Notso Slim, SASS #67301 Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 My personal favorite bear defense gun has always been a pistol in .22 short. I've found over the years when hiking in bear country I never leave without it in my pocket. Of course we all know the first rule when hiking in the wilderness is to use the "Buddy System". For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this it means you NEVER hike alone, you bring a friend or companion, even an in-law, that way if something happens there is someone to go get help. I remember one time hiking with my (now ex)brother-in-law in northern Ontario . Out of nowhere came this huge brown bear and man was she MAD! We must have been near one of her cubs. Any way if I had not had my little .22 I'd sure not be here today. That's right, one shot to my brother-in-law's knee cap and I was able to escape by just walking at a brisk pace. That's one of the best pistols in my safe. Slim . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noah Cash Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Hilda Billie and just spewed all over the keyboard, next time how about a spew-alert :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Houston # 35508 Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 my choice..... http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd133/LoneRiderLeather/quad50.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creeker, SASS #43022 Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 The best way to stay safe in bear country is by making noise and carrying bear repellent. The experts say by wearing small shiny bells attached to your person and utilizing a pepper based spray, that most bear/ human encounters can be avoided. You should also examine bear "scat" to determine what bears are in your area. Black Bear - small compact scat. Will consist of undigested plant material and smell strongly of berries or plants. Small Brown Bears - Loose wet scat. Will consist of small bones and have a strong fishy smell. Large Brown Bears (including Kodiak and Grizzlies) - Loose wet scat. Will consist of small shiny bells and smell strongly of pepper spray. On a serious note. If I were going into Bear country with no real expectaion of coming across a bear. I would carry a Smith and Wesson airlite 44mag. With expectations? A Smith & Wesson 500 or 460xvr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal TKD, Sass # 36984L Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I have heard that a simple walking stick will suffice for bear protection. The walking stick is used in conjunction with buddy system. Knee cap or trip your buddy as you calmly walk away. Bear gun that I have is a Ruger Alaskan in 454 Casull. Good thing about a Ruger is that we all know how tough they are, you can club your buddy with it when the gun is out of ammo and expect there to be no damage to the gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt Dan Blodgett, SASS #75655 Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 The best way to stay safe in bear country is by making noise and carrying bear repellent. The experts say by wearing small shiny bells attached to your person and utilizing a pepper based spray, that most bear/ human encounters can be avoided. You should also examine bear "scat" to determine what bears are in your area. Black Bear - small compact scat. Will consist of undigested plant material and smell strongly of berries or plants. Small Brown Bears - Loose wet scat. Will consist of small bones and have a strong fishy smell. Large Brown Bears (including Kodiak and Grizzlies) - Loose wet scat. Will consist of small shiny bells and smell strongly of pepper spray. On a serious note. If I were going into Bear country with no real expectaion of coming across a bear. I would carry a Smith and Wesson airlite 44mag. With expectations? A Smith & Wesson 500 or 460xvr. Thinking Bears is why I got my Bisley BlackHawk 44 Mag. Truth be told a 12 guage pump filled with slugs or a Marlin Guide gun 45 /70 would probably work Remember when I was a Kid field and stream magazine had a small probably 2 x 4 inch box story about an Indian woman that killed a grizzley with one shot thru the open mouth at about 6 inches with a 22 pistol. That takes cahones even if physically impossible to have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 What I have carried in bear land(AK.) Mossberg Mariner 12ga pump filled with Brenneke slugs. Also, a Freedom Arms model 83 Premier Grade 4 5/8" BBL .454 Casull. I have seen more that one camp torn up by a bear in AK. Respectfully, LG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backshootin beauford mcgee Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I have a SW 500 with a 6 1/2 inch barrel for a handgun in bear country. As I have carried a 6 1/2 sw 44 mag for years before I got it. I'm used to the weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chili Ron Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Howdy, I dont know why these bear country posts pop up so often but they do. Over the years Ive met a few folks who live or work in bear country. One fella came up unexpected on a bear protecting cubs. He and the bear were close and he pulled his s&w 44 mag. He shot the bear and the bear just curled up like it was goin to sleep. He went to reload just in case another bear showed up. It turns out there was only one loaded round left in the gun. He had fired five rounds into the bear and thought he had only fired once. He told me he was glad he didnt depend on a rifle as it probably would have been hard to swing it around to fire. Best CR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaniksu Kid, SASS #26415 Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 When I first came to Idaho about 40 years ago I carried a 357 in bear country. An old timer told me if that was my bear gun to be sure and file off the front sight. When I asked why, he said it woin't hurt so much when the bear shoves it up your a****. