Hey,

I have quite a decision on my hands... but a good one! I have a great leather chest holster (Paradise valley leather) that makes toting around a L or N Frame easy and convenient. I also have a 686 no dash, 629-1 both with 4" barrels and a 657 no dash with a 6" barrel.

I live in Oregon where our largest predator would be a cougar or mid sized (200-350lb) black bear. My main concern in the woods would be a 2-legged predator. Typically I'd have the gun on while fishing at the river, hiking, snowmobile riding, and around the campsite.

For hiking/camping/fishing which route would you go:

-629 with full house magnums
-629 with specials (gold dots, 200gr)

-686 with full house magnums

-657 with Magnums
-657 with "special" downloaded rounds

I'd prefer to stick with the 629 or 686 because they fit the holster and the barrel doesn't stick out. Plus the 657 is one gun I don't want to beat up outside for sentimental reasons. Please weigh in on your thoughts, and keep in mind, I've never seen a cougar before, and the only black bear I've seen is the 375LB boar currently hanging on my wall. Thanks!

Kind of hard to go wrong w/ a good .357 since there's no big bears & a 2nd shot would be faster against multiple 2-legged predators. I'd go w/ the 686 w/ magnums.

The 4 inch 629...

I'd go with the 629.

Conventional wisdom in regards to trail guns is to carry the biggest, most powerful firearm which can be quickly deployed that you possibly can.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

Hey 38, any of them handguns you listed would be fine. I personally would get a S&W 66 with a 4" barrel for woods walking in big cat or black bear country.

I’d carry the gun I can present and accurately hit a target within 10 yards most quickly.

The ammo is pretty much a secondary issue, although I’d prefer a hard cast swc in 158 gr for the 357 or 240gr for a 44.

I believe the 686 and 629 weigh within a few ounces of one another. I would carry the one you can deploy the fastest and shoot the most accurately.

We have a house in the north Georgia mountains. At various times I have carried a 4” barrel 629-5, 57, 58, and 657-4 MG, 65-3 & 65-5. Now I usually carry a Glock 29 10mm or Sig P250sc .40 S&W with 200 grain hard cast loads by Underwood or Buffalo Bore. The semi-autos are lighter, thinner, more compact, faster to reload and shoot.

In the January 1977 issue of Shooting Times Magazine, Skeeter Skelton wrote an article entitled, "What's the Best Trail Gun for You?" Obviously, when "push comes to shove," the final decision is strictly up to you, but here are just a few of his thoughts.

As a handgun man, I have a rather clear mental image of what a trail gun is. It is a handgun that you carry when you venture afield without the specific purpose of shooting anything. If you carry a long-barreled magnum revolver, you are likely hunting some sort of game. If the handgun on the car seat is a bull-barrel revolver or heavily frilled auto pistol, you’re heading for the pistol range for a bit of target work. When you select a snubnose .38 or a chopped and channeled .45, you ordinarily do so with personal defense in mind.

I travel light. I carry a handgun on these outings and prefer that it, too, be light, with no heavy harnesses, no extra-long barrel, no deer-sized cartridges, and no oversized grips to knock against gateposts or vehicle doors.

My idea of a trail gun is a handgun that, with 50 rounds of ammunition, will make a package small and light enough that you are unaware of its presence until you need it. It adds practically nothing to the contents of a backpack or to the saddlebags of horseman or cyclist. Worn in a neat holster on the trouser belt, it lies flat and doesn’t sag your pants. It also looks at home in a fishing box.

Being small and feathery, my trail gun is of necessity chambered for a small-caliber cartridge. For the purposes outlined, I suggest the .22 Long Rifle, .22 Magnum, .32 S&W Long, .32-20 or .38 Special. Although I seldom carry a 9mm automatic on the trail, it would qualify in certain guns for those who like the auto pistol.

And finally...

One piece of advice: Don’t try to make a magnum out of your trail gun. You don’t need it.

Now, granted, times have changed in the last 43 years, not the least of which are the types of situations we might confront in the outdoors. The advice given thus far by those who have submitted their comments is "right on" to my way of thinking. While I often carry a Ruger Mk II or a Smith and Wesson Model 34-1 on my hikes, I will just as often carry a .38 special with +P loads, a .357, or even a .45 Colt.

I think it boils down to one thing, and that is, what you feel comfortable with at the time. After all, you're the one who's going to be packin' it.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

I use a Model 69.

