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Posted: 4/16/2012 12:06:08 PM EDT
[#1]
Thanks for all the advice (and sarcasm) guys. I am what I consider an experienced outdoorsman but this bear thing is completely new to me. My guide WILL have a pump 12 with slugs. I will ( wife also) have bear spray. I just don`t want to "need it and not have it" if the moment comes. After hearing thoughts today I`m leaning toward an S&W .50 with the 10.5 inch barrel. I do NOT want a scope on the beast. Any suggestions for a comfortable holster?
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Posted: 4/16/2012 12:12:35 PM EDT
[#2]
Quoted: Thanks for all the advice (and sarcasm) guys. I am what I consider an experienced outdoorsman but this bear thing is completely new to me. My guide WILL have a pump 12 with slugs. I will ( wife also) have bear spray. I just don`t want to "need it and not have it" if the moment comes. After hearing thoughts today I`m leaning toward an S&W .50 with the 10.5 inch barrel. I do NOT want a scope on the beast. Any suggestions for a comfortable holster? Yeah... Having it scoped would hurt even more, when the Grizzly laughs and shoves it up your a$$ |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 12:16:07 PM EDT
[#3]
Quoted:
Quoted:
20 yards and closing? A pike. If you feed it it's just going to keep coming back. 
. Yes, but a pike (or pickerel) with a grenade in its' gullet will do the job. |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 12:18:19 PM EDT
[#4]
S&W 500
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Posted: 4/16/2012 12:18:31 PM EDT
[#5]
Honestly its not as much cal choice as the ability to shoot strait when getting charged.
Will you be able to stand your ground? Will you be able to hit a target moving all over the place coming right at you? Will you be able to reload fast enough if you need to? There are lots of things to consider besides cal choice. While I agree you need a good round, you better spend some time shooting it before you trust your life to it. 
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Posted: 4/16/2012 12:20:27 PM EDT
[#6]
Quoted:
.454 this...nothing less than .44 mag. |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 12:20:44 PM EDT
[#7]
If I remember when I get home tonight from work. I will post pics of the plaster cast I made of "D"rizzly tracks where I was fishing on the Little Susitna river just outside of Wasilla. It only took me about 15 mins each way from the river to Wal-Mart to buy the plaster.
 A 12 ga with slugs would work good, could be slung while fishing. Pistol 500 S & W would work good. |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 12:21:15 PM EDT
[#8]
Quoted:
7mm Lebel So you can drop it and run.  
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Posted: 4/16/2012 12:22:29 PM EDT
[#9]
I`ve ridden bulls, crashed airplanes, fought the battles of owning a business for thirty years. I understand what you`re saying ,,,,and yes I can stand and fight.
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Posted: 4/16/2012 12:22:43 PM EDT
[#10]
You'll be lucky to get one shot off. Make it count. I'd probably go with 44 mag or 454 casul.
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Posted: 4/16/2012 12:24:23 PM EDT
[#11]
Quoted:
870 with Brennekes or a 45/70 guide gun loaded with buffalo bores This is the best answer since most people own one or the other, or could use one or the other for other activities, where the .375 H&H and up bolt guns are somewhat limited in cost and practicality elsewhere. |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 12:25:02 PM EDT
[#12]
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Posted: 4/16/2012 12:26:12 PM EDT
[#13]
Any revolver chambered in .44 mag or bigger would be just fine.
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Posted: 4/16/2012 12:30:32 PM EDT
[#14]
......."Hey...what are you doing there?"......................"ummmm...nuttin"
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Posted: 4/16/2012 12:32:57 PM EDT
[#15]
Quoted:
Guys, I should have mentioned that the guide WILL have a 12 gauge. I was asking about a PISTOL round. The 20 yard comment was a worst case scenario. I do understand the situational awareness angle as well as the bear spray bit. Check out the 460 Roland.....................44 mag power, easy carry, fast follow up shots. |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 12:40:40 PM EDT
[#16]
Any gun is better than no gun. I'd find a way to mount bear spray to the rails of my handgun, and I'd shoot it with whatever caliber I had while spraying it in the face.
