Best Handgun for Grizzly protection???
08-24-2009, 07:49 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location:
Posts: 1,408
If you are specifically buying a handgun for grizzly defense, you'd want a .50 S&W, .460 S&W, .454 Casull or a .44Mag. Basically, as much firepower as you can accurately shoot. Power means squat if you can't hit the broad side of a bear.
Otherwise, carry whatever you have. I carried my .40S&W Glock 23 last year, and will again this year. The local guy I was with had a .357Mag.
Basically, a grizz will usually not screw with you unless you surprise it. We had people seeing them all around us, we made a good amount of noise whenever walking in the dark or daylight when we didn't expect to see game and never saw them -- they move off when they hear you.
If one really wants you, no handgun will really be enough, but any handgun is better than your fingernails.
Otherwise, carry whatever you have. I carried my .40S&W Glock 23 last year, and will again this year. The local guy I was with had a .357Mag.
Basically, a grizz will usually not screw with you unless you surprise it. We had people seeing them all around us, we made a good amount of noise whenever walking in the dark or daylight when we didn't expect to see game and never saw them -- they move off when they hear you.
If one really wants you, no handgun will really be enough, but any handgun is better than your fingernails.
Last edited by spaniel; 08-24-2009 at 07:52 PM.
08-24-2009, 08:28 PM
#4
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 20
got the bear spray i took a 44 ruger last year but wow after about the 3rd day it weighed as much as a rifle i was looking at trading a sig 9mm that i dont use for a 45 auto not as big as the 44 but easier to carry heard alot about a 357 mag just would like to have something resonably easy to carry
08-25-2009, 05:16 AM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location:
Posts: 6,357
My question is a little sideways of this thread, but some people with bear knowledge are posting, it seems, and I want their opinion.
I went backpacking in the Weminuche Wilderness area in SW Colorado last August. This area is known to have some -- not many -- black bears and not likely any grizzly bears (although South San Juan Wilderness maybe 50 miles ESE of the Weminuche IS suspected to have a small population of grizzly bears). One evening at camp at about 11,000 feet, in a fairly remote and isolated area, a deer came up remarkably close to us, so close I wondered if the deer was sick. In the night, we heard noises -- loud sniffing and/or snorting noises -- near our tent and we went out and looked around with our flashlights. We saw a bunch of eyes blazing back at us, at about the height you would expect from several deer. One loud sniffing noise was right at our tent door.
The next morning when I got out I saw a substantial smear of blood -- still wet to the touch -- on the outside of the tent. The size of this smear was maybe 3" by 4". I had a bad blister on the heel of my foot. I had gotten up in the night to pee. It is possible that my heel could have been bleeding and could have rubbed against the tent wall but (1) I would be surprised that my heel was bleeding enough to make that large a patch on the tent wall, (2) I got up at 2 AM and the blood was still not dry at 7 AM (could have been some ground fog or mist at night, possibly).
What do you think? I speculate that some predator made a kill and came sniffing around our tent. Maybe a bear killed a deer and afterwards checked us out? At the same time, our packs were outside the tent with packaged food in them (including a garbage bag with an empty, opened foil pouch of smoked salmon), some rodent gnawed through my pack bag and ate a smidggin of granola. If a bear had come around, wouldn't it have ripped up the pack?
Comments? Thoughts?
I went backpacking in the Weminuche Wilderness area in SW Colorado last August. This area is known to have some -- not many -- black bears and not likely any grizzly bears (although South San Juan Wilderness maybe 50 miles ESE of the Weminuche IS suspected to have a small population of grizzly bears). One evening at camp at about 11,000 feet, in a fairly remote and isolated area, a deer came up remarkably close to us, so close I wondered if the deer was sick. In the night, we heard noises -- loud sniffing and/or snorting noises -- near our tent and we went out and looked around with our flashlights. We saw a bunch of eyes blazing back at us, at about the height you would expect from several deer. One loud sniffing noise was right at our tent door.
The next morning when I got out I saw a substantial smear of blood -- still wet to the touch -- on the outside of the tent. The size of this smear was maybe 3" by 4". I had a bad blister on the heel of my foot. I had gotten up in the night to pee. It is possible that my heel could have been bleeding and could have rubbed against the tent wall but (1) I would be surprised that my heel was bleeding enough to make that large a patch on the tent wall, (2) I got up at 2 AM and the blood was still not dry at 7 AM (could have been some ground fog or mist at night, possibly).
What do you think? I speculate that some predator made a kill and came sniffing around our tent. Maybe a bear killed a deer and afterwards checked us out? At the same time, our packs were outside the tent with packaged food in them (including a garbage bag with an empty, opened foil pouch of smoked salmon), some rodent gnawed through my pack bag and ate a smidggin of granola. If a bear had come around, wouldn't it have ripped up the pack?
Comments? Thoughts?
08-25-2009, 05:17 AM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Colorado
Posts: 797
lol Elknutz,
I say for grizzly forget all that auto crap and go for something that's got punch. I carry 41 rem mags. But I would suggest something in the 44 mag class and up. Why not a four inch 500 S&W, if the bear don't kill ya the recoil might. I would pick something that might actually make the bear flinch a little. 357 mag is not even in my scheme of things when it comes to bear or any other lil automatics. That's just gonna get you hurt.
I say for grizzly forget all that auto crap and go for something that's got punch. I carry 41 rem mags. But I would suggest something in the 44 mag class and up. Why not a four inch 500 S&W, if the bear don't kill ya the recoil might. I would pick something that might actually make the bear flinch a little. 357 mag is not even in my scheme of things when it comes to bear or any other lil automatics. That's just gonna get you hurt.
08-25-2009, 06:02 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Elizabeth Colo. USA
Posts: 4,413
Alsatian, from what you describe I doubt that it was black bear around your tent for a couple of reasons. 1) black bears aren't very good at catching full sized deer, fawns yes, but by the time elk season rolls around, those fawns aren't easy game for black bear. 2) onthe other hand, a black bear has a hard time passing up an easy meal, and if it thinks that easy meal is in a plastic bag or back pack, then you can kill the pack and or bag good bye, because they'll rip'em to shreads if they even smell evidence of a meal.
The blood smear, don't know. A broken blister don't usually bleed that much.
As for what ate just bit of the granola bar, mice!! We deal with them every year if you leave anything out, they will find it.
The blood smear, don't know. A broken blister don't usually bleed that much.
As for what ate just bit of the granola bar, mice!! We deal with them every year if you leave anything out, they will find it.