Sporting use of handguns

In The Land Down Under, they are apparently changing the laws (again) to essentially ban the use of handguns in rural areas.  The reason for the title of this post comes from what is possibly the most unique scenario for use of a defensive handgun that I have heard…well…uh…ever.

He says he’s had to use one to protect a worker being chased by a feral camel.

“In a case like that you know, what are we going to do? Just watch somebody get hunted by a bloody bull camel and do bugger-all about it?”, he says.

Despite what the naysayers go on about how handguns have no sporting use, or practical use, we all know that’s not true.  In the States, a powerful handgun can be quite practical for ranchers who may have to have one hand on the reins, hikers, etc.  Apparently in Australia, you also need one for defense against feral camels.

Which of course leads to my final question – what caliber for a feral camel?  It’s a big, tough animal, and I can’t think that you’d get good results with anything less than a .44 Magnum or hot .45 Colt +P loads.

3 Comments

  1. The antis tell us “You don’t NEED a pistol for hunting!” To which I reply, “I don’t NEED a steak knife, either, but sometimes it’s the best tool for the job.” At which point they usually give me a confused look, as if steak was a foreign word or something……

  2. Seeing as how a bull dromedary can run 8-1200lbs on the hoof, I’d think that anything good for American bison would do the trick. Any of your big bore sixguns shooting heavy, hardcast Keith-type bullets should put paid to one nicely.

  3. I remember about 10 years back, when Georgia allowed hunting with .357 for deer. I picked up a rossi cyclops and scoped it for that season, it was the best hunting I’ve done until them. I’ve also gone black bear hunting with my dad’s .454 Casull, which works just fine for that. So, yeah, hand guns have a purpose other than self defense.

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