quote:

Originally posted by Pyker:
Ruger Blackhawk in 44mag, along with my 45/70 makes me feel all warm and fuzzy out in the woods.

I’d select a double action (ie Redhawk if you’re a Ruger guy) for bear defense. As someone stated already, you need the ability to fire one handed in awkward positions if you need to fire while being chewed on. Keep in mind that semi autos may not function well when fired one handed. I’ve seen people with weak grips limp wrist semi autos and cause fail to feed issues.

A Glock 20 10mm is simply insufficient protection against a Grizzly. Forget the BS about a 10mm approaching a .41 Mag for power. As far as I have seen, it's not even close to a .41 Magnum. 10mm can match .357 Magnum specs, but you can find better suited .357 Magnum rounds that would be better protection against a bear than a 10mm. A .357 Magnum 180 grain hard cast from Buffalo Bore making about 783 ft lbs of energy would be minimally marginal, at best, with perfect shot placement. And if a bear is coming at you, your shot placement will more likely be less than perfect, and if it is perfect, it will almost certainly be due to luck.

Lots of stories out there of bears being stopped with even 9mm. But who wants to bet their life on stopping a 700 lb bear, that will start eating you before you are dead, with anything less than a .44 Magnum. If you want to carry a 10mm or a .357, it should be a backup to your .44 Magnum, .454 Casull, or .480 Ruger loaded with heavy, flat-nose, hard-cast bullets.

The Ruger Redhawk 4.2" .44 Magnum in an easily accessible chest rig, to me, is ideal, as last ditch handgun protection against a bear. Maybe with second one on the hip, or your 10mm or .357.



Who wants to take on a charging grizzly, that can take a shotgun blast at point blank range and then get up and keep coming, with too little firepower?



Listen to this guy. He knows what he is talking about with respect to firearms versus bear spray.

Rugers are more shootable, but Smiths are lighter. I'd go 629 4" barrel just like this, in a chest holster or chest pack.

ETA: The Ruger Micropterus posted above would also be an excellent choice. My Ruger is a 7.5 inch, which makes it a bit long for packing as a protection gun.

I'd put not less than 240 grain cast jacketed or plated bullets in it, loaded to between 1250 and 1300 fps.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ArtieS,

Hello!

Thanks for all the input. Looks like the .44 is preferred over the .357.

Jim

Don't load it with ammo you can buy at Bass Pro Shops. Load it with ammo intended for protection against big, heavy animals.



https://www.midwayusa.com/prod...021046460?pid=256861
https://www.buffalobore.com/in...product_detail&p=561

44 mag would be my choice. Listen to ORC, he knows of what he speaks.

What about a 45 Colt in a S&W model 625 or Ruger Redhawk.

James

quote:

Originally posted by Micropterus:
Don't load it with ammo you can buy at Bass Pro Shops. Load it with ammo intended for protection against big, heavy animals.

^^ THIS ^^

Buffalo Bore is what I carried in Alaska. Noticeable difference in recoil between it and Gold Dot hollow points. It's brutal on the hands/wrist.

During my 5 years in Alaska, I carried a Ruger Redhawk Super Alaskan in a Diamond D guide holster loaded with Buffalo Bore LBT-LFN. My first one was a .44 mag but I upgraded to .454 casull. Fortunately never had to use it, but I did:

have my hand on the grip when a grizzly effortlessly crossed a raging waterfall to fish close to me. I backed away and the bear didn't pay me a bit of attention as he was focused on catching salmon.

clear leather when I found myself alone in a bowl with a wolverine. It scampered off.


This happened a few weeks, before I moved to Alaska. Dropping a charging brown bear with a Ruger .454 Casull is why I ordered mine right after I obtained my Alaska driver's license. Unfortunately, I ordered through Walmart (cheapeast by a large margin and "it'll be in 2 or 3 weeks") and when summer rolled around I was still waiting. I had already sprung for the expensive guide holster so I bought the only Ruger Redhawk Super Alaskan in stock in the entire city (.44 magnum). I had both for a while and was able to shoot the two calibers side by side. I shot at least a box of Buffalo Bore bear loads through my revolvers at least once a year. The .44 magnum stung the hands for a few seconds, but I'd still feel the .454 casull in my hands and wrist the next day.

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Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

44 for anything bear sized
357 for people sized issues

It's not a revolver, but I'd prefer my L.A.R. "Grizzly" pistol in .50AE in that situation. It's just a bit larger than a .45ACP 1911.

flashguy

You can throw my name into the 44 mag camp as well. When I was hunting in the N.E. Washington mountains I always had a 44. At first it was a Ruger Blackhawk and then a 5 in. S&W M29. I killed a couple of bucks with the Ruger but never needed either one for bear protection.

Jim

Whatever you pick, practice with it diligently until it becomes second nature.

I've only been in grizzly territory twice in my life - both national parks in the 1990s. But I realize now how dumb it was to decide to walk a mile down a trail with only a camera for defense, and after seeing signs about being in bear country.

I do quite a bit of trekking in black bear country. I've encountered black bears up close, one pushing 500-600 lbs. Hunters have taken then in these areas approaching 800 lbs. I have never, ever, seen a bear in the areas I go that were aggressive in the least. But I do have some concern about walking down a closed road surrounded by brush and trees and then suddenly encountering a female with cubs when the road enters a cultivated field. I did that once and the mother was about a 100 yards off. The cubs ran in the direction opposite from me and the mother stood there staring at me. I backed up back to my truck which was about 40 yards away.

