Edmo
US Veteran
Sad to hear about the goat attack. I guess it is more dangerous out there than we think.
Who would of thought, killer goats!!
Edmo
alaskan 2" vs 629 4" woods carry, accuracy durability
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Sad to hear about the goat attack. I guess it is more dangerous out there than we think.
Who would of thought, killer goats!!
Edmo
You won't wear out a 29/629 with today's watered down, pitiful excuse for .44 mag factory ammo.
Now, Buffalo Bore .44 mag ammo is a different story.
It's loaded to actual .44 mag pressures.
Even their "light" .44 mag ammo is hotter than Fedremchester .44 mag ammo.
Factory .44 mag ammo is a joke these days.
240 grain at 1150-1250 fps?
That's not a magnum. That's a hot .44 Special.
No gun=killer goat.
Gun=barbecued goat.
Now, Buffalo Bore .44 mag ammo is a different story.
It's loaded to actual .44 mag pressures.
Even their "light" .44 mag ammo is hotter than Fedremchester .44 mag ammo.
Factory .44 mag ammo is a joke these days.
240 grain at 1150-1250 fps?
That's not a magnum. That's a hot .44 Special.
No gun=killer goat.
Gun=barbecued goat.
When I am out in the mountains, I carry a 6.5" 629 Classic. If I had to do it over again for a "woods" piece, I would likely look at a 4" barrel since it would be a bit easier to carry for that purpose. At this point I'm not going to sweat the extra 2.5" since after a couple of decades of shooting it I have gotten pretty used to it.
Ranger514
Member
The article doesn't mention the fact that Billies/Bucks become aggressive during mating season, which is when this reported fatality happened (Oct.-Nov.) I have personally encountered aggressive Billies in the wild who have lowered and shook their heads, pawed the ground, and made short false charges. In each case, it was their mating season, and I just backed away. That was the end of the confrontation.
I assume that during mating season, the Billies are exhibiting territorial dominance towards anything that steps into their turf. My advice is just back away, and let them have their little corner of the world. I see them frequently in the central portion of the Black Hills where I live, and they are usually very docile and sometimes curious enough to allow people to approach within a few feet. They like to hang around roads in the winter and spring to get the salt left on the highway from winter road maintenance plows that spread de-icer on the roadways.
Groo01
Member
What barrel length?
Groo here
A trail gun usually denotes plinking,defense and hunting missions
Is this what you have in mind????
If so, a 3 to 4 in or longer barrel with good sights will do you well.
If you are looking at real defense , things change...
The first thing is ,if you are attacked , shooting will be at very close range,
like FEET.
The most important things will be function,placement,penetration,and
diameter . in that order.
As Keith [hats off please] put a 245gr 44 through a deer at 600yds.
The same bullet at 6 ft should go just as deep.
The 45 colt was designed for cav and you stop cav by shooting the horse.
A 250gr bullet at 900fps is more than enough to get into the good stuff,
add a hard cast flat nose for best penetration and your good to go.
Any modern shell 357 or larger can match or best these specs,so
pick the one you can shoot well,one handed.at close range,fast and
feel confortable with AND WILL CARRY.
The rest is up to the Great Copilot.
Groo here
A trail gun usually denotes plinking,defense and hunting missions
Is this what you have in mind????
If so, a 3 to 4 in or longer barrel with good sights will do you well.
If you are looking at real defense , things change...
The first thing is ,if you are attacked , shooting will be at very close range,
like FEET.
The most important things will be function,placement,penetration,and
diameter . in that order.
As Keith [hats off please] put a 245gr 44 through a deer at 600yds.
The same bullet at 6 ft should go just as deep.
The 45 colt was designed for cav and you stop cav by shooting the horse.
A 250gr bullet at 900fps is more than enough to get into the good stuff,
add a hard cast flat nose for best penetration and your good to go.
Any modern shell 357 or larger can match or best these specs,so
pick the one you can shoot well,one handed.at close range,fast and
feel confortable with AND WILL CARRY.
The rest is up to the Great Copilot.
Cal44
Member
Here is my Backpacker. At least that is what Smith calls it.
It's a 629 2.5 inch. Weighs a little less than than Ruger Alaskan, but otherwise similar.
It came with Hogues and I would put them back on if I was planning to shoot lots of full boat 44 Mag.
It's great gun and easier to shoot than it looks.
I think a lot depends on what you mean by a woods gun. If you are talking 1 or 2 mile walks from your house or a cabin, then that's one thing. You can carry a fairly heavy, larger handgun -- or perhaps even a long gun.
If you are talking carrying a heavy pack with a week's provisions, stove, tent, etc. and hiking 20 miles per day with 5000 ft elevation gain, then that's a whole different thing. That's where something light like a 329 comes into favor.
I used to do those long hikes and camped in winter on 10 feet of snow and zero degree weather.
But I'm older and wiser now (also out of shape) and my idea of winter camping is staying at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite.
It's a 629 2.5 inch. Weighs a little less than than Ruger Alaskan, but otherwise similar.
It came with Hogues and I would put them back on if I was planning to shoot lots of full boat 44 Mag.
It's great gun and easier to shoot than it looks.
I think a lot depends on what you mean by a woods gun. If you are talking 1 or 2 mile walks from your house or a cabin, then that's one thing. You can carry a fairly heavy, larger handgun -- or perhaps even a long gun.
If you are talking carrying a heavy pack with a week's provisions, stove, tent, etc. and hiking 20 miles per day with 5000 ft elevation gain, then that's a whole different thing. That's where something light like a 329 comes into favor.
I used to do those long hikes and camped in winter on 10 feet of snow and zero degree weather.
