9mm load for mountain lions-for use in Shield/G43/G26

[beachtech]

I am getting ready to purchase a subcompact or compact 9mm (Shield 9, G43, or G26). Along with CCWing it for work and pleasure, I want to use it for defense against possible mountain lions, which are a very real thing where I hike and mountain bike.

Is there a 9mm load (+p, +p+, etc) that will be adequate for a mountain lion encounter? If so, which gun would be my best bet? I'm not sure if the Shield can handle even +p.

I'm going to the range soon to test all three. I want to see which one I like to shoot. I'm a Glock / Sig guy, but SO MANY people are betting their life on a Shield, I thought I should consider it

A 10mm Glock 29 or 20 would be ideal for large animals, but I am not ready to buy a 10mm.......yet. ;-)

[Lonestargrizzly]

Golden Sabres. Or Speer Gold Dots.

[Subotai]

The Shield can handle +P, it can be more snappy. Go with what Lonestargriz says.

[Lonestargrizzly]

Or get that Hornadys that have the rubber ball in the cavity of the hollow point. Critical defense I believe?
They're made to keep their shape through clothing so that they don't expand until they reach the cavity.
If it works for denim I would assume that it works for fur.

[Germ1]

There's only two choices in 9mm. Federal HST or Winchester Ranger-T. Both are hard to find. Ranger-T is impossible to find.

[Subotai]

There's only two choices in 9mm. Federal HST or Winchester Ranger-T. Both are hard to find. Ranger-T is impossible to find.

Au contraire mon frere, nothing wrong with Gold Dots or Golden Sabres.

['ol shooter]

Carry an air horn and pepper spray. You don't need to shoot it, just scare it off.

[Lonestargrizzly]

Carry an air horn and pepper spray. You don't need to shoot it, just scare it off.

Yea OP, just bring a ball of yarn to distract the big pretty kitty!

[bubbapug1]

Usually lions attack from behind and above, so by the time you are aware you have a problem, you're already dead. Similar to a great white, but different in that a white will bite to see what you are. The lion has already decided he's going to eat you while the white shark usually thinks you taste awful....but you still bleed out.

Maybe a motorcycle helmut with pepper spray coating would be better.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

Ummm... Mountain lions are notoriously thin-skinned. Pretty much anything you use will be good enough. I had a friend with a sheep farm out in rural San Diego a few years back. When they were having predation problems, the game wardens were perfectly comfortable with her using a .38 Special snubbie with hollowpoints. They thought it would be more than adequate. If I were going to carry a 9mm, and thought that mountain lions were a possibility, I would simply use the same load I use for self defense, and call it good. No need for +P or +P+, or +P++P+++ with a side order of Zeus' lightning bolts. Hit them and they are either going down or heading elsewhere.

-Mb

[FISHNFRANK]

Buffalo bore 124 grain at 1300 FPS. 450+ pounds of force. That's what I carry if I carry a 9 in the woods. Not really safe for urban use. A .357 is usually my choice though

Frank

[gun toting monkeyboy]

Carry an air horn and pepper spray. You don't need to shoot it, just scare it off.

Sorry, but no. If you have a cat that is being aggressive towards humans, you shoot it. Pure and simple. Even the F&G laws are pretty clear about defending yourself against big cats. If you run into one that is aggressive, and you just scare it off, what happens the next time when it is hungry, and runs into somebody smaller or less well-armed?

-Mb

[j15w]

Buffalo bore 124 grain at 1300 FPS. 450+ pounds of force. That's what I carry if I carry a 9 in the woods. Not really safe for urban use. A .357 is usually my choice though

Frank

That sounds like a real beeyotch to shoot out of a Shield!

[timbo399]

Au contraire mon frere, nothing wrong with Gold Dots or Golden Sabres.

Been loving my Gold Dots for years- no issues w any of my handguns and shoot POA (well, if I was a better shot)- I use 147 gr for 9mm and 230 gr for .45.

Can be found for reasonable prices if buy boxes of 50.

[beachtech]

Thanks!

Thank you for the responses. Mountain lions freak me out just because there was one that killed and literally ate a mountain biker, and injured another mountain biker, on a trail I was on the day before it happened.

I would like to get some of the +P++++ that gun toting monkeyboy mentioned above.