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Foster Positivity.

I'm picking a Glock 29 for my trail gun with a weapon light mounted. It's water proofy and it works.

For you trail gun I'd pick whichever one of the 4" guns you shoot best. The .357 has the advantage of ammo availability and .38 power levels also. The .44 magnum is powerful, but not many people shoot them so well. If you can shoot it well, take it. I also like to have 50 rounds or a few magazines along. I like to have at least one reload handy with the gun and the rest of the ammo handy in the pack. Just in case something happens that defies the percentages, I don't wanted to lose for lack of shooting back.

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This≠DodgeCity&You≠BillHickok

Go back and read Post No. 8. Now, read it again. Between Skeeter and Mule Packer, I do believe you have heard it right from the horse's mouth....Or in this case.....the Mule's mouth. :-) I will add just a little explanation to the above sage's advice. Pack something heavy for a long time and you will be leaving it in camp, on the stump, or carrying it in the backpack. Shoot magnum loads and the handgun recoils much more than a lighter caliber. Accurate, timely subsequent shots are oft the difference between survival and severe hurting. About the biggest handgun I have ever carried in the lower '48 while camping/hiking/hunting was a S&W M 19, 2.5" bbl. and I had to borrow that from my wife. I will admit to carrying a S&W M 29, 6" bbl. while first fishing in Alaska. After my first meetup with a Griz I switched to a short barreled Rem M 870 carrying slugs.

Even though we are very S&W revolver prone here, I think a S&W semi auto in 9 mm could also be very adequate for your stated use. I would pack one built on an aluminum alloy frame. Good luck with what ever your choice is. Just make sure you know how and are well practiced to access, present and perform multiple followup shots with your handgun.

Of my own arsenal:

629 with my load, 240 grain swc at 1000 fps.

686 with my load, 158swc at 1200.

Xdm 10mm with my load, 180 grain hardcast at 1250 fps

If you don't load, I'd pack the 686 with a good 158 or 180 grain swc.

Some time ago I bought a 629 for the same reasons you give. Truth be told
I was lusting after a .44 mag so my choice was based on emotion.
For you I'd favor the .357. Plenty of power and quicker follow up shots.
In fact my new woods gun is a 10mm which has .357 power.

This sounds like the perfect excuse to buy another handgun. A dedicated woods bumming gun. I've been banging about the woods for close to 40 years and have always carried a Single Six. Bears, Bobcats, tin cans, two legged vermin, never felt under gunned.

I could imagine a plot from a movie. You're fresh water fishing, your back to land. The predator will know of your presence before you know of his presence. So, my advice is to carry a decent-sized gun as other posters recommend but carry it concealed.

IMO, a revolver is the ultimate trail gun tool. You can carry mild to wild, snake loads, what ever you think you may need. If no bears are in the mix, then really any service caliber with proper bullets will do for wild dogs, yotes (though they are not a huge threat) & a mountain lion or two legged predator. So if you have a 3-4" 357mag, just about perfect trail gun for your scenario. Add a couple speed loaders & gtg.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

OR, MAYBE, high quality, defensive +P .38 Special ammunition.

I really dislike .44 Magnum for any kind of defensive work, I don't care what gun it's in. Almost anyone can shoot one if you have reasonable hand and arm strength but almost nobody can shoot them well. Not in a hurry, anyway. THAT is the big difference between poking holes in targets at the range and poking holes in predators, 2 or 4 legged. .44 Specials with 230 grain LRN ammunition is an excellent choice, too. You won't need full house magnums to solve the problems you are referring to.

YMMV. As always.

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Come and take it!!

Have you given any consideration to a 44 Mag Mountain Gun?

If you like shot shells, the 44 holds far more than a 22, and about double the 38/357.

If you are just 'plinking' you can hand load LSWC rounds in the 700 fps range for a real pleasure to shoot.

If you are worried about 2 legged pests, there is an abundance of SD Ammo in the world.

If you are worried about 4 legged carnivores that might eat you, then you can find some Buffalo Bore Hard Cast loads that will drive deep and hit hard.

The Mountain Gun series uses a taper barrel design to help reduce weight, and the SS finish won't be harmed immediately by any weather or outdoor conditions if you keep it oiled/waxed and wiped down.

I wouldn't go so far to say that carrying 50 spare rounds was equivalent to the 22 LR, but you make your choices.

