Posted: 1/28/2009 10:59:40 AM EDT
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Looking at lightweight hunting *CAPABLE* handguns:
1. 2lbs or less empty 2. Mountain lion/black bear/two-legged defense 3. Deer/elk *CO legal* (500ftlbs @ 50 yards) Options I see: 1. G20 if 10mm counts 2. Maybe a G21 converted for .45 Super (I've heard of many people doing this). 3. What about an XD .45ACP 5" with a new spring for .45 super? Can you do this? A little extra barrel length over the Glocks and hardly any more weight... 4. Otherwise, somehow find a used Taurus Tracker 425 Titanium in a 4" or 6.5" since .41mag should work. (WHY DID THEY STOP MAKING THESE???) 6.5" would be nice! 5. 357mag? Bother with this? I mean .357sig would have be loaded in a very interesting way to meet the legal standard. Can .357mag do it? Should I bother? Something like a S&W J 60 5" or Taurus Tracker 627 4" or 6.5"? That's all the options I see out there under two pounds. The Tracker 44 and S&W629 both seem ungainly to shoot .44mag out of a 4" barrel and also weigh more than 2#. |
While I don't own one, the G20 seems to fit your criteria quite well. Do you currently reload? If so, the 10mm is a real no brainer. Factory ammo (at least for the good full house stuff) is pretty pricey, well more so than 9mm and .45ACP 
16rds of full power 10mm in an easily carried pistol is a great wilderness gun. |
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OK, serious question though, you wouldn't be happy shooting at a 200 pound mule deer at 30-40 yards with a 10mm if it were all legal? .45 super? You'd want the .44mag without at doubt?
Quoted:10mm is not a good choice for hunting. If you want protection from bears you need a rifle in 45-70 or larger. Pistols designed for humans(10mm, 45, 40, 9) are all very poor choices to hunt or for protection from large animals.
BLACK bear. These animals are usually 250-600 pounds. We aren't talking about a 1,500 pound Kodiak Brown or Grizzly. I'm not in Alaska, or even WY/MT. Frankly, I'm more scared of a hungry 150-200 pound lion as I've been stalked before and so have my friends. The 500# blackie I ran into didn't even look at me twice. And I am never going to carry a rifle with me on the trail unless I'm hunting, but that doesn't mean I want to be totally undefended. Now, I suppose I could go with bear spray and a .357sig barrel for the wildcat. |
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.44mag revolver This, Need more then tupperware Super awesome tupperware in the form of 50 GI is now available. I've seen the kits and whole guns w/ kits on gunbroker. 10mm is a terrific round, but I would want more oomph for the critters you mention. 50 GI would do it in a Glock. 41/44 Mag would be my minimum revolver choice. 454 Casull would be my first choice. |
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.50GI is... interesting... but... it is a low energy round and I have to wonder about its ability to penetrate on something like a bear. IOW needs more oomph.
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.44mag revolver S&W 329PD fits the bill. 26oz empty w/ 4" tube. Or you can get an S&W 57. They are making them again with 4 or 6 inch barrels. That 329PD is a fine fine weapon, but the pricetag is way too steep. The Taurus 444 .44mag 4" at 28oz looks much more affordable. |
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.......... That's all the options I see out there under two pounds. The Tracker 44 and S&W629 both seem ungainly to shoot .44mag out of a 4" barrel and also weigh more than 2#. Have you ever shot >500lb-ft rounds out of a lightweight firearm? If not, I think that you'll find the extra weight is an asset, not a liability. Oh, and 44 mag, minimum, for a critter defense round. IMHO 
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OK, serious question though, you wouldn't be happy shooting at a 200 pound mule deer at 30-40 yards with a 10mm if it were all legal? .45 super? You'd want the .44mag without at doubt? Quoted:10mm is not a good choice for hunting. If you want protection from bears you need a rifle in 45-70 or larger. Pistols designed for humans(10mm, 45, 40, 9) are all very poor choices to hunt or for protection from large animals.
BLACK bear. These animals are usually 250-600 pounds. We aren't talking about a 1,500 pound Kodiak Brown or Grizzly. I'm not in Alaska, or even WY/MT. Frankly, I'm more scared of a hungry 150-200 pound lion as I've been stalked before and so have my friends. The 500# blackie I ran into didn't even look at me twice. And I am never going to carry a rifle with me on the trail unless I'm hunting, but that doesn't mean I want to be totally undefended. Now, I suppose I could go with bear spray and a .357sig barrel for the wildcat. I'd have no problem shooting a lion with a 10mm because it is very thin skinned and really a light weight animal......I'd bet a 9mm would be plenty for a mountain lion. Anything else I'd feel under guned. There is a lot and I mean a lot of folks on here that reccomend the 10mm as the "kill anything on planet earth" round. I've read posts that talk about using 10 and 9mm hand guns for Grizzly bear protection......these people are morons and have no clue. If you have done any real hunting or even read what it can be like out there in the woods you know what I'm talking about. It's extreemly hard to kill a large animal fast. The idea is to stop the bear before it kils you. A bullet with enough power to break it shoulder/spine and drop it before it gets to you. Not to hit it several times, it kills you, wanders off and dies later. No handgun has the power to do that. Even the Smith 500 has been laughed at by big time guides in Alaska.......you simply need a high power long gun. In Colorado though a 44 mag would be good....10mm still a little to weak I'm afraid.....sorry to bable it's 2 am.
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