What Did You Carry in the Back Country

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RETDOE

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Would like to hear other's experience living and working in the back country.

Lived in Alaska 1986-1989, Bristol Bay. Did some work for the US Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife.

Arrived with 2 handguns, Mil-surplus 1911 and a Dan Wesson 357. Quickly sold both (cause you had to have a 44 in a Alaska) and bought a Ruger Redhawk .44 mag 5.5". Carried everywhere, no concealed carry back then, open carry was the mode except in Katmai NP where all firearms were prohibited, then in my day pack, sh... the Ruger was carried in a Bianchi holster which I wore cross draw, perfect for my primary mode of travel, Honda 3-wheeler, how many remember those death machines!

One rifle the whole time, my Dad's Lee-Enfield .303 British Carbine. Did the job on several caribou. Loved my time back then, lots of time in Katmai, (Bear Haven) and Becharof National Wildlife Refuge. BEST TIME EVER!
 
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Smith & Wesson model 58 or 657 Mountain Gun in 41 Magnum

Backed up by 30-06 or 12ga

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We've been to Montana, Alaska, and Colorado the last few years backpack camping and I prefer a S&W M&P 10m/m with thumb safety carried in a gun pouch on my backpack belt, appendix area. With a 35lb pack it's a little hard to draw strong side.
 

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OP, “death machine” ??????????? Maybe if your a whitetail ! As for carry, model 10/64 or 629.
 

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Traveled Alaska for a couple of decades, and will never sell the Ruger Super Blackhawk that was my constant companion.
I use a S&W M69 or a 10mm 1911 nowadays, but I'm just a visitor now.
 
I've posted this before. It's my Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt. It's been my go-to saddle gun for the past 30+ years when packing into the back country with the pack string. Normally loaded with 240-grain jacketed hollow points going at 1450 fps.

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Often coupled with my Rossi model 92 also chambered in .45 Colt. While this shoots the same caliber as my handgun, I'll often have it loaded with 360-grain wide flat-nosed gas-checked hardcast. As I've mentioned before, I was packing into some heavily populated black bear country. I felt comfortable with both loads.

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My family moved to SE Alaska in 1969. I was nine years old, and we lived there for five years. When we first got there, my dad carried a Savage 99F in .308 Win. Shortly after, he got a Ruger BH in .41 Magnum, and that's one of the handguns I learned to shoot with. About that same time, I got my first rifle, an 1891 Argentine Mauser in 7.65x53mm. That was my back country gun.

A few years ago we went on vacation to Soldotna. I took these with me to carry while fishing. The Ruger is my back country gun around here, and the 870 stays near the bed:
 

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For 45 years I'd camp, hike and hunt at my friends place in the Berkshire's. We do not live up North any longer - (YEA :) ) so I doubt I will be going there anymore.

When we were in the woods I carried a M65 3" bbl. stoked with 180 grain Buffalo Bore 357 Magnum hard cast LSWC. They did well over 1,325 fps out of that 3" gun and for the Black Bear in the area I thought that would be enough if needed. While I'd not use a 357 Mag. if I set out hunting bears, I could easily tote the M65 all day long and thought it was adequate with appropriate ammo - thankfully I never had to use it. No way I was gonna tote a .44 Magnum around all day when hiking up and down the mountains. Not exactly the perfect bear protection, but better than a .44 magnum sitting home in the safe because it was too heavy and bulky to carry all day.

If I lived in larger ferocious bear country, I'd carry something more powerful .
 
My first choice has always been the Taurus Judge Magnum, as the option to load .410 shotshells snakes or .45LC for larger animals has always been a compelling bit of utility to me.

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That being said, it's a rather heavy piece at 37oz unloaded, so carrying it comfortably isn't easy, nor does it feel especially necessary unless you're trekking around the woods, so generally I've been known to carry a .40cal pistol of some sort in recent years since that's my primary carry anyway, and a 180gr .40 S&W is adequate for just about anything I might encounter in my State.

Admittedly, it has been a few years since I last went out into the woods, and if I were to go on a hike or something, then I would pack this instead...

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My H&K USP45 Elite, loaded with 230gr .45 Super FMJ.
 
Carried Ruger earlier model Bisley Vaquero 45 Colt loaded with 300 grain Buffalo Bore ammo as a sidearm and Winchester M70 stainless fwt 300 Win Mag loaded with 200 grain TBBC during Alaskan Grizzly hunt in 2004 near Denali. Killed 8 ft grizzly with rifle.

During fours years living in NW Montana, carried Glock 29 10mm loaded with 200 grain FMJ Double Tap, hiking Glacier National Park, sidearm on Bob Marshall Wilderness horseback hunt for elk, hiking and hunting Cabinet Mountains and Lolo National Forest in Montana, all grizzly country, mountain lions, wolves, and black bear. On hikes only in the backcountry, carried a Freedom Arms 475 Linebaugh loaded with 420 grain Buffalo Bore a few times.




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