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Posted: 4/16/2012 12:56:44 PM EDT
[#17]
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Posted: 4/16/2012 12:59:00 PM EDT
[#18]
Make sure you take bear spray as well.
It has been proven to work better than handguns in most cases. |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 1:05:43 PM EDT
[#19]
Quoted: Probably was trying to figure out why there was a doe in heat up a tree........"Hey...what are you doing there?"......................"ummmm...nuttin" |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 1:26:41 PM EDT
[#20]
Quoted:
Thanks for all the advice (and sarcasm) guys. I am what I consider an experienced outdoorsman but this bear thing is completely new to me. My guide WILL have a pump 12 with slugs. I will ( wife also) have bear spray. I just don`t want to "need it and not have it" if the moment comes. After hearing thoughts today I`m leaning toward an S&W .50 with the 10.5 inch barrel. I do NOT want a scope on the beast. Any suggestions for a comfortable holster? I have a Super Black Hawk .44mag with a 10.5" barrel. If I'm trying to clear leather on a huge charging critter it wouldn't be a good choice. At all. What you lose in velocity from a much shorter barrel is not gonna matter to the bear. But getting rounds on target REAL FAST just might be fairly important to you right about then... If you really want to go 10.5 you probably should consider one of the chest-rig holsters. Good luck & have fun!
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Posted: 4/16/2012 1:32:47 PM EDT
[#21]
Bear spray, handheld marine flare, or .454 Casull. Having worked with guides in the Katmai national park, they prefer the flares.
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Posted: 4/16/2012 1:38:04 PM EDT
[#22]
I'll vote for whatever round that Shane used on Otis.
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Posted: 4/16/2012 1:38:28 PM EDT
[#23]
Sw500
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Posted: 4/16/2012 1:42:41 PM EDT
[#24]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Guys, I should have mentioned that the guide WILL have a 12 gauge. I was asking about a PISTOL round. The 20 yard comment was a worst case scenario. I do understand the situational awareness angle as well as the bear spray bit. Check out the 460 Roland.....................44 mag power, easy carry, fast follow up shots. That is a nifty deal! I don`t own a revolver and don`t want to be limited to just five shots. Thanks! |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 1:46:22 PM EDT
[#25]
.500 S&W
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Posted: 4/16/2012 1:48:48 PM EDT
[#26]
Quoted:
Thanks for all the advice (and sarcasm) guys. I am what I consider an experienced outdoorsman but this bear thing is completely new to me. My guide WILL have a pump 12 with slugs. I will ( wife also) have bear spray. I just don`t want to "need it and not have it" if the moment comes. After hearing thoughts today I`m leaning toward an S&W .50 with the 10.5 inch barrel. I do NOT want a scope on the beast. Any suggestions for a comfortable holster? OP coming from someone who sells a lot of firearms and grew up hunting in Alaska, DON'T get the 10.5" 500. Get the 6.5" 460 at the most. Shorter barrels come around faster. I'd personally go with the Ruger Alaskan loaded with 340gr +P+ loads if you wanted overkill. I would prefer the chance of a followup shot and get a lighter load though. The +P+ load duplicates a heavy 454 performance wise without a lot of the issues of round setback. Another neat choice is the BFR in 45-70 if you want to go crazy 
The other consideration is holster choice. We recommend one of the locally made chest rigs that keeps it inside your waders tucked on your sternum. Keeps it dry and center mass, yet easily acessable. Seriously, hop in the AK HTF and check out Alaska Outdoor Forums. |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 1:51:17 PM EDT
[#27]
Quoted:
A pistol is a poor choice, but if that is all you carry, then so be it. .460 S&W. Nice thing is you can practice with .45 LC, move up to 454 Casull, and finally top it off with 460 rounds. The .460 wounds on one end and kills on the other.
Five full power rounds are about all I can stand and my entire arm aches after shooting them. I have the 5" version. You can find them very very lightly used and cheap.
