You decide you're going to go deer hunting in an area known to have bears, mountain lions, and huge boar hogs. You know you need a quick drawn firearm on your side as a means of protection from aforementioned animals. Do you choose a .357, or, a GLOCK/M&P 9mm?
Let's see what this author thinks is appropriate. And, do you agree? Opinions?

.357 Revolver as a SHTF Gun? Really? - AllOutdoor.com

Too each there own..........

50 years of roaming in Penn's Woods and I've never had a bear encounter... seen them but ....... we parted peacefully

Hunting...... I rather have my CZ 452 .22 magnum

Combat weapon reliable..... I'm going to try to avoid "combat" at all cost ...... run, hide, keep a low profile.............avoid being ambushed/sniped by some guy with a rifle......... while trying to carry on the everyday activities needed to stay alive.....

Why striker fired polymer Block????........ why not a Sig 220 or 226, Browning HP, Beretta 92 or even a bargain model S&W 915???


I'll have to make do with what I have where I am when the SHTF ; revolver or auto......9mm, .45, .357 or lowly .22lr ....maybe even ..... LOL ....... that under-powered .380 we had a long thread about recently.

First off, the linked article is about a (mythical?) SHTF situation. Some of the points apply, and some don't.

I DON'T know that I need a quick-drawn firearm on my side for protection against aforementioned animals. As the article points out, a .357 doesn't work for all of them, anyway. Nor does a plastic fantastic.

You said you are deer hunting. If you really think that you need protection against those other animals, it would make a lot more sense to up the caliber (and case capacity) of your deer rifle to something that might slow down or quickly kill the animals mentioned. If you shoot a deer with it, you will still need only one tag (my way of saying that very few cartridges will be "too much" for a deer).

Now, I would never tell you not to carry a handgun in the woods, even if you are carrying a rifle. Sometimes a rifle gets set down, or becomes otherwise unavailable. If you are worried about large, dangerous animals, carry the most powerful gun you can handle easily, whether that is .460, .44, 10mm, .357, or even 9mm. Parts availability has nothing to do with anything, unless you are carrying parts in your pocket. Most guns are pretty reliable, but maybe not after being dropped in the dirt. Then the 1911 is probably the best, and certainly detail disassmbled most easily.

Two-footed predators may be more commonly encountered in the woods than quadrupeds. You might want to plan accordingly (meaning a .45ACP, a .44 Spl or even a 9mm might be better than a .460 or a .44 Mag).

I'd try my deer rifle first......




The time a black bear tried to run up my britches leg,

I stopped it with a 348 Winchester I had in hand, not my sidearm.








.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

I do believe that the man that wrote the article let the source of his paycheck over shadow logic and common sense. Rarely will a 9mm have the metplat surface to inflict disabling shock. Second, the 9mm will not create a clean, stay open wound channel like a semi wadcutter in a revolver.

I think that the writer needs to revisit a course in logic.

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Judge control not gun control!

.357 revolver with a minimum four inch barrel or a Glock Model 20 10mm

In the authors scenario of, "in a full-blown SHTF scenario, guns are for man-killin’", then I'm a better shot at all ranges, but especially at long-range with my .357, so I'd choose it for keeping my distance from danger.

While the 357 is a formidable weapon in any case. I'd much rather have a Glock 20 in the extremely powerful and utterly devastating on wild hogs 10mm. The 10mm will drop anything and more than the 357 and comes in a very reliable high capacity semi auto whereas the 357mag as far as I know in semi auto only comes in the form of the Coonan long slide with less capacity and due to the fact that the cases are rimmed, less reliability.. the 9mm is great against thin skinned critters like men, but if I run into a pissed off hog or a bear I'll be glad to be armed with a good pistol like the G20 with it's 15 rd capacity. Even bears cringe when faced with getting 15 10mm rounds poking big holes in them.

I think that in a true TEOTWAWKI situation (think 'The Road'), two handguns stand out in my mind as a 'if I only had one gun to do it all'.

1) Glock 17 with magazines 17-33 rounds. 9mm is ubiquitous, and the polymer frames don't require lube or cleaning. I don't like plastic pistols, and I don't own any, but that's the truth.

2) A quality 22 revolver. Ammo is plentiful and cheap, you can carry 1000s of round on you and still be mobile. While not ideal, it can keep you alive long enough so that after everyone runs out of .45acp and .357 magnum, you'll still have a gun that shoots.

