Best bear defense gun

[Thor]

.45-70 hard cast safari rounds. No second shots needed. My 1895CB holds 9 rounds if there's a herd of them.

 

[dtkw]

Did you use it against a big brown bear?

 

[Jeremy1066]

In bear country, I'd carry my ar 458 socom. I 'd load one FMJ then follow by a HP then FMJ again. Meaning i load my magazine one after another. This way, if you are good shot, then first FMJ enter the bear, then the hp enter do more damage inside. You have be very fast pulling the trigger. I shot a brown bear a few years ago, it was charging at a distance. Coming in close very fast. I shot it with a FMJ in the head and it stopped, but got going again, then my following shot was HP and entered less than an inch from the first shot and it's done. The bear dropped dead.

I had the same results with a charging Snapping Turtle a few years ago.

 

[Brewster]

Ah man! That sounds pretty terrifying. I am glad you had the proper gear with you.

 

[wpmason]

1) Bells/noisemakers
2) follow every rule and precaution re: food storage, kitchen area, tents (nothing smelly in tent- no sunscreen, toothpaste, drinks, snacks... Just you and your bag/clothes.
3) use common sense
4) can of bear spray

that alone should guarantee that you won't have any problems. If you HAVE to to have a gun to sleep at night, any .44 mag or larger is appropriate. Lots of people say 10mm is good, but can't speak much to it.

I've had multiple grizzly encounters in Alaska and Canada. One ransacked our kitchen area (above the treeline, bearcans stored on the ground) which resulted in some lost/damaged gear and supplies, but overall not a big deal. Another approached our campsite one morning as we were packing up. It was within 50 feet. We just grouped up and chattered it away. Had bear spray but didn't use it, no guns at all.

If you think it's necessary or appropriate to shoot on sight, you couldn't be more wrong. Just follow the rules and you'll be fine.

 

[Brewster]

I love to marlin 45-70. Especially the shorter barrelled version. If I was looking for a guide gun, that would be it hands down.

 

[Brewster]

Wpmason- I'm happy that you've been safe in close proximity to brown bear. However, there are many stories where people followed the rules and had a very different experience. I am by no means saying that I would want to prematurely shoot and hurt an animal. But at the end of the day, that bear that came in to your site was likely not sick or hungry. I have had a fair amount of experience with black bear, and have been very lucky. with brown bear, it's one of those "I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it" situations.

 

[dtkw]

The biggest of them all, Kodiak bear, basically the same as Grizzly and Brown bear, just in different name.

 

[Thor]

Did you use it against a big brown bear?

Does 750lb count?

 

[Thor]

1)If you think it's necessary or appropriate to shoot on sight, you couldn't be more wrong.

I don't think anyone is recommending that. But if you're recommending nothing, then go take a walk in the hood and don't carry...sometimes the bear eats you.

We lost a base camp once to a bear that had been wounded by another hunter. Ended up hunting it down before it found some hikers. He was one p'd off cinnamon...shot in the left front paw, the right ear, and the left cheek of his backside...with a .270. I'm pretty sure bear spray would have been useless.

 

[Thor]

Did you use it against a big brown bear?

Not that the answer to that matters one whit. This round has taken elephant, cape buffalo and lion. They had one guy take two cape buffalo with a single shot unintentionally.

 

[dtkw]

750 lb? Kodiak bear can go over 1,000 lbs.

 

[mdmayo]

1) Bells/noisemakers
2) follow every rule and precaution re: food storage, kitchen area, tents (nothing smelly in tent- no sunscreen, toothpaste, drinks, snacks... Just you and your bag/clothes.
3) use common sense
4) can of bear spray

that alone should guarantee that you won't have any problems. If you HAVE to to have a gun to sleep at night, any .44 mag or larger is appropriate. Lots of people say 10mm is good, but can't speak much to it.