Mine came with a holster, brass, dies, and a box of factory 460 ammo with five rounds missing. http://www.thegunsource.com/DisplayPic.aspx?PIC=56728 +1 Just make sure you aim well, because that pistol is not easy to string tight groups with follow-up shots. |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 1:51:57 PM EDT
[#28]
Quoted:
So you want a pistol round to deal with the scenario of an angry charging Grizzly Bear? I think a 9mm would end your suffering fast enough and would be light enough to pack. 
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Posted: 4/16/2012 1:52:54 PM EDT
[#29]
Quoted: Quoted: Thanks for all the advice (and sarcasm) guys. I am what I consider an experienced outdoorsman but this bear thing is completely new to me. My guide WILL have a pump 12 with slugs. I will ( wife also) have bear spray. I just don`t want to "need it and not have it" if the moment comes. After hearing thoughts today I`m leaning toward an S&W .50 with the 10.5 inch barrel. I do NOT want a scope on the beast. Any suggestions for a comfortable holster? OP coming from someone who sells a lot of firearms and grew up hunting in Alaska, DON'T get the 10.5" 500. Get the 6.5" 460 at the most. Shorter barrels come around faster. I'd personally go with the Ruger Alaskan loaded with 340gr +P+ loads if you wanted overkill. I would prefer the chance of a followup shot and get a lighter load though. The +P+ load duplicates a heavy 454 performance wise without a lot of the issues of round setback. Another neat choice is the BFR in 45-70 if you want to go crazy The other consideration is holster choice. We recommend one of the locally made chest rigs that keeps it inside your waders tucked on your sternum. Keeps it dry and center mass, yet easily acessable. Seriously, hop in the AK HTF and check out Alaska Outdoor Forums. We also deal with Brown Bears in the lower 48, also. Some of us deal with them alot. |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 1:53:18 PM EDT
[#30]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Thanks for all the advice (and sarcasm) guys. I am what I consider an experienced outdoorsman but this bear thing is completely new to me. My guide WILL have a pump 12 with slugs. I will ( wife also) have bear spray. I just don`t want to "need it and not have it" if the moment comes. After hearing thoughts today I`m leaning toward an S&W .50 with the 10.5 inch barrel. I do NOT want a scope on the beast. Any suggestions for a comfortable holster? OP coming from someone who sells a lot of firearms and grew up hunting in Alaska, DON'T get the 10.5" 500. Get the 6.5" 460 at the most. Shorter barrels come around faster. I'd personally go with the Ruger Alaskan loaded with 340gr +P+ loads if you wanted overkill. I would prefer the chance of a followup shot and get a lighter load though. The +P+ load duplicates a heavy 454 performance wise without a lot of the issues of round setback. Another neat choice is the BFR in 45-70 if you want to go crazy
The other consideration is holster choice. We recommend one of the locally made chest rigs that keeps it inside your waders tucked on your sternum. Keeps it dry and center mass, yet easily acessable. Seriously, hop in the AK HTF and check out Alaska Outdoor Forums. Thank you for the sound advice. This is a serious issue to us as we will be in really remote places due to the helicopter. I wouldn`t be so worried if I were combat fishing with lots of other anglers making racket all day. |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 1:53:55 PM EDT
[#31]
Quoted:
Real guides in AK carry 12ga slugs. If limited to a pistol though. 454 |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 1:56:46 PM EDT
[#32]
Always a bunch of crappy advice in these threads.
I always carry a can of bear spray AND my .44mag loaded with 300 grain hardcast when I'm in bear country down here (MT). In AK... I'd choose to carry .454, .460 or .500. The .460 is a great gun because you can shoot .45LC, .454, and .460 in it. |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 2:00:13 PM EDT
[#33]
20 yards? You be fucked.
