woods back-up

[Totin'a10]

:-D Happy first all!
As an emergency, last ditch scenario would you all choose a .44mag or 15 rnd 10mm for back-up? (not the primary arm).
Thanks, be safe.

[oso45-70]

Totin'a 10;
I don't know why not, My home is watched over by a 10x15 and i feel pretty safe. It has 5 more 15s on standby. Have a good new year.
.......Joe.....

[palgeno]

Where is the woods, what are you hunting---and what just might be hunting you??  :eek: pg

[Catfish]

10???, I don`t own any thing that small. I don`t know what your excepting to shoot, but if it`s smaller than than a brown bear the 10 would probibly work and if it`s a brown bear the .44 mag. is to small. That said, and given your choices, I would take the .44 mag., hands down.

[Lloyd Smale]

.44 mag 10s are great for self protections but if i was hunting anything or had to be protected from anything bigger then a deer id want a .44

[44 Man]

Short barreled Ruger in .44 mag.  It comes back to; if you can't do it in six, you're in much too deep.  Again good advise, if it bites and claws and is brown and shaggy, you need a bigger gun.  With anything smaller or two legged, the .44 will do nicely.  I wouldn't worry too much about mulitple two legger problems.  After you shoot a couple of them, self preservation kicks in and they will run.  Remember the old army saying, 'incoming has right of way', most people tend to hit the dirt when the shooting starts.  By the way, Joe is a man after my own heart.  44 Man

[bigbore442001]

Given the choice between the two, the 44 all the way. You may need the horsepower of the heavier bullets of the 44 and wish you had them.

[Stillhuntn]

Totin' a 10,
Happy New year to you too.  What is really comes down to, is which sidearm are you most comfortable with.  Unless the resident animals of Florida has changed since I left in mid 1985, you should not encounter anything with really long claws and thick fur.  May be something with sharp tusks and thick hide, but as long as a tree is near by you should be ok there.
Chose the handgun that you are most proficient with and can shoot the best.

[myronman3]

i vote for the 10mm.  love the 44, but there is something to be said about more ammo being there if you need it.  

recent events here that cost me some friends and neighbors have really caused me to reflect on what i would want in my hand if i were in the worst situation imaginable.  knowing what i know from being an infantryman,  fire supeiority is priceless.   not the way i prefer to do things,  but sometimes that is what is needed to regain the advantage.   and you aint going to get it with a 44 magnum revolver that is slow to load.   chia vang would have had his hands full if one of those guys would have been armed with a glock 10mm and had a few mags along.  sadly, none of them did.   the only one armed was the first one hit.  
     
for those of you who think the 10 lacks power,  watch ted nugent drop a cape buffalo with it on video.   mulitple hits, yes; dead animal, yep.  

i love my guns and enjoy shooting them alot.  but if i were in the worst situation and the chips were down, i want every advantage possible.  i think the 10mm glock 20 and a few mags are quite formidable.    power, capacity, reliablity, and quick to reload.

[Dusty Miller]

If you are SERIOUS about dealing with enraged animals that can do you signifigant harm then the .44 mag. is the MINIMUM backup you want and I'd personally feel a lot safer with a 454 Casull or S&W 500.

[myronman3]

If you are SERIOUS about dealing with enraged animals that can do you signifigant harm then the .44 mag. is the MINIMUM backup you want and I'd personally feel a lot safer with a 454 Casull or S&W 500.

i would agree if animals were the only concern.    i am willing to bet people, a.k.a. "two legged varmints", are more of a threat than animals.  

i think the 10 is about the perfect blend of power and capacity.   we could really argue the point all day, and not change anyone's mind.  so i can only say that were it me, i would want a glock 20 with a few extra 15 rd. mags.    

and,  there is one in my near future.   :wink:

[Zcarp2]

Being from Louisiana, I tend to watch for Alligators whenever I am hunting ducks.  Bears, not so much.  The weather is SUPPOSED to be too cold for them, but a few are late in reading the experts.  These brutes can be quick.  And they tend to get eaten if they are too comfortable around folks.

That said, above the water line, either will do.  Under it, well...

When gator hunting, my buddies use 38 wad cutters out of an old Smith.  That worked for all but a 12 footer that took 3 cylinders plus some, a hatchet and FINALLY finished with a 3 foot piece of rebar and hammer at the processing facility to the rear of the skull.  One of the slugs bounced out and laid on the boat deck next to the gator's head.  

Don't want more power once you have the gator in the boat, because it is a long,wet walk back to the dock.  They will carry a couple of loads with little more horsepower next year - just in case - they get another big one.

