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Travis said "As a guy that backpacks on occasion, I highly recommend you carry whatever weighs the least.



Travis
"

And I agree one hundred percent, at least. I'm headed for grizz habitat tomorrow and was going to take my heavy Ruger Bisley in .45 Colt but decided to cut back to the old S&W model 19 in .357 loaded with 180 gr. hardcast and probably wont need that. Hope so, anyhow.

Travis, I'm gonna wander up to the lake where you went either later this week or first of next week. Any advice to pass along? Wishin I had some good lookin' chick to carry my pack but no such luck.


The Mayans had it right. If you�re going to predict the future, it�s best to aim far beyond your life expectancy, lest you wind up red-faced in a bunker overstocked with Spam and ammo.


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I have hiked a bit of the AT and lived for many years along its route, in Hanover, NH, but never encountered anybody or anything that bothered me other than dogs, mosquitos, flies (Black/Deer/Horse). When I go off the beaten track, I generally carry a small Rossi 720 with 2 CCI shot cartridges and 3 240 grain SWCs.

Jeff

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Originally Posted by Jeff_O
Originally Posted by raverym14
First time post. I am going hiking on the Appalachian Trail in 2 weeks, and wondering what some thoughts are on loads and guns for carrying along. I have a Smith 21 .44 Spl and a Smith 57 .41 Mag. I also have a Super Redhawk .480, but I am not considering it (too big and heavy). There is a very slim chance of black bear, which are fairly small in the Southern Mountains, and cougar. More worrisome are the two legged rats on the trail. I had a cousin and her boyfriend murdered in their tent on the trail back in the 80's. No rape, no robbery, just shot in their sleep for the @#$$ of it. No gun in the world would have helped them, but I am still taking one. I went back and re-read some old articles by Brian Pearce, and I am looking for opinions on which caliber and whether to go with some of the hot Buffalo Bore hard cast loads or something like the Hornady XTP loads. I also have my eye on one of the Ruger Blackhawks .44 Spl built on the .357 frame. ( I am basically just looking for a reason to buy it, it seems it would be less bulky to carry. Any help is greatly appreciated.


Glock 20 (10mm Auto) or Glock 22 (40 S&W) would my choice of a trail revolver. smile

If you really want to limit how many rounds you've got, get a Kahr P45. Light as a feather, 6+1 of .45 ACP, and a trigger very similar to a DA revolver pull.


Or a Glock 23. The Buffalo Bore .40 +P 180 FMJs and JHPs are listed at 1100.

Expat


"There are no dangerous weapons. There are only dangerous men." - Robert Heinlein
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Personally, for the AT I'd not be worried about animals other than the two-legged kind. I'd carry an HK P2000SK in 9mm. Small, fairly light and 10+1 ultra-reliable rounds of Peace of Mind.


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Originally Posted by Bigbuck215
Travis said "As a guy that backpacks on occasion, I highly recommend you carry whatever weighs the least.



Travis
"

And I agree one hundred percent, at least. I'm headed for grizz habitat tomorrow and was going to take my heavy Ruger Bisley in .45 Colt but decided to cut back to the old S&W model 19 in .357 loaded with 180 gr. hardcast and probably wont need that. Hope so, anyhow.

Travis, I'm gonna wander up to the lake where you went either later this week or first of next week. Any advice to pass along? Wishin I had some good lookin' chick to carry my pack but no such luck.


Yeah, the last mile is a beatch. Go slow. Bring beer.


Travis


Originally Posted by Geno67
Trump being classless,tasteless and clueless as usual.
Originally Posted by Judman
Sorry, trump is a no tax payin pile of shiit.
Originally Posted by KSMITH
My young wife decided to play the field and had moved several dudes into my house
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Originally Posted by David_Walter
What Travis said.

I'm in the mid fifties and everything weighs more after mile ten.

The thing I learned "down range" was that everything is too #%^*in' heavy, even for the young Soldiers and Marines.

