Camping Gun??

K

Kid44

Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2013
Messages
891
Reaction score
744
City & State/Province
Kansas City area
What do you carry when camping? I have begun thinking that a short barreled .357 may not be any more than a hotly loaded .38 Special, maybe a little more. I have several calibers to pick from, but for most of my camping needs I think I will opt for my 6" 586 carried in a Guide's Choice chest holster. Biggest threat I may run into in Missouri/Kansas would probably be wild dogs. I do get to Colorado, but think I would still take the 586 with a 180 gr. hard cast load from Buffalo Bore or Double Tap.
 
S&W Mountain gun fits the bill for me.

44 Special will handle most dog & human problems.

44 Mag can be loaded with hard-cast SWC to deal with bigger threats.

44 Shot shells for the no-legged vermin.

And the Mountain gun series are round butt and have a tapered barrel profile to help reduce weight.

You could do almost the same with a good 357. Barrel length from 2.5-4" will pack nicely.
 
I had the chance

SAFireman said:
S&W Mountain gun fits the bill for me.

44 Special will handle most dog & human problems.

44 Mag can be loaded with hard-cast SWC to deal with bigger threats.

44 Shot shells for the no-legged vermin.

And the Mountain gun series are round butt and have a tapered barrel profile to help reduce weight.

You could do almost the same with a good 357. Barrel length from 2.5-4" will pack nicely.
Click to expand...

I had the chance to get the 4" 586 but got the 6" instead and have no regrets. I did buy the 2.5" Model 19 also and don't regret that either. Kinda have the best of both worlds with the 6" and 2.5" Both are very good shooters but the 586 can easily handle some of the "hotter loads". There are better choices, but I wouldn't shy away from taking a deer with the 586.
 
Rpg said:
Over the years I’ve tried Pythons, Smith M29’s and 19’s but long ago settled on a Colt 1911 with hard cast H&G #68 200 gr SWC at about 1000 fps.

The 1911 is plenty for anything here in Colorado, is much more pleasant to carry than a magnum revolver and is much, much quicker.
Click to expand...

A 1911 is quicker than a magnum revolver? Please, explain this to me. Like... in what way?
 
49838031392_8f7ca2ed67_c.jpg


A 625-7 Mountain Gun in .45 Colt. What else would anyone want to carry? :confused::D
 
My camping days are pretty much over but if I was still camping my choice would be my Governor. Anything will pretty much work but I've become a believer in the Governor which I used to condemn as the dumbest revolver S&W ever built. With the range of 410 loads available it will eliminate snakes/rodents/etc. (killed a skunk at about 40 feet with it) and would definitely discourage the dogs you mention. With a few stiff Colt 45 loads included you can stop just about anything in North America if you have to. A big plus is the light weight; at 30 ounces (unloaded) it can be carried all day comfortably. I've tried about everything else and there are many good choices but the Governor has been a real positive surprise.

Jeff
SWCA #1457
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1617.jpg
    IMG_1617.jpg
    136.4 KB
Depends on the camping...tent camping out away from it all I will have a full size revolver of some sort...357 or .41mag

Nowadays my camping is "glam-ping" in our 30' travel trailer. A campground full of aluminum sided RVs filled with people is a real concern.

I usually have a revolver with first couple rounds being a shot cartridge....for snakes and such.

If someone/something were to come into the camper their first "greeting" would be from our German Shepherd....I'll back him up;)
 
DR505 said:
49838031392_8f7ca2ed67_c.jpg


A 625-7 Mountain Gun in .45 Colt. What else would anyone want to carry? :confused::D
Click to expand...

well now theres one more im gonna have to look for. classic time tested calibers cant be beat! rekon they was good nuff for the trail back then they otta still do the job nowadays. in general...
 
THEmodelof1989 said:
A 1911 is quicker than a magnum revolver? Please, explain this to me. Like... in what way?
Click to expand...

Being comfortable with both a 1911 and a revolver, I would suggest that against a traditional (6 shot) magnum revolver, a 1911 can be:
1. Emptied faster
2. Carry more rounds; hence, neutralize a threat faster, and
3. Reloaded faster.

In most instances, if I were camping out West (tent or camper), I would prefer either a 41 Magnum, 44 Special/Magnum, or a 45 Long Colt. I would expect that my greatest source of concern would be either poisonous snakes or 2 legged vermin.
 
