Hmm… I have two chainsaws, many trees felled, zero injuries.
Five handguns, thousands of rounds fired, zero injuries.
Cars… let’s see. Been rear-ended three times, two of those knocked me clear off the road into oncoming traffic. Broadsided once, car totaled. Slammed into head-on by a driver who lost control on a bridge. Two close calls with drivers running red lights, and close calls with four legged white-tailed Lyme diseased vermin? Too many of those to count.
I trust myself with chainsaws and guns and other power tools. As for driving among other homo sapiens it seems divine intervention is required. Seatbelts and airbags help too.
To be fair, what if you were surrounded by similar numbers of the same people equipped with handguns and chainsaws instead of cars? Doesn’t bear thinking about....
To be fair, what if you were surrounded by similar numbers of the same people equipped with handguns and chainsaws instead of cars? Doesn’t bear thinking about....
Lots of handguns around here. Not so much chainsaws. I mean, there are chainsaws, but folks don’t tend to carry them.
Because my mind idles too much, I often wonder . . .
Since I harvest BTUs in bear/rattlesnake country, and wouldn’t have time to reach, could I use the chainsaw to fen off either? I am guessing that the bear would have run from the noise long before I would ever see him, not so sure bout the snake. Prolly slice my leg off trying to behead the bitch.
They actually sell a shot product...I think it is CCI that basically is like a shotgun in a pistol cartridge for up close and personal protection against snakes. For bear you better have a 44 mag with hard cast bullets and a stout load to protect yourself. Anything less is just an agrevation to the bear...better keep on bullet for yourself if your out with a small handgun ;~) I bet a chainsaw would be a pretty good deterent but if the bear hit it right you could be wearing it! Hope you, I, or anyone else never has that experience!
Because my mind idles too much, I often wonder . . .
Since I harvest BTUs in bear/rattlesnake country, and wouldn’t have time to reach, could I use the chainsaw to fen off either? I am guessing that the bear would have run from the noise long before I would ever see him, not so sure bout the snake. Prolly slice my leg off trying to behead the bitch.
Oh yeah, those mean, ornery New York bears, out to get you. Goldilocks is not pleased.
Never got close enough to a rattler to check out the sex. You do that in N.Y. do you ?
Handgun versus bear is not the best idea. The noise of the saw should keep them away, but you might want to wear a bell or two to make some noise even when you aren’t running the saw. They also make that pepper spray stuff, which is a bit easier to score a “hit” with than a handgun, since you can just “fog” the bear’s general location.
It’s also useful to know what sort of bears are in the area, since grizzly bears are much more dangerous than black bears. Look for bear scat, and then identify the type of bear:
Black bear scat usually has berry skins in it and smells somewhat fruity. Grizzly bear scat usually has little bells in it and smells peppery.
LMAO . . .ok, this is NY as in NEW YORK . . . if we got Grizzlies, we got problems. Actually the best deternt for black bears is man’s best friend. Though my dog is big and scares people, he is a baby. But when he smells bear . . .!!! Supposedly the Shogun used them to hunt bear, but in any event, black bears are more scared of dogs than anything. The 44M is very effective assuming the hand remains steady. I remeber as a kid watching a Buffalo hop back up on it’s feet after being shot with a 357M. Conversely, the buffalo (and I’m told jackasses, donkeys, horses, etc) disliked the dogs but - instead of running away - would make every effort to kill them.
Too bad I don’t take the dog on these BTU-excursions as he seems to find ticks that way.
Best defense for the damn snakes is just to go when it’s cold out.
I use my handsaw a lot more than any of my handguns so I’m voting that the chainsaw is more dangerous. Although I’ve never had an accident...I’m in the kill zone a lot longer with the saw. And if you spend significant time in the zone… ‘S’ can happen.
I have a 14 lb dog, no handgun and a 30 year old Stihl, so my weapons are somewhat limited.
I have been bit by dogs at least three times, but never shot or held up. Never hurt with a chain saw, either.
I think the honest answer is this: It all works somewhat by the hour, and also based on your experience and safety measures. Use any tool long enough, and stupid enough (like the avatar one member has of a friend cutting in sandals), and you will be hurting.
One good thing about youth firearms training...I was six years old when I was taught all the basics, and at that age it actually soaks in. I think the camps had to be extra careful with all of us toddlers shooting on the rifle range....and while we didn’t fear death (at that age), we did respect adults, authority and teachers.
