Which gun to carry on my hike?

[timcar86]

I'm hiking in the Smokies this April to a back-country campsite and will be staying overnight there. In all my time in the Park I've only seen a handful of bear so I've never been very concerned with them but they are still something to be considered.

My choices are down to 2:

#1 S&W M&P Pro Series 9mm with a magazine extension.

Pros: (Relatively) Lightweight

Lots of rounds per mag (17 for standard, 22 in the extended mag)

Easy to carry on my pack openly

Very fast to draw

Cons:

It's a 9mm, not so great for bear or boar if I encounter any

#2 Taurus Raging bull 454 Casull

Pros: Big caliber, good chance of disabling most animals on 4 legs (or 2)

Heavy, can be used to break apart rocks to build a foundation for a homestead if I get stuck

Cons:

5 rounds

It's heavy, (4lbs heavy)

Not easy to carry

It's heavy

Not easy to draw

It's heavy

Trigger pull is long (in double action)

and it's heavy

Hike is 6 miles in 6 miles out. I'm an experienced hiker so that's a pretty short distance for me but even in 6 miles things can get annoying if they're bouncing around on you.

Discuss...

[jon29253]

Easy to carry goes to the 9mm. You're more likely to need self defense against the two-legged animal, not the bear. Best to be prepared against a multiple attackers than the less frequent bear. Leave he 454 for hunting. Carry the 17 rounds of 9mm and an extra magazine. Have a comfy holster and enjoy your trip.

[peejman]

Easy to carry goes to the 9mm. You're more likely to need self defense against the two-legged animal, not the bear. Best to be prepared against a multiple attackers than the less frequent bear. Leave he 454 for hunting. Carry the 17 rounds of 9mm and an extra magazine. Have a comfy holster and enjoy your trip.

This. And keep it concealed.

[nightrunner]

Carry the 9 concealed and easily accessible and carry the .454 in a chest rig

[daddyo]

I'm with nightrunner - I don't know that I wouldn't carry BOTH.

[Guest cardcutter]

go with the 454 in a hip holster. the mere sight of that hand cannon will scare off the two legged critters and it at least will stop a bear instead of just making it mad.

[Lumber_Jack]

I kind of lean towards...either or both.

I think the 9mm with 2 mags would be sufficient for most anything. but I am more concerned about aggressive hogs than bears. and hitting and stopping a hog with a 9mm might take the whole magazine. considering the weight you will be carrying and the short overall distance, I wouldn't hesitate to carry the .454. but either way chances are you'll be fine as long as you can hit what you're shooting at

[Troutburger]

Yeah, carry them both what's an extra 4-6 pounds in your pack. What's with all these sissy thru hikers trying to shave ounces anyway!

[Q-tip]

I'd go with the 9. On the hip. No need in stuffing a full size pistol in your pants for a 12-mile hike. That just sounds painful. Carrying inside the pack also seems to defeat the purpose. Just my two pennies worth.

[JReedEsq]

I think the 9mm with 2 mags would be sufficient for most anything. but I am more concerned about aggressive hogs than bears. and hitting and stopping a hog with a 9mm might take the whole magazine. considering the weight you will be carrying and the short overall distance, I wouldn't hesitate to carry the .454. but either way chances are you'll be fine as long as you can hit what you're shooting at

That's the key. Personally, I'd carry the 9mm for the following reasons: 1) I don't have significant experience with revolvers. 2) Most of our black bears are small and not agressive 3) If I were actually knocked down by a bear or startled by a boar, I'm confident I could unload a magazine of 9mm one-handed or weak-handed. 3) 9mm is less likely to make you deaf. 4)Two legged threats are likely more common that 4-legged.

Just my opinion. I usually hike with a Glock 22, casually concealed. My wife carries bear spray. If the bears in the Smokies were bigger or if I had a lot of revolver experience, I could easily change my opinion. My only concern with bears or boars is if the pepper spray doesn't work, I sometimes wonder if I'd be better off with fmj than jhp. I've been carrying 180 grain jhp but I could switch to 180 grain flat nose or even to my Glock 17 with NATO fmj.

Edited March 30, 2012 by JReedEsq

[Will H]

I would also suggest the 9 carried OC in a hip holster loaded with FMJ for max penetration. Perfect as usual for two legged critters, but if you begin filling a bear with a mag of 9mm he is more likely to decide to pursue other prey that don't fight back as much. I personally do not see bear as angry and vengeful as much as hungry.

Edited March 30, 2012 by Will H

[timcar86]

Carrying concealed isn't really an option since my waist strap is very wide and covers my waistband on my pants. The M&P is easily carried on said waist strap and is very hard to see unless you stare. I was in Frozenhead last summer hiking just that way and had a 5 minute conversation with a ranger without him even glancing at my pistol. I guess I will probably go with the 9. Thanks for all your opinions.

