Most practical would be a Ruger 22 bearcat revolver. If a bear comes into your camp, don't you have a rifle?

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
Most practical would be a Ruger 22 bearcat revolver. If a bear comes into your camp, don't you have a rifle?

I don't have a rifle at arm's length all the time, no. But in Africa, you are correct, we normally don't have the luxury of a handgun.

quote:

The Ruger single-action series have many models in 45 Colt and with barrels in the 4"-5" size. But they also have a Redhawk double-action in 45 Colt//45 Auto (with moon-cllip), 4.2" barrel. Should I think only in terms of the Redhawk, or would the various single-actions be fine?

..I think you have about the best answer to your original questions here...

If you like SAs a dual cylinder stainless would be hard to beat. I know a couple people with the Flat top models and love them...

That said I have a friend with the Redhawk .45 Colt/.45 ACP who loves the gun...

For defense I rely on DA revolvers over SAs... If being chewed on I don't want to be cocking any hammer...

I know several people who suffer from permanent tinnitus from just a couple of rounds of unprotected .22 Jet and .30 Carbine... The frequency of those rounds are just off the charts...

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by RJM:

quote:

The Ruger single-action series have many models in 45 Colt and with barrels in the 4"-5" size. But they also have a Redhawk double-action in 45 Colt//45 Auto (with moon-cllip), 4.2" barrel. Should I think only in terms of the Redhawk, or would the various single-actions be fine?

..I think you have about the best answer to your original questions here...

If you like SAs a dual cylinder stainless would be hard to beat. I know a couple people with the Flat top models and love them...

That said I have a friend with the Redhawk .45 Colt/.45 ACP who loves the gun...

For defense I rely on DA revolvers over SAs... If being chewed on I don't want to be cocking any hammer...

I know several people who suffer from permanent tinnitus from just a couple of rounds of unprotected .22 Jet and .30 Carbine... The frequency of those rounds are just off the charts...

Bob

Yes, Bob, that is good advice.

As you may have seen, I did buy the Ruger Blackhawk, dual cylinder, 45 Colt//45ACP. And I do enjoy it. Thoroughly, absolutely.

As for cocking a hammer, I just need to learn to pull the gun with the hammer cocked.
Just like the cowboys in the 19th century. In fact, thirty years ago when I owned a Redhawk 44Mag, I did all of my shooting single-action. I liked the accuracy, but the noise from my hot loads was too much in a hunting situation.

quote:

Originally posted by 416Tanzan:
Just like the cowboys in the 19th century. In fact, thirty years ago when I owned a Redhawk 44Mag, I did all of my shooting single-action. I liked the accuracy, but the noise from my hot loads was too much in a hunting situation.

Same here. I have a 4" Redhawk I'd love to use to whack a deer or hog, but in thinking more clearly, there's no way I want to touch one off without ear pro. Even WITH it on, there's a helluva blast.

well, pardon the redundancy, but the old adage holds true about the 1st rule in a gunfight is to have a gun. That being said, one that you would be comfortable having on you all the time. There's a lot to be said for the 22. I knew a big bruiser in Oak Hill whose girlfriend found out he was trifling on her + she shot him in the sternum w/ a 22 short + killed him deader than yesterday's news. I'm not advocating a 22 as your only means of defense but to be effective, regardless of caliber, you have to have it on you + realistically, a 22 is easy to carry. I admit that were we talking about the early 50s in a Mau-Mau setting, then nothing less than a 45 need apply. But for general G.P.I think a 22 will suffice.

Just handled the little Glock 44 in .22 LR this morning. What a wand ...

I can relate to the dog comment, Bill. As the old saying goes, you shut your wife + your dog in the trunk of your car, drive down the road, + when you open the trunk, who's glad to see you?

That's messed up. Funny but messed up. Be Well, Packy.

I know, I know. I only posted it for the comic relief .

Well as a youngster I was left in a bush camp at night whilst the other two went off in the Landrover went off looking for a cattle eating lion. The left me an old 45 Webley revolver for protection. I opened it, looked at one of the cartridges and it's lack of size did not fill me with confidence.

