HELP on ammo choice for camping please

[ilikeguns]

I am going camping with a group and will most likely be the only camper with a gun. I feel as though I should make a responsible decision.
I am planning on bringing my 357. Neither ammo choices are ideal, but I have:
357 mag 142 grain fmj
and
357 mag 125 grain JSP

Which to take for bear/camp purposes? Will be a GP100 6" barrel.


Or should I just pack the 12 gauge? It may offend a fellow camper and I'd rather respect my friends and their families instead of scaring them.

Thanks for the help guys.

[all torque]

out of your options I would take the fmj. its the heavier of the two and you need penetration for something like a bear which that fmj will give you over the soft point.

[all torque]

By the way, you are about to start another war over guns vs bear spray. personally i would trust my life or anyone else's with something like bear spray.

[ilikeguns]

**** bear spray.
lol let the war begin...

[sirgiles]

hardcast ammo made by double tap or buffalo bore.
btw, a s&w 686 6" will also scare your fellow campers.

[pyromensch]

158 gr soft point, or/and the 12 ga

[Blademan21]

357 for bear,I wouldn't.Take the 12ga. with 00-buck for bear.

[pyromensch]

158 gr soft point, or/and the 12 ga

but you didn't say, where you would go camping, so if it is in alaska, take a howitser

[ilikeguns]

but you didn't say, where you would go camping, so if it is in alaska, take a howitser

Haha. Shasta, so black bears and other critters only. No grizzly issues there that I know of.

[smarter]

but you didn't say, where you would go camping, so if it is in alaska, take a howitser

The Howitzer sounds more fun.

[ilikeguns]

The Howitzer sounds more fun.

Lol... maybe I'll pack a grenade and throw it at the bear. Bullet button equipped of course, For safety

[redcliff]

Haha. Shasta, so black bears and other critters only. No grizzly issues there that I know of.

Take em both and get your non-shooting friends into handguns Be sure to bring some earplugs and safety glasses for them. Maybe bring a .22lr also; my friends with houseboats like shooting up at the lake in the secluded coves.

Either load would probably be fine, for general defense use I'd load the JSP's. I can't recall hearing of any bear attacks in Shasta County in the 30+ years I've been here. Run-in's with Mexican pot-growers would be more likely than bear attack, but the wild life you'll encounter most, especially at the lake, are friendly deer looking for a handout.

Have a great time and thanks for supporting our economy, we need it!

[ilikeguns]

Hey a shasta guy! Ya there's gonna be like 30 of us. Its gonna be packed this weekend. Can I shoot anywhere up there?

[redcliff]

Most of Lake Shasta is National Forest. So firearms can be shot there, but use common sense; don't shoot from the boat (although its probably legal if not under power) don't shoot over water or at it where it can ricochet, and be courteous to your neighbors; its a BIG lake with over 365 miles of shoreline so you can usually find a secluded spot or hike up over the first hill from the lake to be out of sight and cut down on the noise to your neighbors. Be sure to have a safe backstop. I've heard the rangers want you to have 1000 feet seperation from other houseboats when shooting, but I'm not sure where the legal requirement for that is. Oh and don't shoot within a mile of the dam.

The waters real high this year so you should have a great time!

[The Undertaker]

I would say take a shotgun and an appropriate amount of either 00 buckshot or 1 oz. slugs. As far as making fellow campers uncomfortable, properly explain to them what the weapon is for. Like mentioned above, it's a national forest, so firearms shouldn't be a problem, especially if you only plan to use your weapon for defense and not recreation. The usual rules of responsible firearm handling applies here, of particular importance is the clause about being sure of your target and what is around and behind it.