Pepper spray works on all concerned and involves less paperwork when effectively employed, I'm told.

I'd hate to have to know how you'd advise the police and what you'd have to do to demonstrate fear of injury.

Also, check the gun laws along the route. Some ain't friendly.


Great point and I always carry spray if I remember to bring it.

But here are a "thousand words" on why guns are more better.
[Linked Image]


Travis


Originally Posted by Geno67
Trump being classless,tasteless and clueless as usual.
Originally Posted by Judman
Sorry, trump is a no tax payin pile of shiit.
Originally Posted by KSMITH
My young wife decided to play the field and had moved several dudes into my house
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My answer after having a few is a 357PD 4" in 41 Magnum. Tried the 629 4" really got heavy on the hip. Had a 586 357 Magnum in 6" try sitting down with that on the hip. Given that you have a model 57 then I would pick it. The 357PD is perfect for me, light weight, not brutal to shoot and power enough for anything that should be shot with a revolver.

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I agree with those who advocate the lightest gun with adequate power. I just finished backpacking across the Wallowa Mountains in NE Oregon. I carried a Glock 36 .45 ACP. It weighs only 20 oz. (27 oz. w/ a full mag) and has a 3.8 inch barrel with a 6+1 capacity.

Thankfully I have never needed to use a firearm to defend against either an animal or a person but it seems to me that in the case of a problem black bear something that penetrates well would be what you want. Phil Shoemaker has written about handguns for brown bear defense and he advocated loads that penetrate well. Though a black bear is generally smaller I would think the same principles apply. Any load that might work on a bear should be plenty for cougars, wolves, humans etc.

I carried one mag of +P 230 grain truncated cone FMJ (from Buffalo Bore) and another mag of 230 grain Federal HST. Buffalo Bore says this FMJ load was designed with black bears in mind. There are many possibilities but my Glock 36 is light, compact and reliable. I shoot Glocks a lot so this was a natural choice for me.

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Phil also advocates for a 357 mag with 180 hardcast, and I believe him. I think his daughter (Tia?) carries a smith in 357 as her backup while guiding.

A heavy bullet with sharp edges punches holes in stuff.

'course, a 357 Sig with the 124 grain, and 14 of them with 13 in the mag and 1 in the pipe ala Glock 32, isn't anything to laugh at, either.

The problem with guns on camping trips where there are a lot of other people is most folks aren't used to knowing where it is, exactly where it is, 24/7. If you misplace the pepper spray, no biggy...the revolver may require a trip back, routing around, calling the PD, etc., etc.



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Originally Posted by Mule Deer
How many of the people who've responded so far have actually shot a black bear, mountain lion or 2-legged varmint with their choice of "hiking revolver"?

Just curious, partly because of all the threads on the the perfect deer/elk/Cape buffalo/mongoose cartridge or bullet.


I have spent most of my life in bear country and have killed 2 grizzlies, 3 black bears, one mountain lion, with everything from a 25-35 to a 30-378.

I just bought a 4 inch Python for hunting in bear country, because of the size, manageability and power factor of a fully loaded 158 grain Jacketed bullet. I have a Smith and Wesson model 57, but it is a long barrel at 8 3/8 inches, so I wanted a smaller framed gun, smooth and pointable when firing double action.

I had a Taurus Titanium 41 magnum, but once you fired it, you would rather be mauled by a bear. I sold it and decided to use the Python. I haven't had to, but we did run into a grizzly last fall and the fellow that hunted with us, just bought a 4 inch model 57 in 41 mag just in case. He did mess his pants and you won't find him sleeping in a tent this fall...



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Originally Posted by shrapnel
He did mess his pants and you won't find him sleeping in a tent this fall...



When I was a young man, I jumped out of an airplane and landed in strong crosswinds. I panicked and instead of just pulling one of the lines to collapse the chute, allowed myself to be dragged across a road with heavy traffic. The view from ground level of people trying not to run over you is interesting, at least.