SHTF guns are not one size fits all. The best type of weapon will vary greatly from area to area. A .22 is universal. In my neck of the woods the ideal SHTF weapon would be a 30-30 lever action (I prefer Winchester 94s). Ammo is cheap and plentiful, EVERY SINGLE HOME has one and ammo for it. It holds 7+1, and in the mountains, a shot longer than 100 yards is very rare. A 20" carbine is light and quick handling, and I shoot one almost as fast as a semi auto.

Understandable. Just like I don't carry firearms that may not work well under stress, I try also not to carry around words that might be misused under stress. I usually leave them at home in a dictionary, where they are less likely to go off accidentally, unless I just happen to be cleaning my dictionary.

Anyway, this SHTF thing bores the **** out me, too.

If the "S" really hits the fan.....we will all long for the days when we could spend time online arguing over which caliber kills zombies or ballistic gelatin the best....

.......by the way....the .357mag is THE best for zombies!

That author is paid to write words and get clicks. Thankfully he isn't spamming this site like another forum I frequent.

I believe there is a cell phone app that is a random article generator used by these "authors"...It selects caliber, scenario, and your position. Then you have a article that supports it.

I can just picture it, writers sitting in the office....Oh no Bob, I have to defend why a .32-20 SAA is the best caliber for a convenience store owner to defend a robbery....That's nothing Dave, I have argue that a 6mm Grendel is the worst gun for a rabid coyote.

It's similar to the plot-o'matic 2000 random movie generator.

I agree totally with irrifleman and 44wheelman on this one. This article was written for survival. Not ours, mind you, but the author's.

You see, guys like this get paid to write articles. If the publisher doesn't like their article, the article doesn't sell. If the article doesn't sell, the author doesn't get paid. If the author doesn't get paid, he goes hungry or is forced to go work for his brother-in-law filling the soap dispensers at the local car wash.

As a result, these guys have to come up with catchy subjects that are either extremely interesting or they tweak the public's noses with some kind of controversy. Thus, the aforementioned article.

I mean, let's face it, who's going to buy an article entitled The Fun of Shooting Empty Tomato Soup Cans with a .22?

Why does he favor the Sig P239 SAS Gen 2 9mm as the ultimate SHTF gun? Simple. Because he has one.

Have you noticed that most of these so-called writers always tout a particular firearm that they just currently happen to own? I've never heard one say, "Y'know, I own a (insert particular firearm) and I think it sucks!" Of course not, they want us to believe that their opinion outweighs ours and that they only have the best.

Okay, rant over. But that's why I take the opinions of various writers with the proverbial "grain of salt."

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Pack light and cinch tight.

I think you could make a good argument for the Brown Bess as a TEOTWAWKI gun. Two hundred pounds of Kentucky cave dirt will yield a pound of saltpeter. Is there a county that doesn't have a Flint Hill? Plenty of places to mine lead. An ounce and an eight lead ball propelled by 100 grains of black powder will make a frightful hole.

I'd at least want a Pennyslvania Long Rifle over a Brown Bess musket.

hey something new to argue/debate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sixty years ago we would go to the hardware store and say give me a box
of 38s. They would give us .38 Spl. 158-gr. round nose lead. Not a lot
of choices. If you ran into a bear that needed killin, the 38 would do the
job if you could shoot straight enough. If you couldn't shoot straight,
better stay home. Fortunately most black bears are more afraid of us
than we are of them. The big brown ones up north are a totally different
story.

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In Omnia Paratus

You missed this thread


is the .380 good for open carry?

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Retired Career Security Guard

Could be. Then again, maybe he skipped it. Or maybe he even read the thread, considers it gone, and doesn't miss it at all.

??

There is a fair point to be made for auto pistols, but to categorically dismiss the .357 revolver as a viable option is a bit small-minded. The most dangerous predator you're likely to run in to is the two legged kind. I'll admit that.

When I'm in the great outdoors, I carry my 35 year old Ruger Security Six. The only spare part it's ever needed was a hammer spring assembly, which Ruger provided free of charge 10 years after the revolver went out of production. I usually carry it with Federal 158 Gr. JFP magnums. It's a 'knock around' carry gun and I don't have to worry about dropping it, scratching it, or getting it wet. It's been through a lot and it still goes 'bang'.

Most of the other fishermen and hikers I see carrying are carrying revolvers. What does the author of this article know that they (and me) don't?

What is a .380 aka "9mm kurz" .......but a height challenged 9mm.

What is a 9mm........ a .380, 9mm kurz, 9x18, 9x19, .357sig, 9x21 9x23, .38super ....... that is the question!!!!!!

My opinion? Someone really likes his plastic striker-fired 9mm.

That's fine.

However, it's not exactly like it provides substantive proof to support going off on a tear about the supposed disadvantages of the .357 Magnum revolver, though.