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantry Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 A 12g shotgun with slugs. Which, IIRC, is what the Alaska Fish & Game Department recommends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Something in the 1/4 megaton nuclear family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tonic Kid, SASS #70340 Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 My personal favorite bear defense gun has always been a pistol in .22 short. I've found over the years when hiking in bear country I never leave without it in my pocket. Of course we all know the first rule when hiking in the wilderness is to use the "Buddy System". For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this it means you NEVER hike alone, you bring a friend or companion, even an in-law, that way if something happens there is someone to go get help. I remember one time hiking with my (now ex)brother-in-law in northern Ontario . Out of nowhere came this huge brown bear and man was she MAD! We must have been near one of her cubs. Any way if I had not had my little .22 I'd sure not be here today. That's right, one shot to my brother-in-law's knee cap and I was able to escape by just walking at a brisk pace. That's one of the best pistols in my safe. Slim . As if you would ever go hiking anywhere! But Brother if we ever do, remind me to check your pockets BEFORE we go. Tonic,whose "Little Brother" is Notso Slim, Kid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129 Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 As a guide in bear country I have carried various gun for back-up and while roaming the woods, but here in modern Canada we generaly can't carry pistols/revolvers so what we carry are rifles .... I have personaly seen or seen the results of slugs skipping of the shull of a fast approching bear, and that is why most guides carry RIFLES !!! I have carried various guns, .375 H-H , .338 Win. Mag. ,.460 Whe. Mag.,9.3 x 57 , and my Favorite a 1895 Marlin with pistol grip with a 22 inch barrel (Older Gun).. I dont care for the "New" pistol grip guns as the grip area is grossly over-sized and oddly shaped... The gun is equiped with a " Weaver" 1 x 3 power scope, mounted as low as possible ... This gun is loaded with 400 gr. bullets having a rather large flatnose, and clocking 2,016 Fps. at 12 feet off the muzzle ... Jabez Cowboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129 Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 My brother-in-Law missed a bear once ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, now my sister misses his paycheck !!! Jabez Cowboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrider #896 Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Thinking Bears is why I got my Bisley BlackHawk 44 Mag. Truth be told a 12 guage pump filled with slugs or a Marlin Guide gun 45 /70 would probably work Remember when I was a Kid field and stream magazine had a small probably 2 x 4 inch box story about an Indian woman that killed a grizzley with one shot thru the open mouth at about 6 inches with a 22 pistol. That takes cahones even if physically impossible to have. IIRC, this woman was chased up a food platform by the bear. It was getting dark, and the bear began to shake the platform. Finally, it was pitch-black and the bear was really getting the platform to shake. The woman had a Colt's Woodsman pistol, and simply fired blindly into the darkness at the noise the bear was making. All went quiet. She remained up on the platform until daylight, which revealed the bear lying dead. As I recall the story, the .22 bullet went into the bear's eye and then penetrated the brain. That do NOT make a .22rf a griz gun! Personally, I'd have nothing lighter than a .44 Magnum with jacketed flat softpoints of 240 grains minimum! That's if I didn't have time to bring a .30-06 with 180-220 grain bullets into play. A human being cannot outrun a bear. All the human has to do is be able to outrun his hunting partner! There is the story told of three hunters in Europe that ran into two European brown bears, one male and one female. One of the hunters was from Germany, one from Poland, and the third from the Czech Republic. Unfortunately, the bears attacked the two non-German hunters. It was obvious to the third hunter that he couldn't save his companions, and couldn't shoot without hitting them. The bears had been wounded, but were still alive. The German ran to get help from a nearby village. When the relief party returned to the scene, the two bears were dead of their wounds. It was obvious that before dying, the bears had devoured both of the other hunters. The village medical examiner conducted an autopsy of the female bear, and determined that the Polish hunter had, indeed been eaten by her. They didn't bother opening up the other bear, as they figure the Czech was in the male! Ride easy, but stay alert! Godspeed to those still in harm's way in the defense of Freedom everywhere! God Bless America! Your Pard, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notso Slim, SASS #67301 Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 In spite of what the Tonic Kid says, I went joging once, for 1 mile, that was the worst 6 hours of my life. Slim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hashknife Cowboy Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I had Gary Reeder in Flagstaff, AZ cut down a Ruger Redhawk .44 mag to 3.5 inches on the barrel, round butt it and polish the action. He calls them his Alaskan Survivalist. Carried in a shoulder rig, it has been all over and serves me well with 300 gr premium ammo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Big Al #3195 Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I usually carried a Ruger Vaquero w/ hot 250 gr 44 Specials. But while ATV'ing in Northern New Mexico this past summer, we took pictures of a couple of really big bears. At first we thought that they were real healthy Black bears but upon further examination of the pics and with some help of the NM Division of Wildlife, they turned out to be GRIZZLY bears.The Big Humps atop their backs were a definite givaway. The NMDOW still wonders where the heck they came from and how long they had been there??? I guess I will be carrying my Bilsey w/ 250 gr 44 mags in it..... CBA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Bill Burt Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 This reminds me of something I told my father when I was living in Colorado and he was visiting. On the evening news there was a story about a mountain lion that had been spotted in the greenbelt area where I liked to jog. The next morning as I was getting ready to go run he asked if I was going to the same area. I said I was, but I was bringing my Rottweiler with me. He said, "do you really think that dog can take down a mountain lion?". I said "no, but he can slow it down long enough for me to get away." