What is the smallest caliber you can trust?

[Iceaxe]

What is the smallest caliber you can trust to protect yourself?

The best answer:

My personal favorite defense gun has always been a Beretta Jetfire in 22 short. I have carried it for many years including while hiking. I never leave without it.

Of course the first rule when hiking in the wilderness is to use the "Buddy System". This it means you NEVER hike alone, you bring a friend, companion or even an in-law because if something happens there is someone to go get help.

I remember one time while hiking with my brother-in-law in northern Alberta out of nowhere came this huge brown bear charging us and was she mad. We must have been near one of her cubs.

Anyway, if I had not had my little Jetfire I would not be here today. Just one shot to my brother-in-law's knee cap and I was able to escape by just walking at a brisk pace.

That's one of the best pistols in my collection...

[StudChild]

I have a Desert Eagle 1911 and a Walter PP 22. The Walter is a lot lighter then the 45 but I still carry my 1911 with me everywhere, mountain biking, and hiking.

If you had a 45 on you, you and your brother-in-law could of been eating bear stakes on your new bear rug.

[REDFOX]

Handguns for brown bears are available in about 3 calibers. The 454, 460, and 500. My dad got laughed at for carrying a 357 loaded with buffalo bore rounds. I carried a shotgun with 3" slugs. Back to the original question. I am still on a waiting list for the new keltec pmr30. There has been a lot of debate around this gun being used for protection. My opion is that it is the smallest caliber that I would recommend. 2 clips with 30 rounds of 22 magnum. As stated above by iceaxe, a well placed .22 round can be very affective. For protection from man, it is hard to beat a 45acp definitely my 1st choice.

[Sandstone Addiction]

Just one shot to my brother-in-law's knee cap and I was able to escape by just walking at a brisk pace.

[MY T PIMP]

My father used to ride around with his uncle who was a mobile butcher. Almost every time they had to do the killing of the livestock. Whether it was a 50 lb lamb or a 2000 lb bull they always used a .22 lr, placed correctly in the skull the animal dropped dead in it's tracks.

In my younger days I harvested two bull elk with a .243. Both bulls dropped imediately, but I would call it shere dumb luck. I hit them both in the upper spine. It's not the size of the caliber that matters these days, it's the shock factor. A poorly placed shot with a .30 cal. Rifle may offer a better chance of success and a humane kill verses a poorly placed shot from something in the lower .20 calibers.

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[MY T PIMP]

As far as what I would trust for self protection. I new a boy in alabama who had been shot with a .22 lr. The bullet enter near the temple on his head and ricochet down his cheek, exiting underneath his jaw and reentering the torso just above the shoulder, and stopping near his heart. When I met him he several stints draining from his head and body and this was months after. A .22 may not have the shock factor of bigger calibers, but it will bounce all over hell inside a body.

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[Mtnseeker1]

357 full wad cutter placed right will work every time.
Run I'll show you.

[REDFOX]

My dad does target practise with the .38 wadcutters in his 357 because they are cheap to shoot and have no recoil. Full 357 mag loads are very poetent. Never the less, I wouldn't want to be hit by lead from any gun.