9mm, 40 s&w or 357 sig for woods gun.

[Robbins290]

I'm sure this has been talked about before, but what would be a better round for woods carry in Maine? Mostly for black bears. Not worried about coyotes or anything. I've seen a lot of bears, but more in the last couple years. I always carry a 45, but I figure I would step up to a hi cap glock. I just picked up a glock 22. Again. And I have a 9mm conversion barrel and a 357 sig barrel coming Monday. Wondering which barrel would be best for black bears

 

[REWTEX]

I'd go with 357 sig with full power loads.

 

[Gtscotty]

I think I would just use the stock .40 barrel with 180 gr bullets. Neither of the other calibers are going to give you an advantage over the .40, and they will be coming out of aftermarket barrels.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Any would do but I would suggest the most powerful of the lot.

Tossup between the .357 Sig and the .40 S&W.

You can get 147gr Double Tap ammo for the .357 Sig and most .40 Ammo is 180 gr.

Either will do fine.

Deaf

 

[wnycollector]

I would load some .40 Buffalo Bore 180gr FMJ's in your G22 and call it done. Here is a link to the ammo I was referring to https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=117

 

[mavracer]

I'm fine trapsing aroun the woods with nothing more than a 22. Bears won't bother you if you mind your Ps and Qs. If you do manage to get one's undivided attention you're gonna need something that can get through it's skull and reach the brain. I would go with the 40 loaded with a wide flat nose hard cast or flat nosed fmj to hopefully keep the bullet from bouncing of their skull.

 

[tommy.duncan]

I would go with either the 357sig or 40s&w. You are looking for penetration as opposed to expansion. I like the speed from the 357sig with the heaviest projectile available. JMO

 

[Big Shrek]

.40 Short & Wimpy is simply 10mm lite...

Glock 20-SF is whatcha need, with some big nasty buffalo bore ammo!

Just Black Bear...always cracks me up when folks say that,
as BB's are the most prolific killers of man among bears in the 20th & 21st century...
check the stats, those little devils are dangerous...

 

[jmr40]

I carry a G20 loaded with 200 gr hardcast. My 2nd choice would be a revolver with a 3- 4" barrel in either 357 or 44 mag. Given your options it would be the 40 with the something in a heavy hardcast bullet. Not sure exactly what is out there in 40.

Found this. The same bullet and load I use in my 10mm, but about 200 fps slower.

http://www.doubletapammo.net/index.php?route=product/product&path=303_341&product_id=607

This is the best I can find for 357 Sig. Better than I thought, but I'd still much rather have the 40

http://www.doubletapammo.net/index.php?route=product/product&path=303_332&product_id=618

 

[jmr40]

Bears won't bother you if you mind your Ps and Qs.

The problem with that philosophy is that you have no control over what the guy walking down the trail 2 hours, or 2 days before you did. Once a bear learns bad habits from hikers who feed them, they expect the same from the next person down the trail. Black bear cause a lot more problems than most realize.

 

[TEAM101]

Glock 20 or 29. You can always add a .40 barrel later.

 

[Kahr33556]

of those 40 with 180 gr..
45 better
44 mag better yet
454 casual better yet

 

[Robbins290]

Thanks everyone for the input. I asked because that is the gun I want to open carry. I didn't want to buy any revolver. That's why i posted it in the "auto loader" section.

I will order some of the buffalo bore stuff. Both in 357 and 40.

 

[sixgunner455]

.40 throws heavier, wider bullets than your other two chooses, and does so at reasonable velocities. Get the heaviest hardcast, wide flat point bullet you can have moving at about 1100 fps and use that for your woods load.

I do something similar - but in a .357 revolver. The magnum revolver cartridge can throw much heavier bullets than the .357 SIG, so that is why I suggest using the .40 so you can get the heaviest bullets that case can use.

 

[hartcreek]

Why only those three calibers? Is that all you have available and is it your aim to dispatch the bear. Of those calibers the .40 with proper shot placement and not trying to shoot the bear in the head. That will just piss it off more.

Most bears will smell you and simply avoid you.

 

[M1GarandDeerHunter]

Bigger is better when talking bear defense. My best bear pistol is my M1. If limited to your choices though Id take the 40 S&W with 180 FMJ.

 

[Robbins290]

Ya. I wouldnt mind carrying a m1, but i will be fishing in some remote areas. Last year i saw alot of tracks and scat. This year i bought a glock 22. And also ordered a 9mm and 357 barrel. Im not worried about concealed carry out in the woods. And figured a full size handgun would be better then a 3" 45 sub compact.

 

[hartcreek]

I see bear scat and tracks all the time when I am bow hunting. My 44 magnum has a 18 barrel which aint good in thg thick stuff where i hunt. My Smith 624 is worth a grand so I usually do not pack it where it might get bashed same senario with my Automag so this year I picked up a $279 Uberti Walker for bow season.

 

[agtman]

None of those ...

Glock 20 or 29. You can always add a .40 barrel later.

This. Start with a 10mm AUTO. More economical that way too. One gun, with the barrel-swapping option to shoot two calibers; three, if you get an extra .357Sig tube.

