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Need some help on a dedicated trail gun

8K views 26 replies 13 participants last post by  nebmike 
#1 ·
Hello all. Been lurking for awhile and decided to create an account and join the community.

I'm looking for a dedicated trail gun and at first I was settled on the Redhawk 44 with a 4inch barrel. However as it appears there are none of those to be had at any time in the near future I have decided to look at some other options. For a DA revolver I was looking at the GP100 stainless with the 4" barrel but have questions on the .357 magnum's ability if I run into a black bear which is a real possibility for me.

I also like the Super Blackhawk 44 stainless with the 4 5/8" barrel but while browsing I also came across the Blackhawk Bisley 45 stainless with a 5 1/2" barrel and I like that one as well. The barrel seems it might be a little long but I like the Bisley grip as I held one previously on a 44 Hunter model. Will I be disappointed with a SA revolver for carry in the woods? How effective is the 45 Colt compared to the 44 magnum without loading the thing to crazy pressures? I've also hear that Ruger can't make a 45 with correct sized cylinder throats and as I have no experience with it I need to know if that is something that is just internet BS or a real concern?

I plan to carry this gun at all times when I am in the woods/fishing/hunting. As far as a holster goes I decided on the Sourdough Pancake holster from Simply Rugged Holsters now I just need to pick out a gun.

My questions is what would you all recommend for me? Do I wait an unknown amount of time for the Redhawk or get one of these other options?

Sorry for such a long post. I really appreciate any help as I don't want to spend my hard earned money on something that I'm going to have regrets on.
 
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#2 ·
Sorry I can't really help with your questions but I think others here will help you decide by sharing their opinions and experiences. Beware, however - there are those here who will say to just buy them all right now since you'll probably end up buying them all anyway!

From my own experience they may be right!

Welcome to the forum from southern Arizona.
 
#3 ·
JPC,
You did not mention if you were a reloader as that could expand your choices.

May I suggest a Ruger Alaskan in .454? You can load it with 45LCs for light loads and if you are in bear country,you can load it with 454s.

If you reload,then you can really have some light loads for practice and you can load up some "bear loads" and not pay the high price of factory loads.

El Paso Saddlery makes some nice shoulder holsters,but there are many other quality rigs out there.

Top Dog
 
#4 ·
If I am out in the woods for a long period of time, I carry my 3" GP, because it is easy to carry, pretty lightweight, and not too cumbersome on the belt. If I am just on a short stroll, I will carry my .44 Alaskan, as it is pretty heavy, and makes itself very noticeable after a few hours in the hot SC summers. If I were in bear country though, a .44 or .454 Alaskan, or 4" Redhawk would be the only choices for me. The most fearsome critters I have encountered were Rattlesnakes, and the occasional very angry stray dog.
 
#8 ·
This is a very interesting thread. Can bears really shrug off 357 rounds, or would a good heavy bullet per the above post do the job? 357 is one helluva big round!
 
#7 ·
Welcome from Australia. Great place to be, you will like it here.
 
#9 ·
I would also vote for the Alaskan in .454 Casull.

However, if you settle on a .357mag and choose good ammo, I would be comfortable relying on it against black bears. If you're in an area where you've got big brown's then it'd probably be wise to look to something more powerful.

Just my own personal opinion, but I would avoid a single action pistol as a trail gun. Animal attacks are often very fast and very violent... you'd probably be lucky to get 2-3 rounds off with a double-action revolver (and maybe not even score hits with each shot), but with a single action you could be limiting yourself even more than that.
 
#11 ·
What .357 ammo are you thinking of? And no, there are no brown bears here but some of our black bears can get pretty big. The area that I frequent has had 12 bear sightings so far this year. Just want to be prepared. (Plus a new gun is always the right choice, isn't it?)
 
#10 ·
Thanks for all the replies.

As far as reloading I do reload for .45ACP but not for anything else. I will probably start with some store bought stuff and work up to reloading for whatever gun I end up with.

I did look at the Alaskan and it seems to be a nice revolver. I wasn't sure how such a short barrel would effectively use the power of the rounds they are chambered in.

I appreciate the suggestion of the S&W 329PD however it seems to be extremely far out of my price range and I would also like to shoot with it at the range. 26oz seems like it would hurt. A lot.

