Mosin Nagant for bear defense.

If more people would let them go their merry way, they would. There are more people killed by black bears in the U.S. than by Browns or Grizzlies. Some were just unlucky and surprised them, most were just stupid. It is really quite common to see bears cutting through the towns around here. If they tree in town, you get the Game Warden. I don't know, we have been bow hunting and hiking around here for years without carrying a rifle and half a can of ammo with us. One year I saw more bears bow hunting than I did deer. I am more worried about being bitten by a rattler than a bear. You don't take them for granted, but you have to get used to them.
 
There are more people killed by black bears in the U.S. than by Browns or Grizzlies.
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do you have a source for this information? in the last 2-3 years when I actually started paying attention to such things I have run across about a half dozen bear mauling stories and all involved grizzlies.
 
Plenty of rifle if you like the rifle. I am personally not partial to Mosin Nagants.

Handgun.... many like the 10mm (Glock in particular), but I would prefer a revolver in either 41 or 44 mag. I'd keep some "bear loads" around.
 
I don't have a source, without doing a Google search, but I also have read many times ( in reputable sources) that black bear attacks outnumber grizzly. However a grizzly mauling makes news, a black bear mauling, not so much.
 
that doesn't make sense. a bear attack is a bear attack. a 200 pound black bear will kill you just as dead as a grizzly. they still require fish and game to hunt down the problem bear, they still leave an obit in the paper.

that's like saying that Steve Irwin's death wouldn't have made headlines if he was killed by a great white shark instead of a sting ray.
 
that's like saying that Steve Irwin's death wouldn't have made headlines if he was killed by a great white shark instead of a sting ray.
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Lets compare it to saying that some fisherman in India that got killed by a stingray should get the same news coverage as Steve Irwin. The more famous figure gets the headline that goes world wide. Every year many fishermen are killed or injured by rays, no headlines on my t.v. about it.

Grizzly = Irwin
Black bear =some fisherman
 
"do you have a source for this information? in the last 2-3 years when I actually started paying attention to such things I have run across about a half dozen bear mauling stories and all involved grizzlies."

He said deaths, not just maulings.

I've seen that claim, too, and I'm guessing it's based on the relative ranges of both bear types, and the fact that black bears are FAR more likely to come into contact with humans.

Black bear have also great expanded their ranges over the past 50 years as they've moved back into areas where they were once forced out. My Mother lives in Lewistown, Pennsylvania, a small semi-rural community of about 8,000. Not huge, but not miles off the beaten path, either, and this year she's had a bear regularly rummaging through her garden.

I live in Fairfax County, Virginia, right outside of Washington, DC, a FAR more densely populated and urban area... and we're now seeing bear.

Here's a list of bear fatalities in North America from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America

If it's in Wikipedia, you know it has to be true!
 
In Russia, they call bear hunters who use Mosin Nagants "dearly departed".
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Really? Never heard that. God help us if a 203 grain bullet driven at near 30-06 velocities has stopped killing bears. Must be some new mutated strain of bear roaming the woods these days.
 
because with our society, you are more likely to be walking around on wet concrete during a thunderstorm than you are to be hiking where there is no internet, cell service, or AC.
 
Black bear are more of a annoying nuisance than dangerous. Don't want them in close. Don't give them a reason to come explore.
More times than not their just a simple opportunist looking for a free easy meal. Even a simple thing as a bird feeder will garner their attention. Best thing for bears to keep them at distance, Get yourself a dog. Not one that cuttle's with you in the house at night. No Sir!! A dog that prefers or is trained to live outside your home 9-12 months of the year. A good trusting and obeying watch dog that stays on your porch and in your yard instead of roaming when left by himself. He doesn't have to be Big. Just well trained & smart.
By the way if a bear comes after you. You'd had better have something in your hand more efficient than a can of bear spray no doubt. Or even that ruskey rifle you have. Think 12 ga. with 1 oz. slugs. Preferably a pump action. Take it's magazine plug out first thing and fill it up with slugs. There now. That's my advice for an all purpose bear stopper and mind set changer. "Be it human or beast."

