I'm about to get my CCW here in CO and will probably be using it when I walk in the wilderness, hike in the mountains or ride horses in somewhat remote areas. I have a 642, but was thinking an 8 shot 22lr revolver would probably do the trick too. My 63 is a nice shooter and I have a Lobo belt holster for it, but it is on the heavier side at about 26 ozs.

Was thinking of picking up either a 317 2" or a 43C for outdoors and use the 642 in other situations.

So, are any of you guys using 22lr revolvers as your primary weapon in your outdoor adventures??

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Bud

If your concern is critter related and weight is a factor, I would suggest a lightweight .357 on up to .44.

Yep. In Vermont my only concern would be a rabid coyote or racoon for which my 63 is just fine. In your part of the country shooting a griz with a .22 will just make him mad. I agree, .357 on up for you.

The shortest 617 is a 4". They're heavy but 10 shots is nice if you carry a .22.

Thanks for the catch. I meant 317. Bud

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Bud

Hey Bud,

I'm in high desert foothills a couple hundred miles south of you, and I hike in the National Forest back up behind the house all the time.

I'll tell you, amigo: I've wanted to do as you suggest with the lightweight .22 (there's just something magical about a .22 - takes a fellow back to the excited innocence of youth ), but I've never been able to bring myself to do it (although I have on exactly one occasion gone for a not-too-far hike with nothing more than my Bowen-conversion .22 Magnum Bearcat). I keep getting sidetracked by the thought of, "Man, your friends are going to be awfully darned disappointed in you if this turns out to be the time that you trip over a bear cub and irritate momma."

That said, on every single hike I've taken to date, a .22 LR handgun would have served my needs just fine. Although there have been a few times when I've heard cougars screaming downhill in the canyon between me and the house at dusk - while I never had any issues at all, I'm sure I would have been kicking myself in the tucchis if I'd only had a .22 along. (Though my cougar-hunt guide friend swears by the .22 Magnum for mountain lions.)

Anyhow, I suspect you would not suffer any problems from proceeding as you're considering, because - well, the wilderness is probably a lot safer than in "civilization". But you'll have to weigh the joy of carrying a light .22 against how bad you'd feel in the profoundly unlikely event that you find you need something more. Myself, I've never been able to make it out the door with just the .22 LR.

cheers, amigo, and here's hoping that whatever you decide to do, it increases your enjoyment of life while spending fun time in the outdoors,
erich

Hey Bud11,
My daily carry is a 642, great gun for me for that purpose. I have had to endure the rolling of eyes by some thinking it is just not enough of a gun. With +P power I have no problems, I'll take my chances. So, I don't want to really tell you that the 22lr is not enough gun, HOWEVER. When I go to the woods I take my 327 Night Guard loaded w/357 Magnum. My only problem w/this gun for the woods is the 2.5" barrel. I plan on getting a 327 TRR8 for the woods, it shoots the same calibers but 5" barrel.

You never know what you'll run into south of Denver.

When I lived in Vail CO I carried a Blackhawk .357 in the back country, and started to carry it while fly fishing on the Eagle river after I saw fresh cougar tracks in the river bank. While there are not bears to speak of there are few big cats, wolves and coyotes left, at there were a few left in the 80s. Also an elk or mule dear have been know to cause a lot of damage to humans if you come upon them during the rut. A .22lr is woefully inadequate for anything larger and more dangerous than a Jackalope. Now here in OH a .22lr used to be just dandy, but with the feral hog epidemic we are having I'm switching from my 4" Kit Gun, to a 4" .357.

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

I think a used 4" model 66 (or 67) might be a good choice. They're available and reasonable.

Gotta ask yerself just what kinda adventures , and critters , ya expect to happen across. I spent most of my youth in the woods around my area with my Ruger Single-Six on my side and my pockets full of .22 LR.

I would stick with a 357 or 44 also. Better to be safe than sorry!!!

When I was a youngster, my dad and I hiked the Sangre De Cristo Range (southern Colorado) a lot. He always carried a model 19 357 mag on the hip and a Ruger Mark I in a vertical shoulder holster.

That was a long time ago, but we always saw signs of bear or mountain lions. Don't know how things are there today. But it wouldn't matter. Any hiking or camping that I do and there's always a major caliber gun that goes along.

here in the Eastern mountain woods I carry either a 9 shot 4" Taurus revolver or my Ruger slabside .22lr
wildcats could be a threat - 99.9% of black bear will haul ash

Up until several years ago I carried a .22 most of the time around the yard and farm because all I was going to shoot was tin cans, snakes and field mice and such. One day a carload of people I didn't know or like the looks of drove up on me and wanted gas for their car. I told them I didn't have any extra and they left but it could have turned out different. Since then I ALWAYS carry a .357, .44 or a .45 even if I have a .22 that I just want to shoot some. Larry

I have lived and worked as an LE for 30 years in Western Colorado and go up in the Mtns a bunch, both winter and summer, hiking, camping and walking my labs. I always carry and never a .22 alone. Usually a .357 and sometimes my M&P 340 while x-country skiing or snowshoeing as I did today. Black Bears, lions and BG's are not impressed by a .22.

Tom

I agree with .357 and up, in your area.

