S&W Model 29 4"

S&W Model 27 5"

S&W Model 19 4"

Note that this is an unfair, subjective question, and assume that the gun would not be carried in Alaska or anywhere where Brown Bears would be present.

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Aaron Terry

I guess it could depend on what is in the woods. I'd go for one of the 4" ones as I like the shorter barrel revolvers for woods carry. Probably your 29 would be my preference for all critters great and small.

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C & L

Interpreting no browns to mean no grizzly either, I'd say the 19 would make a fine woods gun.

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Geoff. Since 1960.

Of those three, the 4" 29 followed by the 19.

There's no advantage of a .357 N frame over the 19 that offsets its greater weight and size.

/c

19 loaded with buffalo bore 180 grain hardcast or something similiar.

After I put that load clean through a 1/4" stainless steel solid plate out of a 16" barrel rifle, my respect for the .357 changed dramaticly. The weight of the 19 is far easier to carry around. I carry a 3" 66 myself. But typically load with 158 grain hollow points from BB. Also pretty impressive ballistics.

S&W 19 works in my part of the world.

Any will do.

The most dangerous creature you will ever meet in the woods is man. That's not to say the woods are totally safe, but it's a lot safer than any city.

I've seen other forums where idiots recommend monster guns - 460 calibers and up - as if dinosaurs still roamed the earth. City folks make me laugh. I've roamed West Virginia woods since I was about 12 or so, and never carried anything larger than a sizable Bowie knife

Chances are you'll NEVER be in danger from animals. You might have to worry about pot growers (most of them are just stupid hippies) or, maybe, dumb rednecks, (although they tend to avoid the woods).

The only truly dangerous animals will be a black bear, (attacks are very, very rare) or California cougars (And frankly, who cares - they just eat runners & yuppie liberals).

What I worry about is escaped/semi-domesticated male deer (bucks) filled with testosterone (deer farms are becoming more popular). This is the "domesticated" wild animal responsible for more human fatalities than all other "domesticated" wild animals combined. These critters will attack you in the suburbs.

Bucks and rabid animals (again, very unlikely) are about the only worry you have.

You'll also hear about danger from wolves, but that's ****. Wild dogs are more dangerous, but that's also mostly ****. And you can kill a snake with stick.

Sorry for the long post, but I've seen this sort of thread several times before, and most of the people who comment have never set foot in the woods in their life.

However, I do recommend at least a .357 magnum. A testosterone laden buck is almost as dangerous as a meth-brained junkie, and a .357 hollow point will generally do the job on both.

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NRA Lifetime Member

Hard to go wrong with a classic like the model 19. Always served me well enough.

4" 29 loaded with Buffalo Bore heavy 44 Special 250 Keiths at a 1000 fps.

Easy on the recoil only weighs 6ozs more than the 19 which is limited in its capacity to fire "fullhouse 357s" and that 44 still speaks with great authority even if its' only Special.

Naw Suh, it ain't ****.

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Georgia On My Mind

Model 29, 4" is my choice. I also have a 3" 29 and a 3" 696 .44 Special. Any of these are fine choices for the woods. I prefer 4" bbls or shorter.
Sonny

Dang...I've been found out again

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C & L

29. The 44 can be loaded down enough for anything. The 357 can't be loaded up enough to deal with anything.

Or just walk around it.

I'm thinking an education is in order here... maybe you misread the article.

Really? Brown bears aren't the only thing in this Country that I'd rather have a 44 for sir. The original post left plenty of room for those other possibilities in my reading of it. A 357 is kind of light for moose, black bears, etc, in my opinion. Educate me on what I missed and you took from that post of his?

I pack a 3" 629 (see avitar) so I'd vote for your 4" 29.

Big heavy slugs can do more.

I have all listed and switch off with my mood. One you didnt list is a model 24-3 4" that gets my top vote. Its lighter with the pencil barrel and shorter clyinder than either the 29 or 25. Also put on the maga grips, works fine for me. Its a mountain gun, yet I dont own a mountain gun. Any mountain gun would be nice.

From what you listed, I'd like this one:




The 4" M19 is reliable, accurate, handy, and should be powerful enough. And it looks good.

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July 4, 1776 not Jan 30, 1909

I like the 4 inch Model 29 and the 4 inch Model 27 (I know you got a 5 inch) With a 44 mag you can carry 300gr bullets and standard 240s to hunt or defend with and you can shoot shotshells for food if you like. RCBS makes dies to cut off 30-30 cases and form them as a shot shell in 44 mag. They hold 1/2 oz shot. 44 mag is very versatil and usefull over a wide range of uses. For the Model 27 that thing has skull penetrating power. Dont think its a .38 it aint. Outa your 5 inch its just that much better. However the 44 gives you more bullet for the money.

Sir, FWIW, I like a .44 special or .45 Colt for woods bumming. A 240- or 250-grain LSWC at 900 fps is sufficient for most problems, and pleasant to plink with as well.

Assuming you already have the guns you mention, I'd go with the Model 29 and load it down. If you're trying to decide which gun to buy, you might consider expanding your search to include .45 Colts and .44 specials.

