Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns .38 special for the woods?

Folks do call parts of Utah "Happy Valley" LOL!

But seriously; I'm not sure what you meant. We don't have bears behind every sage bush, but we do have a few black bear attacks every year. We also have lots of cougar, an increasing number of wolves, and enough often-rabid fox, coyote, raccoon and feral cats/dogs to keep things moderately interesting for the solo hiker. Or urban power-walker for that matter.

I'd feel moderately well protected with a .38 for all those except a bear or really large cougar; my 44 Special gives me added confidence.

A while back Ross Seyfried did an article in one of the Handloader/Rifle issues on his carrying of a .38 snubbie as an elk finisher. Factory solids failed miserably but he finally came up with a warm handload using hardcast flat points that would reliably penetrate a bull's skull. That being the case this load from DoubleTap may be workable for the unavoidable emergency. 950 fps from a S&W snubbie.

http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_57&products_id=322

Truly old phardts will recall that one of the stated reasons Saint Elmer carried a revolver was as an elk finisher. Many of his stories described the various successes and failures that put him on the path we DO remember.

Off subject and not that it matters,but in Co. legally, you have to have 550 ft lbs in a handgun,and min 4" barrel to even " finish" and elk off. A .357 mag is on the hairy edge there. I'd personaly carry an extra round for the rifle I am carrying instead of another 15-25 ounces of handgun.

finally got around to doing some tests on this subject. I loaded 158gr lrn Hornadys with 5.6 grains of true blue and did a comparison (bear with me) with 180g partition HG. I loaded the partitions from 4.0 to 4.6gr of true blue.

I screwed 2 phone bookd to a couple 2x6 boards and did some shootin'. As many would expect, the lighter lead had more penetration, just barely, than the best performing partition. The best performing partition was loaded with 4.2gr of true blue.

Of couse, none of the partitions really opened up, but I am more interested in penetration as this load is intended to be fired only into a bears ear for only the most extreme of situations. I do intend to buy an effective hadgun someday, but not very soon.

I'm sure my mind will get the best of me in some idle moment and there will be more of this manner of testing. Only time will tell, until then it's 158 lead - which all of you suggested.

I carry a 38 some of the time, even though i have more powerful choices. My first handgun was my Great Uncles M&P in 38 Special and I still like to give it a walk in the woods now and then. Once when I was a teen we killed a porcupine with it and had it for dinner. Give the gun a chance to make some memories, you wont regret it.

Double Tap has a 158gr cast load that does 950 fps from a 2" 38 Spl. Might be worth consideration.

http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_57&products_id=322

Try to avoid being old and poor - save your money and buy the proper handgun for the task. Sometimes a guy has to make do, but a .38 Special against bears is just wishful thinking.

Fell in love with a ruger alaskan. Now to start saving...

The 38 Special has several decades of failure behind it as a combat weapon on folks, taking that into consideration I would not expect it to save me from getting et by a bear...Bear guns begin with a 41, 44 or 45 IMO...

Not that this has much to add, but I, at one time, carried my SP101 stoked with .38 FMJ rounds to finish off wounded deer. My thinking was a head-shot with a non-expanding round wouldn't be so messy, but effective.

I was wrong. I bounced 3 rounds off a doe's skull (from < 6feet!) before getting one in her ear to finally put her down. That goes to show the lack of energy of a .38spec out of a snub barrel.

However, it's better than a rock to throw...go with the 158gr SWCs.

Aqualung