What is the best handgun for a hiker to take on the trail hiking?
Personally, a .357 magnum. They aren’t as powerful as a .44 or .500 S&W round, but they have a helluva lot less recoil. That counts when you actually want to HIT your target (not that I don’t like the other magnum rounds). There is still plenty of power, enough to handle anything up to a black bear in size. You can use .38 rounds for the gun, if you feel that the .357 round is a bit overkill. Carry moonclips if you are worried about slow reloading. Oh…and the .357 is the premire “manstopper” round for handguns. 97% one hit knockdown. Just enough power, but not too much. Revolvers are a bit heavy, but if you are hiking with equipment, you won’t notice the extra weight. I personally love revolvers and I applaud you for loving them too. No fancy Glocks here. Just an old-school hogleg.
