Handgun for wolf protection

[Alaska Luke]

I know a trapper who killed wolves with a 17 rimfire. A 10mm would be overkill probably. I like light revolers but they can be snappy and hard to shoot Little sister is reasonably accurate with a mid sized 9mm. I think it would work for wolves, people and even a bear(most black bears are not 500 pounds).
Have them try a few. Some ranges rent.

 

[WisconsinKen]

My reasoning for higher power and capacity is the adrenaline factor. Most people’s aim and fire control goes to…..poo…. When the adrenaline hits. I would rather have a loved one have extra rounds to protect themselves and enough extra power in the round to make a marginal hit more damaging. We are not talking a situation where careful aim is taken, proper breathe control is utilized and the trigger is gently squeezed as to not disrupt the aim.
Heck, we had a guy in our neighborhood who poached deer with a 22LR with a 7up bottle duct taped onto the barrel. He was probably the highest kill percentage hunter in the county.

 

[1dirthawker]

a 357 or a 10mm would be plenty to kill/discourage any wolf.(also plenty for black bear, but bigger is better with bears) have it in a good holster that you will have on you at all times.

truth is, most people will spend their whole lives without seeing a wolf in the wild, not to mention an actual interaction with one.

i am of the mind, better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. i have carried a large handgun for decades when out in the bush, fishing or hiking. never needed to draw it, so far. well, once in a tree stand a bear climbed the tree that i was in, so i pulled my 44. he stopped about 4 feet below me and changed his mind. my buddy shot that bear with a bow about 5 minutes later.

that said, it is cheap insurance for 2 or 4 legged predators and insurance that i am willing to have with/on me for the rare occasion that i will need it to protect myself or others.

it is rare/unlikely i am going to be attacked by thugs/robbers etc as well, but, i still carry concealed a sig 365 on the very off chance that i need it. i hope to die at a ripe old age and never pull it, too much hassle if you actually have to use it.

 

[Jim Golden]

First of all, they need handguns for bipeds, not wolves. The perfect gun for a hiker is a light weight .357 revolver. Load it with a .38 +P and they can handily protect themselves from a rabid wolf, Coyote or Ted Bundy.

If it is too big, heavy, or powerful, they won't carry them, or they will be in the bottom of a pack when needed. If they can find them, the old S&W Titanium Lite revolver loaded with 38 +P is an ideal hiker's handgun.

After some creep attempted rapist chased my daughter (literally) at college, I bought her a S&W .38 special snubby. I "think" it was a 637. It's super small, super compact, holds only 5, and has a 1.875" barrel. For wolves, I'd probably carry my Glock 10mm longslide (I believe it's a G40 but am not sure). I also have a S&W .500 but the thing is a cartoon....6 lbs loaded But it's a rock and roll machine with 500gr bullets

 

[uplander01]

My personal choice for backpacking and wilderness excursions is a HK45C with Buffalo Bore 250gr super hard cast solids. A good 357 air weight revolver wouldn't be a bad choice either, but not fun to practice with full 357 loads.

 

[WisconsinKen]

My personal choice for backpacking and wilderness excursions is a HK45C with Buffalo Bore 250gr super hard cast solids. A good 357 air weight revolver wouldn't be a bad choice either, but not fun to practice with full 357 loads.

Can always practice with 38 wadcutters to get good aim/trigger control and then carry hot .357 loads. If a 2 legged or 4 legged predator are coming at them, it’ll feel like the 38s. But, don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but they are hanging your hopes on 5 rounds. Probably enough in most scenarios but never know.

 

[dchamp]

I’ve had only one wolf encounter in my life. It was an encounter I will never forget. It was during a moose hunt in British Columbia.

My guide and I were walking down a logging road along some brun piles. He had stopped for some unknown reason while I kept walking. As I was walking along a large black wolf stepped out from behind a burn pile. The wolf and I both stopped dead in our tracks and looked at each other in total wonderment. I was thinking, dang that’s a wolf and the expression on his face looked the same, dang that’s a human, with a gun. We were maybe ten yards apart.

