Hiking Pistola?

[kwe45919]

Mike, just so you know... If you are hiking with the Cub Scouts, the BSA frowns on the carrying of handguns while participating in a scouting activity. I am not saying you should stop, just wanted to make sure you know. If you are curious the rule is in the Guide to Safe Scouting. I have been trying to get national to remove that rule for years, but it is a slightly politically motivated rule.

On the original topic. I would think that .357 or similar (or bigger) would be appropriate.

My mother-inlaw has been with the Boy Scouts (Oak Ridge Chapter Order of the Arrow) since her son was 5yrs old (he's now 32). Every adult when on Scout trips usually has some type of weapon on them at all times and most of them are legal for CCW. The others have thier favorite rifles handy along with a pellet/BB gun or two. There have been to many instances with hogs n bears getting near camp sites looking for an easy meal. While sometimes your general firecrackers (m-80's/blackcats) do scare some critters away (raccoons, snakes etc) none of the adults are going to allow anything to happen to the kids when something bigger comes. If I had a child in the scouts going on camping trips, I would definatly be asking who has a weapon and who has been trained....that would be the person I'd tell my child to stay near......

So in general....most of them know about the rule, however, many of them don't care about it because the lives of the children are waaaay more important than some silly sentence in a book. If it was at a big Jamboree get together...things are a little different and most leave wepons in heir vehicles but if it's in the woods....you can count on most of the adults being able to take care of a situation to keep the kids safe...

Edited April 15, 2011 by kwe45919

[Guest BEARMAN]

I too hike the Big South Fork. Last year we hiked over to the Twin Arches; I was packin' my Ruger SP101 .357 magnum.

Never can tell when an errant Hog, Black Bear...or God forbid, an errant crack head might pose a problem.

FWIW, the little Ruger .357 mag. is capable of handling all three; in short order, I might add.

Like that old insurance commercial used to say: never leave home without it!

Edited April 15, 2011 by BEARMAN

[Mike.357]

I appreciated the thought mds3d.

As far as I know ( that being the key) I was the only armed adult at camp last weekend aside form the park rangers.

I did find out by talking to him that another leader is a milsurp fan like I am. He claims to have never sold any gun he has acquired. I am thinking he has a sizeable firearm collection. I did not ask if he was armed nor did he ask it of me.

We are hiking at House Mountain on Saturday, I will have a little something on me.

[enfield]

My personal choice would be a revolver in .357 or larger, with some heavy, hard-cast slugs. Maybe a snakeshot round up first. You're not likely to run into a cardboard silhouette out there.

[Mike.357]

never mentioned that I take out the hollow points for hiking. FMJ's ony when hiking.

And besides, it is pretty much taken for granted that no round is better for killing stuff than a .357 at close range. Might as well blow a big hole in the target rather than worry about expansion and or over penetration.

[Guest monkeyhumper]

never mentioned that I take out the hollow points for hiking. FMJ's ony when hiking.

And besides, it is pretty much taken for granted that no round is better for killing stuff than a .357 at close range. Might as well blow a big hole in the target rather than worry about expansion and or over penetration.

I only have my SR9c. Would you carry it with hp's or fmj's? I'd like a .357, but not possible right now. Curious about stopping a psycho hog bent on slicing me up. Whatever stops it is what interests me, and I always figured I'd rather have the bullet expend all energy inside the target than risk a through and through that only slows it down...

Sent from my Etch a Sketch

[Garufa]

A 9mm is not going through and through a boar.

[Guest monkeyhumper]

A 9mm is not going through and through a boar.

Having never hunted anything larger than a sparrow with a Daisy airgun, I'm not at all versed in the affect a bullet has on anything but a paper target. So, assuming the 9mm fmj stays inside, wouldn't an hp round do more damage internally?

Sent from my Etch a Sketch

[Garufa]

I know more about typing on Etch a Sketch's than I do hunting but boars are big, heavy, tough critters. I would want penetration over expansion when trying to fend one off with a pistol.

Now, a .357 magnum hollow point might be a little different.

[Guest monkeyhumper]

I know more about typing on Etch a Sketch's than I do hunting but boars are big, heavy, tough critters. I would want penetration over expansion when trying to fend one off with a pistol.

Now, a .357 magnum hollow point might be a little different.

Well said. Screw hp. Screw fmj.

INCENDIARY ROUNDS, BABY!

Bacon for breakfast. Extra crispy.

