Do to all the Mt lion sightings I'm thinking of getting a hand gun to carry with while calling. I have a Ruger blackhawk in 44mag but is to big and heavy, don't think my Ruger 22mag is big enough. Was thinking of some kind of outo. Any ideas I want something big enough to stop a big cat but handy to carry in a shoulder holster.
Hand gun for backup
- Thread starter coycaller
- Start date
michhunter
New member
Try looking at the kimber cusotm carry or the les beahr both nice weapons but alittle pricey.but what is your hide worth? good luck
Their are plenty to chose from. I have a Ruger P89 9mm. The 9 is cheaper to shoot, but if I were to get another one I would go with a .40 cal. A good .357 mag is hard to beat, and you can shoot .38's out of the same gun which is a lot cheaper to plink.
coyotebuster
New member
Hey yellowhammer, how do you like your p89? I am going to be getting a service pistol for my law enforcment training and I have been leaning towards a .45 auto p89. Is it reliable and accurate, when I say reliable, is it one you would put your life on the line with?
I would say "yes" it is reliable. I've not heard anything negative about them. They are not a pretty as say a Browning Hi-Power (which I really like) or a Beretta, but then they don't cost near as much. I got mine to take the CHL class and used it to shoot 295 out of 300. Should have shot perfect, but the 80+ year old man that was on the firing line next to me was making me nervous. That's a whole other story.
I bought mine new in the box for $281.00+tax. They have a long trigger pull on the first one. I've seen a fair number of Rugers in Law Enforcement holsters, particularly the one that don't have a standard issue from their department. You see that a lot with small municipal police and some county sherieff offices. It is rare to see a "chocked and locked" Colt anymore. The most common are Glocks, Berrettas and Sigs. In Texas the Standard issue for Game Wardens are 40. cal Glocks and State Troopers carry Sigs in .357 Sig. Can't go wrong with either of these, but be prepared to shell out a lot more cash.
I bought mine new in the box for $281.00+tax. They have a long trigger pull on the first one. I've seen a fair number of Rugers in Law Enforcement holsters, particularly the one that don't have a standard issue from their department. You see that a lot with small municipal police and some county sherieff offices. It is rare to see a "chocked and locked" Colt anymore. The most common are Glocks, Berrettas and Sigs. In Texas the Standard issue for Game Wardens are 40. cal Glocks and State Troopers carry Sigs in .357 Sig. Can't go wrong with either of these, but be prepared to shell out a lot more cash.
coycaller:
The operative word here is "backup". When in a stress and surprise situation you want all the firepower placed as fast as possible on the target. With a big cat charging at you I can gaurantee that it is significantly different than shooting paper targets. Remember in such a situation that the cat is going to kill you, not score your shots and form......
For just such a situation I carry a Sig 229 .40cal with hi-cap mags and hydro-shocks as a backup. ALso carry a Bowie as a backup to the backup..... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
The operative word here is "backup". When in a stress and surprise situation you want all the firepower placed as fast as possible on the target. With a big cat charging at you I can gaurantee that it is significantly different than shooting paper targets. Remember in such a situation that the cat is going to kill you, not score your shots and form......
For just such a situation I carry a Sig 229 .40cal with hi-cap mags and hydro-shocks as a backup. ALso carry a Bowie as a backup to the backup..... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Karl in Phoenix
New member
I carry a Glock Model 20 10mm with Cor-Bon ammo. The gun is light (with 10 rounds in mag) and backup mag is high-cap (15 200 grain Flat point bullets for extra penetration). I hunt in areas with Mt. Lions and the 5-round restriction on my .223 carbine (50 grn V-Max) may not favor me in a "close" situation.
Hope this helps a bit.
Hope this helps a bit.
Lavoy Oates
New member
In a stressful situation you would not want to have to fumble with safeties or hammerspurs catching your clothing. I carry a Glock 9mm. Just press the trigger. No muss no fuss. Like the other post said, How much is your hide worth?"
I can't argue the auto's for fire power. However, marksmanship beats capacity every time. I read an article in a Guns and Ammo type magazine where 2 cops stumbled onto a crime in progress. They pulled into a convenience store for coffee when a guy come running out gun in hand. He almost runs into the front of their car. He has a six shot revolver and begins firing. They are both armed with Glocks. They exit the vehicle and begin returning fire at close range. They are basically shooting at each other across the hood of the car. The 2 cops combined shot something like 21 rounds. They did manage to kill the gunmen, but they only hit him once out of 20 some odd rounds. If I remember right the gunmen connected on 3 out of 6.
Often the number of rounds at your disposal gives you a false sense of security or a "spray and pray" mentality. It won't matter how many you have if you can't hit what your shooting at. If you can't kill even a big mountain lion with 6 rounds of .357, .45 or .44, 17 in the clip isn't likely to do you anygood anyway. If you ever get to the point where you are having to defend yourself against a cat or any other kind of threat at close range you are not going to have time shoot that many times anyway.
FBI statistics say that if a knife weilding assailent is within 21 feet of you, he can kill you before you can draw and fire your gun. That will stand up in court. If somebody is threatening you with a knife and is that close or closer you better shoot him. They are teaching this in concealed carry classes. A cat will be a whole lot faster than a man.
