i used to afternoon hike on state forest trails. some of them would be crowded and i needed to be discrete even with a ccw permit.
at one point i carried a s&w 317 22lr. i sold it as i got tired of its aluminum cylinder heatbinding at the shooting range during practice and i worried that 22lr wouldn’t be enough for feral dogs or feral people.
then i gravitated to a s&w 642 snubbie loaded with 38 wadcutters. i like its enclosed hammer for keeping out gunk and with softer wadcutters i’m accurate enough. in cold weather a bond arms derringer in 45lc or 38sp with its trigger guard removed makes for easier handling with gloved hands.
the farther i am removed from dogs or people the more content i would be with a just a 22 something, perhaps a ruger single six in a shoulder holster loaded with 22wmr and carrying 22lr in my pack.