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Posted: 4/16/2012 2:03:07 PM EDT
[#34]
Quoted:
Thanks for all the advice (and sarcasm) guys. I am what I consider an experienced outdoorsman but this bear thing is completely new to me. My guide WILL have a pump 12 with slugs. I will ( wife also) have bear spray. I just don`t want to "need it and not have it" if the moment comes. After hearing thoughts today I`m leaning toward an S&W .50 with the 10.5 inch barrel. I do NOT want a scope on the beast. Any suggestions for a comfortable holster? I'm not a fan of "pigs" the size of the long-barreled .500. The 5" and snubby S&W X-frames are bad enough to carry. That long-barrel is getting to the point that you might as well shoulder a light 12 gauge and have even more power. Seriously... pulling out a giant hog-leg like that isn't going to come any faster than whipping a slung 12 gauge around. That's why I choose to carry a 4" .44mag down here in the states... cause that's as big as I wanna lug around for the off-chance I have to use it. |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 2:04:34 PM EDT
[#35]
Quoted:
20 yards? You be fucked. Pretty true. A griz/brown can cover 20 yards in a few seconds. Better make that ONE shot count! Aim for the nose/mouth/upper-chest area and send a 300+ grain, flat-nosed, hard bullet straight... |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 2:09:16 PM EDT
[#36]
These comments are precisely why I posed my question. I don`t INTEND to shoot a bear. I just want a fighting chance. It is possible, but highly improbable, that the wife and I will be apart by as much as 100 yards and if this happens the guide will be WITH her. Out of curiosity,,,,how close does a bear have to be before you`re legal to shoot in self defense? I`m better than a "pretty good shot" especially when I practice properly.
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Posted: 4/16/2012 2:15:26 PM EDT
[#37]
Bear spray
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Posted: 4/16/2012 2:18:46 PM EDT
[#38]
Quoted: These comments are precisely why I posed my question. I don`t INTEND to shoot a bear. I just want a fighting chance. It is possible, but highly improbable, that the wife and I will be apart by as much as 100 yards by and if this happens the guide will be WITH her. Out of curiosity,,,,how close does a bear have to be before your legal to shoot in self defense? I`m better than a "pretty good shot" especially when I practice properly. I will tell you this. I live in Grizzly and big cat country. I know of one rancher, very prominent fellow, that shot a Mountain Lion in self defense. I know this gentleman to hold to his word, and wince at telling tall tales, so it was a good shoot based on his word (also, Mountain Lions are not as much of a threat to livestock out of calving season as other predators (wolves)). Game & Fish brought in a forensics team and basically treated it like he had shot a human being. It was idiotic, and I believe it to be a by-product of giving human characteristics and emotions to animals. Anyway, you will have to treat it like a human self defense shooting. Be aware, though, that bears will false charge, and you guys that do not deal with anything other than black bears need to understand that only experience will teach you the good from the bad...much as with anything in life. You also need to understand, and your guide should, that there are situations that you need to avoid. When elk hunting, I always expect a bear to be sitting on the carcass, and plan my route accordingly. There are many unspoken rules, and situational awareness needs to be paramount. These thing move faster than you could ever imagine, and most people could not get a shot off within 50 yards, having to unholster. If it is not a false charge, you are pretty much fucked, except for the few cool stories that make the papers. I carry a medium bore rifle elk hunting in the Bighorns, and a .454 Casull for backup. You should train to grab your bear spray first, because it will be the most effective if your guide's rifle doesn't stop it. |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 2:24:27 PM EDT
[#39]
Quoted:
These comments are precisely why I posed my question. I don`t INTEND to shoot a bear. I just want a fighting chance. It is possible, but highly improbable, that the wife and I will be apart by as much as 100 yards and if this happens the guide will be WITH her. Out of curiosity,,,,how close does a bear have to be before you`re legal to shoot in self defense? I`m better than a "pretty good shot" especially when I practice properly. You don't want to shoot a bear at 100 yds. Shooting a far-away bear may just get his attention enough to make him want to attack you. Many bears will bluff-charge and veer-off the charge once they get close to the object of their charge. So when to shoot is really the $64K question... just like self-defense. If you truly feel threatened, then you make the choice to shoot. But know that it's a lot like shooting