S/S
 
More likely to be hit by lightning if you are carrying a lightning rod (Rifle). I dunno, around here the 30-30 and .35 REM are the bear hunting guns of choice. As stated in a previous thread, "Bears get big in Pa". The most aggressive bears seem to be in the State Parks around here, and they got that way because of people. Bears are not overly smart and get into trouble just like kids. The bears over in Lehighton walked through because it was hot and they were going to the river. During a real heat wave they(Bears) will be reported in backyard pools. That has happened numerous times around here, but nobody opened fire on them. Usually they are gone before the Game Warden shows up. I would worry more about Pit Bulls than some nosey bear. I think we have had almost a half dozen local Pit Bull attacks this year already.
 
I can think of many guns I would have in grizzly country for protection against said bears. A Mosin Nagant is not one of these guns.

Sure it has adequate punch to kill a bear, but do you think you are fast enough to get off more than one round should the first one miss in the precious seconds you have between the time the bear starts running and the time the bear is on top of you?

I would feel safer with any modern bolt action in adequate caliber than I would with a Mosin, but not safe enough to use a bolt action for bear defense. Maybe bear hunting, but not defense.

If I was to be moving to bear country, the first guns I would pick up would be a .44 magnum revolver and 12 gauge semi automatic shotgun that I could load with slugs, and not leave home without one or the other, depending on where I would be going maybe both.

For the black bears around here, I believe the 30-30 or .35 Remington would do a number on them.
 
alex, this thread does not regard grizzlies and does not regard hiking, this is a coming home to find a black bear sitting on your sofa kind of discussion.

OP, just a word of warning. any thread with the words 'Bear' and 'Defense' in the title often have a lot of similarities.

1. at least a quarter of the posts detail information pertinent to grizzlies even if the title specifies black bears.

2. there will be some yahoo that insists that they wouldn't take any rifle smaller than 338 lapua or handgun smaller than 500 S&W.

3. some one will mention that one of the most popular rounds for polar bear hunting is a 223 so they will naturally recommend an AR15.

4. someone will depict all of the evil qualities of bears as if they were manufactured by Cyberdyne Industries and wear Kevlar.
 
I think the black bears that you run onto in parks aren't necessarily aggressive toward people, they are just comfortable seeing a lot of people and dismiss them as long as people give them some room. The feeding is the problem and that brings bears in close to people. But as the black bear population increases, there will be more and more bear encounters as the bears are competing for a place to live and eat.

What gun is a matter of personal preference. If you like Mosins or that is all you can afford, go for it. I prefer something more traditional. Have never really been a fan of most milsurps in general. But that is just me. Maybe next year I'll all of a sudden get interested in milsurps.
 
Situational awareness. Don't startle or don't get between them and their cubs. Make plenty of noise so they know you're there. Avoidance is better than having to resort to bear spray or boolits.

We've bear in my part of Colorado and the State has a habit of dumping nuisance bears in our area too. Every now and then I see one of those state trucks with an empty bear trap driving away from our area. Thanks Colorado!
 
A Mosin loaded with softpoints, has muzzle energys similar to a 30-06, but do you really want to depend on a Mosin to put down a bear if the need arises?

First of all, the M91-30 is a bit too long to make a good brush or car gun. The longer length of the M91-30, might make it easier for a charging bear to swat the rifle away with one of it's paws; but he might be in for a suprise if the bayonet was attached. You could use a shorter M-44, but the safety's on both guns are a bit hard to manipulate.

Second...most ammunition companies, do not make cartridges that are loaded with premium bullets for the 7.62X54, such a the Barnes, Accubond, Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, Nosler Partition, etc, etc; which I would use for bear. You can probably handload them, but I would stick with a much more modern rifle or pistol against bears; that are loaded with premium bullets.
 
People use the 30/30 for bears and have for along time. You can go buy 7.62x54R soft points at any sporting goods store. It is a very powerful round. More than a 30./30 right around a .308 or 30-06. You can get a carbine mosin if the barrel length is too long for you. It is a cheap, powerful gun. If you do your part, it will do its.
 
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