I've got 3 smallish 9's myself (and 5 other plastic pistols) ... but I still like my .357 Magnum revolvers.

The idea of a "SHTF" gun being focused around being a handgun is where I think things become a bit short-sighted.

Handguns are handy to carry around when circumstances and activities don't really merit (or permit) the regular carrying of a shotgun or a rifle. You know, when you want to have your hands free, and don't feel like slinging a long gun (or when it's not a polite, or even lawful, thing to do in public).

If someone is building their "SHTF" long term Doomsday preps around a handgun, they may find themselves a bit less well prepared for many serious potential "threats" than they may imagine.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

It's not what he knows that you don't. It's his reply to those who think 357 is the "ultimate" SHTF caliber. I don't fish but when I hike I don't carry a handgun. Chances of me running into a bear are slim to none but they are out there and I want something with more rounds and more ft-lbs. Just because you seen hikers carry revolvers doesn't mean they "know something". Same goes for carrying semi auto or rifle. It's not about some sort of deep wisdom, it's about comfort level

"I don't have to worry about dropping it, scratching it, or getting it wet" ..... Same applies to semi autos.

The only SPARE PART you needed....So you did need a spare part. In his reply is that there won't be a Ruger to provide a free spare part or a gunsmith to install (if one is needed).

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

Whichever one will get you more rifle ammo and bottled water in trade. I'm thinking Python.

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Because of the metric system?

I always thought the Medusa would be the ultimate SHTF handgun, along with a double action .22 revolver.

In any case, friends and property will be a lot more important than how many cool guns you have. Ten guys with Mosins and Hi Points will always beat the lone wolf with a $3000 AR + ACOG, Wilson Combat .45, and a Benelli 12g.

Hey! Don't you poop on my benelli SBE as a survival tool!! Haha lol. Taking out creatures great and small. With precision. Who said it's a "duck gun"?

As soon as someone mentions the "SHTF" acronym, I more or less stop reading.

As for answering the OP's stated question, and then the link he posts to the article; it's clearly an apples 'n oranges thing - To the OP's question of what side-arm to take on a deer hunt in big-game territory, I'd prefer my .44 mag but would take the .357 all day long over the glock 9. In the linked article about apocalypse type scenarios, I'm sure the 9mm would be a better choice. Seems kind of obvious, and stupid, to me.

When I lived in FL. I had accumulated quite a firearm collection. I had (2) upright safes, (1) which I purchased at WM and the other from the classified ads. They would hold up to (22) rifles. I would fill in the holes with hand guns, but, where they were accessible. I also had my friend, whom was a carpenter, build me some shelves in my closet (It was a HUGE walk in closet).
Anyway, I had several Security Six revolvers, and (1) Speed Six in 9mm, and another Speed Six in .357. Those were my "TANK" firearm revolvers! The only aforementioned animal that I had to worry about was the hogs. They are quite thick in FL. Also, the King Rattler of the US, the Eastern Diamondback.
I had come across a few in my endeavors (Eastern Diamondbacks), but, luckily I never had to shoot them. Whenever I went on my hikes, hunts, trails/woods rides with my 4-wheeler, my 6" Security Six, or, my 6" Speed Six, loaded with Hydra-Shoks, went with me. Either one of those would do the job if needed be! IMHO, a 9mm will kill a snake, but, if you were to shoot a bear with it, you would just (urine) him off to High Heaven!

Big bears and hogs with a 9mm? You are looking for deer, but these will likely ATTACK you and you can't shoot when you want to Probably would take a few rounds WITH THE RIGHT AMMO. With those animals I'd consider a bigger gun in both categories. A .44 magnum or a .40 or 10mm semi auto. And some hunting type bullets as well as something lighter.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

agreed. I live and hunt primarily in black bear and Moose country. Neither one of them makes me feel very 'threatened'. Ironically it would be a big bull moose in rut, that would give me far more fear for my life, or my dog's, or my friend's, and consideration of the caliber I'm packing. But it would STILL be .357 mag. Without a question. Without hesitation. The 9mm just does NOT come with, on any hunt in the North Wood. Maybe at the cabin, but why? If everyone has .357's laying around? Fire fight with..... who? No sense or practical purpose.

Man it would probably be my j frame. Its with me pretty much everywhere I go. One in the hand is worth more than a arsenal at home. I agree with Jimmy's post above in reference to the glock 10mm. 15 rounds of thunder & lightening when hiking in the woods.

