What would you grab?

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Lambdebois

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Yes another black bear question....

Lets pretend your camping in the San Isabel National Forest in Colorado and you get charged by a 400+lb black bear. You have two rifles you can grab.

A bolt action Tikka T-3 lite in 30-06 springfield with a 3rd magazine

or

A single shot Ruger #1 action in 45-70 government

Which do you grab and why?

I am asking because I love my 30-06 and I'd feel better having a second and third follow up shot if needed. Obviously the 45-70 is more than capable but since it's a single shot and not a lever action you only have 1 chance most likely. I have to wonder though... In a charge situation... How likely will it be that you actually have time to take a second shot during a charge?
 
PawPaw,

I usually carry a 12 gauge with brenekke's black majic magnum slugs. If I'm fishing... I wear my 357 magnum smith and wesson 686P with 180gr buffalo bore rounds. I am just pondering which rifle of the two mentioned above would be a better choice if you had to pick one for protection against a charging black bear.
 
Lambdebois said:
A bolt action Tikka T-3 lite in 30-06 springfield with a 3rd magazine

or

A single shot Ruger #1 action in 45-70 government

Which do you grab and why?
Click to expand...

If those are truly you only choices, I'd vote for the bolt action. What is not detailed is how far away is the bear, is he coming straight for you, and how fast.
He could be closing at 50 feet per second or 10, a big difference.
In the worst case analysis, he's less than 1 shot away and it doesn't matter. Considering how difficult it is to focus and precisely aim while 'pucker factored', I would tend to not want the single shot. A .22 might be loud enough to cause a pause at very close range, but ultimately, having been alot closer in one situation that was comfortable, the real goal is to "not be there / in that situation".

On the other hand, an M82A1 / M2 or Anzio 20 mm might be a better choice:D
 
I don't trust my ability to shoot straight in that situation so I would have to say I want more bullets. The 30-06 would give me a better/ more chances to hit what I was aiming at. I wouldn't bet a wooden nickel that I could hit a charging 400 pound black bear in the drivetrain with one shot.
GAR
 
I'm sorry, but black bears just are not very frightening to me. But they do taste good!

If you are being charged, you had better already have a rifle in your hand. Otherwise, I would just grab a rock and bean him with it, then go pick up the bag of Cheetos he was fighting with.
 
I take all this talk of preparation against black bear attack with the same skepticism that I take talk of preparation against attack by zombies. They happen at about the same frequency.
 
I'd grab my Android, start a thread about caliber for bear defense, and show it to him. Most likely he'd just lose interest;)
 
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