Kelt Tec PMR-30 for backpacking?

[nwwoodsman]

The plastic fantastics for a woods gun just don't make much sense to me. How about a .357 with a 4 inch barrel?

 

[Quackerbacker]

You are 1,000 times more likely to need protection from a human than a bear in the Pac-NW woods. Bear defense should not be a concern when backpacking. You would need to do something exceedingly dumb to get a black bear to do anything but put as much distance between him/herself and you as possible.

I'm trying to think up some scenarios in which a black bear might attack you. You could cover yourself in scent blocker, hide in a tree, and jump down on top of a wandering black bear... Nope, it would probably just crap itself and run like a scalded cheetah.

I know, you could go backpacking in the spring and find a den, then charge it like a crazed lunatic and try to snatch a cub or two. I'm pretty sure that would get you attacked. There is a good number that would probably still run from you, but i think most would put a hurt on you.

 

[idRATHERbeOUTDOORS]

so now you want it for you SHTF gun.....You need to pick something man. You say the ideal pack gun for you would be a Glock 20/29 for bear protection, but if you get a semi auto 22 magnum than you will carry a bell or mace for bear protection or heaven forbid fall back on common since. Then you ask if anyone knows of any other light weight backpacking guns larger than a .22lr but smaller than a 7.62....Yeah I know of about 20 or 30......what are looking to do, shoot an incoming bear, gather food, or ring a bell with a high degree of common since? What's your idea of light weight? Are you out in all weather? Do you like a hammer or a striker? Revolver or Semi auto ? Steel frame, poly frame, alloy frame? Do you want to conceal it or open carry? What kind of safety do you prefer? ........

I think you are confused...I said my first idea for a backpacking gun would be a glock 20/29 it would be for protection bear/people what ever. The reason I liked the keltec is the light weight and .22mag is still an effective defense round (NOT FOR BEAR), also it can gather small game or just back country plinking. Then carry bells mace AND use common sense such as tied up your food in order to prevent a bear encounter. I don't see where SHTF fits into that. If I was up in the woods got lost or stuck I would want a means of gathering food. Something that a Glock 20/29 would be serious overkill for.

The key right now is light weight. I was just asking for some alternative ideas I'm open to just about anything. no it doesn't have to be a bear stopper. The .22lr to 7.62 part was a kind of joke hence the " " Right now I have a remington single shot .22lr / .22s it weighs 4.6 lbs. I just managed to get my ruger 10/22 down to 3.8lbs by chopping up an old synthetic stock that I had for it. I would like to go lighter which pretty much limits me to rimfire. Pistol, revolver, rifle I have no preference. The semi auto would be a good advantage but not necessary. I was thinking about a ruger charger but it weighs 3.5lbs.

 

[idRATHERbeOUTDOORS]

The plastic fantastics for a woods gun just don't make much sense to me. How about a .357 with a 4 inch barrel?

For a bear gun? I could get a glock 29 that weighs 24oz and holds 11 rounds. Where as something like a ruger 4" .357 sp101 weighs almost 29oz and hold 5 rounds. the weight isnt much different but you can take what you get. plus twice the rounds. but i'm not really looking for a sole bear gun. the glock was just what I had initially wanted. now id rather have light weight small game/plinking gun. what I liked about the keltec was the .22mag can be used as a defense round against many things and small game gathering.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

You are 1,000 times more likely to need protection from a human than a bear in the Pac-NW woods. Bear defense should not be a concern when backpacking. You would need to do something exceedingly dumb to get a black bear to do anything but put as much distance between him/herself and you as possible.

I'm trying to think up some scenarios in which a black bear might attack you. You could cover yourself in scent blocker, hide in a tree, and jump down on top of a wandering black bear... Nope, it would probably just crap itself and run like a scalded cheetah.

I know, you could go backpacking in the spring and find a den, then charge it like a crazed lunatic and try to snatch a cub or two. I'm pretty sure that would get you attacked. There is a good number that would probably still run from you, but i think most would put a hurt on you.

You have some good points but black bears attack many people each year

 

[Bam]

I'll take bear spray over a .22 mag ANYDAY.

If you think you're going to make that drop dead kill shot 100% of the time, you are full of crap. I guess you can say it is better than nothing, but I wouldn't want to go up against a large black bear with a 22 mag, hell I wouldn't want to go up against a pissed off cougar even with 30 rounds of 22 mag.

 

[Siglvr]

You have some good points but black bears attack many people each year

Mmmmm....I don't see that at all. How dangerous are black bears? LINK

Black bears have killed 61 people across North America since 1900. ... The 750000 black bears of North America kill less than one person per year

More likely to be confronted by crazy people in the woods, in which case, having the PMR-30 would be a good thing. I don't like carrying the extra weight and increased complexity, but it sounds like the first poster wants it: in which case, he should get it. Why not? When you do, let us know how it shoots will ya?

 

[idRATHERbeOUTDOORS]

I'll take bear spray over a .22 mag ANYDAY.

If you think you're going to make that drop dead kill shot 100% of the time, you are full of crap. I guess you can say it is better than nothing, but I wouldn't want to go up against a large black bear with a 22 mag, hell I wouldn't want to go up against a pissed off cougar even with 30 rounds of 22 mag.

Sorry but I think that you need to read the previous posts. The .22mag would NOT be for bear or couger.

