notavegetarian

I'm planning an archery hunt for fall of 2004 for grizzlies in Alaska. I was thinking of packing a super redhawk 454 just in case. Anyone have any sugestions on what cal. will have the most knock down power I can get. I'm not really into handguns, so my knowledge in this area is limited (although it wouldn't be that way if my wife would let me).

Thanks for any replies,

Kirk

445 supermag

Well most here will tell you that you are wasting your time with a handgun with regarding bears but to me I would want my Dan Wesson 445 supermag with me just in case. I would just use heavy hard cast bullets at a good velosity and practice practice and practice some more. I would just feel better about having one with me rather than a shotgun leaning on the bank somewhere where I can't get to it.

Oh 454 is great for this as would the 480 ruger.


brian

thenuge15

I would use i shotgun with slugs mixed with buckshot, thats what a lot of other guys will tell you to. You could learn to shoot with it slung on your shoulder and practice bulling the butt of your gun forwards which will spin the gun right into your hands. Or if you have someone going with you they could back you up with the shotgun (you probably won't both be shooting at the same time.) Good Luck-Hope you don't have to use the backup. I want to go grizzly hunting some day, i guess i will have to wait until i just happen to find about 10,000 for a guide.

bigcountry

A friend I went moose hunting with this year went on the Kodiak island hunt with a bow. He had a .454. But he was hunting Blacktail. Anyway, a grizz was stalking him for 1/2 mile. He was scared to death, so he dropped the deer but the bear walked right past the carcus. Well its not so easy to kill a bear up there it appears. You have to prove that the bear was a threat. So wisely he didn't shoot. He said he couldn't hold that .454 steady enough to get a head shot. So wisely he didn't run, and stood his ground as the bear smacked the ground and roared and finally gave up and went backt to feed on the blacktail. He swears that next time, if he would ever go back, a slug gun in the only thing he will carry. I trust him greatly and don't doubt the story. Cause all he has left of that blacktail is scull and horns.

eldeguello

Well, a SGT in my outfit in Fairbanks killed an 8' brownie at a range of 8 feet with a 6" barrelled .357 Mag. and a factory 158-grain semiwadcutter. Shot it in the end of the nose as it approached him. He had laid his rifle down just out of reach to start gutting a moose. He figured the bear wanted the moose......

Keep yore powder dry!!

bigcountry

So are you recommending the .357??

totoe

..Garantee my Smith&Wesson..357 Mag with 145 grain Silver
tip bullet will do the JOB.....

..JESUS IS COMING BACK BE READY...

hornetguy

totoe... if you're counting on a 357 to stop a grizzly if it's mad and coming for you... I certainly hope you are "ready", like your signature says.... LOL.... of course, a 357 is better than a sharp stick, but on something like a bear, if I HAD to depend on a handgun, it would be no smaller than the 45 Colt, loaded HEAVY... preferably something like the 480 Ruger, if I could get it chambered in a regular Redhawk... whatever I carried would be loaded with hardcast, heavy for caliber bullets...loaded hot.

"Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness..those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Santayana

BT

actualy if you depend on any hand gun to stop a detemand charge you better be ready to meet your maker..
a handgun is a allright tool to hunt with but they are not realy stopers.

if you dont have a lot of handgun experance and cannot\will not get it go with a long gun back up.

you said "I'm not really into handguns, so my knowledge in this area is limited (although it wouldn't be that way if my wife would let me)."
so have you shot a hg? what is the bigest you have shot? how do you shot with a hg?

if you have not shot hg you need to work up to a 454.
just thnk how many people learn to shot a rifle with a 458 mag? same princile of starting off with a 454.
the only relibal stoper "man or animal is a brain shot" it stops every thing.
i do not recomend a 357. but if one could shoot it good enought to hit the skule with a load "180gr-200gr hard cast" that would pinetrat to the brain it would work.

if you are going to rely on a hand gun as a stoper try this test.
take 6 helum bloon about 6-9in around tie them up on a windy day.
at verying ranges 5 feet to abot 25.
run 50 to 100yd to get the blood pressuer. then take out you hg and see how many you hit.
when you can do that a take out all 6 as fast as you can "say 7-9sec" then you could conider it a stoper.

now i am not trying to be a "ah" but that is the only way i would call its a stoper.

now as far as cal. the bigest one you can hit with.
a 357 that you can hit with is better than a 454 that you miss every time with.

what ever cal you chose shoot it a lot.
L. O. D. Charter member and L.O.S.

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