.357 or .45 in the mountains

[SJgunguy24]

Which ever you shoot better under stress. I would lean towards the 357 if those were my only choices.
Personally I would go with a 10mm, 20 rounds of 10mm would help me feel a bit better.

[Rhythm of Life]

Go magnum rounds for wilderness.

[John Browning]

.357 all the way. I wouldn't trust those 255gr loads to be reliable in a .45 unless I'd put hundreds of them through the gun.

[misterjake]

Again, for California .45 is all you need:

1. Faster follow up shots.
2. Has plenty of penetration for CA wildlife
3. Higher ammo capacity

Higher muzzle-flip and a slower rate of fire for greater penetration won't mean squat if you miss.

If I was a high stressful situation, I'd only carry what was needed to do the job, anything more is a waste.