a human in self-defense in that once you're all-in... you're all-in. Actually... it's worse. Because a bear is a LOT tougher than a human and getting shot may just anger the bear and make it want to stop what it feels is a threat to it. At any rate... there is a LOT of information out on the web about people who've had actual run-ins with bears, not to mention a lot of great books on the subject. Unfortunately, there are a few here who live in AK and a few others who have a good idea of how to prepare for bears... but you always get a few people from urban areas or whose bear-education revolves around black bears –– and their advice to carry a hi-cap Glock or AK is completely ignorant. Bear encounters don't go-down like that. They go-down where you're walking down a trail and all of the sudden you hear an explosion out of the willows you're walking next to and then a HUGE, smelly bear is knocking you over and shaking you in its mouth like a dog with a chew toy. Or you're float-fishing and having a sweet day when you float round the corner and there's a big ole bruin standing there for an instant before she charges your boat through the water –– and the whole time you're pissing yourself while you're trying to get your gun/spray out fast enough. Also, check with the guides up there regarding their advice. They deal with them all the time and know what to do to best handle a bear... |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 2:27:50 PM EDT
[#40]
Quoted:
Quoted:
These comments are precisely why I posed my question. I don`t INTEND to shoot a bear. I just want a fighting chance. It is possible, but highly improbable, that the wife and I will be apart by as much as 100 yards by and if this happens the guide will be WITH her. Out of curiosity,,,,how close does a bear have to be before your legal to shoot in self defense? I`m better than a "pretty good shot" especially when I practice properly. I will tell you this. I live in Grizzly and big cat country. I know of one rancher, very prominent fellow, that shot a Mountain Lion in self defense. I know this gentleman to hold to his word, and wince at telling tall tales, so it was a good shoot based on his word (also, Mountain Lions are not as much of a threat to livestock out of calving season as other predators (wolves)). Game & Fish brought in a forensics team and basically treated it like he had shot a human being. It was idiotic, and I believe it to be a by-product of giving human characteristics and emotions to animals. Anyway, you will have to treat it like a human self defense shooting. Be aware, though, that bears will false charge, and you guys that do not deal with anything other than black bears need to understand that only experience will teach you the good from the bad...much as with anything in life. You also need to understand, and your guide should, that there are situations that you need to avoid. When elk hunting, I always expect a bear to be sitting on the carcass, and plan my route accordingly. There are many unspoken rules, and situational awareness needs to be paramount. These thing move faster than you could ever imagine, and most people could not get a shot off within 50 yards, having to unholster. If it is not a false charge, you are pretty much fucked, except for the few cool stories that make the papers. I carry a medium bore rifle elk hunting in the Bighorns, and a .454 Casull for backup. You should train to grab your bear spray first, because it will be the most effective if your guide's rifle doesn't stop it. You beat me to most of my advice. I grew-up in Cody and my dad still lives there. I spent a lot of time up the North and South Fork of the Shoshone and in the Bighorns. I live in Billings now, but still get to the Bighorns about once a year. Are there griz up there? I was pretty sure it was just black bear country. At least it was when I lived in Cody. West and South of Cody has always been griz country though. |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 2:28:41 PM EDT
[#41]
Quoted:
470 NE double Rifle When you have to be sure, go African yep. theres vids on the net of some guy in afrika hunts hippos with big double rifles. tries to get the hippos mad so they charge. some vids the hippo is less than 20 feet away in a charge before they shoot. hippos all end up DRT. i'd rather face a bear than a hippo. |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 2:30:35 PM EDT
[#42]
Quoted:
Quoted:
470 NE double Rifle When you have to be sure, go African yep. theres vids on the net of some guy in afrika hunts hippos with big double rifles. tries to get the hippos mad so they charge. some vids the hippo is less than 20 feet away in a charge before they shoot. hippos all end up DRT. i'd rather face a bear than a hippo. True dat. But I'd rather carry something in AK that won't have all the locals looking at you like  .
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Posted: 4/16/2012 2:31:13 PM EDT
[#43]
I will spare you alot of reading. I lived in Alaska for a short period.
