Would you carry rifle, shotgun, pistol? What caliber(s)? What factors would influence your choices (weight of gun/ammo for example)?
2006-09-20 08:12:14 · 17 answers · asked by Charles B 4 in Sports ➔ Outdoor Recreation ➔ Hunting
My reason for asking is what folks would carry on a long hiking and how much the need for protection vs. lugging an extra 10-20lbs would be worth to someone.
2006-09-20 08:20:54 · update #1
actually any gun is going to work if your very lucky shot . most arent but guns give us peace of mind with bears or cougars when in truth a problem animal will not usually give you the chance to take careful and precise aim . a good bear repellent will work best at close quarters on anything that could attack and kill a man . best deterrent is knowledge about ways and actions of a problem animal . if you chose a gun it should be of a large enough caliber in case you only wound the animal the animal has enough of a wound that it gives you the time to get away . a 44 magnum with at least 4 inch barrel will do the best job but only within 20 to 30 yards can you aim accurately and nerves if an animal attacks can play big part of how fast you whip gun out and use it effectively . the truth is confidence is always the best thing to have with you when walking in animals domain . i am raised in woods and i know animals very well and they usually avoid you rather than confront you . i carry a weapon mostly for use in case of a rabid animal that cant judge man from danger . get proper teachings on what to do in case you or someone else is hurt or attacked by any animal and go hiking with confidence that your ready for anything that comes up you ll enjoy the trip better that way.
2006-09-20 14:09:34 · answer #1 · answered by sigmond 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Appalacian Trail? I've never hiked there but carrying firearms there is probably illegal.
If I were hiking in snake, bear, wolf, coyote, big cat country I would carry a handgun. If the bigger concern were snakes I'd carry a revolver with the first two cylinders loaded with snake-shot and the last two with quality hunting ammo. A .357 Magnum would do nicely. Snake shot would take care of any venomous snakes I might encounter and 180 grain lead solids would take care of larger threats.
If bear were more of a concern I would probably carry a .10mm Glock Model 20 (sixteen total rounds) with a good quality 215 grain hard cast bullet or Double Tap's excellent Equilizer round, a 230 .10mm round that discharges two projectiles per shot--a 135 grain hollowpoint bullet and a 95 grain lead pellet. A .44 Magnum would probably work just as well but I'd have to go out and buy one, so I'd probably just use one of my .357s or my old .10mm.
H
2006-09-20 23:49:41 · answer #2 · answered by H 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Bound's hubby here:
True, many states along the AT do not permit the carrying of firearms, but ...
My greatest concern for predators along the AT would be, in declining priority: rogue humans, rattle snakes, large cats, then bears.
I would carry a .41 Magnum with reduced power loads (slow heavy bullets) and shells custom loaded with #7 1/2 birdshot for the snakes. A handgun in a pack is useless when you need it most. A rifle or shotgun is totally unnecessary.
2006-09-21 00:30:54 · answer #3 · answered by gonefornow 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
if this trail is in a national park then possesion of any firearm without a concealed carry permit is illegal, although if you are going somewhere that you may need protection from a predator and you are concerned about weight, then you should carry a 2" barrell'd .44 magnum revolver. its compact and not real heavy, you do not want to shoot this gun for pleasure, it will have a heavy recoil but if your using it for self defense then the last thing you will be concerned with is recoil. but you still need to practice with any firearm before relying on it to protect your life. the .44 magnum is powerful enough to stop any animal in north america and a well placed shot would even stop large african animals.
2006-09-20 16:41:47 · answer #4 · answered by YourDailyDoseOfCommonSense 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
What do you need protection from?
The only predators would be probably be bears - and you could avoid them by following standard wilderness protocols.
If you wanted defense from bears, you would need the shotgun (or a pistol with the site filed off), but most bear encounters happen when you don't follow protocol, and are so fast that you woudn't have time to draw it.
Most humans on the trail are peace-loving types.
It's not worth the extra weight.
2006-09-20 15:19:58 · answer #5 · answered by a_blue_grey_mist 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Carrying firearms is illegal on more than 40 percent of the Appalachian Trail and is subject to state laws on the rest of the Trail (primarily National Forests and state gamelands). The Appalachian Trail Conference (ATC) strongly discourages carrying firearms anywhere along the Trail because they change the dynamics of the hiking experience for everyone and because of the risks of accidental shootings, among other reasons.
2006-09-20 15:18:36 · answer #6 · answered by oohhbother 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
My brother asked me to answer this for him. He has completed about 70% of the trail. He carries a stainless Ruger gp101. Note that this is probably not legal in some areas, but you are much better to have it when you need it than not have it. Keep it hidden in your pack, don't show it to anyone and you should be ok.
2006-09-20 18:06:39 · answer #7 · answered by DJ 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
i'd go with big bore revolver...can be shot at point blank range, if a bear were to attack you, without jamming. also it would be concealed and lighter than a rifle/stotgun. But hey if i had a 20lb rifle i would take that beast out all the time!
2006-09-21 02:37:51 · answer #8 · answered by Heidi 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I carry a large caliber revolver, and alternate speedloaders with ratshot and regular rounds. I also always carry pepperspray in the woods.
2006-09-20 15:15:27 · answer #9 · answered by c.arsenault 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A revolver of .357 magnum, .44 magnum, or .454 casull would be preferable to a rifle, as it won't weigh as much, and will likely be unused.
2006-09-20 18:04:13 · answer #10 · answered by Black Sabbath 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