Sidearm for Bear
#3
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 10
RE: Sidearm for Bear
I dont want this to sound like I am breaking your balls or anything, but I think your chain of events is a little off on this one. You should have made the post and then get some feed back before you got the gun. With that said, I would say no. Hell no!! Now there are going to be people who say with a well placed shot you could deff drop a bear with that caliber. But lets put it in context here, you said protection. Which to me means "the S@#T has hit the fan, which also means you have a charging Grizzly Bear. If that is indeed the case I would like my handgun cartrige to look as much like a rifle cartrige as possible and if it just happen to say .MAG at the end of it all the more better..... I would really take a look at some of the guns S&W puts out for that exact situation...Pull the trigger and worry about your wrists later, at least you will be alive... Hope that helped...
#4
RE: Sidearm for Bear
ORIGINAL: BINUSH
I dont want this to sound like I am breaking your balls or anything, but I think your chain of events is a little off on this one. You should have made the post and then get some feed back before you got the gun. With that said, I would say no. Hell no!! Now there are going to be people who say with a well placed shot you could deff drop a bear with that caliber. But lets put it in context here, you said protection. Which to me means "the S@#T has hit the fan, which also means you have a charging Grizzly Bear. If that is indeed the case I would like my handgun cartrige to look as much like a rifle cartrige as possible and if it just happen to say .MAG at the end of it all the more better..... I would really take a look at some of the guns S&W puts out for that exact situation...Pull the trigger and worry about your wrists later, at least you will be alive... Hope that helped...
I dont want this to sound like I am breaking your balls or anything, but I think your chain of events is a little off on this one. You should have made the post and then get some feed back before you got the gun. With that said, I would say no. Hell no!! Now there are going to be people who say with a well placed shot you could deff drop a bear with that caliber. But lets put it in context here, you said protection. Which to me means "the S@#T has hit the fan, which also means you have a charging Grizzly Bear. If that is indeed the case I would like my handgun cartrige to look as much like a rifle cartrige as possible and if it just happen to say .MAG at the end of it all the more better..... I would really take a look at some of the guns S&W puts out for that exact situation...Pull the trigger and worry about your wrists later, at least you will be alive... Hope that helped...
#7
RE: Sidearm for Bear
ORIGINAL: DM
I'd take a short bbled shotgun with slugs over a handgun any day of the week...
DM
I'd take a short bbled shotgun with slugs over a handgun any day of the week...
DM
#8
RE: Sidearm for Bear
I'm mostly in Black Bear, Cougar, and Wolf country, but there are a few Griz around. I pack a S&W 686 7 shot with a six inch barrel in .357. I usually stoke it with some 158 grain hard cast flat points loaded to about 1300 fps, so I'll get good penetration on targets. While I wouldn't want to have to bet on stopping a Griz in its tracks with this set up, any larger caliber gun with a long enough barrel for accuracy, I find just too heavy to lug around on hiking and backpacking trips when I don't have my rifle with me. Maybe an animal would take seven of these rounds and keep comming, but I guess I'll play the odds of A: Avoiding the confrontation in the first place, and B: 7 158 grainers persuading the beast to find an easier meal elswhere.
#9
RE: Sidearm for Bear
ORIGINAL: Bergcrane2
That might make it tough hunting though. A heavy sidearm is bad enough. I think I'd like 5 or 6 shots rather than 2 also.
ORIGINAL: DM
I'd take a short bbled shotgun with slugs over a handgun any day of the week...
DM
I'd take a short bbled shotgun with slugs over a handgun any day of the week...
DM
#10
Typical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: NOVA
Posts: 780
RE: Sidearm for Bear
AKJeff is right. it happens really fast. I have never been attacked by a grizzly however i have been charged at by a black bear. I just raised my bow over my head to look tall and got really lucky the bear turned.
However i do know a guy that has been attacked a couple times by grizzly's. He is a guide in wyoming. the first time the bear charged picking him up by his side and shaking him like a dog shakes a chew tow. His hunter shot the bear with a cross bow, he got lucky. his gun was shaken from his hand and he never got off a shot.
the second time the bear charged, and grabbed him by his leg. and started dragging him into the timber that time the hand gun worked a little better, butas he said it wasnt full proof.
He now carries a small lever action winchester in a 44mag when he guides, he says anything with in 50yards is getting a warning and then shot! When he hunts he uses a 44mag ruger blackhawk, says the smaller it is the easier it is to pull out and shoot, you dont want a long barrel cause it will get hung up. But you should also get a holster that goes on your chest. chest holsters distribute weight better and wont cause you to fatigue as easy, also you can get the gun out easier!
However i do know a guy that has been attacked a couple times by grizzly's. He is a guide in wyoming. the first time the bear charged picking him up by his side and shaking him like a dog shakes a chew tow. His hunter shot the bear with a cross bow, he got lucky. his gun was shaken from his hand and he never got off a shot.
the second time the bear charged, and grabbed him by his leg. and started dragging him into the timber that time the hand gun worked a little better, butas he said it wasnt full proof.
He now carries a small lever action winchester in a 44mag when he guides, he says anything with in 50yards is getting a warning and then shot! When he hunts he uses a 44mag ruger blackhawk, says the smaller it is the easier it is to pull out and shoot, you dont want a long barrel cause it will get hung up. But you should also get a holster that goes on your chest. chest holsters distribute weight better and wont cause you to fatigue as easy, also you can get the gun out easier!