[timcar86]

I guess I should clarify, that's the waist strap of my backpack. It's really wide and cushioned so it covers pretty much my whole waist and more. The gun sits right under the bottom of my right ribcage and is super easy to draw from that position.

[JReedEsq]

I rarely OC, but I've OC'd at Frozen Head and in the GSMNP because I was carrying a child in a backpack without a good way to conceal a full-size. No one ever said a word, including rangers at both parks. On the rare occasion I OC, I make an extra effort to be polite and friendly to every one I meet. That seems to work for me.

Edited March 30, 2012 by JReedEsq

[BK1977]

Carry the 9 concealed and easily accessible and carry the .454 in a chest rig

X2

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[Guest Matt Pavo]

I feel that when backpacking open carry is perfectly acceptable. CC is difficult to accomplish in a way that makes quick access easy. This said, I would still go with 9 mm, preferably with +P FMJ and perhaps a few +P+ cartridges a few down in the magazine. +P+ 9 mm rounds typically fly at velocities around that of .357 sig round

Edited March 30, 2012 by Matt Pavo

[peejman]

Carrying concealed isn't really an option since my waist strap is very wide and covers my waistband on my pants. The M&P is easily carried on said waist strap and is very hard to see unless you stare. I was in Frozenhead last summer hiking just that way and had a 5 minute conversation with a ranger without him even glancing at my pistol. I guess I will probably go with the 9. Thanks for all your opinions.

I rarely OC, but I've OC'd at Frozen Head and in the GSMNP because I was carrying a child in a backpack without a good way to conceal a full-size. No one ever said a word, including rangers at both parks. On the rare occasion I OC, I make an extra effort to be polite and friendly to every one I meet. That seems to work for me.

I also carry my young'un in a backpack.... Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but how do you carry while wearing the pack? If I snug the pack's waist strap for adequate support, it mashes the gun/holster and is very uncomfortable. Even with the waist strap a little looser, access to draw seems poor at best.

[JReedEsq]

I also carry my young'un in a backpack.... Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but how do you carry while wearing the pack? If I snug the pack's waist strap for adequate support, it mashes the gun/holster and is very uncomfortable. Even with the waist strap a little looser, access to draw seems poor at best.

I bought a thigh rig just for this purpose. I've sometimes tied a jacket or a long sleeve shirt around my waist in really crowded parking lots etc.. but once we're on the trail and no one's around I take it off. I can't remember the maker of the holster right now but I got a really good deal on it used. It was made in NC, it's kydex, and has an adapter plate to make it belt holster. As a thigh rig, it rides higher than most and I've actually found it to be comfortable for hikes up to 7-8 miles.

[deerslayer]

I'll also be backpacking in the Smokies in April. I'll be carrying a Springfield EMP for the two-legged critters and a bottle of bear pepper spray for the four-legged ones. I figure the pepper spray will be easier to hit something with, just as effective, less likely to get me in trouble for shooting a bear, and less likely than a .454 to deafen me.

Edited March 31, 2012 by deerslayer

[Will Carry]

Go with the 9mm. You will not need it, but it will stop a Black Bear if you do. Have fun and enjot the hike.

[Wheelgunner]

I like the idea of being armed in the woods with a viable hunting weapon. I usually carry a .357 when hiking. .454 is a whole different class than .357, but certainly not overkill. If God forbid you got attacked you could push the muzzle right up against something and still have 5 rounds you can count on. If you don't end up using it, you still challenged yourself by carrying 4 lbs of hand cannon instead of a much lighter adequate weapon. Isn't challenging yourself the whole point of a good hike? Carry that big b@stard and then enjoy the bragging rights afterward.

[chances R]

Perfect place for the 1911. If you don't have one, good reason to buy another gun. If you are going with another person, would keep it simple and carry a .22, like a Ruger Single-Six....good human deterent, and if you encounter a bear, shoot your buddy in the leg so you can be sure to out run him......

[JKGlock17]

10mm all the way JMO maybe get ya a Glock 20

[timcar86]

I also carry my young'un in a backpack.... Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but how do you carry while wearing the pack? If I snug the pack's waist strap for adequate support, it mashes the gun/holster and is very uncomfortable. Even with the waist strap a little looser, access to draw seems poor at best.

I thought it would be at first but the kydex paddle contours perfectly to my ribs and I could barely tell it was there. It's almost as if it was made to fit that part of my pack.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

A few years ago got a SafePacker thinking it might be good for hikes, but haven't hiked with it. I got the "Government" size that fits most full-size pistols, including my Beretta 92, 1911 and many others including my S&W 586 .357 Mag. Any of my full size pistols will fit the thing. Lately been keeping a G17 in it, slung under the bed mattress as a nighttime gun.

The thing would be easy to attach lots of places and is heavy padded and wouldn't be real slow to draw. That safepacker is freaking huge but on the other hand it is so well padded and good retention that you could fall down a ravine and the pistol would be in better shape than you are. That is the main reason I've not yet used it much, because it is lots bigger than I imagined in pictures.

Anybody hiked with that one?

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