When I finally took control of the situation and the chute, a truck with my friends pulled up and I had a wet spot on the front of my jeans.

"Drug you through a puddle?"

"%$^* no," I replied, "I pissed my pants!"

In retrospect, that story is funny. I guess they all are when you're alive to tell them.


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The AT goes through New Jersey and you ain't allowed to carry in the Communist State of New Jersey and if your a non resident the cops treat you worse.

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Originally Posted by NJelksmacker
The AT goes through New Jersey and you ain't allowed to carry in the Communist State of New Jersey and if your a non resident the cops treat you worse.


Unless New Jersey has changed it's laws. Hollow Point ammo is illegal for civilians.

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HPs are legal to possess, just don't use 'em or you'll be in the brown sauce.


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which cannot be broken by woman.
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I faced the same issue when I hiked the Appalachian and other Trails. I have several S&W "N" frames (44 Mag), too heavy when packing a heavy pack. I found a used S&W Model 64 ("K" frame, 38 Special, +P rated) with a 4" barrel. I carry it in a large fanny pack and load it with Buffalo Bore 38 Special 158 gr. "Ourdoorsman" loads.

With about 475 ft. pounds of muzzle energy, it works well for eastern hiking and kayaking. It is enough for black bear and two legged varmints and, the Model 64 is light and easily to carry.

Buffalo Bore website: https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=291

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Originally Posted by Mule Deer
How many of the people who've responded so far have actually shot a black bear, mountain lion or 2-legged varmint with their choice of "hiking revolver"?

Just curious, partly because of all the threads on the the perfect deer/elk/Cape buffalo/mongoose cartridge or bullet.


As I've mentioned before, I shot a Grizzly in Montana wilderness 52 years ago with a Ruger Blackhawk 44 Magnum. Following a bad bear attack, I bought the pistol for working in the back country. It was light and easy to carry, but the hammer would bloody my hand after a few shots - it was just too light for shooting with heavy loads.

For griz country hunting, I'd consider the 44 Mag as a minimum; but in the East, a 357 Mag or (Buffalo Bore) 38 Special +P load would be enough for black bear.

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I am liking my 329pd for hiking.Plenty of power and light weight too!

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3" SP101 loaded with the SD load of your choice. The 2-legged threat is far greater than being attacked by a black bear or cougar.

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I have to qualify this by stating that I've never shot a bear, cougar, or human, but I have had close encounters with two of the three in which having a gun made me more comfortable, and confident in my actions. For trail use I have a Smith model 60 with 3" barrel that I carry with the FBI load, since it is a bit rambunctious with full house .357 loads in DA. I also carried speedloaders, one with more FBI load, and one with wadcutters for small game use. I have used the gun for rampaging squirrel and rabbits, and it works well. I have every confidence that it would work for larger critters, too. It carries well in a good holster, and is light enough for protracted carry.

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W/O buying a new gun, the 21 is going to be lighter than the .41 or the .480. Slimmer contour barrel, bigger holes in the steel. I have (and love) a stainless Ruger 4 5/8" .44 special, but I doubt it saves any weight over the 21.

I suppose you could get it somewhere here, but bears are scarce in my normal haunts, so bear spray is not on the shelves. I can tell you that wasp and hornet spray works on other than flying insects-and works well.

While vacationing in Colorado this summer, my wife spotted a bear across the small lake in front of the house. She called me and we watched as it worked its way around the shore line, across a gravel road, and on up the mountain. There were hikers on a trail who never saw the bear. When Mr. Bear saw the hikers, he changed directions to avoid them. The hikers never knew he was there. Now he did come back one night to try the trash (no luck) and he did get into our Mule. I guess he couldn't get it started. Tracks and a few scratches in the paint were evidence.

Best wishes for a fun trip. jack


"Do not blame Caesar, blame the people...who have...rejoiced in their loss of freedom....Blame the people who hail him when he speaks of the 'new, wonderful, good, society'...to mean ,..living fatly at the expense of the industrious." Cicero
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