Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns The ideal back packing pistol.

My main worry in the boonies is two legged varmints, and then four legged, so a handgun with sufficient power is a must. This rules out the .22's. On the other hand, almost all the shooting will be plinking for fun, much of it by my wife, kids and friends, so something easy to shoot is a must. Not much fills that bill like a .38/.357 revolver.

My own preference is a stainless Smith Mod 60 j-frame with 3" barrel and adj sights. Small enough to pack easily, big enough to shoot easily. Will fire anything from cheap .38 reloads to heavy .357 loads. The titaniums are lighter but pack a nasty kick, plus you can't shoot lead bullets in them.

BW

You can shoot target wadcutters in the titanium J Frame .38s. Not enough recoil to pull out the bullets. Target wadcutters are great plinking rounds, and are even first rate for taking small game (adequate for self defense too). Cuts a nice clean hole through a rabbit or squrrel, and they are very accurate.

I recently picked up a S&W Ti 357. 3" with hi-viz sights, Built on the J frame. It weighs under a pound and is the neatest thing for packing that I've ever had ahold of. This gun is so light that it feels like I'm packing a plastic squirt gun! Recoil is a little stiff but any 3" 357 will be anyway. I can pack it all day in an IWB holster and never feel any discomfort.
Good luck with your choice. Virgil B.