There are Mountain Guns in 357 Mag, 41 Mag, 44 Mag, 45 Colt, and even 22 LR. I have one each in 41 & 44. One day, I may find a 45 Colt to latch on to next

Happy trails

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On the Oak Savannah

I don't think you can make a bad choice with either the 629 or 686. I really like the .357 cartridge a lot but you can load very effective .44 self defense rounds that don't generate a lot of muzzle blast. I tote a .357 around the farm for a lot of the same reasons you want to carry. It does a good job.

For myself I carried a model 63 for many years and miles.I even dropped a speed loader for the 22 in my pocket in case of something unforeseen.And there was always a box of 22’s in daypack.Now in the Smokey’s when I hike there.A mountain gun in 45colt or a Ruger Blackhawk in 45 colt.Hiking and day walks with my dog near home whatever my carry gun is that day .Yesterday it was a colt defender as I am now rediscovering my love of the 1911 platform.

I'd carry my newly acquired 340pd. I've backpacked a lot, and every ounce counts.

I load it with semi wadcutters.

The 340PD replaces my LCR 357 in this role.

Walking a fence line in a pasture will find me with my old model 15 loaded with 5 grains of Unique and a 158 grn SWC. All I need.

Your 686 seems about ideal to me, but I admit I’m fond of .357s when/if I don’t have a specific need for .44 power. In my younger days, before I had bought my first Model 19 (which I still have), I used a .38 Super Commander for my woods bumming and canoeing (still have it, too). It’s a lot lighter and more compact to lug around a box of Supers or .357s than .44s or .45s. A box of .22 Magnums is even better, but I take it your not interested in carrying anything that small.

Shoot 5-6000 rds a year in 44mag, you get pretty good withh it. Agree though, most are better off with 357mag.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

That’s exactly what the Mountain Gun/Revolver was made for!
FWIW, I prefer .45 Colt and .44 Mag for these duties.

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213th FBINA

A .357 launched from a K frame would be sufficient for most scenarios.
Although extreme dangers might present themselves...rabid , furious and alreading attacking animals.
Sometimes bigger and more powerfull calibers are more insurance.
No one has yet mentioned a .41 mag . With 180 gr. Barnes Vor tek ammo.

My fav. Is the mid Magnum...that's why I mentioned the above choice.
( but a K frame is easier to pack in a hip holster)
Rule number #9 ... Always carry a knife "and a gun".

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Dino in Pittsburgh's Rat Pack

Our game cameras have pics of big black bears on our hunting lease in the mountains of eastern Oklahoma but no one has ever seen one in the 20 years since we started leasing it. If I thought I thought I would run into one I might carry my M58 41 mag with bear loads but typically I carry my BHP 9m/m or Ruger Security six stainless 4" .357. The main reason is the light weight and they are two guns that I don't really mind getting scratches on.

629-1 with either:

HOT .44 Specials like the Buffalo Bore Outdoorsman load

or

.44 Magnum reduced load that will run in the 1000-1100 fps area.

I would not run the Speer 200 grain Gold Dot .44 Specials... Have tested them from a 4" barrel and they hardly expand at all. The no longer made .44 Magnum Short Barrel load used the same bullet at 1080 fps and expanded every time... If you reload, Speer #14 Reloading Manual has duplication loads. I use 10.0 grains of 231...

Basically any .44 load that will run a 200-260 grain bullet at 1000-1200 fps from a 4" gun should work...

I have several .41 Magnums that I use for my woods guns and have basically the same loads for them.

Bob

My EDC is a 5 shot snubbie. But when I go fishing on the nearby Mississippi I like to take my Taurus PT 92. We have 2 legged predators around here, too. Sometimes they come up from the city with their drugs and alcohol, looking for something to do. When I'm alone in a remote place along the river and a car full of inebriated people pulls up I want plenty of boolits should I need them. And I don't worry a whole lot about printing, either. I'll carry it on my hip or in crossdraw position in a nylon OWB holster. Works for me.
I've thought about trying a shoulder rig but haven't yet.

Personally, Id bring as much gun as you can comfortably carry while hiking / fishing / camping.

Myself, I'd bring a shotty - MB500 w 18" barrel
00 loads would be more that adequate for either the 2 or 4 legged critters.

