I have a SW M&P Detroit Police Version in 40 solid firearm
Yet my P229 in 357 is my favorite carry, have 1 in the safe at Cabin ( replaces the one my son “borrowed” and somehow never made it back to cabin😉) 1 that I consider my favorite and best shooting handgun At home. So I guess I am biased towards 357.

 

I bought my p229 just to convert it to .357 sig. Sure I’ll keep the .40 s&w barrel and a few boxes of ammo for it. One of the local shops has piles of .357 sig from $20-$30 a box of 50 so I should be good. From the ridge line to riding down Main Street .357 sig should easily handle whatever I need it to.

 

Don't own a 357 Sig, 357 Magnums, yes. Have a number of 40 S&W and a couple 10mms.

 

I choose 9mm+P, same as I already carry. Good enough for two or four legged predators anywhere in the south, including Mountain Lions and Black Bear.

If I'm was, by chance, more worried, I'd carry .357 Magnum revolver.

 

Kind of an old thread but interesting that no one mentioned 9mm.

Yesterday I went to my local gun counter to check on some ammo. They had a few boxes of .357SIG at $72.00 for a box of 50. Not magic, just some hardball range ammo. The same brand in 40S&W was $22.00 a box. Of course I could better both of these prices with a little bit of effort online.

The cost of the bullet that saves you from a bear or lion is a bargain, no matter what you pay for it. The high cost of ammo does have some impact on my practice though. Lack of practice leads to a lack of confidence. I have both barrels for my P239, so I can tell myself that I can shoot the cheaper .40 at the range and "save" my .357SIG for carry. I have done the same thing with .38spl and .357 Magnum for years. A master of self deception.

All said....357SIG and a fat buddy that I can outrun.

 

Kind of an old thread but interesting that no one mentioned 9mm.

Yesterday I went to my local gun counter to check on some ammo. They had a few boxes of .357SIG at $72.00 for a box of 50. Not magic, just some hardball range ammo. The same brand in 40S&W was $22.00 a box. Of course I could better both of these prices with a little bit of effort online.

The cost of the bullet that saves you from a bear or lion is a bargain, no matter what you pay for it. The high cost of ammo does have some impact on my practice though. Lack of practice leads to a lack of confidence. I have both barrels for my P239, so I can tell myself that I can shoot the cheaper .40 at the range and "save" my .357SIG for carry. I have done the same thing with .38spl and .357 Magnum for years. A master of self deception.

All said....357SIG and a fat buddy that I can outrun.

Fortunately I have a huge stockpile of 357 sig FMJ but non the less, I do use a lot 40 for the range because as you said, it’s cheap. My feeling is that if I’m proficient with .40, I won’t have any issues with my EDC 357 sig. It’s not like I’m practicing with .22 and then carrying 357.

 

I've known people to take down a hog with the 357 sig, so that would be my choice.

 

I've taken down some hogs with less than a six-pack

 

Between the two, .357 Sig all day & every day.

 

I think either would be O.K. for woods carry. I think about having to shoot through the vegetation at a charging 4 legged or two legged animal. The smaller caliber rounds may be deflected by tree limbs or brush. For this reason I carry .45 long colt in a chest rig even though the 4 legged predators are pretty small in my area . I think the chest rig is the best way to woods carry regardless of what firearm you choose.

 

I also answered 357, but it would have to be a bigger gun with a decent barrel length and ammo loaded to spec, like underwood. not the foo foo stuff winchester or federal puts out.

but of course if I had to carry a semiauto for woods, it would be some type of 10mm with spec ammo.

 

Hey, wait! Didn't you just sell me some "foo foo" stuff?

 

It depends on what’s in the woods as to what I would pick, 357 sig with a good tc hard cast would do well. But the .40 with the same would do good too. If Griz is on the list I’ve got a 25oz 44 mag that goes along, great to carry but not the most pleasant to shoot lol

 

Update to the post above. I found her, alive and well.

 

I just got through checking animals out at the barn and I'm missing a pygmy goat born yesterday before the storms hit. They are inside of a 5 foot fence topped with barbed wire around 5 acres of pasture. I walked the whole area and checked fences and there are no breaches, no sign of blood, no fur, nothing to indicate a bobcat or coyote got in. I'm going to go back out there in a little while and see if it was just really well hidden and shows up and then check the back fenced in 10 acre wooded area.

The fences are "beagle wire" which is basically a rubber coated chicken wire, secured at the bottom and I added two strands of barbed wire to the top. If I don't find it or signs where a predator came and went, I'm going to assume either an eagle or a very large hawk got it. I'll take my dogs and probably carry a rifle this time in case there is a bobcat or coyote hanging around that back area. Something is always wanting to eat your farm animals.

