Bears?

C

chaco

Inactive
I spend alot of time out in the woods fishing and was wondering what you all thought would be a good gun to carry for protection if I needed it to fend off a grizzly. I've been thinking of 45 but don't want to carry something with a 6" barrel. Any help would be appreciated.
 
You probably want a .44 Magnum with a 3 or 4 inch barrel. Not sure what area your in but in Washington I feel comfortable with a .357 Magnum.
 
I carry a .44 magnum loaded with 240 grain cast, gas checked, Semi-Wadcutters, recoil is significant, penetration is deep. Initially I went with 300 grain bullets, but I found the 240s to be more accurate and easier to shoot. I think the 44 mag would be my minimum in Grizzly country, I would likely opt to pack one of my shoulder mounted howitzers.
 
Last edited:
Oh, Oh! Another bear thread!

If you use the search you will see about 273 of these. They approach the subject from all directions. But no one ever does that, so here goes another!

Lions, and tigers and bears! Oh my!

tipoc
 
No handgun is very good for bear defense. Sure, you can effectively hunt bears with handguns, but hunting is a lot easier than stopping on in the middle of HIS/HER attack on YOU.

Bullet placement of a bullet heavy enough and with enough momentum to penetrate deep and break bone. Even a bear with a shredded heart has enough time to eat your lunch before losing consciousness and dying. Unless your shooting is accurate enough to hit the central nervous system (CNS) or powerful enough to break a shoulder bone, which might slow a bear down enough to let you take a more aimed shot.

Yes, it can be done. Near Soldotna, Alaska in August 2, 2009 Greg Brush took down a charging 900 lb brown bear. Look it up. Greg admits freely he was lucky.

A fast-handling 45-70 is considered adequate. 12 Gauge with hard cast slugs (Brenneke Black Magic slugs are good) or anything with more than 3,000 ft lbs of energy and the heavier the bullet, the better.

However, bear spray has a better track record of keeping humans from injury than any firearm.

Read this thread, especially post #18 The 44s and 45s used by Murphy on Black Bears in Maine and North Carolina all had considerably more energy, momentum and mass than any .357 Magnum.

http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php?t=54852
or if the link does not work, paste this into your web browser
forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php?t=54852

Then read this newspaper story from 4/18/08, Anchorage Daily News,

http://www.adn.com/bearattacks/story/147318.html
or if the link does not work, paste this into your web browser
adn.com/bearattacks/story/147318.html

"Bear spray stops charging sow .. SAVED: Couple hiking Peters Creek Trail used Counter Assault."

This was not an advertisement. Craig Medred was an outdoor writer on staff at the Anchorage Daily News.

A followup story ran on 4/20/08
http://www.adn.com/bearattacks/story/381252.html
or
adn.com/bearattacks/story/381252.html

Good luck. Thanks for asking our advice

Lost Sheep
 
Another testimonial for spray

What used to be a post by windwalker, about 2/3 of the way down the page here:
http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=51538&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=60

is apparently no longer there. So, I will include it at the end of this post. It is a GREAT read.

The last line is most telling. It is the rare handgun that can deliver 3,000 ft lbs of energy. Most any decent centerfire rifle can and a shotgun with hard slugs delivers more momentum. Energy shreds flesh. Momentum breaks bone. A shooting avoided is best of all. Having to deal with a wounded or dead bear when you didn't plan for it is a really good way to ruin a nice hike or day of fishing. Reporting, paperwork, preserving the hide and skull (which you don't even get to keep in Alaska). Avoidance is better.


Good luck

windwalker said:
First a few pointer about bear spray. Make sure you use bear spray not mace or some other product, I like counter assault . I use the 8 oz cans, they are good for about 5 one second bursts. Maximum range is 30 feet, 20 feet is way better. Always carry it in a holster on your strong side. If it's in your pack, it might just as well be at home.
I have sprayed three grizz and one black bear over the course of 14 years. I also spend a lot of time in country with lots of bears. (just north of Glacier Park, Montana).

Grizzly number one stole a goat hide out of my tack room, I followed the salt trail into the woods about 40 yards and surprized a two or three year old bear at about 50 feet. He (bluff?) charged and I sprayed him in the face at about 25 feet, he turned 90 degrees and ran off. end of story.

