New topic split from Loading 220 grain hard-cast in 10mm

-----------------------------

Hammer wrote:I can see why you haven't carried the Ruger Alaskan... damn near three pounds and only six shots. I'd love to love large caliber revolvers, but I know I just won't cary one...ever. Too much weight, too little poop.

I went with the S&W 329PD, which has some space-age alloy frame. Weighs 1.5 lbs. Has a 4" barrel, which I also wanted vs the 2.5".

Shoots 230 gr nicely, though I swapped to 300 gr bear loads while in AK without actually testing them. I never tried it with the stock wood grip. People reported hand pain. Based on recommendations I put the S&W large frame .50 rubber grip on immediately and it's a great-shooting pistol.

I carry it in a nylon hip holster with thumb strap (Bianchi.) I was tempted to roll one of those cool Kenai chest holsters but with my radio on my chest I start to look like some tactical wannabe and grow self-conscious.

Zzz wrote:

Hammer wrote:I can see why you haven't carried the Ruger Alaskan... damn near three pounds and only six shots. I'd love to love large caliber revolvers, but I know I just won't cary one...ever. Too much weight, too little poop.

I went with the S&W 329PD, which has some space-age alloy frame. Weighs 1.5 lbs. Has a 4" barrel, which I also wanted vs the 2.5".

Shoots 230 gr nicely, though I swapped to 300 gr bear loads while in AK without actually testing them. I never tried it with the stock wood grip. People reported hand pain. Based on recommendations I put the S&W large frame .50 rubber grip on immediately and it's a great-shooting pistol.

I carry it in a nylon hip holster with thumb strap. I was tempted to roll one of those cool Kenai chest holsters but with my radio on my chest I start to look like some tactical wannabe and grow self-conscious.

I almost bought the 329pd several times over the years. I never did, always coming back to the shootability and capacity of the 10mm.

Run a few of these through it and report back:
https://www.underwoodammo.com/collectio ... 5932546105

Funny you mention the Kenai chest holster...that's how I cary my 10mm most of the time. I think belt holsters are superior, but I have nerve damage in my hip and despise wearing a belt, much less a belt and a gun. The fashion statement a gun strapped to your chest makes is generally ridiculous, but at times it comes in handy. I've been sporting it while mountain biking...not because I anticipate needing a 10mm on the bike, but so the local yokel's see that the mountain bikers are just as heavily armed as they are. I can practically watch the gears turn as they think "Well, he dresses like Peter Pan, but at least he has a gun...".

Zzz wrote:...I was tempted to roll one of those cool Kenai chest holsters but with my radio on my chest I start to look like some tactical wannabe and grow self-conscious.

I've always thought that a tanker-style holster would be handier than one of those chest holsters.
Positions the gun over to one side and IMHO more out of the way.
Less wanna-be looking too.


https://epsaddlery.com/product/1942-tan ... 5-barrels/

hotrod180 wrote:

Zzz wrote:...I was tempted to roll one of those cool Kenai chest holsters but with my radio on my chest I start to look like some tactical wannabe and grow self-conscious.

I've always thought that a tanker-style holster would be handier than one of those chest holsters.
Positions the gun over to one side and IMHO more out of the way.
Less wanna-be looking too.


https://epsaddlery.com/product/1942-tan ... 5-barrels/

Might be a fine holster, but I think it's as wanna-be looking as anything ever made. If you're going to wear a belt anyway, might as well hang the gun on your strong side hip where it belongs.

So while we’re on the topic;

I need recommendations and ideas for a holster to carry on my person while wearing a pack and bino harness.

I’m leaning towards a paddle holster attached to the hip belt on my pack but would rather have it with me all the time.
I’ve worn a belt holster with a pack and it was a pain in the ass. Hip belt pushed my pants belt down and vice versa. It sucked.

I’ve seen guys with the chest rig loosened so the pistol rode on their belly below the binos but that looks awkward.

I hate carrying pistols.

Sierra Victor wrote:So while we’re on the topic;

I need recommendations and ideas for a holster to carry on my person while wearing a pack and bino harness.

I’m leaning towards a paddle holster attached to the hip belt on my pack but would rather have it with me all the time.
I’ve worn a belt holster with a pack and it was a pain in the ass. Hip belt pushed my pants belt down and vice versa. It sucked.

I’ve seen guys with the chest rig loosened so the pistol rode on their belly below the binos but that looks awkward.

I hate carrying pistols.

A lot depends on what backpack you're sporting...external frame meat pack, internal frame climbing pack, or no-frame day pack.

When carrying a climbing pack I've had one holster attached to the waist belt, and a second holster I can transition to when I'm not wearing my pack.