When I vocalized my discovery the guide looked up and yelled SHOOT HIM. As I gathered my composer I started unslining my rifle. The wolf hearing and seeing our action dropped his head, turned tail and ran for his life. Luckily for him neither of us were proficient at shooting a moving target. He was a lone wolf and I will never forget the looked on his face when we first met and stared at each other in wonderment.

For personal defense against wolves or mountain lion I would use any handgun that I would use on a humanbeing. I would want a handgun that fit my hand and I would use the largest caliber that I could comfortably and accurately shoot. Even if that was only a .22LR.

 

[Art Lambart II]

Carrying a handgun is much like preparing to go to Africa, practice is the key to our success. For an African safari we spend hours practicing with our rifle off shooting sticks because that's how we plan to use them. When we train to carry and use a handgun we need to practice drawing and firing that handgun from the holster because that is how we intend on use it. Picking up a handgun off of the bench and shooting it is good practice for sight alignment, trigger control and recoil manage but if you can't effectively draw that handgun from your holster and put it into action rapidly being able to shoot well is of little or no use. As for calibers because your brother and sister-in-law have little or no experience shooting a handgun I would rule out any handgun caliber above 9mm / 38 special. Anything larger than 9mm will have too much recoil and muzzle blast for inexperienced shooters especially in smaller compact handguns. Handguns like Smith & Wesson Shield + would work nicely for them.

Based on my research you can open carry handguns and long guns in Colorado but if you plan on carrying your handgun it in a bag or under clothing you will need a concealed carry permit. I’m not a big fan of open carry for several reasons but if your brother and sister plan on using open carry when they hike I would pick a 30-30 over a handgun all day every day.

 

[Inline6]

Can always practice with 38 wadcutters to get good aim/trigger control and then carry hot .357 loads. If a 2 legged or 4 legged predator are coming at them, it’ll feel like the 38s. But, don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but they are hanging your hopes on 5 rounds. Probably enough in most scenarios but never know.

Never met anyone that was in a gun fight that wished they had a smaller gun and less bullets.

Like has been mentioned here already, a large amount of handguns are sold to make people feel secure. The reality is, most would not know what to do in a high stress situation. You have to practice with what you plan to defend not only yourself, your family, and good people too.

 

[shootist~]

Rule number one is have a gun. If light and small is what works for you, then so be it.

However, full size is much easier to train/practice with. For a beginner, I always recommend something more in the full size range for learning.

 

[Randy F]

Nearly every night that I bowhunted this season I was serenaded at dusk by several wolves. Sometimes it was obvious one of those critters was between me and my truck and of course walking out would be in the dark as always.
The creepy/cool sound aside, I've never been greatly concerned for myself with regard to wolves licking their chops at the thought of me providing their lunch.
But THEN, one late afternoon I debated whether or not to take the shot on a buck and decided to let him walk. Shortly afterward when the howling started up, I started the "what if" process.
What if I'd taken the shot and now I'm tracking in the dark over a line of scent that's like cocaine for wolves?
What if I'm in the process of field dressing when they drop in for a visit?
What if they stroll in while I'm trying to drag it out and decide a snack is in order instead of helping my fat ass get him out?
I'll never take anything back in there that isn't worth the work to get him out... so they might not be after me, but I'll be darned if I'll let it go to them without a strong debate.

After that night, my .45 rides on my leg for company when I'm back there.

 

[JMM]

Live in the NF south of where the wolves were released. We have our grown children, relatives and guests here throughout the year hiking. We have a lot of mountain lions, black bears, elk and moose. All run away as soon as contact is made. Anyone hiking in Colorado is much more likely to get injured by an elk or moose than a wolf. Elk cows guard their calves and easily kill dogs that get too close. Moose are just unpredictable. During the rut, the males are just crazy. They would not intentionally kill a human, but they are really big and could easily.