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colt Walker 45 Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 8 inch 500 smith with 440 grain hard cast or a solid, this combo has taken almost all African game other than elephant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tonic Kid, SASS #70340 Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 In spite of what the Tonic Kid says, I went joging once, for 1 mile, that was the worst 6 hours of my life. Slim Just for the record folks, Slim is my adopted brother. 1 mile? 6 hours? I can't believe there was a dog that slow and persistent to chase you that long! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixgun Shorty, SASS #35717 Life Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Check this out for Bear protection in a small package! This is what I carry now in bear country, which is literally my 'backyard',,,can't beat this for easy to carry artillery:NOTE: This firearm is classified as an AOW and requires NFA/Class III registration and $5 transfer tax http://www.google.com/search?q=serbu+super+shorty&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=CaK&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=RQuvTsSTMuLciAKoi-EQ&ved=0CD0QsAQ&biw=1920&bih=865&sei=%20UwuvTrTmNqvKiALTio3xDw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Houston # 35508 Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Bear Protection???? The fence between me and him at the ZOO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowboy Junky Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Howdy, I dont know why these bear country posts pop up so often but they do.Over the years Ive met a few folks who live or work in bear country. One fella came up unexpected on a bear protecting cubs. He and the bear were close and he pulled his s&w 44 mag. He shot the bear and the bear just curled up like it was goin to sleep. He went to reload just in case another bear showed up. It turns out there was only one loaded round left in the gun. He had fired five rounds into the bear and thought he had only fired once. He told me he was glad he didnt depend on a rifle as it probably would have been hard to swing it around to fire. Best CR Same reason why we like to watch scary movies I guess......the chances of getting struck by lightning are much greater but you don't see so many posts about how to protect yourself from that?????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sour Kraut Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 I like the theory of carrying a .22 and the Buddy system. However, my buddy is almost 100% of the time my "handsome stranger" husband Philly Slim. I kinda like having him around so I would never shoot him in the knee or otherwise. SO, I would have my Freedom Arms 7 7/8" .454 Casull with custom bandolier to protect myself AND my "handsome stranger" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whoa Bart #67544 Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 Howdy. I am not allowed to carry at work. There is a Walmart in Clarion Pa. I stop at occasionally. I saw a 500 pounder 2 miles from there and a dead 200 pounder 1 mile away. Bear country is people country, don't kid yourself, you may be in bear country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huckleberry Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Slim, This made my night to read, Yes I always felt safe hiking in bear country with my ex-wife as I could run faster than her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooting Bull Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 I carry Sour Kraut She carries the .454 Casull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Hooker Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Check this out for Bear protection in a small package! http://www.serbu.com...superShorty.php Shorty, I get "Server not found". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Hooker Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 my choice..... http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd133/LoneRiderLeather/quad50.jpg Is that available on some sort of armored vehicle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixgun Shorty, SASS #35717 Life Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Shorty, I get "Server not found". Try This: http://www.google.com/search?q=serbu+super+shorty&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=CaK&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=RQuvTsSTMuLciAKoi-EQ&ved=0CD0QsAQ&biw=1920&bih=865&sei=%20UwuvTrTmNqvKiALTio3xDw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Hooker Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Try This: OK now. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prof. Fuller Bullspit Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 My personal favorite bear defense gun has always been a pistol in .22 short. I've found over the years when hiking in bear country I never leave without it in my pocket. Of course we all know the first rule when hiking in the wilderness is to use the "Buddy System". For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this it means you NEVER hike alone, you bring a friend or companion, even an in-law, that way if something happens there is someone to go get help. I remember one time hiking with my (now ex)brother-in-law in northern Ontario . Out of nowhere came this huge brown bear and man was she MAD! We must have been near one of her cubs. Any way if I had not had my little .22 I'd sure not be here today. That's right, one shot to my brother-in-law's knee cap and I was able to escape by just walking at a brisk pace. That's one of the best pistols in my safe. Slim . Saw a variation on this technique this week on "Walking Dead". Not cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrider #896 Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Just carry a pouch full of beans and a couple doses of Ex-Lax in pockets of drop flap pants. Upon sighting a bear, consume both. Turn around and run. Now you normally can't outrun a bear, but after the previous instruction, the bear coming after you won't be able to get any traction. He'll just be slippin' 'n slidin'! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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