I've worn the Kenai chest holster (with a Glock 20, not a Ruger Alaskan...) with a bino-pack and a backpack, and while the ergonomics was good, it ended up being pretty uncomfortable. Too many straps over the shoulders; too much weight on the shoulders.

The Kenai chest holster with just a backpack, or with just a bino-pack seems to work ok. If you can rig your bino harness to your backpack shoulder straps, that might be a good compromise.

The aforementioned tanker holster might work, but you'd have to try it beforehand to really know. I carried a drop holster on duty for years, and while I didn't really love it, it did get the pistol below a backpack belt, while still being readily available. Again, you'd have to fiddle around with it and see what works.

Pistols, binoculars and backpacks are a bitch to configure together. Seems like you can have comfort, or quick access to the binoculars, or quick access to the pistol, but not all three.

Hammer wrote: Might be a fine holster, but I think it's as wanna-be looking as anything ever made. If you're going to wear a belt anyway, might as well hang the gun on your strong side hip where it belongs.

1) "Wanna-be" is in the eye of the beholder, I guess.
2) nice to hang the weight of the gun on your shoulder(s), not your belt.
Wasn't that your reason for an alternative to a belt holster in the first place?
3) maybe a regular shoulder holster is a good way to go?
Lots of trappers used to carry a 22 in one of those under their coat, out of the weather,
for the occasionally-needed finishing shot for a trapped but not dead animal.

Regarding carrying a pistol, binoculars and backpack...I dug around and found a couple pieces of kit which might or might not work. A lot depends on the size of your binoculars, and the size of your handgun. I can see any of them working, or not working. Just have to try them I guess.

https://www.eberlestock.com/store/nosegunner

https://www.alaskaguidecreations.com/

http://blacks-creek.com/raptor/

https://fhfgear.com/collections/hunting ... razco-gear

https://www.marsupialgear.com/collectio ... 2116216918

https://www.razcogear.com/online-store- ... -c22046185

https://www.diamonddcustomleather.com/c ... st-holster

This image shows up for the Diamond D Guide holster...I don't know what to make of it. No eye protection, no ear protection, and you just know her knee is getting wet. I think the high heals are the clincher.

This image shows up for the Diamond D Guide holster...I don't know what to make of it. No eye protection, no ear protection, and you just know her knee is getting wet. I think the high heals are the clincher.
[/quote]

I know nothing about handguns but is that a right handed holster? Would seem hard to draw with the left hand the shooter uses?

Perhaps I will split this 10mm hand loads thread into a holster thread...

Zzz wrote:Perhaps I will split this 10mm hand loads thread into a holster thread...

Good idea. Pretty bad when you drift your own thread into oblivion.

My bad Zane.

I think I officially took it off topic.

Anywhoooo......

Hammer thanks for taking the time to research this holsters. Saved me a crap ton of time!

Nizina I appreciate your perspective. Last time i was in your great state I carried a 10mm.

I loved the looks of the Ruger Alaskan so much I had to buy one years ago and it’s been sitting in the box in my safe ever since. I enjoy the stories my guns tell and until I’ve taken one on an adventure they dont mean much to me so I kinda feel like I owe this heavy ass revolver a trip into the sticks. It’s not a remote backpack hunt and I’ll be sleeping in a bed every night so if I hate hauling it I’ll leave it on the nightstand.

We have been using Sellier & Bellot 180 gr FMJ for practice but pack Underwood Xtreme Penetration 140 gr for every day carry. I haven't tried those big 220 grain Buffalo Bore that you have been discussing. I've carried the .44 magnum and my wife carried a 357, but while the energy from these pistols might be superior, the 10 mm Glock is more versatile and quicker to use. Frankly, I wouldn't want to shoot at a bear at anything other than close range with a pistol and I would want to be able to put a lot of lead in their direction fast. My wife still carries bear spray, and I guess it would be good if the bear is down wind and perhaps not in a raging charge. The probability of having to use a firearm on a bear is low, but we have had our moments. And at least two of my neighbors could have used a good pistol when attacked. I'm no expert on firearms, but if I'm going bear hunting, I'll carry a 7 mm mag or similar rifle, but not a pistol. But for everyday walk-around and working in the yard and garden, you just can't carry a large caliber rifle and get anything done. The pistol is the best option and the 10mm seems to have the best combination of energy and rapid response capability. It might not kill the bear instantly, but at least it would make them sick enough not to hang around and finish you off after they rough you up a bit.