In today's economy, someone wanting your wallet is probably the larger danger, over the animals, especially if you are alone, so that's another good reason for a larger caliber.

That being said, I do like the NAA .22 Magnum mini revolver for times when clothing, or size / weight constraints absolutely will not allow for at least a J frame Airweight.

Josh P

I have a model 34 that would be an absolute delight to carry when out in the woods or fishing. In all probability it would handle any needs I might have. The reality is that, much as I would like to carry the .22, I can't bring myself to carry anything less than a .38 Special whether I'm in the outdoors or in "civilization".

Thanks for your tips. Based on the overwhelming response so far, I think I will reconsider the .22 and maybe go with the Model 60 .357 in 3". Bud

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Bud

I like having a .22 along in the woods and often carry my model 17. Never would I consider it for any kind of defense however. Always back up a .22 with something appropriate.

My old Model 34 Kit Gun .22LR 2" has accompanied me on many hunting and fishing trips. I've lost track of all the rabbits, snowshoe hares, ptarmigans and blue grouse it has put into my dinner pot, and I even took a trout with it once (which my buddies still laugh about).

I've stomped the Colorado mountains most of my (long) life. I've come across bears, lions, bobcats, and wild dogs. I leave them alone, they leave me alone.

With the Kit Gun and a box of ammo in my pocket I doubt that I'll ever starve to death. I wouldn't hesitate to go anywhere in Colorado with that as my only companion, except for the cities where I feel the need for a larger caliber.

Ran up against an aggressive german shepherd with a 5' staff and my Airweight Kit Gun. My walks thereafter included a 5" 45 ACP.

Regards,

Tam 3

no ...
the 22 is a good fun gun to have but really if I encounter a problem that can be remedied with a 22 out there, the heel of my foot will work just as well.
in the wild, I pack a 44 magnum.
Urban settings a 45 auto

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it just needs more voltage

This 34 has been on a jillion motorcycle, horse, ATV and hiking expeditions since the 70s. I've enjoyed it a lot and it's always been enough --- except in Bear country.

But, where I live and play, things have changed. I've gone from carrying a 38 Special to (most times) a 44 Special.

When we're camping, I've got a Model 38 in my pocket and a .40 cal H&K in a handy spot. If we're really in a secluded spot; there's a Mini 14. I miss the old days.

I still wander the woods with a 5 1/2" Ruger Single Six on my hip. You never know when one of them man-eating limbrats is going to show up. The .22 mag cylinder is handy for yard varmints (snakes, mice, and pack rats) when loaded with shot shells. I bought that Ruger used when I was 19, and I'm now 48.

Carry something bigger. 22 is great on the farm but not in the wilderness.

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Protected by Sigma 40VE

Unless the plan is to specifically plink or target shoot while out on the trail, I leave the .22 and take a full sized defensive caliber. Anything that needs to be shot will respond to the 10mm more favorably than the .22.

I could be convinced to bring a full sized gun and a light (317) .22 and a couple boxes of ammo if plinking is on the agenda. Heck, a 317 and 100 rounds weighs less than a spare box of 10mm ammo anyway.

100 rounds .... dude thats almost the same as being out of ammo

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it just needs more voltage

When hiking in the woods I usually have my M65 with HEAVY 357 loads, but sometimes when I go Pheasant Hunting I will take my M63 (22 LR) along for the occasional squirrel that crosses my path. It's light, great for squirrels and rabbits, and real easy to clean up at the end of the hunt.

Chief38

Yea, I know. I typically don't 'plink' on the trail, so I never bring a .22 with me. If I go to shoot, it is a brick minimum, and back in the truck it is another story. I guess my point is a 317 and 100 rounds weighs about the same as a spare G20 mag with 15 rounds.

When I was younger, a friend and I used to hunt with our 10/22's and about a brick each. Fun times were had when the squirrels decided they didn't want to play and we found a safe spot to shoot.

317 kitgun for me most of the time - somtimes a 329pd - the j frame in a IWB the n frame in a pancake - remember its your day off so carry what you want. I have found that its not the arrow but the indian.

I go hiking almost yearly in Colorado, and always carry a 4" M-65 with Pachmyar's in a Fobus holster loaded with 200 gr. hard cast lead Cor-Bon's. I carry a speedloader with 145 gr. Silvertips. I don't worry about the gun getting wet if I get caught in an afternoon T-storm. The 65 is an old police trade in that has it's fair share of dings, but is completely adequate for the job. As a side line, I've seen ONE bear in all the times I've been hiking over the past 25 years (seen plenty of deer & mountain goats though). A few years ago in southern Colorado, a black bear was digging for grubs in a fallen log about 50 yards ahead of me on the trail. I saw him before he saw me, so I stopped and clicked my hiking poles together. He looked up and took off uphill at about 20 mph (and it was about a 45° slope!).

I have a few .22 caliber guns. They are great for plinking and really cheap target practice. However one never knows what they might encounter, even in their urban back yard. A .22 will be awfully inadequate on most things, barely accurate on a few things and satisfactory on the remaining things.

Certainly a .22 is deadly to things hit by perfect shots. Under pressure, there are few perfect shots being made. Most of those that are will be more luck than skill.

I would stick to a .357 or larger. It might be a tad bit heavier but well worth the effort.