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.357 mag with moderate barrel and silver bullets.
Pop any melon out there. |
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If you have a 10mm use it. A 9mm will work too. A healthy cat wants nothing to do with you.
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Consensus is 10mm
I agree. I have a G20. Carried the same gun for the 2 legged predators when I worked on the border |
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I carry a .45 in Timberwolf country. I’d feel fine with a 9mm and a few more rounds as well.
(Shrug) |
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For fucks sake. It's AZ. Carry what you want. So why aren't you toting a slung 300 blackout suppressed "pistol" with a SBA3 brace?
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My biggest concerns in Arizona backcountry are angry bulls (several encounters) and snakes, esp. when in Mojave Green Rattlesnake range (Google them--they are one of the world's most venomous).
I did a lot of experiments in the 90s with snakeshot from rifled pistol barrels and came to the conclusion that the bigger the bore the less disruptive effect the rifling has on patterns. .454 is significantly better than .429 which is dramatically better than .357. I often carry a Ruger Redhawk Alaskan with 45 Colt snake shot in the first two cylinders and Buffalo Bore 454 Casull hardened lead penetrators in the rest. Mike PS. Killing a snake for species identification after a bite is important. It's a much more likely scenario. So far, I've always been able to spot them and move back--no reason to shoot. Might be different if I had my dogs with me. I've seen several snakes near my cabin but always when I was there alone not with family. I'm sure Jesus would have walked around the serpent in the Garden of Gethsemane had the apostles not been sleeping nearby. PPS. 10mm is an excellent choice as well and that's what I carry in the field when I'm not carrying the revolver. For those mentioning The Harold Fish case our self-defence laws have changed dramatically since those days partially in response to that case. Self defense is no longer the responsibility of the defendant to prove by preponderance of the evidence (as it was when Fish was first comvicted). If you raise a plausible self-defense argument the prosecutor must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that it was not self defense. His defense attorney also did a poor job not rebutting the prosecutor's grandstanding about the 10 mm cartridge. It was the top choice of law enforcement in those days and also Fish's primary concern was defense against animals not humans. |
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Just walk around the snake when you are in back country. I always see them, they are not aggressive.
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LOL. Mountain lions are thin skinned medium game. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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They have mountain lions so, something like a .44. . Mountain lions are thin skinned medium game. Would you be willing to go mano a gato with a mountain lion armed with a small caliber handgun? |
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Uh.. if you're in the northern half of the state don't forget about Skinwalkers
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Carry whatever legal firearm you want to carry, be it as Davis Derringer in 38 with snake shot, or an AR pistol in 7.62x39mm, or whatever. However, for "woods walking" in AZ during summer time a FAR better investment would be Turtle Skins for leg protection, or the cheap plastic leg armor, plus a Taurus Judge with snake shot carried crossdraw from your regular sidearm.
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Quoted: Kinda what i was thinking a 10mm for the mointains and 9mm for the rest. Thanks, good read at the link too.... damn. View Quote Attached File |
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.22lr is fine, and that assumes you’d rather kill rattlesnakes than step around them.
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What caliber would one like that will kill any and all animals in AZ? Usually go with 10mm over here, wondering of I even need that in AZ? View Quote Go 10 or stay at home. In before someone says 9mmis all you need. |
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LOL. Mountain lions are thin skinned medium game. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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They have mountain lions so, something like a .44. . Mountain lions are thin skinned medium game. To answer the op, whatever handgun you shoot most accurately. 9mm, 10mm, .45 acp, .357 would all serve the purpose. |
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My son carried a g29 when he wandered around Northern Alaska and carries out when wandering around the Arizona backcountry. I grew up hiking and working in AZ and CA and see absolutely no reason to kill snakes, unless your hungry..
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Son in law carries a 1911 in 10mm while hunting.
Last year while hunting the north rim he was charged by a black bear. He held his ground and the bear stopped just shy of a 100yrds. He said he had unslung his 300 winmag and had it at the ready. So much for the 10mm? |
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The 10mm is okay early on but you will want to find the Mysterious Magnum or a Ranger Sequoia for max damage later on.
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Quoted: Snakes aren’t much of an issue. If they become an issue out in the desert it’s usually too late because you stepped on snek. Otherwise they go about their way and most leave them be. The only thing in AZ I worry about when hiking are two-legged critters. The bears, the cats, and anything else with claws pretty much will avoid me long before I see them. The humans, not so much. |
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if I'm thinking about critters, I will carry a S & W 25-5 in .45 colt (not ACP)
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We've had like 2 mountain lion attacks that I can recall where an armed person defended themselves. Both missed a lot. Mountain lion ran off at least.
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Where in AZ? Wouldn't you be more worried about the 2 legged predators lurking about?
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I do 7 to 10 miles a day in the AZ deserts, every day. I carry a Ruger LCR in .38
First two rounds are snake shot. Remaining rounds are .38 So far I have survived every encounter. |
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The vast majority of people are totally ignorant about snakes and feel you need a firearm to protect themselves from the snake. The only thing in AZ I worry about when hiking are two-legged critters. The bears, the cats, and anything else with claws pretty much will avoid me long before I see them. The humans, not so much. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Quoted: Snakes aren’t much of an issue. If they become an issue out in the desert it’s usually too late because you stepped on snek. Otherwise they go about their way and most leave them be. The only thing in AZ I worry about when hiking are two-legged critters. The bears, the cats, and anything else with claws pretty much will avoid me long before I see them. The humans, not so much. |
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Quoted:
Have you ever crossed paths with a mountain lion? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Took this pic of my back yard on Saturday. Attached File Would you be willing to go mano a gato with a mountain lion armed with a small caliber handgun? |
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Quoted: Snakes aren’t much of an issue. If they become an issue out in the desert it’s usually too late because you stepped on snek. Otherwise they go about their way and most leave them be. The only thing in AZ I worry about when hiking are two-legged critters. The bears, the cats, and anything else with claws pretty much will avoid me long before I see them. The humans, not so much. Other wildlife? Coyotes mostly. They scatter almost 99% of the time, the 1% who hang around get a couple of rounds of snake shot shot at them, and if that doesn't move them along, .38 comes next. We had a mountain lion following behind us once, Molly my dog was acting fucky, but her gut is something I listen to. So we backtrack, see the paw prints in the sand. I didn't see the cat, but every hair on my body was standing at attention and I was squeezing the grip on that LCR like it was a piece of carbon I was turning into a diamond. Nothing came of it. But it was sporty in my mind for a few minutes. I got a sig sauer copperhead that I want to strap on my back, but have yet to find a decent sling/system for that, I need to have my hands free most of the time. I want to be able to take some coyotes at farther than LCR distance. |
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Arizona wilderness? The Arizona "Wilderness" is probably 4/5 desert wasteland. There's some high country with water and forested areas, but you won't be running into bears, crocodiles, 30' long snakes and ROUS's.
Your biggest threat in Arizona are snakes. Depending on where, I'd personally go with a 357/9mm or 22 pistol, but the chances of you even seeing a black bear or mountain lion, much less a Gila Monster are incredibly low. It's the snake that doesn't rattle that'll get you. |
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