Bears

pneumagger · Post by **pneumagger** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 11:34 pm

I remember seeing an ER show the other day were a 9mm bounced off the back of a guys head. Shot point blank execution style.
Lucky SOB

Anyways, for a bear - if a handgun cartridge doesn't have 'magnum' in it's name it's probably not good enough.

I'd like to see a bear shot with a TASER though.

Artful · Post by **Artful** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 10:17 am

pneumagger wrote: I'd like to see a bear shot with a TASER though.

Knowing the fur and in some spots gravel on bears I'm not sure I'd trust those little darts to get thru...

HKfanatic · Post by **HKfanatic** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 7:25 pm

My little Red Ryder BB Gun.....

When camping/hiking/outdoors around here I take my Smith J-Frame (.38spc, but this is rural Ohio: beware of the rabid squirrels). Weird enough there was a black bear lose in my region a year or two ago.....

If I was out camping where large carnivores were known I would consider either a magnum or 10mm handgun. A handgun can be easily carried on the body and quickly drawn for safety. A Glock 20 or possibly a Springfield Omega are nice 10mm, but the Springfield is ported so night vision could become a problem. If one wanted to minimize size of a firearm while retaining the 10mm there is always a Glock 29.....

A 12 gauge w/ slugs has previously been covered in this thread. Another perk of a 12 gauge is that you can shoot flares from it, which could be handy if lost/injured out in the middle of no where. But transporting and drawing some shotguns on the fly could be "inconvenient" at best

mtelkman · Post by **mtelkman** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 10:24 pm

I live in NW Montana. Lots of Griz in these parts. I used to carry a 4" titanium 44magnum revolver when hiking but have switched to a Glock 20. I feel way more comfortable with the Glock since I have trained with Glocks and taken combat handgun courses with Glocks. With the DoubleTap ammo described above I now have 16 rounds of slightly less powerful ammo (similar to 41mag) than the 6 rounds of the 44mag. In a stress situation I feel I am much more likely to actually make good hits on something with a gun I am very familiar with than one I am not.

That said, I would much prefer to pepper spray a bear if at all possible than shoot one with a handgun.

Dave3220 · Post by **Dave3220** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 12:44 pm

What I am most apt to have in my AO (inland Wash. blackbear and almost NO grizzly) is an old 50-70 rolling block carbine, CZ bolt action 7.62x39mm, or a single barrled Paradox-bored 16ga. that will throw a one ounce bullet @ 1,500+ fps, "iron sight rifle accurate" to 100 yds.(It also throws one once of shot in an imp. cyl. to "loose" mod. pattern, and doesn't recoil hard wiht the bullet, so it is a versatile weapon to carry while woods loafing.)

I have sold my .375, .45-70's (The old 50-70 is a soft "push") and .458 long ago, along with a shortened 3 1/2" 10 ga. SxS with rifle sights as I cannot take the recoil any more.
I don't shoot 12 ga. anymore, either. (Brenneke has historically produced the most dependable slug loads)

I have one rifle I would consider "good enough" for large bears if I were back in Alaska or a part of Montana where urus horribilus hangs out.
(I haven't yet "found a good home" for my pre-64 M-70 fwt. .308 w/ custom low profile peep sight and ten-shot magazine.)
This would do the job with the right bullets. (I'de look for 180 to 200 gr. RN's from Nosler or Barnes, or mebbe that Australian outfit that makes projectiles for most of the old classic African calibers. (?)

A poorly placed .375 or .458 is NOT as effective an -06' 220 gr. RN in the RIGHT place.
Over the years I think you will find that more large bears have fallen in Alaska to the old -06' than any other caliber, and possibly than ALL other calibers combined..
With now available powders and the wonderful bonded-core expanding bullets we have available nowadays, .308 can equal performance of early -06' loads in the "golden days" from early to mid-1900's, and -06' can now equal the old 300 H&H or Newton, as loaded THEN.

When I was very young I enjoyed carrying and shooting a 16 lb. original Sharps, but you have to be young and strong to handle a heavy rifle WELL when you are tired, border-line hypo-thermic, or sick.
If your rifle is not light and handy, you won't be able to handle it well...And if it is light and in a heavy caliber, you will almost certainly not be able to shoot it well regardless of your health & condition.

Given the right bullet (one that doesn't "blow-up"/shed the jacket) at the optimal fps, SHOT PLACEMENT IS ALL.

Dave3220

LACamper · Post by **LACamper** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 9:26 pm

I think Louisiana has about a dozen bears. God help you if you have to shoot one of them!

Gators and large hogs are an issue. Water moccasins are a bigger problem for campers though.

duey1267 · Post by **duey1267** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 7:07 am

I'll go with the Glock 20 and a Wild West Guns marlin in 457 WWM.

The Deerslayer · Post by **The Deerslayer** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 11:55 pm

Y'all don't know nothin, don't ya know you sposed to charge the critter what's chargin you?

Seriously though, guide gun or whatever floats your boat. .375s are real nice. People take this whole caliber thing way too seriously. You should be more concerned about putting that $3 dollar pill where it needs to go, and simpler is better. Point shoot dead bear. Or just don't sneak, make lots of noise if you're in griz country. Elks's and deers's and mooskies aren't that special that you need to sneak up on them, most of the time you can find em just find walking normally.