I’m with Rpg.When I carry it’s a government model with the same loads. The biggest threat around here other than ticks,mosquitos,lightening,hypothermia and avalanches is a protective mama moose in the spring.Dont piss off mama lol
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Rpg
Depends on where and when I am camping. Usually a small case of handguns goes along. A big bore revolver and a 22lr are always going to be there. I can always add to the pot with a 22. Set around camp and shot some cans. Set some bread crumbs outside the tent a night while playing cards, then have a hit the crumbs with a big light and blast some field mice.
 
I carry a m-18 or a m-617 .22’s here in Iowa. They’ve taken care of a few feral dogs, and a few sick critters that weren’t afraid of my bird dogs . Sometimes I admit I do like to carry my lite weight m-329 with lite 44 mag reloads . Carry what you shoot and feel most comfortable with confidence !
 
Honest to goodness, a 460sw.
When Im camping all my buddies want me to bring it for $#!+$ and giggles.
During deer season hunters hate us for the forest clearing thunder. :D

Everyone else I camp with bring plastic or 1911’s
 
Last edited:
I've backpacked all over the world and the US west coast and Canada. I found great comfort in carrying my S&W 629-4 with a 5" barrel. I started out with my Model 65-1 .357 in my early 20's, however I felt under gunned in a few incidence. lrrifleman makes a lot of sense with his 1911, for car camping. Deep bush I'll carry my 629-4 loaded with Federal 310gr hard cast Hammerheads, for all big critters and UFO's.

 
Here in the East the issues are a bit different. Wild dogs, wild hogs, coyotes, venomous snakes, rabid skunks and raccoons, and feral humans are the norm. Black bears and the very rare panther are also occasionally encountered. A Ruger 3" SP101 in .357 with a mix of two rounds of CCI snake shot and three rounds of .357 158 grain JHP's. will handle the fauna issues. The SP101 weighs less than 30 ounces loaded, has enough weight to make shooting .357 manageable, gives decent velocity from a three inch barrel, is extremely durable, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. You won't like losing it if you have a mishap in the woods (it can be replaced), but it won't upset you as much as losing a treasured S&W. You can also easily take down an SP101 without tools should it get a dunking.

Best Regards,
ADP3
 
Last edited:
My favorite camping/hiking gun is my 60-4. Small, light, easy to carry and doesn't get in the way. .38 Special+P will handle pretty much anything I might run into. Honestly, I'm much more concerned about two legged critters than anything Mama Nature wants to send my way. :rolleyes:

M87FbnG.jpg


On the rare occasion I venture where black bear or boar may hang out, I switch to my 696 no dash. .44 Special goodness. ;)
 
You'll notice I'm new to the board, and have a few initial posts on the Victory Model database.

Part of the reason I got the gun is because the Victory Model has a lanyard ring. My camping trips often involve fishing, meaning wading and boats, and the lanyard is insurance against dropping a gun overboard. Plus, it can handle a shot cartridge if need be, and even offers some defensive capability.

It isn't a gun for bears, but at that point you're at the "gun or bear spray?" question. It's worth researching. There are pros and cons to each, and having both is certainly advisable. You're 586 in 357 sounds like a decent choice, so long as it's black bears.

I might also add that a good deal of my non-camping fishing excursions are entirely on dry land where the big threat is being attacked by aluminum cans. For these, I often carry a heritage rough rider in .22lr.
 
Last edited:
THEmodelof1989 said:
Since when does more rounds guarantee the threat gets neutralized any faster? I'll answer this one for you so my rhetorical questions don't continue to get answered; since never. Extra capacity is no substitute for accuracy.
Click to expand...

As a proficient rifleman, I subscribe to the one-shot, one-kill philosophy. I don't believe in throwing more lead than necessary to neutralize a threat, but I don't discount the potential of multiple threats, especially when considering two-legged vermin.

Personally, I find when engaging multiple threats on a combat range (true, paper targets don't shoot back) I can engage multiple threats faster with a semi-auto than I can a revolver.

Typically, a 357 is usually 6 or 7 rounds (yes, but not everyone has or can afford an R8), while a 41/44/45 is 6 rounds against a 1911 (45) can be 7, 8, or 10 +1.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rpg
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

K
Camping
2
Replies
45
Views
2K
Phenix
P
W
10mm,180 grain fmj for black bear/hog?
Replies
2
Views
324
Frank Black
Frank Black
1
Gun for extended camping in NW states
2 3 4
Replies
101
Views
7K
elkhunter77
elkhunter77
I
First Camping Gear
2
Replies
33
Views
2K
Ivan the Butcher
I
Dump1567
Top Ten .38 Spl. Snub Nose Loads by Gun Sam
Replies
11
Views
1K
rockquarry
R

Latest posts

Back
Top