Stealthycat,
I am a professional hound hunter. we use dogs to hunt Black Bear and Lions. Shooting a treed bear has no resemblence to shooting a charging irate bear on the ground. When I'm hunting with dogs I use a .45LC or .44 mag My partner uses a .357. I wouldn't dream of using a pistol for hunting bears on the ground, totally different scenario. When a bear is treed I have the time to wait for the perfect shot. I always shoot them in the neck with a pistol. On the ground during a charge scenario you take what you can get. Sometimes it's good sometimes it's not. I also carry a .44 mag hot loaded with 320 grain hard cast bullets in AK that is in addition to either a slug loaded shot gun or a .375 or .45/70. The reason I carry a pistol is that it's always with you, at some point during the day you'll have to set your long gun down.

Blain,
I've got a sneakin suspicion that your Wyoming hunt story is a huge load of B.S.. If you won't give the name of your outfitter at least give us the area of Wyoming you were hunting. In all the years that I've been hunting in bear country AK NM CO WY MT I've only once ever had to shoot a bear and that was one I called in with a cow call. And the truth be known he was probably bluffing. The only other nasty I've ever had was last season when my brother got swatted by a blackie during elk season and that was over before anyone got a chance to do anything it happened so fast! But the one and only time you went on a hunt in Bear country it was a friggin disaster charging grizz and all. Sorry bud I just ain't buying that one.

Edited by - surestrike on 02/05/2002 18:15:29

Edited by - surestrike on 02/05/2002 18:29:40

Edited by - surestrike on 02/06/2002 10:16:40