I kept the fire well stocked, but during the night it did go very very quiet in the bush. Hairs on back of neck standing quiet - so I climbed the tree under which we were camping. I felt much much safer and that's where the others found me when they came back later in the night.

There was lion spoor close by in the morning.

quote:

Originally posted by Heym SR20:
Well as a youngster I was left in a bush camp at night whilst the other two went off in the Landrover went off looking for a cattle eating lion. The left me an old 45 Webley revolver for protection. I opened it, looked at one of the cartridges and it's lack of size did not fill me with confidence.

I kept the fire well stocked, but during the night it did go very very quiet in the bush. Hairs on back of neck standing quiet - so I climbed the tree under which we were camping. I felt much much safer and that's where the others found me when they came back later in the night.

There was lion spoor close by in the morning.

Thanks for sharing,my dad had some similar experiences,love to hear about them

I checked your Public Profile and did a quick-and-dirty check of posts on this thread. Where you hunt — anticipating you are not someone who lives in an Orwellian metropolis like Chicago but hunts near my home in Lolo National Forest — pertains strongly to what "back-up" or "protection" that will best serve you.

Having among the largest concentrations of grizzly bears in the continental United States, we carry Freedom Arms 97s in 45 Colt/305-grain SWC-GC bullets/1200–1300 fps or Ruger SP101 4.2-inch in 357 Magnum/200-grain WLNGC (Grizzly Cartridge Company). Depending upon what we intend doing, long guns of some sort might be included.
***
But this situation [that] of different kinds of four-legged mammals possibly viewing us as a problem to be dealt with rather than one to be avoided is not usual for 90-some-odd percent of the country.

You might consider a useful compromise — that is, something a little too big to be an ideal small game handgun and a little too small for big nasties. Ruger's SP101 4.2-inch 357 Magnum revolver is a nice fit for this purpose.

1. A revolver can be loaded with several types of cartridges from 38 Special target wadcutters for squirrels and rabbits to Grizzly Cartdge Company's 200-grain ultra penetrating "bear" ammunition.

2. Although I prefer Freedom Arms' petite Model 97, for you, the novice, a double action will be safer and more reliable. In your unlikely emergency your convulsive grip will instinctively fire as many cartridges as are loaded. Noise issues will come later. Plus the double action's trigger action that requires more force to operate acts as a subliminal brake to you making a terrible mistake with your handgun.

3. By design Ruger's double action revolvers are uncomplicated to maintain.

4. The SP101 4.2-inch weighs about 27 ounces, depending upon grip set. And it fits well in my favorite holster series, Bianchi's long discontinued CD-1xx. The model that fits is CD-127.

Hope something in this mishmash helps.

About 20 years ago an old retired sheriff
told me: "IF you can't do it with a 45 Colt
in a Ruger you'd better take your rifle instead."

Until then I always carried my Blackhawk
.30 carbine. It pulverized a couple elk heads
for finish up shots. A .22 would have worked
fine too.

Taking Glen's advice I got a .45 Blachawk and
practiced out to 100 yards with it a lot until
the range gods changed the rules to: No handguns
on the rifle ranges. Bullshit!

Having big hands I can't hold factory stocks.
Not enough to get hold of. I've put Hogue rubber
grips on all my Blackhawks.
Haven't shot anything with the .45 yet.
At least I know it'll do the job on an elk if the rifle's not in reach.
I don't worry about bears.
Hunted Colorado since 1955 and never seen one yet.
We did jump one in the summer riding the local
foothills. It was running hard the other way
at 250yards when first seen.

I've settled on 20gr H110 with both 250s and
320gr. That's plenty where 25gr is max it's a
bit stout with recoil if I shoot many and I like
to shoot 100 or more per session. I can handle
that many 20 gr loads easy.

I want the 7 1/2" barrels, though I do carry a
Snubby Smith.

I don't like or trust myself with a
semi auto anything. When I pull the trigger
I expect and want it to fire. I don't want to
be distracted with a malfunction.

George

For backpacking, a Stevens break-open 22, weighs next to nothing along with a box of Long Rifle hollow points.