Camping/Hiking Gun in the Rockies suggestions.

[Snowman78]

1911 for me

[JohnnyEgo]

I bought a Glock 20 for Alligator duty when I lived in Florida and kayaked a lot.
I figure it will serve equally if Bullwinkle wants a piece of me. (I know, I know, Elk not Moose)
Revolver with one or two rounds of snake shot isn't necessarily a bad idea, either.

[tmckay2]

i think a 9mm and up is fine. as said, its unlikely you will ever need it. i did come across a good sized bear in boulder once, but thats it. also crossed some paths with moose but if you are cautious, slow moving, and get out of their way they usually just watch you. all three were mothers with calf. anyways, most animals here will bust ass if they hear gun shots, shooting into the air will likely scare most of them. i have a .45 mainly in case a mountain lion or bear tries to grab my dog. i want something more than a rock. i wouldn't be happy to stand there while a bear charges and i only have a .45 but the black bears aren't that big here and .45 might be enough, plus they are pretty skiddish. it would be more than enough for a mountain lion and they usually don't want a part of anything that puts up a fight.

now if you got a bull moose or elk really pissed, I'm honestly not sure what would take them down quick. i think you could kill one with a .45 no problem the question is how many shots and how long will it take it to die. if they damn thing is hit 8 times and is going to bleed out or suffocate but still has adrenaline pumping through it, even if for only 15 seconds or so, who knows what it could do.

if i had my absolute pick for no cost to me it would likely be a lever action rifle in large caliber. i think under stress i could be more accurate with it and the mass coupled with better velocity would probably give more stopping power.

as a side note i think people hiking and camping in alaska are crazy. i love the outdoors but man its nuts how much wildlife is out there, and dangerous ones at that. if you get stalked by a pack of wolves or come across a grizzly, there isn't much that you can use effectively on them. we are lucky out here, beautiful scenery but pretty tame wildlife. there aren't that many lions and they are generally more afraid of us than we are of them, and the black bears are fairly small and don't want to get in a tussle. id say the moose and elk are literally the most dangerous.

[Ah Pook]

Keep the food out of the tent and away from the campsite will keep the critters away. Getting between a mother and calf, of anything, can cause problems. It's best to just start backtracking.

Probably not the answer you wanted but it works. That should take care of the pissed off elk and moose too.

The only animal I really worry about is mountain lions. Coyotes are a close second when I have the dogs.

To answer the question, a S&W Mountain revolver in .44 magnum, loaded with 320gr hard cast.

[DavieD55]

In the warmer months up in the hills i think an AR or an AK is a good idea as well as a sidearm such as a 10mm or .357 mag. Never know when you might stumble yourself into an illegal drug operation or something where you might need a rifle. Not likely but you never know.

[rustycrusty]

No pistol caliber has rifle effect (5.7... Debatable and still not on par with most rifle rounds)

There are documented cases of .44mag stopping on a mans sternum and yielding non-lethal results. I am confident there are loads in that caliber that would do the trick but then again, anything will do the trick if you place repeated shots in the right places.

Camp with what you carry. Anything that you shoot well is better than something you have limited experience on.
Pistol caliber preference seems governed by a combination of ego and misinformation rather than any scientific thought in most cases.

whats better- shoot at a quick moving bear/bad guy/??? With 15rnds (15 chances to hit) of tighter grouped 9mm in spots you pick, or have 5 violently recoiling blasts with heavy trigger pulls and recoil with a heavy wheel gun?

its an easy choice for me.

My vote goes to the g19 (as I see many others have suggested)
9mm -gets job done in bad guys, trusted by LE and military, light (both gun and ammo), concealable, 15rnd capacity, good penetration with FMJ, and most manageable recoil impulse in a caliber trusted by LE and mil

[strm_trpr]

Rifle in an elberestock bag. But if you are stuck with a handgun a light weight 45acp is my suggestion.

[buffalobo]

Mostly I use my EDC(assorted 9mm), sometimes take 686 in .357, always make sure am not the slowest in the group.

Usually our group makes so much noise, the critters leave the county within a few minutes of our arrival.

[Zombie Steve]

A 4" 686 is sure a lot easier to carry than a 4" 629. I've hiked with both, as well as a 1911, a 5-1/2" Blackhawk in .45 Colt and a 4-5/8" Super Blackhawk (.44 mag).

If I have to hoof it, I prefer the 686 or the 1911. If I'm car camping or not going far I like one of the Blackhawks. Some folks aren't comfortable with single action guns. Any of the above (throw 10mm in too) will do the job. Pick one you think is cool so you're more likely to practice.

[Spartan]

To sum it up---bring what you are comfortable with shooting and a slow friend. Got it.