Alaska backpacking .44 Magnum loads?
- Thread starter UT_Air_Assault
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Rich Lucibella
Staff
Most agreed as to Brenneke, if the shotgun is your choice. Stay away from Sabots:
1) Unless you've really worked with the particular sabot in your gun, the Point of Impact may be disastrously different.
2) They're designed to reach out further; not hit harder.....for something that's about to crawl up your butt, opt for "hit harder".
RichknowledgeismorepowerfulthangunsLucibella
1) Unless you've really worked with the particular sabot in your gun, the Point of Impact may be disastrously different.
2) They're designed to reach out further; not hit harder.....for something that's about to crawl up your butt, opt for "hit harder".
RichknowledgeismorepowerfulthangunsLucibella
Wildalaska
Moderator
now even he has the space bar virus
WildinfectiousagentAlaska
Wildalaska
Moderator
im a freeakin 7 course meal
Spiff of course is a buffet
WildtofattoruntoblindtoshootgonnagetpeppersprayAlaska
spacemanspiff
New member
thats 'Tactical Buffet' to you mr smartypants.
For what you are going to be doing, the .44 should be okay if you are going to be in the Interior where the bears are smaller. Any hardcast loads from Buffalo Bore, Cor-Bon, Garrett and Federal's Cast Core should be good enough.
If you are going to be in a coastal area definitely bring the shotgun and a supply of Brenneke Originals 1 1/8 oz in the green box.
Check out the photos I posted on THR in the hunting forum on the thread "My Brown Furry Neighbors".
If you are going to be in a coastal area definitely bring the shotgun and a supply of Brenneke Originals 1 1/8 oz in the green box.
Check out the photos I posted on THR in the hunting forum on the thread "My Brown Furry Neighbors".
Fat White Boy
New member
Like the others said, be sure to carry a can of pepper spray and have some bells on to make some noise so the bears hear you coming. You can tell what kind of bears are in the area by the droppings. Black Bear droppings will have, berries, grass, twigs maybe some mouse fur...Brown bear droppings will have berries, bells and bits of pepper spray cans...
Al Thompson
Staff Alumnus
Check with the military folks - you may very well not be able to fly with a firearm or even bring one on base. It would truely suck for you to have your firearm seized and be facing UCMJ or Federal charges.
Mannlicher
New member
I have hunted blackies in Florida and Virginia. I don't recall any time that the bear was the aggressor.
http://www.bearbiology.com/StayingSafeScript.htm
says a lot about bears,and bear encounters. The section on using firearms is interesting. It does not mention handguns at all.
"FIREARMS
If you intend to carry a firearm, make sure it’s adequate. 30 caliber or larger or a 12-gauge shotgun with rifled slugs. Practice until you can shoot quickly and accurately under stress and at close range at an object moving rapidly and irregularly toward you. Mentally rehearse the situations where you’d use it. Wounding a bear can make the situation a lot worse.
"
Sounds like pretty good advice.
http://www.bearbiology.com/StayingSafeScript.htm
says a lot about bears,and bear encounters. The section on using firearms is interesting. It does not mention handguns at all.
"FIREARMS
If you intend to carry a firearm, make sure it’s adequate. 30 caliber or larger or a 12-gauge shotgun with rifled slugs. Practice until you can shoot quickly and accurately under stress and at close range at an object moving rapidly and irregularly toward you. Mentally rehearse the situations where you’d use it. Wounding a bear can make the situation a lot worse.
"
Sounds like pretty good advice.
CarbineCaleb
New member
Depending on where you're going, you may not be able to bring a gun - it's illegal to bring a gun in Denali Park at least, but I believe most other areas, no issues.
No matter what, I second the suggestion on reading up on bear encounters. If you don't approach them (like any animal, they have a zone of personal space, inside which they'll feel threatened), and keep food out of camp, the odds of an encounter are small. Don't run if you see one - may arouse the predatorial instinct. I backpacked AK for 3 weeks (Glacier Bay, Denali and Wrangell St-Elias) and saw a lot of bear, including both big blacks as well as bigger grizzlies, but we suffered no casualties. If outside Denali, I suppose it couldn't hurt to bring a gun for insurance but I think your best weapon is your wits.
No matter what, I second the suggestion on reading up on bear encounters. If you don't approach them (like any animal, they have a zone of personal space, inside which they'll feel threatened), and keep food out of camp, the odds of an encounter are small. Don't run if you see one - may arouse the predatorial instinct. I backpacked AK for 3 weeks (Glacier Bay, Denali and Wrangell St-Elias) and saw a lot of bear, including both big blacks as well as bigger grizzlies, but we suffered no casualties. If outside Denali, I suppose it couldn't hurt to bring a gun for insurance but I think your best weapon is your wits.
Capt. Charlie
Moderator Emeritus
+1 Best one I've heard in awhile
.Some of you may have seen this email. I left the picture off of the body of the man with the meat stripped from his legs, as it's not for the faint of heart. I think a slug gun seems most appropriate......... Buy a shotgun sling.
"The following (first two) pictures are of a guy who works for the US
Forest Service in Alaska and his trophy bear. He was out deer hunting last
week when a large grizzly bear charged him from about 50 yards away. The
guy unloaded his 7mm Mag Semi-automatic rifle into the bear and it dropped
a few feet from him. The big bear was still alive so he reloaded and shot
it several times in the head. The bear was just over one thousand six
hundred pounds. It stood 12' 6" high at the shoulder, 14' to the top of his
head. It is the largest grizzly bear ever recorded in the world. Of
course, the Alaska Fish and Wildlife Commission did not let him keep it as
a trophy, but the bear will be stuffed and mounted, and placed on display
at the Anchorage Airport (to remind tourist's of the risks involved when in
the wild). "
"The following (first two) pictures are of a guy who works for the US
Forest Service in Alaska and his trophy bear. He was out deer hunting last
week when a large grizzly bear charged him from about 50 yards away. The
guy unloaded his 7mm Mag Semi-automatic rifle into the bear and it dropped
a few feet from him. The big bear was still alive so he reloaded and shot
it several times in the head. The bear was just over one thousand six
hundred pounds. It stood 12' 6" high at the shoulder, 14' to the top of his
head. It is the largest grizzly bear ever recorded in the world. Of
course, the Alaska Fish and Wildlife Commission did not let him keep it as
a trophy, but the bear will be stuffed and mounted, and placed on display
at the Anchorage Airport (to remind tourist's of the risks involved when in
the wild). "
Attachments
I have seen those pictures too but the story was a bit different. If I remember the guy had his friend there and it only took 2 or 3 shots and the bear was dead, no charge. And the chewed leg was a totaly different event that just got thrown in to make the story more dramatic. Still it is a huge bear.
CarbineCaleb
New member
Extremely impressive bear - intimidating. Still, I can't help but think that there are roughly 50,000 people killed in auto accidents each year, yet noone is afraid to drive, heck, most aren't even careful... and I'll bet those all those broken and mashed bodies wouldn't look real pretty in photos either. Something about claws and teeth just scares the beejeezus out of people.