 

Although Bear attacks are rare in my area, they do occur on occasion.

 

uh, Tuss, do we need to talk

 

Either caliber would work in my rural area in a rural southeastern state. Of the two mentioned, probably .40 nowadays as the ammo is more available.

We have black bears and I have personally seen a panther twice, but the biggest threat here would be feral dogs, hogs, gators, snakes, bobcats, or maybe a rabid racoon. I generally carry a 9mm around the farm and a 10mm when deer hunting, just in case I'm looking for a deer and stumble up on a angry 200+ pig. I spent many hours in the woods and swamps as a kid with either a .22 rifle or revolver, usually shooting moccasins.

 

P226 40S&W or P229 357 Sig. Bears and catamounts aren’t a real risk here. Packs of hungry feral dogs are a thing.

P220 45 Compact is my actual preference

 

The biggest thing we have to worry about around here is mountain lions, so I'm good with 9mm forest foraging walks. i started looking at / coveting a p220 Legion 10mm recently, even have a few auctions saved.. but I think it's a list gun, not maybe a next gun.

 

For me, neither 357SSIG or 40. I am in the Northeast and black bears are the biggest critters. Haven't seen any in NH, VT, or ME but see them regularly in the Catskill region of NY. Ran across one while mountain biking in MA but that was a rare occurrence. The ones I've come across take off pretty quickly. I'm always marveling at the speed.

Most often my woods carry gun is a S&W M&P 340 with 357 mag in the wheel, often Buffalo Bore hard cast. Soooo light, barely notice it.

 

For up to black bear these days, I have my HK USP40 with Underwood hard-cast 200-gr.


Along with bear spray.

 

Between the two choices .357Sig with Underwood +P Extreme Penetrator. But I normally tend tomcarry Underwood 45 ACP +P Extreme Penetrator in a P220. I was camoing last year at Cosmic Campground NW of Silver City, NM and did a cross country hike at N55degE for about 2 miles. On the way back I stopped at the base on a ridge in a dusty ground area to take a breath and drink. I looked down and fresh bear tracks right at my feet. I proceeded with caution. This past summer I was dispersed camping in southernn Wind River Mountains of Wyoming (I live couple hours south). Dropped into Fiddler’s Lake CG tomaskmhost about any bear activity. He said he not seen a bear in area in 4-5 years. Next day I was hiking to Upper Silas Lake and was about 1.5-2.0 miles up a trail,that started near the CG. Camp up a ridge untoma flat and there 5 yards off trail was a black bear about 30” high at shoulder. I reached for my bear spray first (was carrying the .45) and yelled. Fortunately the bear decided to run off. I recently bought a P220 in 10mm. Will carry that in Gunfighter Inc Kenai Chest holder. Same one that holds the P220-45 as well. I’ve lived in Alaska as well and once watched a sow with 2 cubs digging up a small animal. She dug up a couple wheelbarrel loads in about 5 minutes. I don’t want to be eaten by a bear, at least not while Imam still breathing.

 

Between the two choices of .40 S&W and .357 Sig, I would definitely go with the .357 Sig. And probably in a heavier bullet, even though 125gr. is pretty much the gravy for .357 Sig.

That being said, I would choose a heavier caliber than either for woods walks. I would want at least a .30-30 lever gun.

 

.357. More energy, flatter shooting, more accurate (for me), and in theory more reliable feeding. I would be fine with the .40 I have. I don’t own a 10mm so can’t vote for that.

 

 

I answered .357 SIG, but the truth is it depends. If I was in brown bear country I'd want a 10mm, but if I had to use .357 SIG or .40 S&W it would be a tossup. .357 SIG is generally going to have more energy, but a heavier .40 caliber bullet would be at least slightly more effective at penetrating the skull (especially with cast bullets). Other than brown bear country, however, I .357 SIG is marginally more powerful and has been proven to stop black bear, wolves, and dogs with great effect. I'm not saying .40 S&W isn't good enough (it very well be), but .357 SIG gives in modest edge in most situations. The one thing a .40 S&W can do marginally better is retain its energy after 100 yards.

 

I live in Maine and our Wardens service carry 357 Sigs, loaded properly Underwood or Buffalo Bore, it will kill anything that lives in Maine.

 

When traveling in backwoods black bear country I carry Buffalo Bore .45acp +P 255gr hard cast. Normal carry around the neighborhood is Underwood 9mm 124 gr +P or Underwood .357SIG 125 gr. This will work for coyotes and the neighbors pit bulls.

 

After living, hunting and fishing in Alaska I only carry a 44mag in deep woods locations. If I’m in a more populated location that has more folks and less wildlife I might opt for a 45acp. Since I have the 44 I’ll usually reach for it regardless of other fire arms in the safe.