[Rmouleart]

I realized how important a backup can be, this year I was hunting deer during bowseason, I for the most part strap my 44mag or the 454 Casull cross draw, for protection, then decided one day I did not need to be carry all that extra weight, so I left my backup home, all I had was a knife and my string and stick.
I was at my stand right before dusk and I heard something shifting some leaves around behind me, so I tern very slowly to take a look, then what I see is a bear cub around ten yards away,digging under a log, while doing so, I realized, Oh no where is MaMa bear, I did see then together this season, then the cub started working his way right to me, Man the hair on my back of my neck raised, trying to look all around to find where mama bear is,and its getting darker bye the minuet, needless to say I did not see her and also the cub walked right bye me within three yards, All I could see is me being attacked bye mama bear and I have no gun, boy I won't travel in the field again with out a backup, you just never know when you might need it. Chances even if Mama bear was there near bye she would of just call the cub away from me, but there was a chance for a attack. Aim small hit small. RAMbo.

[myronman3]

funny you should mention that, rmouleart.

that is often how i feel about het extra weight, so i usually leave it at home.   my brother does the same.   for some stroke of luck this year he started carrying a 44 mag with him in a backpack.  long story short, one night a bear comes in and wont leave.  it is getting dark fast.  the bear moves to behind him, popping his jaws and woofing.  'the kidd' digs out the 44 and loads it up, starts yelling at the bear again.  so he aims at the ground and fired a shot into the dirt.  the bear stayed behind him!   forced to do something, he starts climbing down, stopping and listening as he goes.  total silence.  he climbs down further.  gets to the ground, gets off and puts his stand on his back, all the time with the pistol in his hand.  he takes two steps and hears woof-woof and lots of crashing.  then through the darkness small trees and brush falling down towards him, at which time he pulled up and started to fire.  he estimates it was 15 feet away when he started to shoot.  bear stopped and ran off.   the kidd ran off, too.  he called me 30 minutes later and he was emotionally wrecked.  

after talking with me and telling his story,  he has decided on a glock 10mm before next season.   he likes the power of the 44; but said that he felt awfully undergunned with only 6 rounds; he says they were gone way to quick!

[S.B.]

funny you should mention that, rmouleart.

after talking with me and telling his story,  he has decided on a glock 10mm before next season.   he likes the power of the 44; but said that he felt awfully undergunned with only 6 rounds; he says they were gone way to quick!

The 10mm isn't a slouch, but I think I'd prefer a .44 mag. Was there any blood trail? I assume he emptied the gun in the bears direction?

[Lawful Larry]

This is what I take in the woods as a back up:



I load a 230 gr. XTP with 23 grs of H108 (WC820)

I have never had the chance to use it yet, but will I am sure someday.

LL

[Graybeard]

I got one "xactly" lak that if it's a .45 Colt. Kinda amazing what with it being a Ruger that I still have it. Just ain't found nothing to not like so far about it.

[AfricanHandgunner]

Myronman, While I agree that a 10mm is better than a sharp stick,if one's life was on the line, a 44 magnum makes more sense to me.  While Ted Nugent killed the cape buff with a 10mm, it was already 3/4 dead from an arrow before he shot it. :roll:  BTW, if a person is going to Africa and wants a sidearm to protect themselves, forget it- not legal anymore, at least in the countries I am familiar with.

[DOGGY]

Well funny you should ask this question! I often wonder what all you handgun hunters prefer to carry when not hunting or just going in the woods for a stroll outside of hunting. I just bought a Ruger p97d (.45 acp) have shot a couple clips threw it. To me it seems reliable enough for me for a backup!

[Redhawk1]

I would have to go with the 44MAG given the choices. But I would take my 500MAG before any of the others.  

[myronman3]

The 10mm isn't a slouch, but I think I'd prefer a .44 mag.

each to their own.   i would go with the 10 myself.   but others have different ways.  

Was there any blood trail? I assume he emptied the gun in the bears direction?

i wasnt there.  he wasnt about to go back.   he was spooked pretty good.  were i closer to him,  we would have gone back and checked it out in the daylight.    far as we know,  the muzzle blast was what repelled the bear.

[S.B.]

myronman3, makes no difference. Very entertaining story. Thanks, Steve

[S.S.]

I am a VERY big fan of both of those calibers.
My deciding factor is that the groups I fire with my
.44 are about 3 x smaller than my 10 mm.
I have a S&W 1076 and the trigger is in dire need
of improvement.

[S.B.]

I am a VERY big fan of both of those calibers.
My deciding factor is that the groups I fire with my
.44 are about 3 x smaller than my 10 mm.
I have a S&W 1076 and the trigger is in dire need
of improvement.

Probably the wisest desicion of all. Shoot what you shoot best, no matter what it is.