I lead the hikes about 3 or 4 days per week and I always carry. Depending on what I have been shooting lately it is a Glock 19 with RMR/light, Glock 30S, or a 9mm or .45 LW Commander. The key for me is weight. If it feels heavy or I find it worrisome after a 5 mile hike, I won't wear it. These 4 work well for me. I shoot Lehigh Defenders exclusively. 120 grain in .45 and 68 grain in 9mm. I have shot a lot of deer with them and get great penetration. The weight savings is noticeable. YMMV.

 

[TOBY458]

In Georgia, where I live, we have some really big coyotes. I'm sure, if a pack of them decided to attack a person, they could be very effective at taking you down if you were unarmed. However, they are deathly afraid of humans, and I've never given any thought at all about carrying a pistol to protect myself from them. I assume wolves are similar? But I do understand the peace of mind a handgun can offer when walking in the woods. Especially at night. If I lived in a place that had mountain lions, I'd definitely be more inclined to be afraid of them, more so than wolves.

 

[JimP]

A lot of good advice..

With me, if I am out in the woods either hiking or just riding a ATV I have a pistol on my hip. I have done this for over 60 years. The only time that I don't have that pistol is when I have a rifle in my hands.
The only time in all those years that I even came close to using the pistol was when I met up with a cow and calf moose. That cow moose followed me up the hill even after the calf was quite a ways away and out of sight. I finally just told that old cow that I was going to take just one shot and her calf would have to get along all by itself. She finally turned around and headed after the calf.

Other than that all the animals that I have ran into have turned tail and ran away from me. That includes cats, coyotes, bears, and any other 4 legged animal. I am sure that a wolf would do the same.

 

[Woodcarver]

My brother lives in Colorado and hikes near where they are releasing wolves. He is considering buying a couple of handguns for he and his wife to carry while hiking. They are not hunters, but grew up around guns. He is thinking about .38 due to low recoil. I am leaning toward .357 for a little more punch, although a 10mm such as a Glock 20 might be better. I understand wolves operate in packs, so capacity my be an issue. Also, would standard self defense ammo such as Hornady Critical Defense/Duty (my preference for daily carry) be sufficient? I don't know much about wolves. Thanks for any advice.

Any gun would be better than no gun if an encounter was had, and as Red Leg pointed out, a light revolver is probably the best option for someone who has limited experience. As often as any other option I have, is my Ruger LCR stuck in a pocket when hiking, or just running to town to pick something up.
But the tool that's not been mentioned yet, that would be just as necessary if one shot a wolf in CO, even if it was a defensive shot, is a small compact shovel. There are rabid groups out there that will push for prosecution, regardless of the facts surrounding the shot(s) if a wolf were killed or wounded. Next would be the ability to not tell the story to anyone. There's a solid reason for the rule of the 3S's. (If it's collared, a good serrated edge knife might also be helpful).

 

[colorado]

Live in the NF south of where the wolves were released. We have our grown children, relatives and guests here throughout the year hiking. We have a lot of mountain lions, black bears, elk and moose. All run away as soon as contact is made. Anyone hiking in Colorado is much more likely to get injured by an elk or moose than a wolf. Elk cows guard their calves and easily kill dogs that get too close. Moose are just unpredictable. During the rut, the males are just crazy. They would not intentionally kill a human, but they are really big and could easily.

I lead the hikes about 3 or 4 days per week and I always carry. Depending on what I have been shooting lately it is a Glock 19 with RMR/light, Glock 30S, or a 9mm or .45 LW Commander. The key for me is weight. If it feels heavy or I find it worrisome after a 5 mile hike, I won't wear it. These 4 work well for me. I shoot Lehigh Defenders exclusively. 120 grain in .45 and 68 grain in 9mm. I have shot a lot of deer with them and get great penetration. The weight savings is noticeable. YMMV.

I carry my Springfield V16 (which is pretty light for the power it has) in 45 Super. If I'm hiking any distance in the back country. Never had a reason to use it. Went to a Popeye's on a Friday night, felt a lot more at risk there.

 

[HankBuck]

First of all, they need handguns for bipeds, not wolves. The perfect gun for a hiker is a light weight .357 revolver. Load it with a .38 +P and they can handily protect themselves from a rabid wolf, Coyote or Ted Bundy.

