carrier larger weapons IWB. When it's warm I'm usually found with a Kahr P40 in a Desantis Nemesis holster in either my jeans pocket or, more commonly, a cargo pocket when wearing shorts.

And a fine choice it is! (Though my .44 is a Redhawk)

While I can certainly concede that the X-Frame and it's cartridges (.460 & .500) are somewhat niche in application it doesn't mean they aren't pretty good in that niche. I mean, if a completely proprietary round like the .500 Wyoming Express in a full-on custom pistol made that list it's not exactly out of bounds to say an X-Frame .500 S&W wouldn't actually be easier and cheaper to obtain and shoot, right? As for X-Frame vs rifle I have yet to come across a 4.5lb rifle I can wear across my chest in a bandoleer holster. I understand your gist, and to an extent agree with it, but mayhap your curmudgeoness may have segued into a bit of hyperbole? As an aside my .500 is very likely the most accurate pistol I own. If your argument is the monster pistols (BFR/X-Frames/etc) are somewhat lacking in overall practicality I agree. Frankly they're more than most people can shoot accurately anyway. However, for those that can shoot them well they do exactly what they're intended to do and do it very well.

It's far from being the "same" but it's amazing how much "buck fever" (though it wouldn't have to be a deer of course) can effect some people. The similarity is a jump in adrenaline. I once read a story as told by a bear guide in AK about a guy he put on a big Brown. The dude raised his rifle...and cycled through his entire magazine without ever firing. I've seen other people that from the first time they ever took aim at game simply pointed, fired, and hit their target. African guides could go all day about some clients that faced a DG charge and simply threw down their weapon and ran. Other times they can have complete novices stand their ground. Different people can have wildly different reactions to idendical scenarios. I think the ability to keep one's cool and being a good shot are two fairly distinct attributes. A lousy shot can be cool as a cucumber and still miss the target. Conversely, a person who can shoot the wings off flys is pretty worthless if they have a mental meltdown.

I'd read that at the time. Some good choices but I thought it absurd that they had that many .22's on the list but no mention of an X-Frame in either .500 or .460. That's completely nonsensical to me. At least they listed the BFR which is available in those calibers. Does S&W even have something that could handle a .454 other than the X-Frame? Not that there's anything wrong with that but many might consider that platform pretty heavy for the .454.

I've got a P40 in a Nemesis holster in my front pocket as I type this. The 40 is pretty snappy so isn't for everybody but I'd imagine in a 9mm would be nice.

I've got the .500 and yeah, the X-Frame is massive. OTOH that weight does help soak up some recoil. It really is a versatile round that can take you from powder puff cowboy 45LC loads up through the .454 up to .460 loads that aren't far behind the Big 50 in energy levels. Trajectory is absurdly flat with, for instance, Hornady's 200gr Flex Tip with a MV of 2200fps. Maybe it's because it's really just a .454 Magnum but the .460 doesn't seem to have caught on quite as much as the .500 though obviously not for lack of performance. Unless you are quite rich or just want to shoot on rare occasions you pretty much have to reload for the .460 or .500.

I always found the .480 to be really interesting. It's basically a .475 Linebaugh "short". In fact, if you bought a .475 Linebaugh you could shoot .480's in it and .475's if you really wanted to unleash the beast. Problem of course is ammo availability. If you handload though that's not nearly as big a deal as it sounds. If you still want to be a bit more off the beaten path but more practical you could consider the .454 Casull. This still offers a good bit more than .44 magnum energy yet allows the use of the old tried and true .45 Long Colt. This is pretty cool as the .45 is itself available from powderpuff "cowboy" loadings up to loads that will do anything a .44 will do. If you wanted to up the .454 ante a bit you could look into the .460 S&W. This is a real screamer and top loads are nipping at .500 energy levels albeit with smaller bullets. It has the added bonus of being able to fire both the .454 and .45LC listed above. For pure practicality though a good .44 is tough to beat. Ammo and components are readily available and reasonably priced unless you get into the specialty ammo like Buffalo Bore & Garretts. Plus finding a good .44 at a good price shouldn't be much trouble at all in most areas.

I hate these kind of questions as a good sized man, by which I mean a healthy 180lb, (or even much smaller guy if he's some kind of martial arts expert) nevermind a 210lb+ guy in any kind of shape, can absolutely mess you up with one clean punch to the face. There have been boxers die and this is being hit by people with gloves on. This is actually complicated somewhat as in this state we have no "duty to retreat". So, if some guy charges you, and you have no legal duty to retreat but DO have a legal right to defend yourself...see how ugly this gets? And if your attacker does get the upper hand where's the ref that comes in and stops the fight? Now you might be on the ground, getting your face kicked in by boots, AND now the guy might actually have access to your gun which you were worried about being justified in pulling in the first place. Messy business.

Google your way around some gun tests and see how many professional gun testers claim 1" groups at 25yds with nearly anything. And even THAT doesn't take into account that the majority of gun writers are, if anything, going to fudge to the "this pistol provided to me by a paid advertiser" being more accurate. Here's just one example I trotted up quickly. This is from a guy that gets paid to shoot God knows how many rounds through all manner of pistols all the time. Now look at what the accuracy chart shows. With his best efforts through a high quality S&W he was able to keep 5 out of thirteen loads at less than 2", nevermind 1". Lipsey’s Exclusive 357 Magnum Smith & Wesson Model 686 Mountain Gun The only real advice I can give you that I know worked for me is that, for me, gripping the pistol like I meant it seemed to keep me more consistent. The other thing was to really, and I mean REALLY get on the front sight. When I'm really trying to shoot small I focus on the front sight like I'm trying to remove a hot girls bikini via telepathy. Yes it fuzzes up the target but with a little practice you know where the target is...you're going to actually put bullets where the sights are pointed. Oh, and I dry fire... A LOT. (and for God's sake man make sure, SURE, your gun isn't loaded before you do that)