Sent from my Etch a Sketch

[daddyo]

I have taken several layers of online scout training ( Youth Protection, This is Scouting, Denleader Fast Start , Cubmaster Fast Start) and have yet to see any mention of firearms. I watch the video's real close. Even if they said no I would carry anyway. The grandson's safety is way more important to me than me being a certified leader.

But thanks for the tip anyway. I just won't buy the book

I carried last weekend in a state park during our pack campout. Casually concealed. Someone must have seen it or people really aren't observant.

i really like the idea of a .357 Mag for hiking for penetration of any attacker.

It's number 14 under "Unauthorized and Restricted Activities":

Sports and Activities

Just understand that any of the registered leaders have the right to ask you to disarm or leave if you are made.

[Guest monkeyhumper]

It's number 14 under "Unauthorized and Restricted Activities":

Sports and Activities

Just understand that any of the registered leaders have the right to ask you to disarm or leave if you are made.

Boo!

Sent from my Etch a Sketch

[Guest The Highlander]

It's illegal to shoot/kill snakes in TN.

I know people that would be very surprised to hear that...and probably none of them would care.

To the OP, I usually carry my EDC. Like most, I'm more worried about two-legged critters than otherwise. However, we do have a growing coyote population, bobcats are not unknown, bear and hogs are plentiful, and I've got at least one report from a respected person of a cougar in the area. Feral dogs and cats are a lesser known problem, but they are out there too. Depending on my mood, I carry some sort of 9mm, sometimes a 10mm Glock, a .357 (usually a GP-100 or Glock G31), or a .45. Basically, whatever I grab out of the safe when we leave.

The Highlander

[Guest carter]

speaking of Boy Scouts... (proud Eagel Scout here Cape Fear Council) it was like i was inlisted when we went camping... they would have aireal photos... and would drop us off in the middle of no where on a NC state wildlife reserve AT NIGHT! at that...and tell us to find our way back to camp, thay did put flags out every 2-3 chains or so to lets us know we where on the right track... all depends where we went, there would be wild dogs... snakes... anything wild really... one of the older scouts would have a pistol... i always hade my big buck knife (u know the ones with the black handle) and made it back... lol superisingly

but back the the subject... invest in a S&W 500 4"

Edited April 16, 2011 by carter

[Guest forte10]

Back hiking/fishing in the North West we would never go into the woods without some form of a weapon. I always carried a Taurus .44 or my 1911 with me at all times. Had multiple encounters with bears/cougars which is always fun in waist high scattered brush and heavy timber. Usually the bear's are more curious and keep their distance unless you happen to be between them and their favorite fishing hole during a salmon spawn. The creepy thing about the cougar's is they are more likely to be stalking you than you ever would know until you go back the same way and see fresh cougar tracks. Cougars have my full attention as there is nothing like walking through the woods and getting hit with the smell of something dead, only to look 60 feet up a tree and see a half eaten deer.

Only had to use a firearm twice in the woods and both times it was highly effective. First time was fire a warning shot at a black bear that had wandered in to camp and it lumbered off quickly. Second time was unfortunately crossing path's with a badger with a bad disposition. That wasn't a warning shot and those little critters are very tough as I had crossed path's with one when I was much younger out shooting sage rats with .22's.

I say carry as much as you can manage that makes you feel comfortable.

[Guest tbone]

This has been a very enlightening discussion. I had never considered the merits of hard cast bullets over expanding JHP for dangerous animals. Also, I had not thought of dealing with badgers or wild hogs. There was a program on Discovery channel just last night about wild hogs. However, the locations that they profiled were in south Alabama and Georgia. I was unaware that it was illegal to kill snakes in TN....Oops!

My personal choice is a S&W 686 with a 7 shot cylinder. I have been carrying 2 rounds of snake shot and 5 JHP. That's about to change to 5 hard cast. Bklem18, the Ruger SP 101 you already have is a great choice in my opinion. I carried one until I swapped it for the Smith that I carry now. With either it or the M&P, I think you are well equipped. I just like revolvers for outdoors carry because of the flexibility of using the snake shot if needed, (despite the apparent legal ramifications of doing so).

P.S. Pachmayr makes a great grip for the SP101. It fills the hand better and really takes the sting out of shooting .357. It has a rounded profile that doesn't snag easily. I really enjoyed the one I had on my SP101.

[Mike.357]

I guess I just need to take more care in concealing when with the scouts. Not gonna stop carrying.

[Guest bkelm18]

Anyone know where I can get hardcast .357 in Knoxville?