JMHO.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

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Wishin' don't make it so.

For the woods here in Kansas, I'd go with the model 19

I'd venture a guess that the guy who said animals are little danger hasn't spent much time in the woods. Though he's right that bad humans are probably more trouble than bad animals. Feral dogs are certainly a problem, and are getting worse around here. I've dealt with that before. A feral or sick coyote once, too. Pot growers and tweakers are definitely an issue, as well. Almost had to handle a gator once, too. We don't have California cougars in Florida, that's for sure, so I guess he's right about them.

I favor my 5 inch Model 27 most of the time, even over the .44. A handload of a Keith SWC at 1150 fps will deal with anything I come across, from a snake (which I'm not likely to shoot unless I have to) all the way up to our black bears. A 19 would shoot the same round equally well, but I have no interest in K frames.

I have the .44, and sometimes it is my companion, but I love the balance of my 27, and I can shoot all of them well enough to do the job.

I feel very comfortable with my M624 4inch in the woods of Michigan's Upper Penninsula. Loaded with 250gr SWC at about 950fps.

If I am out in the woods I woudl carry my 3 inch Effector with std. AE 240 JHP ammunition.

Smaller is better...19

I sweat all over everything (I'm fat), so better make it a 66.

Out the ones you list, the 29 is my pick. But loaded down a bit.

Have you ever fired a magnum round without ear muffs, esp out of a short barrel?

I fired a 2.5 inch .357 once, outside without muffs. Sold every .357 I owned after that. It really hurt, both ears.

Whereas a full load out of my Shorty .45 causes zero pain and hardly any ringing at all under the same circumstances.

So I'd go with the 29 and load a 250 Keith bullet at 900 to 1000 fps.

Oh, and I agree with Vanilla Gorilla, a guy who says the feral dog problem is '****' either lives in a high rise condo in downtown Seattle or thinks everyone who has posted their feral dog stories are liars.


Cat

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Think for yourself.

I'd still prefer the .44 in some variation...my 4" 29 or even my short 629-5 (with S&W Night Guard rubber.)

Last couple of years though, my 10mm Glock with Double Tap 200 grain hardcast Hammerheads has won out for my woods handgun. It's got 180 grain Gold Dots in it for the pic though.

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C & L

I have every caliber from 22 to 45 and then some rifle stuff . I walk the dogs with a 22,32,380,or a 38 in my pocket in the woods .Same stuff that is in my pocket/desk at my shop . See some coyotes every other night but make a little noise and am aware of my suroundings .I do not have to worry about bears but even if a nasty human came around I would be able to deter him .
Tom C

Given your choices and with no brown bears or grizzlies I'd be packing the 19 with a heavy penetrating bullet. Easier to pack in the remote chance of any attack and faster back on target for follow up shots.

MY choice would be my 6" 657 .41 mag with 210 gr. Speer Gold Dots in it's old Bianchi SH but it's not on your list.

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V/R
Roger / SG

In California I would say the model 19/66. I have a 66-4 4 inch. I would load it with 180gr cast. Short of a brown bear I don't think I would have a problem.

Take care,
roaddog28

siiiiiiiiiiiii

For more than 30 years, I did not "carry" out of season here in the northeast....But....After the second time stumbling across a pair of black bear cubs I thought my luck might be running a little thin. I do own a number of S&W's, including the models you listed, but for walking, berry picking, pre-season scouting, and such, I've got a comfortable shoulder holster, an old short barrel Vaquero in 45 Colt, 5 out of 6 chambers filled with 30 gn's of FFF Goex compressed in the case under a 250gn Montana cast RNFP. I hope it doesn't ever happen, but if push comes to shoot, and I miss momma bear, I'm thinking the flash will blind her, the report will deafen her, the sparks will set her fur to burning, and I can run like hell behind a big cloud of white smoke..........2#

Whatever floats your boat. All will do well in non-Grizzly areas.

As for me, in the Georgia woods in areas lacking hogs . . .

- Model 37 Airweight snubbie if I'm just hiking around our hunting lease, OR a lightweight officer's sized .45ACP (Kimber Ultra CDP)

- If it is small game season . . . my Holosight-topped Ruger MkII Target model pistol.

- If there are lots of wild dogs in the area, or possible 2-legged predators . . . my full sized Para-Ordinance P45.14 LDA Limited.

OR . . .

either a 2 1/2" Model 19 or a 3" Model 65 (both are .357 Magnums) . . . or my favorite revolver, a chopped to 3 1/4" barreled S&W 25-2 in .45ACP.

- During deer season, or while hog hunting, my trusty, Holosight-topped 6" Model 29-5 .44 Magnum revolver. It has taken scores of deer through the years!


Again, all your choices are good ones . . . as good as any.

T.

hope i never need one for the woods. but i enjoy having my model 34 and a box of 22's. if i'm where i bcould do a little plinking.

I would agree with others that the model 19 would do you well if you do not need to worry about bears.