Hammer wrote:Regarding carrying a pistol, binoculars and backpack...I dug around and found a couple pieces of kit which might or might not work. A lot depends on the size of your binoculars, and the size of your handgun. I can see any of them working, or not working. Just have to try them I guess.

https://www.eberlestock.com/store/nosegunner

https://www.alaskaguidecreations.com/

http://blacks-creek.com/raptor/

https://fhfgear.com/collections/hunting ... razco-gear

https://www.marsupialgear.com/collectio ... 2116216918

https://www.razcogear.com/online-store- ... -c22046185

https://www.diamonddcustomleather.com/c ... st-holster

This image shows up for the Diamond D Guide holster...I don't know what to make of it. No eye protection, no ear protection, and you just know her knee is getting wet. I think the high heals are the clincher.

Even hot chicks in Alaska pack.

I wear a chest holster because I like it. Like where it carries my gun, hang my Garmin Inreach off of it as well.

Nizina wrote:We have been using Sellier & Bellot 180 gr FMJ for practice but pack Underwood Xtreme Penetration 140 gr for every day carry.

You might want to research the (less expensive) Underwood 200 or 220 grain hardcast bullets. The Xtreme Penetrator was really designed for breaching body armor, where speed and hardness are key ingredients. But the 140 grain bullet lacks mass and momentum, and it doesn't penetrate tissue half as well as the heavier hardcast bullets. I'm also SUPER leery of Leigh Defense's claims about the wound tracks their bullets create...not saying it's a bad bullet, but I think they exaggerate, a lot.

220 grain loads generally require upgrading to a 22~24 lb recoil spring for reliable cycling, but that's not expensive. If you go with the Lone Wolf non-captive springs it's easy to swap them out if one weight doesn't work well. 200 grain bullets often work with factory springs, though a heavier spring will keep the gun from getting battered as much.

S&B is great practice ammo...it's hard to even buy the components for what you can buy their loaded ammo for. And the brass reloads well, though it's not quite up to the super-hot loads. Starline is the brass for that.

Thanks for the advise Hammer. Regarding holsters, I use the Kenai chest holster when flying and backpacking. However for every day walk around and working around the cabin I use a RR Kydex hip holster. Here is a shot of my chest holster (didn't have my spikes on that day and the chest detail isn't quite as interesting but you get the idea).

I wear a Kenai with a hand cannon (460S&W) when hunting in Montana backcountry as a last resort. It took me a little while, but I was able to get it snug and comfortable on my chest along with my Kuiu bino harness, and then my pack over the top of that stuff. I have hiked many miles like that without discomfort, other than the gun on my chest and speed loaders elsewhere do add some weight. I am one of those people that hates weird things pushing into me while I walk around, so I would be pretty critical of this setup if it didn't work.

I went with the Kenai specifically after reading about the guy getting mauled a couple years ago; he had a pistol on his pack, and that was the first thing the bear took from him. I figure even if I lose the pack (by choice or otherwise), the chest rig stands a better chance of staying put long enough to be useful.

If I'm somewhere I don't need so much firepower I just carry a 45 sub in a basic nylon holster that I can attach more creatively, since it's lighter and smaller. I still don't wear it on the belt since the pack straps push it down, but I have options that work.

Holsters are one of those things you need to try out. The Kenai is quite adjustable and I recommend it, but can definitely see where everyone has preference on how they carry their rigs and would want to go another route. I hadn't tried one before I bought it and wasn't totally sure I had not just blown a bunch of money on it, but it worked out well for me.

Since I'm not a hunter (other than a little turkey hunting years ago), my only concern when I still backpacked was comfort with the pistol and the backpack. Although not very high tech, I used an Uncle Mike's nylon holster for my old Ruger Security Six .357 magnum, with the optional flap instead of just a retaining strap, mostly to protect the pistol better. On my pants belt and moved to the small of my back on the right side, it was carried high enough that it didn't interfere with either the frame of my pack or the belt, and yet it was readily available.

I know that a .357 magnum is pretty light weight when it comes to bear protection, but I always thought that a .44 magnum or other monster cartridge would be more than I could handle, especially for subsequent shots. But I've shot the Security Six enough that I used to be pretty accurate with it, even emptying the cylinder rapidly double action. I haven't shot it at all in the last 20 years, so I suspect my accuracy has diminished some.

Cary

Here is some good listening regarding large furry things and ambush. Steven Rinella and his crew were quasi "attacked" by a bear after killing and stashing an elk on Afognak Island. They discuss the what if's and spray/carry/holster philosophy, and debrief the situation in detail. It is a two part podcast. If nothing else its entertaining!

https://www.themeateater.com/listen/meateater/ep-086-the-meat-tree-part-1

https://www.themeateater.com/listen/meateater/ep-087-the-meat-tree-part-2

^^ That's my pistol!