But I'm older and wiser now (also out of shape) and my idea of winter camping is staying at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite.
I don t have a .44mag. I do have a 4"bbl 624 that I load hot if I need more oooph. My every day loads are 7 gr of Unique and a 240 gr LSWC. That is a light load and very easy recoil. A friend has the 5.5 " Ruger Blackhawk in .44mag. For whatever the reason, that gun kicks and moves in my hand in an unacceptable amount, even with my light .44 Special loads.
I hope to move to Washington someday (my son moved there just last Sept) and my thought to do as you are doing would be to get a Smith and Wesson .44 Mag with a 6" BBL and carry it in one of those handy chest rigs under a coat.
I hope to move to Washington someday (my son moved there just last Sept) and my thought to do as you are doing would be to get a Smith and Wesson .44 Mag with a 6" BBL and carry it in one of those handy chest rigs under a coat.
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A 6" revolver is hard to carry and harder to extract quickly in a belt holster. You need a low ride western style or a cross chest "tanker" style holster. Neither are unreasonable if you can open carry, but concealment is mostly out of the question. For that, a 4" or shorter barrel is prescribed.
It's probably best to conceal where there are other people about, and open carry is not a normal practice. That would include most national parks and recreational areas. I use a 3" 629 for deep concealment in an IWB. A 4" carries better outside the waistband, but needs a thumb-length jacket for reliable concealment.
1100 fps with a 240 grain hard cast bullet from a 3" barrel is hardly a "souped up" .44 special (typically 750 fps), unless you are thinking like Elmer Keith. Besides, a handgun of any sort is something you carry for unforeseen encounters. If you think there will be trouble, or help is too far away, carry a rifle, preferably a 45-70, or a shotgun with slugs.
It's probably best to conceal where there are other people about, and open carry is not a normal practice. That would include most national parks and recreational areas. I use a 3" 629 for deep concealment in an IWB. A 4" carries better outside the waistband, but needs a thumb-length jacket for reliable concealment.
1100 fps with a 240 grain hard cast bullet from a 3" barrel is hardly a "souped up" .44 special (typically 750 fps), unless you are thinking like Elmer Keith. Besides, a handgun of any sort is something you carry for unforeseen encounters. If you think there will be trouble, or help is too far away, carry a rifle, preferably a 45-70, or a shotgun with slugs.
Compromise.
Island;
Have you looked at the new S&W 69? It's an L frame .44 mag with a 4.25" bbl. You lose a round, but you still have a 'full size' revolver for those rowdy magnums while being lighter than some of the 2" tanks. I concur with the barrel length comments here.
My mod 60 2" is fine in town for CCW but in the sticks, who cares? I'd rather shoot 4" revolver for defense since they are easier to control. Keep in mind that shooting a charging bruin is no less a lethal force encounter than shooting an armed assailant. Perhaps even more so. Bad guys can miss, bears don't!
There are so many good options for carry; chest, shoulder & hip holsters. Hill People Gear make a really cool kit bag that will fit a 4" revolver....I have one.
Island;
Have you looked at the new S&W 69? It's an L frame .44 mag with a 4.25" bbl. You lose a round, but you still have a 'full size' revolver for those rowdy magnums while being lighter than some of the 2" tanks. I concur with the barrel length comments here.
My mod 60 2" is fine in town for CCW but in the sticks, who cares? I'd rather shoot 4" revolver for defense since they are easier to control. Keep in mind that shooting a charging bruin is no less a lethal force encounter than shooting an armed assailant. Perhaps even more so. Bad guys can miss, bears don't!
There are so many good options for carry; chest, shoulder & hip holsters. Hill People Gear make a really cool kit bag that will fit a 4" revolver....I have one.
Dave T
Member
Age and arthritis has ended my 44 Magnum shooting but isn't this task (trail gun/dangerous game protection) what the "Mountain Revolver" and later the Mountain Gun was intended for? Seems that that is the answer to the original question.
Dave
Dave
Realgunner
Member
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4" 629 like this 629-4:
Nice gun. Is that a bead blast finish?
I also vote for the 629
Everyone worries about bears and the funny thing is deer, cows,and horses all kill more people every year than bears. LOL The US averages about 1 bear death per year. Yea, bears can and do attack people. I spend a lot of time in bear country and while it is a concern, not a big one.
Ranger514
Member
I don't own a .44 mag since I'm not concerned with Griz in my neck of the woods. Like the OP, a mountain lion, black bear, or crazed mountain goat might be my only wildlife concern, and that's likely not going to happen. My main reason for carrying in the backcountry is protection against 2-legged predators I might encounter, and I think my 2-1/2" 66 fills SD needs quite nicely.
LimaCharlie
US Veteran
When I worked in very remote areas with brown bear and moose, I carried a 5" S&W 460V. My woods carry gun for Northwestern Oregon is a 4" S&W 29-2. My other .44 magnums are an 8 3/8" 29-2, an 8" Colt Anaconda, a 6 1/2" Ruger Super Blackhawk, a 10 1/2" Ruger Super Blackhawk, and a Marlin 336-44 Texan lever-action rifle.
Ranger514
Member
On second thought
I completely forgot about the Sasquatch threat. When I next visit the PNW, I'm packing my 20" Mossberg 590 SP loaded with nine rounds of slug.
I completely forgot about the Sasquatch threat. When I next visit the PNW, I'm packing my 20" Mossberg 590 SP loaded with nine rounds of slug.
I also vote for the 629
I never get tired of seeing that dash one. Knowing that it shipped like that, its just icing on the cake.
Beautiful sixgun!