 

[idRATHERbeOUTDOORS]

TIME TO CLARIFY!

here is how I am looking at it. I would take only one gun...

I could go with a bear gun; for me I would want a glock 29 10mm. (my choice dont care if you disagree) However, I know the chances of a black bear encounter are slim and even slimmer that it becomes a conflict. if I were to take the bear gun I would take alternative means of emergency food gathering IE snare wire, fishing gear if appropriated for the area, or yes even rat traps (cheap, lightweight and small).

SO........

My other option; take a smaller gun that can be used for emergency game hunting. possibly human defense. And bring bear mace instead. Bells and food tying would be used in both situations.

Im trying to think of any small light guns that can harvest small game. if it can provide protection from crazed pot growing humans as well that is a bonus.

That is why I was interested in the pmr it could harvest small game and provide human defense. My bear gun choice is already made, and it would NOT NOT NOT be the PMR.

 

[Quackerbacker]

I know for certain that bears are not a significant threat in Oregon and Washington. I'm not as educated about cougars though i don't hear that many reports of cougars predating on humans. I don't know if i have the number exactly right, but i think it's 1 in 600,000 black bears that will at some point in it's lifetime attack a human according to biologists. Either way, i've read about many of the few fatal encounters with black bears and in every case i have read, people make some pretty enormous mistakes.

That said, i carry at least a .40 caliber handgun every time i spend the night in the woods. Odds are incredibly slim that i would ever need it, but it gives me peace of mind and that alone is well worth the extra 24 ounces to my gear list.

Besides, I, like most people on this forum i would imagine, was raised not to rely on chance or charity for safety and survival. I have fire, medical, and accident insurance, i have a few months supplies should the lights go out, and i carry a gun in the woods.

As an aside to the hijack , should i encounter that one in a million black bear that decides to eat me, i prefer my odds with 30rds of .223 over 5 rnds of .357 from a revolver. If you get that Kel-Tec (a great american company in my opinion), please run it through it's paces and post a range report.

 

[Quackerbacker]

I just realized we're talking about the pmr and not the PLR

I don't know enough about .22wmr to have much of an educated opinion. I could blow smoke and give my best guess, but i'll spare you

 

[idRATHERbeOUTDOORS]

I know for certain that bears are not a significant threat in Oregon and Washington. I'm not as educated about cougars though i don't hear that many reports of cougars predating on humans. I don't know if i have the number exactly right, but i think it's 1 in 600,000 black bears that will at some point in it's lifetime attack a human according to biologists. Either way, i've read about many of the few fatal encounters with black bears and in every case i have read, people make some pretty enormous mistakes.

That said, i carry at least a .40 caliber handgun every time i spend the night in the woods. Odds are incredibly slim that i would ever need it, but it gives me peace of mind and that alone is well worth the extra 24 ounces to my gear list.

Besides, I, like most people on this forum i would imagine, was raised not to rely on chance or charity for safety and survival. I have fire, medical, and accident insurance, i have a few months supplies should the lights go out, and i carry a gun in the woods.

As an aside to the hijack , should i encounter that one in a million black bear that decides to eat me, i prefer my odds with 30rds of .223 over 5 rnds of .357 from a revolver. If you get that Kel-Tec (a great american company in my opinion), please run it through it's paces and post a range report.

You sayin I should get an su-16 I really hope to take another look at the PMR I saw at the show. I'm pretty sure the guy still has it. so I'll have to check in with him later in the week. maybe do some trading to bring the price down. And thanks for posting a more relevant post. If I do get the PMR I'll have to give it a good test before I'm comfortable relying on it for packing. Plus even though KT has been relatively slow, their customer service is outstanding from what I hear.

 

[idRATHERbeOUTDOORS]

I just realized we're talking about the pmr and not the PLR

I have given that one lots of thought as well but I think .223 may not leave much meat left on most small game :gun04:
Plus .223 is so dang loud for plinking (another reason I like the rimfire option) it would definitely disturb any near-by hikers or campers, hell it would piss me off

 

[Quackerbacker]

Actually i was thinking we were talking about the PLR the whole time, i had the two confused. It's quite a bit heavier than the pmr but it's still a "pistol". I nearly bought an SU awhile back, but ended up choosing 7.62x39 for my shtf caliber. A drago AK would be a devastating backpacking choice, but now we're getting into an even heavier and larger realm than even the PLR or SU.

I'm looking at single shot .22lr rifles at 3 lbs or under to go along with my .40 cal pistol for backpacking. I want to do more bush-craft/survival training type trips this summer and fall and i'd like to do more fishing, as well as taking squirrel, grouse, etc.

Fun times indeed!

 

[idRATHERbeOUTDOORS]

I'm looking at single shot .22lr rifles at 3 lbs or under to go along with my .40 cal pistol for backpacking. I want to do more bush-craft/survival training type trips this summer and fall and i'd like to do more fishing, as well as taking squirrel, grouse, etc.

Fun times indeed!

I was also looking at small cricket rifles a while back before I bought my remington single shot. kinda wish I had gone with the cricket. only $50 more but 2lbs lighter than my remington. i was tighter on $$$ at the time though.

I also just saw this today looked kinda cool but the company is out of stock for the .22lr. and it cost $250. I think they still have the .22mag kit though. It replaces the barrel and stock of a cricket with some kind of carbon fiber tubes.