It's really not nessary to take a gun for safety while hiking in bear country. They are nothing but dead weight. Let me let you in on THE SECRET. My Dad always told me, "You don't have to outrun the bear all you have to do is outrun the slowest person in your group". You may wish to reconsider who you ask along on your trip.

I don't know how to get them but, what about flashbangs/stun grenades the LEO use to scare a bear away? Or even M80's and blockbuster fireworks. The only thing with the fireworks is, if a damn bear is running 35 miles an hour toward you, how the hell are you going to light a match!! [:)]

i came up with the perfect solution m203 with 40mm high explosive grenades.

actually that company tromix that makes .458 caliber rifles seems like it might do the job pretty good, and guess what they now come in full auto(ooooouuuuuucccchhhh).I don't know what would hurt more the bear or get the hell beat out of you buy a full auto 458, imagine the barrel rise.

For Grizzley: a 30-06 Bolt Action Rifle or a Marlin Guide Gun in 45-70. (Note: Gibbs converts a Bolt Action Lee Enfield and chambers it in 45-70..it is stronger than Marlin Guide Gun).

For Alaskan Brown Bear on the coast...a Bolt Action Rifle in 375 H&H Magnum (or one of the African calibers: 416 Rigby, 404 Jeffrey's, etc.)

Or a 12 Gauge Pump Action Shotgun will also do.

For side arm: both John Linebaugh and Bowen Arms converts Ruger Bisleys to handle 475 Linebaugh and 500 Linebaugh cartridges.

Yeah, I used to go hiking all the time in Alaska.  Sometimes in bear country.  Only had one encounter in all those years.

We were walking along, ran into a cub brown bear.  Cub bear=protective sow nearby.  Cub ran in one direction, we ran the other way.  Stood around, alert for a while, then continued.

Grizzly attacks do happen, a lot more frequently than polar bear attacks.  If you do encounter them, it is most likely to be at close quarters and surprise to all involved (I mean, would any intelligent person pursue a brown bear, advance towards them?)  So you'll want something you can draw fast like a big pistol, or is light so you can carry in your hands while hiking without tiring (carbine, short barrelled rifle).

flasht, how do you know grizzily dung tastes like jalapenos?[:D]

Think i will just stay home

I once read where guides in grizz country carried 12 guages with alternating slugs and #8 bird shot.....shoot at the bears face, and blind him with the bird shot, or blast him with slugs.

Personally, I think the playing dead trick would work....after shitting my pants, what bear would wanna eat anything that smelled THAT bad?

[shotgun]

Having lived in Fairbanks, Alaska for a few years, traveled the bush,and hunted grizzly once, here's my take on the issue. First, this is my opinion based on reading, talking with bear biologists in Alaska, and my personal encounters with black and grizzly bears. Blacks are the bears most likely to hunt people as food. Grizzly's attack then leave you alone (although you may need a hundred stitches or so). I personally carried a .338 with me until I got my 12ga pump. There are many more nonviolent encounters with grizzly bears than there are violent ones. Pepper spray has worked for people who used it before the charge - send a blast down-wind to the bear. I cannot vouch for it's effectiveness during a charge. I know people who go out in the bush without spray or a firearm and have no troubles, just being bear aware. If you are going to shoot a grizzly, aim for it's shoulders. Take out it's ability to run and then finish it off. I got invited to hunt with two guys I knew but had never hunted with before. We were supposed to be big MANLY hunters. We all had .338's (one KDF, my ears permanently ring to this day!). This was my bear, maybe 50 yds away and when I shot he dipped his head preventing my chest shot from getting him, bad shot (blasted his lower jaw btw). After my shot, the bear swung around and ran for the other side of the glacial stream and up a ten foot embankment. The other guys meanwhile,  showed their military training, peppering that bear with bullets. All told, the bear had six .338 wounds, these slowed it down. My follow up shot put him down for good. When a bear is excited nothing will keep it from reaching you unless you can take it's front legs out immediately, imho. I recommend a 12ga. with slugs or buckshot. One more thing, don't read any scary-bear tale books right before your trip, most of the time your imagination will ruin a trip before any bear will.

Best response yet.  LMAO

Hey, I went to that Tromix site and those rifles looked pretty awesome, however there wasn't a lot of info on these calibers.  Does anybody know what the ballistics of this .458 socom is??  Also according to their web site the sole supplier of ammo is CorBon.  Now having spoken with the CorBon people they say they only make self-defense ammo, i.e. they only make ammo that is JPH or the equivalent.  No FMJ.  Someone correct me if this is wrong.  I'm not sure that I'd want to shoot a Grizzly with anything in HP. Does anybody know what the reliability of these rifles is???????  Thanks.

Once asked old fellow from Alaska about this topic.  His reply was to forget about 30-06 having enough punch unless you had a BAR.  Said best thing was a 1911 and to empty it in bear's mouth.

Powderburner

you have apparently never smelt a bear.

....never encountered a g-bear, but many brown bears while in California...usually along the trails while hiking. I have had the wondeful experience of coming between a bear mom and her cub, not once, but twice [:D]Like a dumbshit I was walking down the trail admiring the plants and trail contour instead of watching what was ahead of me and WHAM!
...I always went sideways clearing the way for mama to have a straight line to her kids. Was kind of funny because the Ranger recommended the "bells around your neck or on your boots"..what a crock of shit. One thing still stands out very strongly in my mind... THE "Oh Shit" PUCKER FACTOR went off the scale. I don't think I could have stopped shaking to place "one shot" to put the bear down.
Now, if I was to make a trip to Alaska I would take a select fire Galil in 308 with a short barrel, and a handgun..( so I have something reach for after the bear has me by the neck )

rigid and my $0.02