Howdy all! Thanks Bob for another great chat board! I carry a .45 Colt Combat Commander as my primary carry weapon, both on the river and elsewhere. My wife carries a compact .40. I have my .45 loaded with 165gr. Hydra-Shk's for the river. Plenty for cats, and I figured with the punch of 165gr, at about 1100fps, it would be fine for the Oly. bears? No? I also have a .357 and .41 mag, but prefer the .45 for size. Any thoughts?
My .02 worth, if you are buying only for the woods, you should pick a caliber, weight, etc.. specifically for that, I personally would get one of the new .44 mag "lite" revolvers for only cat and bear. For a carry weapon in "real-life" go with a respectable manufacturer in .40-.45, ie. Kimber, Colt, etc. A good used Colt is around $500, but you can get a new customized Kimber for around $700. Remember why you are buying a weapon, and what it could mean if you ever use it(god forbid).