I've had multiple grizzly encounters in Alaska and Canada. One ransacked our kitchen area (above the treeline, bearcans stored on the ground) which resulted in some lost/damaged gear and supplies, but overall not a big deal. Another approached our campsite one morning as we were packing up. It was within 50 feet. We just grouped up and chattered it away. Had bear spray but didn't use it, no guns at all.

If you think it's necessary or appropriate to shoot on sight, you couldn't be more wrong. Just follow the rules and you'll be fine.

Bingo, we have a winner!

Save the gun for the friggin' snakes.

 

[Thor]

750 lb? Kodiak bear can go over 1,000 lbs.

I see that 458 throws a 300gr round...I suppose that trumps the 500+gr sledgehammers...

Why I carry a Marlin Guide Gun in 45-70 - Ruger Forum

.45-70 For the One Gun Big Game Hunter

I'm glad you're happy with your weapon. Let's leave it there.

 

[Thor]

Save the gun for the friggin' snakes.

I used to use a .22mag revolver for snakes. It had the added benefit of being small enough to pack in an ammo pouch. Chicken, tastes like rattlesnake!

 

[Thor]

750 lb? Kodiak bear can go over 1,000 lbs.

I guess what I should have said was the one I shot only weighed 750. It was not a limitation of the round.

 

[Thor]

I love to marlin 45-70. Especially the shorter barrelled version. If I was looking for a guide gun, that would be it hands down.

It is the king in AK.

 

[wpmason]

Wpmason- I'm happy that you've been safe in close proximity to brown bear. However, there are many stories where people followed the rules and had a very different experience. I am by no means saying that I would want to prematurely shoot and hurt an animal. But at the end of the day, that bear that came in to your site was likely not sick or hungry. I have had a fair amount of experience with black bear, and have been very lucky. with brown bear, it's one of those "I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it" situations.

Right... I didn't mean to come across as judgmental or anything. But it should be the last resort, meaning certain death otherwise. A lot of the horror stories can be directly linked to people not following the rules. It's kind of a bad rap for bears as far as I'm concerned. Also, black bears tend to be more gregarious behaviorally, so they're actually more likely to be confrontational. At any rate, the odds of having a peaceful encounter are low, a violent one are even lower. We're talking lightning strike low.

Nothing against carrying, just don't think its a proper replacement for everything else.

 

[Zoub]

I have decided to get a .44 mag, likely a model 29 or 629. I do appreciate all the opinions. I love the idea of getting a shorter barreled 12 gauge to keep in the tent as well, especially something like a serbu super shorty.

I can kill the Serbu idea for you real fast:

1) it sounds like you may not own a pump now? Even if you do, few have ever shot one from the ground. Go lay on the ground in various positions and shoot one. To be authentic, do it in a sleeping bag. Sure a Serbu is not a long gun, but still requires two hands otherwise it's just a single shot.

2) for the weight and space they take up you can justify any hand canon AND they only require 1 hand. Faster to target then a Serbu using one hand.

3) A large revolver is easier to carry then a Serbu. If you are going to have a second gun it might as well be strapped on a second person, in a holster.

4) Set up your tent, get in it with an unloaded shotgun and pay three 400lb guys to beat the crap out of you from outside while you are in the tent. Then go read that article I told you about. Once the Bear collapsed the tent on them, he just drug the whole thing around with them in it, like a giant meat filled burrito. The shotgun was never fired.

A Serbu is a cool novelty for people who can't own an SBS.

 

[calcot7]

Careful with the spray. When you're close enough to use it if it fails you may be too close for much of a second chance with the firearm. I'd recommend drawing on it then spray with the other hand if you can so if it doesn't turn or just gets more angry you have immediate recourse to plan B.

Also, watch the direction of the wind...

Which ever plan or plans you use to take care of the bear, make sure you have a plan C which you will need to put into effect after dealing with the bear. Make sure you bring a "Full" change of clothing with you unless of course you planned for the inevitable and wore a diaper.