JGrizz number chased me and the dog up on top of my trailer loaded with hay I sprayed him in the face about 6 feet below me. He ran head first into the trailer two or three times then ran off.

Grizz number three was in the garbage at camp at night. I thought it was a black bear saw i walked to within about 15 feet a yelled, not a good idea.He stood up took one step tward me a I sprayed him. He flipped over backward and rolled around on the ground for what seened like a lont time then left. This was a big bear, maybe 8 1/5 feet and 700 pounds.

The black bear sow with one cub stepped out in front of my horse and caused me to be bucked off. I landed on my bear spray and punched a small hole that started to hssssssss...which further annoyed my horse. I pulled the can out and threw it at the bear and hit baby bear, mama picked up the can and bit into it setting off the rest of the spray. They both ran off with mama almost running over the top of me. Now this is very important...never ever have a **** with bear spray on your fingers.

It has always worked for me but I still take the shotgun if I have to go after a wounded bear.
Dave
Click to expand...

Having said all that, I carry a Ruger Super Redhawk 454 Casull in 7.5" AND bear spray. If only one, it is the spray. My buddy carrys a 4" 500 Smith & Wesson. But it weighs a ton.

Lost Sheep
 
Not another darn bear thread tread. Search fuction can work very well and not get all the if's and's and maybe's involed in a reply. Then you can deside what you can carry.
Oh the 45?? That will work real good if winging your buddy is a last resort to get away.
 
What is the best protection against bears? I carry my .41magnum with 210 round nose jacketed bullets when I am in bear country. Several other people have told me that no handgun is as effective as a 12 gauge pump shotgun with slugs. If you don't agree with these choices, a wise old friend once told me all you need is a person with you that you can outrun!:eek:
 
A hardcast 357 mag, 41 mag, 44 mag or 45 LC may not be the end all be all bear stopper but it's more effective than screaming for help.
 
There are two types of bears, real bears and magic internet bears that appear 20yds away charging at you.

For the former bear spray works fine, for the latter a 4 bore double is the minimum.
 
There are two types of bears, real bears and magic internet bears that appear 20yds away charging at you.

For the former bear spray works fine, for the latter a 4 bore double is the minimum.
Click to expand...

+1. The good ol .850 magnum revolver also doesn't stop bears, because it lacks enough power.
 
Originally posted by chaco:

I spend alot of time out in the woods fishing and was wondering what you all thought would be a good gun to carry for protection if I needed it to fend off a grizzly. I've been thinking of 45 but don't want to carry something with a 6" barrel. Any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

From my experience, if one is that unfamiliar with handguns and grizzlies that they need to ask this kind of question, what gun they get will make little or no difference at all in the overall chances of them surviving a real grizzly attack.
 
I spend alot of time out in the woods fishing and was wondering what you all thought would be a good gun to carry for protection if I needed it to fend off a grizzly. I've been thinking of 45 but don't want to carry something with a 6" barrel. Any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

12 gauge pump, as long a magazine as you can, alternating slugs with shot.

Sorry, but that's how I see it.

Not another darn bear thread tread.
Click to expand...

Ja. You should be able to find abundant discussion of the bear problem using the search feature.
 
Ruger .454 Alaskan. It works when a bear is chasing you. Just ask this guy.
alaskan_brown_bear_2.jpg
 
Great... another bear thread :).

Some hate these threads, but I guess that has to do with frequency of encounters, and geography.

A 357 is better than nothing, but I feel safer with a 44 or larger.
 
We had a grizzly attack just over 100 miles south of here a few weeks ago. A farmer was out irrigating when his dog started making a huge racket. He'd seen the biggest raccoon he'd ever seen the day before and figured the dog had found it again. When the farmer went around the corner armed with a shovel to take care of the 'coon he instead found a grizzly sow with two cubs. She was a bit agitated by the dog and was on the farmer before he could react. The shovel played no part in the encounter. He survived by playing dead (twice) and then had to make his way home for help. I understand he'll need some reconstructive surgery.

Gun, spray, shovel won't make any difference if your luck is bad but I keep a can of bear spray handy when I'm hiking in the mountains here abouts. I think people when considering what gun to carry.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top