What caliber for defense in the field

[adear11]

I am looking into buying a pistol for defense while I am bow hunting. The main critter I am concerned about is a hog. I will not use it to hunt them, I just want to have a hand gun in case I run into one or more on my way to and from my stand. My land has a very healthy hog population, and they can be aggresive. My brother and I shot one a couple of days ago that was charging us. We were walking in the woods looking for deer sign, and walked up on three of them rooting around. I want to have something with me which will be easy to carry in the woods with my bow and has enough punch to quickly and efficiently put down a hog if I have to. I have been leaning towards something in .357 Magnum. I don't have a specific gun in mind either so if anyone has a suggestion please feel free to offer it. I would like to keep the price under about $400 if I can, but if that won't work I can spend more.

thanks for the info.

[TerryM]

A lightweight .357 revolver would likely be my choice for up close encounters. A .44 would be better but long and heavy and likely won't get carried as much. A pistol in hand beats a bigger one left at home.

[bigbulls]

Not sure how big your hogs get but my vote would be a used S&W 629 with a 4" barrel in 44 magnum.

A 4" 629 only weighs 6 ounces more than a 4" 686 in 357. Add inthe extra lead and you are only looking at just under two pounds of extra weight.

IMO the extra weight would be worth it if I had a 300 pound boar charging me.

[Hunter06FlKy]

yeah i definately agree with big bulls. the 44 will make a heck of a difference when it comes to stopping hogs. a 357 will do it on most hogs but the skull plates of the big hogs can stop bullets or cause weaks bullets to fragment or ricoche. with the 44 it shouldn't make a difference if you're using quality ammo. i hog hunt with a 44 mag lever gun and i shot a 100 # or so hog at about 15 yds. it entered the forehead at an angle and went clean out the other side. the hog was running and just fell over and kicked a couple of times. you won't be disappointed if you use the 44. if you're worried about weight check out the s & w custom shop 44's. i can't think of the model but it weighs maybe 20 something ounces unloaded.

[jmfa1957]

Might want to make sure it is legal to carry a pistol while you bowhunt; in California it is not. Also, remember that the .357 is almost totally dependent on velocity for its power, and you won't get magnum velocity out of a 4"' or shorter barrel. I would just as soon tote a .44 mag as my 6" bbl .357. The heavy 240 grain .44 bullet will be an advantage over a 158 grain .38 caliber bullet in terms of stopping power, and stopping power is what you want in an encounter with an offended hog. A combination of velocity and heavy bullet would be my preference if using a handgun on so formidable and adversary.

My guide told me a story of a fellow who thought he could down a hog with his .45 ACP. The guide had to shoot the offended hog while said hog was on top of the surprised and disappointed owner of the .45 ACP.[:-]

[FastShootingCarts]

Choose a gun and caliber you are comfortable with when drawing to shoot. Keeping in mind the adrenalin factor as well. You will want something you can handle well both gun and Caliber. This takes practice mentally. That's why I personallywould choosemy .357 magnum 4" S&W M19 Combat Magnum (1970). I load it with Federal 158gr. hollow points. I feel very comfortable with this gun and shoot it well.I carry it in a Bianchi 5BHL holster, strong side right.

If Ifelt a .357 mag. might not work that day, then I would gowith aMini-14(w/30rd Mag)across my shoulderjust in case, you know.

[FastShootingCarts]

ORIGINAL: jmfa1957

Also, remember that the .357 is almost totally dependent on velocity for its power, and you won't get magnum velocity out of a 4"' or shorter barrel. I would just as soon tote a .44 mag as my 6" bbl .357. The heavy 240 grain .44 bullet will be an advantage over a 158 grain .38 caliber bullet in terms of stopping power, and stopping power is what you want in an encounter with an offended hog. A combination of velocity and heavy bullet would be my preference if using a handgun on so formidable and adversary.

Stopping power is one thing. Accuracy is another.Sure beats missing with a .44 mag one can't handle.

[James B]

44 Mag.

[semi]

I would choose either. But as mentioned, i would make sure you can handle a 44 mag before you buy one. A well placed .357 bullet is more effective then a missed .44 bullet. The shear flash from the barrel can be overwhelming. Make sure you can effectively draw the weapon and be accurate. That is the most important part. that would make me stray away from a long barrel pistol.

A S&W, .357 mag in a 4" barrel would be a good choice. The practice with it.

[Rebel Hog]

44 Mag