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S&WCA #3012

I would likely chose a handgun that I might possibly find locate/trade ammo for it.
1. .357 can use .38 ammo
2. 9mm
3. .40 S&W
4. .45acp

I think back in the near past where ammo was scarce:
1. 22 Rf is what everyone thought would be plentiful was the first to become almost non-existence

2. .38/357 disappeared next

3. any type .41/44/.45 - forget it

4. 9mm maybe

5. .40 S&W maybe

6. 10mm are you serious

*** The only ammo in my area was a few boxes of .357 Sig--and who has a weapon in this caliber?

In the words of Skeeter Skelton, make mine a .357......can't think of anything I would encounter in the woods here in the east a 158 grain JSP can't deal with..

Advantage of a .357 magnum revolver is its versatility in being able to handle multiple power levels and bullet types. It would be my pick if I could only have one handgun.

Smoothbore for versatility. The musket has the ability to be a capable fowler loaded with birdshot. Seems to me the 20th Maine held Little Round Top with buck and ball. Primers may get hard to come by, but it's kinda hard to ban rocks. The only black magic involved is making springs and hardening a frizzen, otherwise rudimentary skills can keep one going.

Didn't they have rifled muskets?????

FWIW: Recently, I was shown a GoPro vid by a man who went after a mountain lion wounded by a hunter in his party. When he caught up with it, the cat had one of his dogs down, and he chose his Glock 9mm to end the fight at close range. In the vid, he fired 7 rounds into the shoulder and chest area of the cat from a distance of about 15 feet before it finally went down. He said they retreived all the bullets, which had completely penetrated to the opposite inside hide layer and mushroomed as intended.
Just proves a wounded animal can be hard to put down with a minimal caliber for the job. I do know of an elderly woman killing a young mountain lion in her yard with one .22 LR round that struck it in the heart.

I think I pretty much agree with the author considering the context and his perspective.

In any realistic SHTF scenario, I think a 9mm handgun makes the most sense. I'm referring to Hurricane Katrina, Civil unrest type events which we actually do sometimes see. Prepping for Disaster: The Role of the Handgun - The Truth About Guns

I don't put much thought into the TEOTWAWKI SHTF type events which I pretty much dismiss as fantasy, but a 9mm would still make more sense than a .357 due to capacity and worldwide prevalence.

I don't hunt and don't mess with bears and think it's not very hard to completely avoid any possibility of encountering one if you really want to, so it's a non-issue to me although I just might might prefer a canister of bear spray over a handgun if I were in that situation for some bizarre reason.

The Irish Brigade, another unit that kept their Model 1842 smoothbore muskets to late in the war, used buck and ball with deadly effect at the "Wheatfield" and, perhaps more famously, against Pickett's Charge.

Nope, no glocksmithpolymerwundergun for me.
in that situation, I'm saving brass like its gold, and reloading with a lee whack a mole kit by the firelight, using cast bullets also made by firelight.
I might have to use BP if that is all that is available, or if I have to make my own. In a true SHTF scenario it might be years of chaos before things settle down again and I have no use for a wundergun that throws my brass away, especially very hard to find 10mm brass. Good luck scrounging up 10mm brass when you run out.

A 357 revolver and a .22 lever rifle would suit me fine where I'd be going.

Oh, real world SHTF stuff.... well then, you need something bigger than a 9mm to shoot at the National Guard helicopters while saving people off their roofs.

If TSHTF I'm grabbing my Riot gun, slugs, and buckshot. Then I'm hunker'en down. Come and get me.

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Two Handguns every day

A few years back living in Alaska and doing a lot of fishing in lakes we hiked into the standard carry then was 357 revolvers even if one of us carried a rifle which we usually did .. would be 3 to as many as 5 of us .. we made a lot of noise and saw close signs (Steaming pile of bear dung) but no bears .. we had a meeting with a moose that was a little unnerving .. they can be as dangerous as a bear ..

The .357 Magnum.
I am opinionated as this was my first issued weapon as a LEO.
I still like it the best in my retirement.
I like the BOOM it makes.
I like the stiff recoil it produces.
I personally know it will take the fight out of a perpetrator.
Nuff said.

I usually do not read these articles by someone who rarely leaves the pavement. What makes their opinion better than ours?

I can keep your...."posterior" scratching for cover at 150-175 yards with any of my 357's....Have killed big deer with the 357 and CAST bullets......I don't like plastic 9mm bullet squirters......

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S&W Accumulator

From light wadcutter loads to full house heavy for caliber loads I cannot think of a firearm with a more useful power range for a variety of needs than the .357, and a revolver is much easier to always have with you than a long gun. Even a 6" can be concealed if necessary. Pretty versatile.