Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Your hiking pistol?

That's easy. After I finally figured out that 357's and 44's weren't needed for armadillos, it was a 4", j-frame, 32 Mag, S&W aka m631. Even handier than a Single Six, especially in a light shoulder holster.

Smith 60 Pro Series .357 3" usually gets the nod.

Near Northern borders, Bisley SBH .480Ruger 4.62 or 6.5" for assertive Canadian illegal alien bears and their domestic American brethren.

Bisley SBH .44 magnum 3.75" for less remote outings.

Mostly a 4" S&W 66 with 158 gr RNFP or SWCs, occasionally a S&W 617 with some sort of HP. Other occasions might see me with my EDC, a standard size 40 cal. S&W M&P with 180 gr XTP.

If I am checking bear baits, a Ruger Blackhawk loaded with Buffalo Boar 180 gr Bear Loads rides my hip. If small game is open, a Browning Buckmark Target with a red dot is sometimes carried. It has put more than a few grouse in the freezer.

Half my life I lived in Alaska and there was always a 44 mag handy. Here probably the worst thing is 2 legged although snakes, or Mtn lion, possibly a black bear but not likely. Biggest concerns are people who are up to no good. Hence It will be a Taurus G3 or a Ruger SP101 3" 357 mag, or a Ruger Security Six, a Charter Arms Bulldog 44 is also handy. I think either one will keep people moving along. Mountain lions aren't that hard to kill.

In US, a 9mm H&k or a Glock 40 cal.

Last trip to Alaska it was the,Glock,40,cal,with hard cast. Next trip to,Alaska will be with a Glock 10mm.

43X

Glock 20 Gen 3. For bears and azzholes.

a S&W Model 63 is the usual woods bumming revolver for me. Minute of squirrel accurate and deadly on snakes.

Sig P365 loaded with 115 grain Lehigh Xtreme Penetrators, sometimes with a 12 round magazine with a grip adapter. We don't have any grizzlies or bison, but we have just about every other type of big game and 4 legged predators roaming our woods.

Usually a 4"S&W model 10 loaded with 158 swc. I carry it in a HPG bag along with a couple of speed strips and whatever else I might need.

Excellent choice. Though I rarely carry a "hiking pistol" were I to, Glock 21 Gen4 .45 ACP. It's uncommon for me to see bears or "azzholes" afield in Kansas.

I've carried my 629 Mountain Gun for pigs and such but meth heads are a bigger problem so it's usually a Glock 19.

I have a S&W 66 that would make a great carry piece for my AO and I have J frames in 38 sp. But the one that has the most miles on it is my S&W 43C, yep a 22 LR J frame. I carry it when I run because it's the lightest rig I know of. I've got a Kydex holster that clips solid onto my gym shorts and if I'm going for a longer run, I have a HPG kit bag, the smaller recon with the recon harness that carries a water bladder and snacks. Dogs are my biggest concern on a run.

Glock 32 in .357 Sig or a 1911 in 45acp.

And my Ruger LCP II in 22 lr in my pocket for plinking.

I walk twice a day, but your definition of a hike would have to be loose to add my walks into that category. However, when I take my daily walks, I carry the same gun I carry all the time which, of late, has been my Ed Brown Kobra Carry .45 stoked with eight rounds of 230 grain Gold Dots. The rig is an El Paso C-Force IWB (which Kevin suggested I try some years ago), on a Galco SB2 CASUAL HOLSTER BELT 1 1/2".

Very nice pistol, there Chris

Thanks, Jorge.

Most often a Glock 29.

Glock 43 in a HPG Snubby chest bag. Depending on whether I'm in black bear territory or not, it's loaded with either 124gr HST or BB Outdoorsman loads.

Majority of hiking we do is the same place we hunt. Not much danger from critters. Coyotes are always a possibility and black bear a slight chance. In the Blue Ridge area of NC white trash on meth (or just ran out of meth) are the biggest problem by far. Too sorry to work and looking for easy to sell items not hard to steal. They’re not really looking for conflict but if confronted in the act who knows. All said my ‘hiking’ carry is the same as everyday carry; a G23 with 165 grain hollow point Montana Gold handloads. Now & then I’ll swap out a 4” 38 Special or 4” .357 in a Bianchi #111 strong side/cross draw option. Cross draw is very handy in many circumstances particularly when using a backpack.