Guns are like anything else…all personal preference…not knocking anything, but I didn’t like the .454 casul…and the gun I shot (don’t remember which one…sorry) but It hurt way more to shoot…regardless of cost…than my current big caliber of choice (the 500) same reason why my bought my Sig Sauer P226r…I love that gun…it’s amazing…I don’t like the way Glocks feel or Berettas…but I’m not knocking either manufacturer…best advice is to try some out and see what you like…cost shouldn’t truly drive the purchase of a gun. Your preference should (and your life of course)
Jordan
PS…S&W 500 bags an elephant…in africa…also took down a cape buffalo…
Sorry…the pic I found isn’t uploading… but all of the Big calibers are more than capable of taking down whatever dangerous animal ails you… good luck on your selections buddy.
yeah, for now I have decided to buy a ruger GP100 357 mag for a nightstand gun and get a shotgun for hiking. If money allows, I wouldn’t mind getting the Super Redhawk, but thats out of the question for probably a long time.
[quote]handsomedevil wrote:
yeah, for now I have decided to buy a ruger GP100 357 mag for a nightstand gun and get a shotgun for hiking. If money allows, I wouldn’t mind getting the Super Redhawk, but thats out of the question for probably a long time.[/quote]
I know there are tons of debates on this, but isn’t a 357 a little big for a home defense gun? Also you’d only have what? Six rounds? As soon as I turn 21(13 months, so a while) I’m thinking about getting a Beretta Px4 SubCompact, either in the 9mm or the .40 . Hopefully by that time Illinois has concealed carry law.
[quote]Blaze_108 wrote:
I know there are tons of debates on this, but isn’t a 357 a little big for a home defense gun? Also you’d only have what? Six rounds?[/quote]
.357 is considered by many to be the ultimate man stopper.
Six rounds should be plenty. Misses mean stray bullets and I’d say you’ve got bigger problems if you’re in a gunfight against more than three guys.
[quote]Blaze_108 wrote:
I know there are tons of debates on this, but isn’t a 357 a little big for a home defense gun? Also you’d only have what? Six rounds?[/quote]
.357 is considered by many to be the ultimate man stopper.
Six rounds should be plenty. Misses mean stray bullets and I’d say you’ve got bigger problems if you’re in a gunfight against more than three guys.[/quote]
I know that .357 is great as far as stopping power. I just don’t see the practicality of it. I doubt you’re going to be needing a .357 with hollow-points against a home invader. I’ve fired my dad’s .357 multiple times out on our farm and the hollow-points end up about a nickle size across after hitting something solid. If your goal is to put someone down and kill them right away, sure. I just see a 9mm or even a .40 as being a safer bet- larger clip and more than likely enough stopping power.
That being said, I’m just a hobby shooter who uses his father’s guns, so it’s possible that I’m wrong.
Edit: I can also see someone, in the heat of the moment, having very questionable accuracy. In a worst case scenario you might have to grab the gun and fire from lying down on a bed. I’d rather have the extra bullets.
I picked up a previously owned 500S&W (S$W also btw, the 500 S$W is the caliber distinction also, not just the manufacturer ) unfired for 800$. Including 4 boxes of ammo. It was a bear to sight in, but it is powerful.
I’d agree with push. Use a shotgun with slugs. the pistol is just so you can carry something with you at all times.
Or carry bear spray. A study by US fish and Wildlife (granted, the study is not perfect. “Most of the time” is not a scientific term") found that the rate of humans escaping bears without injury with bear spray was significantly higher than encounters where the human used a gun. Something to think about.
Granted, while a 45-70 or shotgun with slugs would do a number on a bear, the sheer stress of a a 900lb killing machine is chasing you has a way of ruining your concentration and aim. I’m not sure even how many guys who are trained to fire accurately under stressful situations (which I am not) could fire accurately on a charging bear. Those things move much faster than you think they can, and bears are generally encountered up close (when he is going through your tent looking for your food bag), you would have minimal time to pull of sights and get an accurate shot off.
That being said, having a gun when camping can be a boatload of fun depending on how remote an area you are in. Basic wilderness skills like hanging a bear bag with EVERYTHING that has a strong scent away from camp, cooking away from camp, and noticing that the giant pile of dirt next to your tent is a actually grizzly scat can go a long way as well to avoiding these encounters entirely.
If you are hiking, shotguns are a little heavy and a sling with a pack is not a comfortable setup. Pistol can save you a couple pounds, you have to make your own weight to risk ratio decisions.
Ha Ha…I don’t have an answer for you…I just found that on a Hunting Forum…I’m there are guided hunts in parts of Africa where they are legal in areas. I stick to squirrels. (not with my .500 though heh)
but all of the Big calibers are more than capable of taking down whatever dangerous animal ails you…