The Best Handguns For Animal Defense in the Wild

A Practical Guide To Choosing, Carrying, and Using the Right Sidearm For Backcountry Survival and Wildlife Protection

By: Scott Lochlan

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Why I Carry in the Wild

Montana has a way of humbling you. One moment you’re watching a bull elk crest a ridge in the morning fog, and the next you’re scanning your surroundings because something—some instinct deep in your chest—says you’re not alone. Living out here, raising kids out here, spending days fishing, hiking, and hunting out here, you learn that the wilderness doesn’t care much about your plans. And if you’re not prepared, it can be an unforgiving place.

This book isn’t about paranoia. It’s not about fear. It’s about respect. Respect for the land, respect for the animals that call it home, and respect for your own life and the lives of those around you. Carrying a handgun in the backcountry isn’t a political statement, it’s a tool, the same way a good knife or first aid kit is a tool. It’s not the first thing I rely on out there, and I hope to never need it. But if I do, I want to know it’ll do the job.

Over the years, I’ve tested a lot of handguns in a lot of different environments. I’ve talked to park rangers, outfitters, wildlife biologists, sheriffs, and old-timers who’ve lived their whole lives on the edge of the timberline. I’ve heard stories about close calls with grizzlies, mountain lions, moose, even feral hogs. Some of those stories come from friends. A couple come from me.

In my world, prepping isn’t about stockpiling for the end of the world, it’s about being ready for the world we actually live in. And part of that readiness is knowing which handgun to carry when you’re beyond the reach of cell towers and response times. I’m not here to convince you to carry. If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve already decided it’s the right move for you. I’m here to help you choose the best tool for the job, train with it properly, carry it responsibly, and understand the situations where it might matter most.

My goal with this book is simple—to give you a realistic, experience-based guide to selecting the right handgun for animal defense in the wild. Not the flashiest gun. Not the one with the best marketing. The one that works when everything else fails.

So let’s get to it.