I do have to disagree with those that say that woods are safe. They may have been safe 40 years ago but not today. In the Mid West meth labs are now in wooded areas. The South East has problems with illegal alcohol production and pot fields. South West faces issues with drug runners, pot field and illegal aliens. The Pacific North West has pot fields and meth labs.

Best-case scenario is that you run into a lab or field and get out without running into someone.

I'd go with a .44, a 629 Mountain Gun to be specific. Might run into a hog or other exotic critter down here and I'd want something that would anchor it on the spot.

That is one gorgeous revolver!

It depends on how much weight you're willing to carry around. I carry a 4" M19 in the woods at my in-laws or in the state forest land over my M28 simply because it's lighter to lug around. A .357 works well on thin skinned troublemakers on 2 or 4 legs.

A .44 packs more punch than the .357 so there is a benefit to the extra weight of a 29 that the 27 doesn't have. You don't have bear where you are so it's debatable if you will need the extra punch. There are black bear (and the occasional lost Minnesota cougar) where I wander and I still haven't rushed out to buy a .44 so I guess you know where I stand. If you feel you need the extra insurance, I won't tell you to leave the .44 at home but you would not be under-armed with the .357.

On a side note...

It wasn't any picnic target shooting with a 6" either. On the other hand, when fighting for your life (from people or critters) hearing loss is the least of your worries. Surviving with hearing loss beats the other alternative cold.

You may not even hear the shots!

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Romans 13:3 & 4

That is one sweet S&W!!!! Absolutely beautifully grained and colored grips. Gotta say they are some of the nicest I've ever seen.

Congrats!

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V/R
Roger / SG

Ruger Vaquero .44 Magnum loaded with the Hornady 240 grain FMJ loaded to about 980 FPS.

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Have guns...will shoot'em.

Did somebody say bear? Oh, no bears - I must be in the wrong thread. I have shorter bbl'd versions of those .357s (2.5, 3, & 3.5") and 3 and 4" .44 mags. I honestly can't tell that much difference in toting a 2 1/2" M19 in a ****** holster vs. a 4" M29 in a decent one - it all depends on the leather and season (clothing). The difference is only half a pound. I carried a 4" M29 from Sept. through Dec. (for hunting season) this year (we DO have blacks, griz, cougars, and wolf, as well as moose, coyotes and tweakers). I feel fine with a .44 Spl loaded like the other posters mentioned (240 @ 950-1000).

I feel comfortable carrying a M-36 2" (.38 Spl. with 125 Gr.+P ammo) around the southern area of New England. Out in the "wilds" of the Berkshires, I move up to a M-66 2.5" with 158 gr. JSP ( Med Vel .357 mag.). If I had a M-629 2.5" .44 Mag., like the one pictured (nice one C&L), I would carry it (for sure!!!), instead of the M-66. I prefer lighter, smaller, snubby revolvers. For me, they shoot as good, if not better, at the closer ranges, required in self defense situations. From what I've heard.....you don't notice the recoil, or hear the blast, in an emergency situation. I have never been in that situation.

To answer your question.....bigger is better! There's no such thing as overkill!!! Bob

Of the three mentioned, I would go with the Model 19, since both the gun and ammunition are lighter. When I am out in the sticks, I like to be able to shoot. Lugging around a box or two of .44 ammo adds weight quickly.

I agree that the biggest concern in my area is aggressive bucks (and then probably humans). I have had an encounter or two with bucks who almost seemed to be daring me to continue along my chosen path. It is a little unnerving to find yourself with nothing more powerful than a .22 revolver. Forty years ago or so, when I first started woods roaming as a youngster, this sort of thing was unheard of, here in Indiana.

do not beat me up guys , I love my S&W revolvers, but the best woods gun in my opinion is a glock 20 with a 15 rd magazine where legal of hot 230 grain hard cast bullet anmmo from doubletap ammo. Same ballistics as a 41 magnum. There was a 600 Lb. black bear taken near my house this year. I never feel undergunned when wearing my glock 10mm when I walk the woods.

I'd go with the 4" 29 of the 3.

either of the N frames, I'm not a K fan.

For me I prefer the 29 4" loaded with .44 specials. With this combo you get a heavier bullet but you keep the velocity out of high ear damage range. You can always keep a handful of magnums in your pocket. I totally agree that bucks are becoming more of a problem. We live in a rural area and last year I had one challenge one of the dogs to the point of coming right up on the patio with me standing there yelling. You can run into ferrel dogs or sick / extremely hungry yotes almost anywhere.
Tweekers growing pot and / or cooking meth are everywhere now. In this case the bark of a .44 mag load carries alot of weight in discouraging conflict unless they have been sampling too much of thier own product. I also agree avoidance is always the best game plan. However don't rule out the importance of carrying GPS to note location of any "finds" so you can direct the proper authorities to them.
I also agree that finding the right carry rig is extremely important. This will help balance out the weight issue of carrying an N frame. As to the question of extra weight I used to regularly carry weapon, ammo and camera on my treks. My thoughts were always that if I wasn't in shape to handle the extra weight that maybe it would help with conditioning.