Right now I'm going back and forth between the GP100 4" stainless and the Super Blackhawk 4 5/8" stainless.
 
#18 ·
BTW I just noticed a 4" Redhawk .45 Colt on Gunbroker. If I were going with a 4" model, I'd do the .45 over the .44. If you dont reload, you can still get some 'magnum' level loads from several companies that will equal or exceed the performance of a .44mag with a bigger bullet.

FWIW
 
#19 ·
When the .357 Mag was introduced in the '30s, all manner of game was taken with it, including polar bear. I will do the job. My personal preference is my 4 5/8" Blackhawk in .45 Colt, primarily due to the lighter aluminum grip frame. It's not stainless, but I've never had any problems with rust.
 
#21 ·
I have no problems carrying my 4 5.8 SBH all day at work or hunting and i personally think that 5 1/5 is the best all around barrel length which is what my brother carries. i also don't feel at all handicapped by having a single action as i don't spray and pray but rather pick my shot. That said, a .357 gp100 would be a top notch trail gun suited for anything you my encounter. I personally like a soft point or a solid, hard cast is optional and over-rated in my opinion. A .45 Colt in a Ruger will do anything a .44 will with easily obtainable factory ammo from several companys and even more if handloaded.
 
#22 ·
Well after careful consideration and some talks with my local gun store I was quoted a price too good to pass up on 4 5/8 stainless Super Blackhawk .44 Magnum. Right at $500.00 and some change out the door. It will be here monday.

What over the counter ammo would be good to start with? I was looking at some Hornady Custom 240 grain XTP cartridges for $19.00 a box of 20. Doesn't seem to be too bad of a price for factory ammo.

Thanks for all the help on choosing my new woods companion.
 
#23 · (Edited)
What over the counter ammo would be good to start with? I was looking at some Hornady Custom 240 grain XTP cartridges for $19.00 a box of 20.
That'd be a good load.

You might try http://www.ammoengine.com to price-shop different loads from different companies. The cheapest I see the Hornady 240gr on there is $15.38 for a box of 20.

You might also look at the Winchester 240gr Dual Bond or the 250gr Platinum Tip... both offer outstanding performance. The Dual Bond has an outer jacket that is virtually a "Black Talon" type deal, with the sharp petals that stick out at 90 degrees once expanded. In my experience with the Dual Bond in the .454, its a tough bullet, and it should perform well on anything worth shooting with a .44mag.
 
#24 ·
Have you looked at a S&W in 41 Magnum? I too am looking for something similar and have found that the 41 magnum is the ideal round for the trail and handgun hunting. The only downsides are ammo availability and gun selection (at least compared to .357 mag). Other than that, sounds great. Also, 10mm has proven itself to be a great round however unless you are a fan of Glocks you are kinds SOL lol.
 
#25 ·
You made a good choice. Almost any decent 44 mag ammo will work fine. For black bears you have more than enough power.

The 10mm is a great round. I have 3 different pistols in 10 and another on the way. I took a deer last year with a Smith and Wesson 1006 and 200 grain Hornady XTPs. Shot all the way through.
 
#26 ·
In factory ammo, which is hard to find around my guns anymore i really like the Winchester white box 240 soft points, they go for around 34 bucks for 50 around here. I saw a 240 XTP blow up and fail to penetrate a deer at arms length last fall so that ended it for hp's with me, especially on something that has a chance of eating me back. A good soft point will give you plenty of expansion as well as relyable penetration and in a .44 it's not like you need to make a bigger hole anyhow. I read a thread on this forum about dual bond's having jacket separations at higher velocitys, not sure if this is true as i have no experence with them and can't find them locally. Good luck, you bought a real winner!
 
#27 ·
/I read a thread on this forum about dual bond's having jacket separations at higher velocitys, not sure if this is true as i have no experence with them and can't find them locally.
That was probably from me. I had done some 'testing' with them in water jugs and ice (separately), and the outer jacket separated in every instance.

However, I've since had the opportunity to shoot several pigs (eight, to be exact) for a friend of mine. Of the six bullets that I recovered, each one performed perfectly with no jacket separation.

Water and ice are pretty harsh on bullets, and certainly Winchester didnt design the Dual Bond line to perform at optimal levels in either one. In flesh, I'm sold on the design 100%.

FWIW
 
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