Brian HHI 7265 · Post by **Brian HHI 7265** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:59 pm

It's rare to meet a BB in the woods here in Maine, but during the moose rut I bring along my .50 Beowulf and a big magazine when we walk the dogs. It'd be just as effective against bears.

TROOPER · Post by **TROOPER** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 11:35 pm

Ammonia in an ordinary spray bottle might work well. A .375 H&H should be very destructive too. I don't see how a .50 Beowulf could go wrong provided you do your part in aiming.

I'd feel undergunned with any handgun except for maybe a .500 S&W - and if you miss you could still beat the bear to death with that cannon.

cqbdoc10 · Post by **cqbdoc10** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 1:01 am

Fling poo.

thunderhole · Post by **thunderhole** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 9:10 pm

cqbdoc10 wrote:Fling poo.

Will that work?

mudshark · Post by **mudshark** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 11:07 pm

Stu wrote:Here's a bear I wouldn't want to run into in the woods.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQoToUy4 ... re=related

I'm ashamed to admit it, but I watched that whole damn video. I couldn't stop. I knew it was wrong, I knew I shouldn't, but I just couldn't look away. I feel like I need to be turned into a pillar of salt!

It was funny as s--t, though.

Stu · Post by **Stu** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 12:06 am

"Woof like a bear for me!"

"Bears don't "woof."

-Shrug.

LOL it's okay. If I hadn't of watched the whole thing, I wouldn't have known it was so funny to show you guys. I bet you looked at some of the other videos to see if you could find one even more disturbing huh?

Smalldog · Post by **Smalldog** » Tue Nov 11, 2008 1:51 am

Man all of this talk about bears.

When I see them all caged up in the zoo, I roar at'em and then throw pre-soaked sponges full of anti-freeze over the fence at'em. That'll get'em.

In all seriousness, I just carried a Ruger (I know Arevalo) .44mag blackhawk around with me. But then again all I had to deal with was black bears.

Pity, I never saw a one.

husker71 · Post by **husker71** » Thu May 28, 2009 1:40 pm

Jump from a tree, stab through the spine and out the bottom of the throat with a SOG Fusion Spirit FS-01.

Black · Post by **Black** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 4:38 pm

Hey, Man. I'm from Montana and I have a cabin up around Seely Lake and do a lot of hiking, so bears are something I keep a look out for, also. I usually carry my XD .45 and a can of bear pepper spray (I'd use the spray, first). I've had a few encounters with some bears in the past, but they didn't really take too much notice to me. I just looked at the ground and backed away like I was taught.

alleycat72 · Post by **alleycat72** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 7:14 pm

458 Socom first

10mm second

continuity · Post by **continuity** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:51 pm

Would be glad that all 9 rounds in my 1100 were slugs, given that the M1 Abrahms was in the shop.

vff · Post by **vff** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 4:44 am

johndoe3 wrote:In Alaska, the Wildlife guys carry 7mm magnums for grizzley bears and took down the huge grizz that ate the "grizzley man" and his girlfriend with their 7mm magnum bolt guns. So... one can get carried away on the firepower needed for bears. But, whatever makes you feel comfortable. People have also taken down elephants with a brain shot with a 7mm magnum (according to Craig Boddington, Guns and Ammo magazine, Sept 2008).

I've killed both a black and a brown with my 7mm. The black bear went 30 ft after one shot and the brown bear went nowhere with two shots to take it out. But if I knew that there was a chance I'd be looking at a charging brown bear I'd rather have my .375 H&H.

MD3C · Post by **MD3C** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 2:25 am

[/quote]Just my opinion. I would probably be most comfortable with my 5in S&W Model 29 .44 Magnum and my 1895 Marlin in .45-70 together.[/quote]

Bingo! We have a winner

M

Buzduk · Post by **Buzduk** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 9:51 am

Must agree with everyone opting for the 45-70 guide gun. I would have some buffalo bores in there. Good luck to all of you with Glock G20 My uncle was attacked years ago while moose hunting , 6 rounds .357 point blank in bears torso while getting mauled. My uncle lived and they never found the bear. Search party found where bear wallowed in mud to clot wounds and then found scapes on a tree 13' high yes 13 feet high

Buzduk · Post by **Buzduk** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 10:18 am

After thinking about this. There is a difference between hunting a bear with a certain caliber and what I would want if a pissed off griz was charging me. Prob some thing like this would do:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPpNoBndEOE

CKOD · Post by **CKOD** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 11:27 am

AR-15 in .50 Beo or .458 Socom and a 90 round MWG drum mag loaded up with 30 of said cartrige. 1.2 LBS of bullets with just 300 grainers

Or for a pistol, something in 10mm Mag.

Not 10mm; 10mm mag

in the upper right, the cartrige on the right is standard 10mm auto.

BISHOP · Post by **BISHOP** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 11:59 am

I have a Canadian friend that works in the same ares that Ice Road Truckers do. Places like Yellowknife.
He was ossued a nice 12.5" 870 knockoff that has a pistolgrip.
He was told that ALWAYS keep that on or near your person at all times while up there, because of the bears.
I'll try to get a pic of his gun. I used to have it, but can't seem to find it at the time.

This is my toy. I'd be carrying my shotgun on the backpack easily accessable.

With a mix of slug and buckshot.

BISHOP

Bears

Ballistic "Bear Repellants''.....

Re: Handguns or long guns?