Taking down a grizzly, especially one in Kodiak is a gamble. Most guys I know carry at minimum a .357 mag loaded with bear loads. The 44 mag and 454 Casull are popular as well. Every once in a great while you see something stupid like the S&W 500. Shotguns with slugs are better. If you are going remote fishing most guys I know up there carry shotguns with slugs. Usually on the guys hunting carry handguns, or hikers/campers. If you are fishing the bears usually just want fish. You are not allowed to shoot bears to keep your fish. Something to think about. There have been documented cases in recent years where guys have killed bears with both 9mm and .45 ACP. I just carried my .45 when i was out there. I wasn't buying a special gun that may or may not have allowed me to survive an extremely rare chance encounter. On top of that somebody else already brought up the training point. You don't just pick up a revolver loaded with these rounds and become proficient with them after one trip to the range. |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 2:32:17 PM EDT
[#44]
Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: These comments are precisely why I posed my question. I don`t INTEND to shoot a bear. I just want a fighting chance. It is possible, but highly improbable, that the wife and I will be apart by as much as 100 yards by and if this happens the guide will be WITH her. Out of curiosity,,,,how close does a bear have to be before your legal to shoot in self defense? I`m better than a "pretty good shot" especially when I practice properly. I will tell you this. I live in Grizzly and big cat country. I know of one rancher, very prominent fellow, that shot a Mountain Lion in self defense. I know this gentleman to hold to his word, and wince at telling tall tales, so it was a good shoot based on his word (also, Mountain Lions are not as much of a threat to livestock out of calving season as other predators (wolves)). Game & Fish brought in a forensics team and basically treated it like he had shot a human being. It was idiotic, and I believe it to be a by-product of giving human characteristics and emotions to animals. Anyway, you will have to treat it like a human self defense shooting. Be aware, though, that bears will false charge, and you guys that do not deal with anything other than black bears need to understand that only experience will teach you the good from the bad...much as with anything in life. You also need to understand, and your guide should, that there are situations that you need to avoid. When elk hunting, I always expect a bear to be sitting on the carcass, and plan my route accordingly. There are many unspoken rules, and situational awareness needs to be paramount. These thing move faster than you could ever imagine, and most people could not get a shot off within 50 yards, having to unholster. If it is not a false charge, you are pretty much fucked, except for the few cool stories that make the papers. I carry a medium bore rifle elk hunting in the Bighorns, and a .454 Casull for backup. You should train to grab your bear spray first, because it will be the most effective if your guide's rifle doesn't stop it. You beat me to most of my advice. I grew-up in Cody and my dad still lives there. I spent a lot of time up the North and South Fork of the Shoshone and in the Bighorns. I live in Billings now, but still get to the Bighorns about once a year. Are there griz up there? I was pretty sure it was just black bear country. At least it was when I lived in Cody. West and South of Cody has always been griz country though. Yes, they are spreading like wildfire, with no season on them. As a matter of fact, I know people that have given up chasing the fantastic bull elk of the Sunlight Basin because the Grizzlies are as thick as mosquitoes. |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 2:38:44 PM EDT
[#45]
Quoted:
Yes, they are spreading like wildfire, with no season on them. As a matter of fact, I know people that have given up chasing the fantastic bull elk of the Sunlight Basin because the Grizzlies are as thick as mosquitoes. Damn... I've just been packing my 9mm Kahr the past few years when up in the Horns. Guess I'll pack the .44 (and pepper spray) up there too then. I do know that the griz are spreading like wildfire. I'm getting DAMN tired of it and now I see TV commercials from these damn nature groups calling the griz "extremely endangered". Yeah... just ask the people who LIVE with them how endangered they are. There needs to be a season on griz in WY and MT (and maybe other lower-48 states) because they are starting to cause problems and the danger of human-bear encounters is going to do WAY up. These idiot tree-huggers won't be happy until the bears (and wolves) are EVERYWHERE and we've all been eaten by them!