Sure, a rifle is always preferable for "bear defense," but there may be times and places when you don't have your rifle within quick reach.

A 15+1 G20, loaded "hot-n-heavy."
In an easy to pack autoloader, it's your best choice for a woods-walking, boonie-packin', trail gun.



You can thank us 10mm-folk later.

 

[powder]

.357 SIG w/o a doubt...

 

[SDGlock23]

Of those the .40 for sure, it shoots a bigger and heavier bullet than the 9mm or .357 Sig and that's what you want. Forget about "energy", it's just a number that too many people think means more that it really does. You want and need penetration and bigger bullets cut bigger holes, as no service class handgun round (10mm included) produces enough energy to amount to anything worth noting.

I can't fault the 10mm-ites talking up their favorite cartridge, because in some ways it makes sense. But what gets me about the 10mm is that it requires a larger gun, a heavier gun and it really doesn't accomplish anything the .40 or .45 can't. You can load a 10mm hot and heavy, but you can load any cartridge hot and heavy (compared to factory stuff) for that matter.

So my Glock 35 rocking a 180gr at 1,300 fps (or near 1,400 fps with a 6" KKM G24 barrel) is lighter than the G20, shoots the same caliber bullet, shoots the same weight bullet (even the 200gr+ pills), holds the same capacity, weighs less than the G20 and has a longer sight radius as well, is somehow vastly inferior the the "mighty" 10mm? Come on!!

 

[Nom de Forum]

Go .40 and heavy bullets if you must limit yourself to the three choices you listed. Go 10mm in a G20 with a 6" barrel and hot and heavy bullets if you want the best compromise for two and four legged predator defense when away from civilization.

 

[agtman]

I can't fault the 10mm-ites talking up their favorite cartridge, because in some ways it makes sense. But what gets me about the 10mm is that it requires a larger gun, a heavier gun and it really doesn't accomplish anything the .40 or .45 can't. You can load a 10mm hot and heavy, but you can load any cartridge hot and heavy (compared to factory stuff) for that matter.

Well, if we're comparing apples to apples, ... at least when choosing among the usual so-called "service cartridges" and the platform of an easy-to-pack autoloader (i.e., 9mm, .357Sig, .40S&W, 10mm or .45acp), it's not even close.

A 15+1 G20 (or 10+1 G29 for that matter) won't be that much weightier than another caliber of Glock (or, e.g., an M&P) when similarly loaded to max magazine capacity, e.g., a 15+1 .40 G22. But the 10mm Glock's payload will easily pack the most punch on delivery, if properly loaded for the task. The key on the G20's portability will be the mode in which its user chooses to carry it. The right belt/holster combo will make all the difference.

As far as "other cartridges" being loaded "hot & heavy," that's when these trail-gun discussions usually migrate into comparing something like a G20 to a magnum revolver. While the magnum wheelie advocates talk a good game, when you're actually out on the trail these guns quickly become 6-shot boat anchors and wind up being dumped into the bottom of the backpack where they're about as useful, when needed, as if they'd been left back at the cabin or camp site.

By the way, more and more trail guides and pilots in Alaska are packing an autoloader rather than a magnum revolver, and guess what? It's not a "Glock Fortay" ...

It's a 10mm G20, loaded up with one of the "hot-n-heavy" factory loads from DT, BB, Underwood, or the user's own hammerhead handload.

 

[Nom de Forum]

Of those the .40 for sure, it shoots a bigger and heavier bullet than the 9mm or .357 Sig and that's what you want. Forget about "energy", it's just a number that too many people think means more that it really does. You want and need penetration and bigger bullets cut bigger holes, as no service class handgun round (10mm included) produces enough energy to amount to anything worth noting.

I can't fault the 10mm-ites talking up their favorite cartridge, because in some ways it makes sense. But what gets me about the 10mm is that it requires a larger gun, a heavier gun and it really doesn't accomplish anything the .40 or .45 can't. You can load a 10mm hot and heavy, but you can load any cartridge hot and heavy (compared to factory stuff) for that matter.

So my Glock 35 rocking a 180gr at 1,300 fps (or near 1,400 fps with a 6" KKM G24 barrel) is lighter than the G20, shoots the same caliber bullet, shoots the same weight bullet (even the 200gr+ pills), holds the same capacity, weighs less than the G20 and has a longer sight radius as well, is somehow vastly inferior the the "mighty" 10mm? Come on!!

Your G35 and ammo selection is a good choice and certainly not vastly inferior, but the G20 is a larger and heavier gun that is easier to control with loads even heavier than 180gr 1400fps G35 loads. The G20 is larger and heavier in insignificant amounts for carry in a belt holster. Long slides are available for G20s if you believe you need a longer sight radius. For a little extra weight and bulk you get what many consider a worthwhile amount of additional capability.

 

[Robbins290]

i will stick with the heavy 40 ammo.

for the 10mm people. i under stand what you are trying to say. but i already picked up the glock 22 with the 2 barrels. thats why asked of those 3