Assuming you are going w a group , there should be at least 1 shotgun present, the other can carry a sidearm..

All have their preferences , since I was a lil snot , I've always been a shotty kind a guy

When I camped and hiked on our property in PA. I carried a 4”357 on the belt and a 2” in my pocket. There was always a Riot Shotgun at Camp.

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Two Handguns every day

Don't think you can go wrong with either of them guns. But have a look at the Outdoorsman line of ammo at Buffalo Bore. I trust them with my life.

Buffalo Bore Ammunition | Strictly Big Bore - Strictly Business

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Jorge

For a long time my hiking handgun has been my 5" pre-29. Lately my hiking sidearm has been a Model 19 mostly because the holster works well with my new pack and the holster I prefer for my .44 Magnum doesn't. I guess a new holster is going to be in order.

At the same time I really don't feel under gunned with the 19 and it really does carry well.

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Bill Bates

I couldn't say it any better.

That said, I would test any Buffalo Bore ammo in my carry gun. The primers they use are incredibly hard and I've had unmodified guns fail to ignite them. I've had much better luck with Underwood, which has been absolutely flawless.

In re-reading the OP's post, this stood out:

I live in Oregon where our largest predator would be a cougar or mid sized (200-350lb) black bear. My main concern in the woods would be a 2-legged predator. Typically I'd have the gun on while fishing at the river, hiking, snowmobile riding, and around the campsite.

As I read this, the OP has a greater concern about engaging two-legged vermin over bears or cats. I can respect the OP's desire to not see harm come to his 657, so I am focusing solely on the 686 and 629.

While a Magnum round should take the fight out of a two-legged vermin, it may not allow fast followup shots. Please remember, most two-legged vermin are cowards and often travel in groups for self-encouragement, and banking on a mob mentality when it comes to violence.

In this situation, I would recommend a Skeeter load in either 357 Magnum or 44 Special. These loads should carry enough mass and energy to stop either a four-legged predator or two-legged vermin while still allowing enough control for accurate, rapid followup shots without wasting lead.

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Judge control not gun control!

I'll mention something just because no one else has... if you're really thinking cat, the first you usually know is when it jumps on you from behind.

Now think about trying to get a Glock out and fired... behind you at something on your back... that's a little scary! So I have a strong bias towards snub revolvers OWB in cat country.

I guess I'd lean towards the 686 with a hardcast Keith load; enough for cat or Bubba, adequate for black bear if you do your part.

More and more when hiking in our local canyons, here in Utah, I worry much more about two legged varmints.

In the last 6 or 7 years hunting during the Fall the wife and I have found 3 abandoned grow camps. Stumble in there during the Summer could have been dangerous.

I found an active camp last week while hunting turkey. How do I know it it is a grow camp in the making; a big lean-to along with a six man tent well off the beaten path in a creek bottom. Both had 3D camo netting over them. Guess they didn't want to be seen from the air. No one around. I didn't do more than snap a few cell phone pics, drop a pin in my GPS and backed the heck out of there. Figure the local authorities might want to go say hell'o.

How do you recognize an abandoned camp: they leave tents, gear and all of there mess from the summer growing season including plastic pony packs and pvc irrigation pipe. Either they are growing pot or maybe mountain soil makes for great tomatoes.

Just be careful out there.

from a few years ago.

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Bill Bates

Yeah, for me it was a Ruger MK1, but still a .22.

Never felt under gunned with that either.

Rob

Not having to worry about over-penetration, I'd go with the 629. With the .44 Mag., I wouldn't worry about follow-up shots either. My load is a hard cast 240 grain SWC over a load of 19.5 grains of 2400. It is an accurate and has manageable recoil out of my 5" 629. I get 3" groups at 50 yards, standing/ unsupported. With that combo, you can concentrate on fishing and not have to wonder if you are under-gunned for any encounter.

So did you notify the authorities? If so, what did they say?

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Stay protected my friends.

Can't go wrong with either, but I'd recommend the 686.

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Stay protected my friends.

We always, notified the authorities. Local cops response is, "yeah we know the cartels are growing in the area but it isn't in the city limits it is National Forest so call the Sheriffs department and Forest Service". It is an on going issue, year after year. Either not much is being done about it or the growers can afford to have grows taken down here and there.

