Background:
I live all summer in the woods for my work and hike thousands of miles without trails carrying my instruments.
For years I have been carrying a s&w model 66 .357. Love the pistol BUT...
issue #1. I've been getting lower back pain the last couple summers due to the unbalance weight of it always on my right hip.
Issue #2. The predators are changing. For the past decades it has been mostly an occasional dog, black bear, moose or cougar. Now the problem is wolves, grizzlies and moose. In the average summer I would see a couple hundred elk, couple hundred deer, one moose, maybe two bears and a cougar only once ever 2-3 years. This last summer I saw maybe 5 elk, 20 deer, 20 moose, 30 bears and 100 wolves. Some days in the snow hearing wolves all around me I started carrying my m&p 40 just to have more shots if it was a pack situation.
So what do I need? (And don't you dare say "glock" , AR-15 or anything Taurus!
I have a definite preference for a revolver due to reliability requirements in all weather/temperatures/dirt-n-sticks.
I've been looking into the smith 329pd ( 26 ounce 44 mag) and the 386 (18.5 ounce, 7 shot .357 mag) I know I could get even lighter but don't want to sacrifice firepower by going to a 5 shot or a .38. The other one in consideration could be a 10mm auto which is fine for power but doesn't help at all with the weight. If it wasn't for weight and needing to walk with my hands free I'd for sure carry my winchester 44 mag carbine but alas...
Please chime in with your suggestions and council.. whether about the ones I mentioned or if there's a good option that I have passed over.
Thanks
I live all summer in the woods for my work and hike thousands of miles without trails carrying my instruments.
For years I have been carrying a s&w model 66 .357. Love the pistol BUT...
issue #1. I've been getting lower back pain the last couple summers due to the unbalance weight of it always on my right hip.
Issue #2. The predators are changing. For the past decades it has been mostly an occasional dog, black bear, moose or cougar. Now the problem is wolves, grizzlies and moose. In the average summer I would see a couple hundred elk, couple hundred deer, one moose, maybe two bears and a cougar only once ever 2-3 years. This last summer I saw maybe 5 elk, 20 deer, 20 moose, 30 bears and 100 wolves. Some days in the snow hearing wolves all around me I started carrying my m&p 40 just to have more shots if it was a pack situation.
So what do I need? (And don't you dare say "glock" , AR-15 or anything Taurus!
I have a definite preference for a revolver due to reliability requirements in all weather/temperatures/dirt-n-sticks.
I've been looking into the smith 329pd ( 26 ounce 44 mag) and the 386 (18.5 ounce, 7 shot .357 mag) I know I could get even lighter but don't want to sacrifice firepower by going to a 5 shot or a .38. The other one in consideration could be a 10mm auto which is fine for power but doesn't help at all with the weight. If it wasn't for weight and needing to walk with my hands free I'd for sure carry my winchester 44 mag carbine but alas...
Please chime in with your suggestions and council.. whether about the ones I mentioned or if there's a good option that I have passed over.
Thanks
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