homers brother

Now think about this, folks. You're carrying a rifle. You're carrying a pistol for "back up". A bear charges you. Which do you select (as if this were a video game)?

If the bear charges you from some of the thick scrub I hiked through for three years in Alaska, you might get one - at the most two shots off.

Realistically, the only time it made sense having a handgun along was when you had a roll of toilet paper in the other hand and were out looking for a tree. Even then, you're going to be, very literally, "caught with your pants down" and at a disadvantage. Otherwise, a handgun would have been easy to wield inside a tent. But if a bear's trying to get through those protective nylon walls, you only have a couple microseconds to react. You're once again at at extreme disadvantage.

Rather than worrying about which handgun one should bring along for backup, most people would be far better served learning more about "bear avoidance" - how not to run into bears. Choosing trails, siting campsites, campsite cleanliness, etc.

For those not carrying a rifle or shotgun with slugs, by all means carry a handgun. But we're not talking a handgun as "backup" then, are we?

homers brother

Good point. That's why I'd choose my rifle over a handgun any day of the week, and why I'd practice snap shooting with it.

Try this little drill next time you're at the range. We used to figure we'd probably see a bear from about 30-50 yards, since that's about the least amount of distance (worst case) we could see anything where we were in AK. We based our "exercise" here on a bear covering a short distance of ground between us at up to 30 mph (that's about 45 fps, consider uneven ground, acceleration, etc.)
30 yards is 90 feet, call it 100. The bear will cover that distance to you in about 2.5 seconds. Set one target up at 100 feet, the next 20 feet. You have 2.5 seconds to engage and hit both. If you can't hit both, hit just one and think about what you want to be hitting it with if the situation were real.

Blackelk

Taking Homers scenerio in mind which he's right the bear will be on you in a matter of seconds. I would choose one of two options.

Option 1 try to load your rifle again and get that one vital shot off being rushed and in panick. Not gonna be a great situation. But probally the quickest and most effective. Hopefully you'll stun him to the point of a follow up shot. Or kill it outright.

Option #2 One shot from a pistol before the bear grabs you and shakes you into lil pieces of flesh hanging out of it's mouth. I think if I get one shot from a pistol I'd probably want the biggest baddest thing on the market. I'd have to say 500 S&W. The chances of getting two aimed shots off using magnum class loads in a pistol in two seconds is doable but still got to consider the intensity of the situation.

I've been in one scrape with a bear but it was a black bear and I did have an advantage beings I already hit him once solid. But I got to tell you being 3 feet away from a bear still lively enough to get ahold of you is a feeling your not going to forget the rest of your life. I for one would pass on repeating that experience again. Just a note don't shoot bears on a steep incline straight above you they are coming down at you. Hehe the lessons we teach ourselves at some point in life. Me 1 the bear 0 I think i'm good with keeping those odds the way they are.

I've always thought of bear charge scenerio's. Do you draw your pistol and fire right away? Then have the bear knocked you down and there goes your pistol. Do you go to the ground and let the charging bear raise above you while you shoot? Will the bear roll you like a bull does? Will the bear automatically grab you and start shaking you losing your firearm in the process?

I would think most alaskan guides would know the answers. I say shoot while you got the chance. I'd rather get fined for killing a bear that was snapping it's teeth at me before the charge then wait to see if it's actually gonna charge you. Action vs reaction.

RugerM77.270

The problem with these big bores is if you need to shoot more then once the recoil can slow you down on the follow up shot. I deep penetrating 240gr. bullet from a 44 mag would be my choice it has plenty of power and is still managable.

B&B mentioned the bear killed with the 45 auto in Alaska a few months ago. The article I read the guy shot the bear 9 times and it ran off and die 100 yards away. I want something with a little better stopping power then that but still managable.

ipscshooter

Haha... Yeah, I was going to ask how many of the guy's appendages the bear had chewed off before it died fat and happy...

coach1299

A couple of more thoughts: I have heard that shotguns w/slugs are used for bear protection but I'm not crazy about that idea. I know that slugs can deliver a lot of incapacitating kinetic energy, but from what I've seen on boar, a HP rifle is a better and quicker stopper than shotgun slugs. Going back to the shotgun; and I'm not saying that this is a good idea, or that I would want to try it, but how about if one of the persons in the party had a 10 gauge shotgun with a 3 and a half inch load of super buckshot, or even a top of the line load for geese to deliver into the bears face. I know that the face and head is generally a poor target especially to a bear, but used as a combo with a high power bullet to the vitals and then a disorienting load of serious 10 gauge scattershot to the face (preferably the eyes) seems like a good way to change the course of the bears attack. The scattershot effect from the shotgun would not be intended for stopping purposes but rather to blind or disable the bears navigational senses while the HP rifle or hand gun shooter simultaneously delivers deep penetrating shots to the vitals, or if lucky a crippler to the bear neuro system. I guess it wouldn't be too legal for a third guy to have a flame thrower (just kidding) but the other combo that I mentioned might be worth consideration. We need an experienced bear hunter to weigh on this strategy. I won't be insulted if he says it not a good plan but it can't be worse that just one shooter. Question is should they both go with single HP projectiles, or could the combo be better.

salukipv1

Man! that one video of that bear charging in the river was insane! I can't believe I haven't seen that before...

if that bear didn't turn away from the gun shot I don't think he'd of got a 2nd shot off...less it was on top of him...

after seeing her close that distance instantly, makes me think a 500 is the way to go...haha wow!

DeerandbearhoG

Im all for buying and owning as many guns, for as many purposes as one can think of, but i think in reality, Id get more use out of the perfect Ibex rifle, than I would out of a bear defense gun. (not that it would stop me from getting one)

I read an article in FFG once, by an AK guide w/ decades of experience. It basically talked about all the myths people have about grizzly bears. Ill touch on a few.

Bear attacks are very rare, in fact, he personally witness more people accidently shoot themselves w/ their bear protection gun than use it against a bear. He says his wife regularly picks blueberrys by herself, unarmed, with bears feeding nearby.

He says bears rarely charge after being shot, they usually run for thick cover.

The average deer rifle is perfectly adequate for killing grizzly bears. His daughter killed several w/ an iron sighted 30-30. he says the avg grizzlies ribs are about the size of a whitetails.

A big grizzly is about 5-600lbs.//////////////////////////


Here in NY, it is illegal for anyone to possess any gun on their person or in their vehicle, while bowhunting, so its basically pepper spray, or a really long knife,or your bow, to use against a bear attack scenario while bowhunting. If you think thats bad, in NJ you need a permit to buy any gun , i think even air rifles are illegal, and pistol permits are virtually unheard of.

goatbrother

45 LC w/Heavy Handloads.

Game Stalker

Make that a double.If you don't hand load,use Cor-Bon or Buffalo Bore cartridges.A Ruger Bisley would work nicely here.