BTW... no surprize to me that they've gone into the Sunlight basin, because the areas west and northwest of there were bear country even back in the early 80s when I was a kid and used to spend time up there. It's right on the backporch of YNP, so that makes sense. I just didn't realize they'd finally made the jump to the Horns... as they are like an island by themselves out there. |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 2:42:21 PM EDT
[#46]
Quoted: Quoted: Yes, they are spreading like wildfire, with no season on them. As a matter of fact, I know people that have given up chasing the fantastic bull elk of the Sunlight Basin because the Grizzlies are as thick as mosquitoes. Damn... I've just been packing my 9mm Kahr the past few years when up in the Horns. Guess I'll pack the .44 (and pepper spray) up there too then. I do know that the griz are spreading like wildfire. I'm getting DAMN tired of it and now I see TV commercials from these damn nature groups calling the griz "extremely endangered". Yeah... just ask the people who LIVE with them how endangered they are. There needs to be a season on griz in WY and MT (and maybe other lower-48 states) because they are starting to cause problems and the danger of human-bear encounters is going to do WAY up. These idiot tree-huggers won't be happy until the bears (and wolves) are EVERYWHERE and we've all been eaten by them!BTW... no surprize to me that they've gone into the Sunlight basin, because the areas west and northwest of there were bear country even back in the early 80s when I was a kid and used to spend time up there. It's right on the backporch of YNP, so that makes sense. I just didn't realize they'd finally made the jump to the Horns... as they are like an island by themselves out there. It's sad, really. When a predator does not know what it's like to be hunted by man for generations, and mix it with the city tourists that come here in droves, it is a disaster in the making. |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 2:43:58 PM EDT
[#47]
Quoted:
I will spare you alot of reading. I lived in Alaska for a short period. Taking down a grizzly, especially one in Kodiak is a gamble. Most guys I know carry at minimum a .357 mag loaded with bear loads. The 44 mag and 454 Casull are popular as well. Every once in a great while you see something stupid like the S&W 500. Shotguns with slugs are better. If you are going remote fishing most guys I know up there carry shotguns with slugs. Usually on the guys hunting carry handguns, or hikers/campers. If you are fishing the bears usually just want fish. You are not allowed to shoot bears to keep your fish. Something to think about. There have been documented cases in recent years where guys have killed bears with both 9mm and .45 ACP. I just carried my .45 when i was out there. I wasn't buying a special gun that may or may not have allowed me to survive an extremely rare chance encounter. On top of that somebody else already brought up the training point. You don't just pick up a revolver loaded with these rounds and become proficient with them after one trip to the range. This is true. And the AK guides used to hunt and shoot them with the .30-06. But I still believe in packing the best tool for the job (within reason) and carrying a 9 or .45ACP in known bear country isn't even close. The bullets that most people carry in semi-auto calibers are woefully inadequate to provide proven stopping power against hard, mean targets like griz. And bear encounters usually happen so fast that people don't often get off a lot of shots. Anyways... not discounting your real and valid Alaskan experience... I just would NOT personally choose to pack a standard NATO semi-auto in known griz country. |
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Posted: 4/16/2012 2:45:55 PM EDT
[#48]
Somebody cue the story from a year or two ago where the Canuck beath the mama grizzly to death with a stick....
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Posted: 4/16/2012 2:47:53 PM EDT
[#49]
Oh... and another repeat that me and a bunch of others have said... whether you choose to pack a gun or not... DO carry bear spray. It really is THE BEST way to handle a charging bear. No worries about the Fish & Wildlife guys spanking you for spray a bear that's threatening you. In fact, most people in the know encourage that because it send a message to the bear that says "stay away from humans" and does it in such a way that the officials don't have to go tracking a wounded bear.
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Posted: 4/16/2012 2:48:21 PM EDT
[#50]
Quoted: Somebody cue the story from a year or two ago where the Canuck beath the mama grizzly to death with a stick.... There is a story of a camp wife beating a juvenile Grizz with a frying pan between Cheyenne and Laramie when the UP was rolling through. These stories are feel good like the basement dwelling nerd getting the supermodel. |
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