[Jonnin]

This has been a very enlightening discussion. I had never considered the merits of hard cast bullets over expanding JHP for dangerous animals. Also, I had not thought of dealing with badgers or wild hogs. There was a program on Discovery channel just last night about wild hogs. However, the locations that they profiled were in south Alabama and Georgia. I was unaware that it was illegal to kill snakes in TN....Oops!

My personal choice is a S&W 686 with a 7 shot cylinder. I have been carrying 2 rounds of snake shot and 5 JHP. That's about to change to 5 hard cast. Bklem18, the Ruger SP 101 you already have is a great choice in my opinion. I carried one until I swapped it for the Smith that I carry now. With either it or the M&P, I think you are well equipped. I just like revolvers for outdoors carry because of the flexibility of using the snake shot if needed, (despite the apparent legal ramifications of doing so).

P.S. Pachmayr makes a great grip for the SP101. It fills the hand better and really takes the sting out of shooting .357. It has a rounded profile that doesn't snag easily. I really enjoyed the one I had on my SP101.

I would think jacketed soft points made for handgun hunting would be in order, though lead will behave much the same way unless its very hard indeed.

[daddyo]

I guess I just need to take more care in concealing when with the scouts. Not gonna stop carrying.

Well, I think that's the key. When I was a scout leader, I wasn't carrying, but had I been, I think I would've gone the deep concealment route with a belly band or smart carry or something similar.

[JAB]

Anyone know where I can get hardcast .357 in Knoxville?

I had to go to Chattanooga to find them but at the Sportsman's Warehouse there I picked up a box of Buffalo Bore 180 grain hardcast (loaded ammo.) I was happy to find them there because I prefer not to order things online unless I have no other option. I was in Sportsman's Warehouse weekend before last and they still had them but I didn't notice if the price had changed - I paid a little over $20 for twenty rounds - not cheap but I imagine that box will last me for years. I fired a few just to check recoil, point of aim, etc. and there is a little difference between those, 125 grain and 158 grain loads. The difference might be more noticeable out of a shorter barreled/smaller gun like your Ruger than out of my four-inch Taurus 66.

I have the Taurus to carry when trout fishing up at Tellico and wanted to load it with something that would have a chance at stopping a black bear, however unlikely an attack might be. People say that you don't have to worry about bears yet there have been attacks. Having to draw a weapon on a mugger is statistically unlikely, too, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to be prepared, just in case. I figure than if I go loaded for bear, literally, then I should be able to stop any other threats (including the two-legged kind) pretty handily. I recently bought a Super Blackhawk in .44 Mag but as it has a 7.5 inch barrel, I will probably stick with the (somewhat) easier to conceal, double action Taurus with the 180 grain Buffalo Bore for that application.

[Guest bkelm18]

I had to go to Chattanooga to find them but at the Sportsman's Warehouse there I picked up a box of Buffalo Bore 180 grain hardcast (loaded ammo.) I was happy to find them there because I prefer not to order things online unless I have no other option. I was in Sportsman's Warehouse weekend before last and they still had them but I didn't notice if the price had changed - I paid a little over $20 for twenty rounds - not cheap but I imagine that box will last me for years. I fired a few just to check recoil, point of aim, etc. and there is a little difference between those, 125 grain and 158 grain loads. The difference might be more noticeable out of a shorter barreled/smaller gun like your Ruger than out of my four-inch Taurus 66.

I have the Taurus to carry when trout fishing up at Tellico and wanted to load it with something that would have a chance at stopping a black bear, however unlikely an attack might be. People say that you don't have to worry about bears yet there have been attacks. Having to draw a weapon on a mugger is statistically unlikely, too, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to be prepared, just in case. I figure than if I go loaded for bear, literally, then I should be able to stop any other threats (including the two-legged kind) pretty handily. I recently bought a Super Blackhawk in .44 Mag but as it has a 7.5 inch barrel, I will probably stick with the (somewhat) easier to conceal, double action Taurus with the 180 grain Buffalo Bore for that application.

Not sure I wanna drive 2 hrs for a box of ammo.

Edited April 19, 2011 by bkelm18

[Mike.357]

Well, I think that's the key. When I was a scout leader, I wasn't carrying, but had I been, I think I would've gone the deep concealment route with a belly band or smart carry or something similar.

just a shirt with a longer tail ought to be sufficient. I have been carrying IWB anyway.

[enfield]

Not sure I wanna drive 2 hrs for a box of ammo.

Midway probably carries them.

[Jonnin]

Not sure I wanna drive 2 hrs for a box of ammo.

As I said above, try JSP hunting ammo maybe. Most ammo stores will have some in 357 -- winchester makes one for sure.