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Bill Bates

I just ordered some Underwood 158 gr hard cast .38. It’s pretty hard hitting for a .38 and should be very comfortable out of a .357.
I’ll also have the option of loading a 442 for pocket carry when I want to go light.
I won’t be plinking with that one though.
I think it will give me some more options in the woods.

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“Look life in its iron face”

In your shoes, I'd go with the 686. In my shoes it would be my Glock 20 (10mm) or my 4" S&W model 19-3 because they are lighter. Lately I've been toting my G20 exclusively because it ain't "purty" and hard to replace like my S&W 19.

629 with full magnum loads.

Can handle anything under the sun. Why carry anything less?

It's ridiculous to start a decision until you know what you should base it on.
Where will you be and what will you be doing?
Day hiking is different than backpacking.

I'll tackle the 7 day hiking with backpack situation.
I'm 71 and light in the butt; I can't carry over 25 lbs and get up the mountain. I count every item in my backpack by the OUNCE, not pound.

My first criteria is to survive. That means clean water, food, and shelter. I can't live a week without them. I can live the rest of my life and never need a gun; but would I go to the woods without one, Nope.
But that helps establish what is necessary and what is not.

Everything that goes into my backpack is based on probability and risk. The chance of me getting into a life and death situation are not that high.
If however, I do, what is the lightest, best defense I can mount. I also may need to hunt small game to eat. The probability of that is 100 times that of defense.

S&W317 with box 22Velocitor 11oz + 16oz = 27oz
S&W360PD with box of 38.357 13oz + 60oz = 73oz

Notice the difference in weight of a box of ammo. And the 22 is also far superior for hunting small game and not destroying it. It will also do a decent job of defense; placement, placement, placement.

I'm 71 and still camping. I've done it continually all my life; most of it solo. We lived in NW Montana during 3 decades. I've had my Grizzly encounter at 2 feet; and a group of bikers stop by before dawn. My camps are spotless and setup correctly; trying to reduce RISK.

I think too many of the posts are talking about what caliber or gun they like in general. Or you're imagining a Sunday walk with the missus.

A hiking gun, and the ammo, must be LIGHT. That criteria accounts for 51% of the decision on what to carry. Not much else counts after that.
The rest of the decision is based on what might I encounter.

I want something that never comes off my person. I want to forget it's there (I'm going camping, not shooting). I have a vault full of my favorite shooters. Even my S&W 360 doesn't go backpacking with a box of ammo weighing almost 4 pounds.

All I can think about most of the posts, is that you guys don't backpack any more.


Prescut

Here in Penn's Woods.........my "hiking or camping" gun is a 3" 60-10 or 3" 66.......... both are .357 magnums..... but the 60 tends to get carried with .38s around camp but .357s in the woods......I like the option of carrying both +P .38s for personal defense and .357 for bear.

hiking or camp gun is carried a lot and shot little; if ever........ so the small 3" J frame is my preference...... but it's easier to find a 2 1/2 or 4 inch K-frame .357 . I'm lucky to have a 3" 66 K-frame.

By the way make it "stainless steel"

I vote for your 686 with any good magnum heavier (bullet) HP defense load. IMHO heavier (158g) magnums are not at all difficult to manage in a 686. It tames them pretty well, although a bit of practice may be in order.

Any of the options you mention is workable. Most of the time, the real risk is "humans", not critters. If I were going to shop for a dedicated woods handgun, it would likely be a 10mm Glock with decent loads and a red dot sight (to overcome my aging eyes and the darkness of the woods). When my RDS equipped 9mm Glock gets a different sight (riding lower to be consistent with my trained presentation), it might well be acceptable. It will work on 2 legged predators and most wild ones of the size of coyotes, cougars, and the very rare wolf.

The vast majority of healthy predatory animals will not want anything to do with you. We have at this time an on-going manhunt that started as a missing person case - not at liberty to discuss much of it but I have been involved in some of the legal work. The missing person, who is almost certainly dead, was probably sleeping in his vehicle in an area waiting for friends for a hunting trip.

The area in question is way out in the woods, past reliable cell/radio range, very isolated and quite rugged; steep and heavily wooded. A statistical outlier event, but that is little consolation to the victim and his family. I've seen topo maps and photos of the area. An ugly hunt, with a somewhat sophisticated offender. (He's been identified, and a 20 count charging document has been filed and an arrest warrant ordered by the court.) I am south of BearBio by about 40 miles, and this is between us.

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NHI, 10-8.