Often the number of rounds at your disposal gives you a false sense of security or a "spray and pray" mentality. It won't matter how many you have if you can't hit what your shooting at. If you can't kill even a big mountain lion with 6 rounds of .357, .45 or .44, 17 in the clip isn't likely to do you anygood anyway. If you ever get to the point where you are having to defend yourself against a cat or any other kind of threat at close range you are not going to have time shoot that many times anyway.
FBI statistics say that if a knife weilding assailent is within 21 feet of you, he can kill you before you can draw and fire your gun. That will stand up in court. If somebody is threatening you with a knife and is that close or closer you better shoot him. They are teaching this in concealed carry classes. A cat will be a whole lot faster than a man.
Yellowhammer:
Your story of the cops and the bad guy further emphasises my point. It's a high stress shoot and the cops want to live and go home to their families.
In tests and observations at P-plus and Thunder Ranch, in high stress and CQB exercises the average street cop shot 38% as an average, while they shoot 76% on the target range.
That means that they hit 1 out of three in a stress shooting (without a bad guy shooting back). In the same exercises with an attacker at 21 feet, the average cop can't even get their gun out of the holster in a high stress situation.
Now these guys do practice more than the average hunter, so its reaction time, luck,and firepower with very little to do with marksmanship.
NOTE: Not intending to start a flame war here just an opinion.
Your story of the cops and the bad guy further emphasises my point. It's a high stress shoot and the cops want to live and go home to their families.
In tests and observations at P-plus and Thunder Ranch, in high stress and CQB exercises the average street cop shot 38% as an average, while they shoot 76% on the target range.
That means that they hit 1 out of three in a stress shooting (without a bad guy shooting back). In the same exercises with an attacker at 21 feet, the average cop can't even get their gun out of the holster in a high stress situation.
Now these guys do practice more than the average hunter, so its reaction time, luck,and firepower with very little to do with marksmanship.
NOTE: Not intending to start a flame war here just an opinion.
it will not do you any good.if you are stalked by a big cat your first reaction will be with your calling rifle there will be no time to fumble with a backup.I called with my 1911 45 acp last month and missed a 50 yrd attempt.then I got bored and took a 8 yrd shot at a crow that landed at my last stand.not much left of that birdy when the 230 gr hollow point connected.
TWOTWENTYSWIFT
New member
I carry an H&K in .40 S&W. I figure if it's good enough for the Navy SEALS it's probably good enough for me. They do use a .45 though. It's light with it's polymer frame, much like a Glock and absolutely reliable. I've never had a jam or misfire, which in certain situations could be life threatening. It's a USP and my concealed carry gun. The H&K's cost a little more but what's your life worth?
I have cut three .44 mag. 240 grain soft points out of two bear, seen a wounded bear killed at 2 feet with two rounds of .357, august 3, 2002.That same guy killed a wounded bear with a glock 9mm once. The three .44's penetrated about 6 inches into the head neck area, for that reason I think shooting there is a waste of time with a handgun. I had a .45 1911 pistol that I dearly loved but when I started calling seriously and the number of bears and cats in our area, I traded that .45 for a ruger 5.5 inch .44 Redhawk. loaded with 325 grain solids hardcast, I still think it will take an ear shot or ribs to the heart lungs. Trouble being a heart shot bear can die slow!!!??? LOL The throat might work but the position you'd have to be in to get the shot might not be fun.
just my opinion, there are many more powerful handguns but the .44 is about all the recoil I want to deal with.
there is some good advice in the prior posts.
just my opinion, there are many more powerful handguns but the .44 is about all the recoil I want to deal with.
there is some good advice in the prior posts.
Karl in Phoenix
New member
Not intending a flame war:
The reason I carry a semi-automatic pistol is because I shoot well with it. I use the same Glock M-20 for the Executive Protection work that I do in the States. The point in having the other magazine (which just happins to be a hi-cap) is because it is good to have a second type of ammo instantly available and in case I run into some bad guys (two-legged coyotes)in the remote places of desert. Arizona law states rifles can only have 5-round magazines when used for hunting. Human bodies are routinely found in the remote areas after being dumped by the bad guys.
Again, no flame intended, just an explanation.
Rangers, Lead the Way!
The reason I carry a semi-automatic pistol is because I shoot well with it. I use the same Glock M-20 for the Executive Protection work that I do in the States. The point in having the other magazine (which just happins to be a hi-cap) is because it is good to have a second type of ammo instantly available and in case I run into some bad guys (two-legged coyotes)in the remote places of desert. Arizona law states rifles can only have 5-round magazines when used for hunting. Human bodies are routinely found in the remote areas after being dumped by the bad guys.
Again, no flame intended, just an explanation.
Rangers, Lead the Way!
bigc
New member
I carry one of two. Either my colt .45 auto..which noone can argue it's stopping power...I added night sights so te accuracy isn't a problem....and it's fun! Second is te old trusty Rugar GP100 .357 mag. Again..plenty of stopping power and a pleasure to handle and shoot. I love both and can't complain about either....sometimes I will use them at night when calling coyotes in the summer whenI don't care about the hides.....leaves a PLENTY big hole!