If it is too big, heavy, or powerful, they won't carry them, or they will be in the bottom of a pack when needed. If they can find them, the old S&W Titanium Lite revolver loaded with 38 +P is an ideal hiker's handgun.

Red Leg, Agree - any .38 Special or .357 is more then enough And it must be reasonable comfortable to carry & deploy if needed. I think it’s smart to carry a handgun while hiking in remote Wilderness areas (theater District in Manhattan, Washington DC) but Wolves would be the least of my concerns - has there been more then “one” documented attack on a human in continental 48 since the reintroduction? I think only Alaska has had some recent wolf attacks on humans in the past 10 years?? But regardless it is even less likely then Black Bear & coyote attacks. Wolves would Not be on my mind while hiking or hunting - but some criminal human would be. There was a detailed study done years ago (occasionally is posted on forum “Sig Talk”) that reviewed over 50 incidents of Bear attacks on Humans - where a handgun was used for defense. It listed by caliber the results of each attack - even .22 rimfire was effective 80% ”deterring“ the attack (deterring - Not killing Bear). You don't need a .44mag to “deter” an attack - although it’s damn good.

 

[HankBuck]

Any gun would be better than no gun if an encounter was had, and as Red Leg pointed out, a light revolver is probably the best option for someone who has limited experience. As often as any other option I have, is my Ruger LCR stuck in a pocket when hiking, or just running to town to pick something up.
But the tool that's not been mentioned yet, that would be just as necessary if one shot a wolf in CO, even if it was a defensive shot, is a small compact shovel. There are rabid groups out there that will push for prosecution, regardless of the facts surrounding the shot(s) if a wolf were killed or wounded. Next would be the ability to not tell the story to anyone. There's a solid reason for the rule of the 3S's. (If it's collared, a good serrated edge knife might also be helpful).

Woodcarver, You should Never ever go hiking without a LAWYER and for extended wilderness trips take two or three along with you.

 

[WAB]

In Georgia, where I live, we have some really big coyotes. I'm sure, if a pack of them decided to attack a person, they could be very effective at taking you down if you were unarmed. However, they are deathly afraid of humans, and I've never given any thought at all about carrying a pistol to protect myself from them. I assume wolves are similar? But I do understand the peace of mind a handgun can offer when walking in the woods. Especially at night. If I lived in a place that had mountain lions, I'd definitely be more inclined to be afraid of them, more so than wolves.

I am aware of one instance of coyotes killing a human. It occurred in Cape Breton a few years back. A pack of coyotes killed a woman out jogging. The maritimes is an oddity when it comes to coyotes. For whatever reason they’re huge, some going 60 to 80 pounds. I remember when the first coyotes showed up there in the ‘80’s. I shot one and could not believe the size of it. I’ve never heard a good explanation for this as this is not the case in other parts of Canada that I know of.

 

[HankBuck]

there is a much, much greater risk of injuring himself with his own handgun than of having a confrontation with wolves. I suspect there is media hype playing into a “need” for wolf protection. He has a significantly greater risk of being struck by lighting.

TRA3, I need to challenge your assumption here because it sounds completely baseless - can You cite documented statistics on people injuring “themselves” with their handgun during Wolf/Bear attacks? Please do so (I’m sure it has happened) and Most importantly - Compare those statistics with people “Unarmed” during attacks — what had the better outcome?. If you don’t have some facts - I don’t believe you have a real point….only an opinion and You are entitled to that. That comparison to “being struck by lightening“ is also ridiculous - your odds of a lightening strike increase significantly when you are out in a Lightening Storm and 10x that if you are on the Water.. Hence, walking in the Mall has no risk of a Wolf attack but in walking in remote areas of Yellowstone - things can change. Many people on this forum carry a handgun frequently both indoors and outside - let’s see how many can tell us about the times they “injured themselves”? My post seems curt and abrupt and I don’t intend to offend or belittle your opinion but statistics do Not support your POV — studies show a firearm is very effective deterring wildlife attacks. If I can find the study on Hanguns used defending Bear attacks - then figure out how to “post it” I will but a google search will find it for anyone interested.