Keith Rogan
New member
I haven't been around much lately and I won't be around again for another week or so - I'm off to Iditarod to cover the event for a paper here in Alaska (never trust a reporter!)
Thanks to the gentlemen who posted the link to the bear maulings web site! Its been recently upgraded and theres a lot of new info if you haven't been there for a while.
Shotguns - they don't have the power or accuracy of the .45/70 lever gun and they are heavier to boot. They'll work, and if thats all you have, you'll be fine. If you're buying a bear defense gun, get a Marlin and use Garrett ammo.
.375 - great, it'll work, but its heavy, long, and you've probably got a high power variable on it that makes it useless at close range - bear attacks are close range events. If you're in bear country with a 3X9 scope on your rifle (of whatever caliber) then you are for all intents and purposes, unarmed.
Pepper spray - I really like pepper spray for the very simple reason that MOST negative bear encounters leave you in an "iffy" legal situation. The bear may be ripping your tent up or eating the food you'll need for the next week and theres not a damned thing you can do about it unless you have pepper spray - pepper is employable in many situations where you can't use a gun. and it WILL repel an actual attack. Its slower to use however and its useless on a windy day or if the wind is in your face. Pepper spray is an adjunct to a good rifle.
As for actual attacks, speed is everything - somebody mentioned that they could get a rifle up and shooting in 1.5 seconds.. bear attacks happend within ten yards or so and a bear can do 35 mph in a sprint.... I believe that equate to 30 yards in 1 second!
I had my rifle in my hands and "ready" - I was stalking a deer. The bear was on me from a dead stop to a sprint from about 10 yards before the rifle reached my shoulder - and thats typical of brown/grizzly attacks.
That doesn't leave much margin for error. get a short, heavy caliber rifle or shotgun and use the heaviest slugs you can buy.
More important than all of this is to use good judgement - don't shoot a bear just because it within a "danger radius" - that happens all the time. You'll go to jail. Run the scenario through your mind - you'll know its an attack just like you'll know when a dog is friendly or just about to bite your rear. common sense is everything.
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Keith
The Bears and Bear Maulings Page: members.xoom.com/keithrogan
Thanks to the gentlemen who posted the link to the bear maulings web site! Its been recently upgraded and theres a lot of new info if you haven't been there for a while.
Shotguns - they don't have the power or accuracy of the .45/70 lever gun and they are heavier to boot. They'll work, and if thats all you have, you'll be fine. If you're buying a bear defense gun, get a Marlin and use Garrett ammo.
.375 - great, it'll work, but its heavy, long, and you've probably got a high power variable on it that makes it useless at close range - bear attacks are close range events. If you're in bear country with a 3X9 scope on your rifle (of whatever caliber) then you are for all intents and purposes, unarmed.
Pepper spray - I really like pepper spray for the very simple reason that MOST negative bear encounters leave you in an "iffy" legal situation. The bear may be ripping your tent up or eating the food you'll need for the next week and theres not a damned thing you can do about it unless you have pepper spray - pepper is employable in many situations where you can't use a gun. and it WILL repel an actual attack. Its slower to use however and its useless on a windy day or if the wind is in your face. Pepper spray is an adjunct to a good rifle.
As for actual attacks, speed is everything - somebody mentioned that they could get a rifle up and shooting in 1.5 seconds.. bear attacks happend within ten yards or so and a bear can do 35 mph in a sprint.... I believe that equate to 30 yards in 1 second!
I had my rifle in my hands and "ready" - I was stalking a deer. The bear was on me from a dead stop to a sprint from about 10 yards before the rifle reached my shoulder - and thats typical of brown/grizzly attacks.
That doesn't leave much margin for error. get a short, heavy caliber rifle or shotgun and use the heaviest slugs you can buy.
More important than all of this is to use good judgement - don't shoot a bear just because it within a "danger radius" - that happens all the time. You'll go to jail. Run the scenario through your mind - you'll know its an attack just like you'll know when a dog is friendly or just about to bite your rear. common sense is everything.
------------------
Keith
The Bears and Bear Maulings Page: members.xoom.com/keithrogan