When I go off on foot, I usually carry my Glock 20 with flat nosed FMJ or a GP100 with 180 grain soft points. I don't even consider these quite adequate for an angry black bear, much less something bigger and more aggressive. But I like the idea of a gun that I can pull and start shooting without having to worry about a safety.

And there is the distinct possibility you don't even see a bear until it is on you. You may have to pull the trigger on it while it is biting on you. You need utmost reliability. In big bear country, I'd only rely on a big-bore double action revolver.

This is a really sad case that one of the videos I posted earlier discusses.

https://www.wyofile.com/10mm-g...atal-grizzly-attack/

Well , heck ... I'll jump in with no bear experience at all ( disclaimer ! ). I think that I would consider a revolver chambered in 454 casul . Mid-length barrel that has been ported.
For situations where bears are not a threat , I'd load it with 45 Colt ( with appropriate bullets and load). When in bear country , it would be loaded with 454 casul with the heaviest loads that I , personally, could shoot reasonably well at short range.

Just my un-informed opinion ! mike

You say you are deer and elk hunting, so I assume you will be carrying a rifle in a suitable caliber. If so, you already have your bear defense. If you want to engage in the argument that a handgun will be faster to use (because I know you'll be putting in a lot of practice drawing and firing while wearing a pack, warm clothes, a bino harness, etc) then feel free to carry on with your fantasy.

quote:

Originally posted by mesabi:
You say you are deer and elk hunting, so I assume you will be carrying a rifle in a suitable caliber. If so, you already have your bear defense. If you want to engage in the argument that a handgun will be faster to use (because I know you'll be putting in a lot of practice drawing and firing while wearing a pack, warm clothes, a bino harness, etc) then feel free to carry on with your fantasy.

If you are hunting elk in Wyoming, Montana or Idaho, wouldn't your rifle in a scabbard a lot of time? Is your rifle going to be in your hands when you are field dressing a deer or elk? That's precisely what happened to Mark Uptain who was killed by a grizzly in Wyoming in 2018 - he was attacked when he was field dressing an elk. How much distance can a grizzly close while your are fumbling with a safety or cycling a bolt? If a grizzly seizes you, is there any chance whatsoever you will be able to jam a rifle into it and fire?

The fantasy is alive and well in Southeast Virginia.

If you're horseback hunting I suppose your rifle might be in a scabbard. If you think you'll be effective with a handgun on the back of a bear-spooked horse.... Well, carry-on John Wayne. My rifle isn't in my hands while field dressing game, but a handgun wouldn't be, either. But my rifle is close by, and very little trumps situational awareness.

Alaskan grizzly? - I'm scared to death of those things. If pushed, I would reply that nothing short of an "88" - the type used by the Germans in WWII would suffice. Of course they would be a little hard to carry... so with reality in mind - If I EVER went into the Alaskan outback I would insist on having at least THREE companions - all equipped with 44 magnum handguns... and ALL award-winning competition shooters. If that is too much then I would ask you: Why in the world do you want to borrow trouble??

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
I'd like to suggest something more substantial and decisive.

[FLASH_VIDEO]<iframe frameborder="0" height="408" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oGmcf6qjI7g" width="725"></iframe>[/FLASH_VIDEO]

Can't really disagree with your choice, put enough 50 BMG into Griz and he will stop sooner or later. However I prefer a certain One Shot Stop if I'm facing a grizzly, so my choice would be an RPG. Hey, if you blow one into little bitty pieces it's a Stop isn't it?

On a more serious note, for a Western Grizzly I would want to have something long the lines of a 44 Magnum or more. In the 44 Magnum an easy to carry revolver would be the S&W model 69. At somthing in the range of 34 ounces it's not too heavy to Trek with and it's a handy little pistol. If something larger is desired then you have 454 Casull, and the S&W 460 Magnum (3.5 inch XVR - 58.8 oz.) and 500 Magnums (4 inch - 55.6 oz). Note, the 460 will shoot 454 Casull and it's heavier than the 500 Magnum because smaller bores means more steel in the barrel and cylinder.

For an Alaskan Brown or Grizzly I would suggest a rifle, a big bore heavy hitting rifle. Only because RPG are illegal to carry while hunting. Those bears are freaking huge and can hit 35 MPH in a short sprint.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Scooter123,

Pretty good article on the subject right here;

https://www.ammoland.com/2018/...liber/#axzz5YxNXZA4q

Every individual needs to make their own decision after research. For me personally, I want to get as many accurate shots off as possible in the shortest amount of time. For me, that is not a big revolver and I’m just not realistically going to dedicate the time necessary for it to ever be the case. I personally feel comfortable with a semi 9mm that I am proficient with loaded with the best penetrating bullets I can get (hard cast or buffalo bore).

In the lower 48 I carry a Glock 20 with hard cast rounds. I also have a semi-custom Marlin SBL chambered in 45-70 with +P hard cast rounds and a Versa Max Tactical I carry with slugs. I plan on upgrading my standard hunting slugs to Brenneke slugs. To be honest, I'm more concerned about a moose than a bear.