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Bear Wake Up! Light or HEAVY sidearm?

8K views 53 replies 31 participants last post by  RedTeam98 
#1 ·
#10 ·
Ha Ha...best response yet! I prefer a Ruger Alaskan in .454 Casull in bear country!

 
#7 ·
#18 · (Edited)
Remember in my 20s, 3 or 4 years of hunting on a property near Caddo river bottoms/swamps of east Texas, back in 80s. After a time, figured out that coyotes were severely harrasing the WT deer herd(perhaps getting fawns), it was a heavy coyote and stray pack dog population boom resulting from feeding off sharecroppers' chicken waste of the region, supporting a number of major chicken suppliers. Also, just a very few bears in the region but am sure they enjoyed this along with the TB diseased feral hogs.

Wading around one afternoon, multiple coyotes passed through the woods near me, one mangy looking curr but decent sized one stopped after he winded me. Carrying a S&W 586 6inch of the time, typical factory heavier jhp rounds... I put one right through both lungs at 10 to 15 yards, saw plenty of blood in fact before it ran off.

It did NOT put him down, there anyway. In fact, never found the scoundrel, though honestly it was difficult to track in the watery bottoms after a time. This wasnt my only incident either with this revolver. The point is, though this was a broadside lung shot, just dont think all magnum or non-magnum handguns have what it takes to stop a wild animal when needed. Perhaps, most handguns don't. Am not saying they wont kill whats needed but thats different from putting them down quickly.
 
#36 ·
Good advice...I once hit a raccoon with a Honda CRX (back in 1997) and tossed it across the road and into the opposite ditch. Not wanting to leave a wounded animal, I turned around and went looking for it, finding it about 100' from where originally hit it. With my headlights on it, I got out and approached it and could see that it's entire left side was 'injured' and it was pulling itself towards me using it's right two legs and hissing and snarling at me. I shot it through it's broken left shoulder with a 125 grain JHP .357 magnum round, which rolled it onto it's back, from which it rolled back over and continued pulling itself towards me again, while still making a snarling sound. SCREW THAT! Hit with a car at 55 mph...shot with a .357 magnum round...and still coming at me??? I pronounced him 'winner' in the tough-animal contest and got back in the car and got the heck out of there! The girl who I was dating was with me (she was from Chicago) and she couldn't believe it was still alive, much less still being aggressive? Tough animals to survive in the countryside!
 
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#20 ·
Just found this thread. I have a few thoughts, but it's after 9 pm, I have a bit more work to do on a project, and then, it's time for a late dinner and some Netflix. So I'll get back to this later.

For now, briefly, I live in black bear territory (central Maine) -- I walk in the woods often and have camped in some very wild places north of here with healthy bear populations, and I have even seen tracks and scat near my apartment -- and have walked in it for decades as a backpacker. For a few years, I considered migrating to Alaska (came to Maine instead, and love it here), so researched what I'd need there. (Was thinking .454 Casull riding in a chest holster in addition to an appropriate rifle.)

I'm also a biologist/ecologist by training, so I'll offer a few thoughts from that perspective later.

Interesting reading here.
 
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#52 · (Edited)
I had a 454 several until I went to training for a charging bear 15 yards is a normal Bear charge you will be lucky to get 2 shots off with big bore revolvers.
we double the distance to 30 and still to accurately hit a zigzag target running toward you is very hard accurate. I quickly traded my FA 454 off for a 44 mag and learned to reduce the reload to a more accurate controlled firearm with a 240/255 at 1150 fps vel level and shoot more accurate and recover quickly.
Sometimes higher Vel harder recoil is not appropriate. Later I transition into the Glock 20 with 220gr Hardcast for even more control in accurate fire plus more rounds available if needed than 6. But I still have my 629 4” it’s a great revolver and carry it often.
 
#21 · (Edited)
One day later from my last post in this bear gun thread.

Friday night, 10 pm. I'm watching a ... revolution? insurrection? civil war? -- erupt live on TV in multiple cities around the US. It appears that the revolution will be televised after all. Fortunately, I live way up on the edge of the boonies far away from all of it -- happy to be here among the bears instead of in those cities where that is playing out -- and need a break from watching "breaking news".

What bears? With all that ruckus, they've run far away into the woods. Even the Alaskan grizzly's who are no doubt thinking -- as best as bears can think on some level -- they're really glad to be living so far north of that madness, and are smart enough to run away from it.

Last night, I mentioned that I was thinking of .454 Casull for a handgun good for bears.

This is what I had in mind. I can imagine the recoil is probably ... fairly stout. :oops:

 
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#22 ·
Like mine alot however it is the long barrel DA, not overly packable but have done it with a belt loop type nylon bandalero holster.

In heavy brush or woods my only short barrels ended up being single action, just happened that way over the years though often carry a packable powerful backup anyway (and on or near chest) when I 'used' to follow game trails, Whew!, in grizz/wolf country.

Avoid doing that now as have slightly older reflexes BUT really 'maybe' am just a 'little' wiser. Last time I did this - remember stepping over a moderate size grizz track, minutes old .... it was raining hard is how I know this 'for certain'. Had bright tape on rifle muzzle for spring black bear season, with rare round chambered while in heavy brush.

For me, prefer extra heavy bullet in a really short barrel but have to avoid bullet jump locking up cylinder. Theories Never proven personally.

Need to look it up but velocity loss may or may not be a factor in those calibers?
 
#27 ·
As a fellow Washingtonian, I heartily agree with you. As there are also Griz in North Central and Northeast Washington, I carry a Ruger® New Model Blackhawk® 4⅝" barrel 41 Remington® Magnum. It is filled with Underwood® 41 Remington Magnum 265 Grain Lead Wide Long Nose Gas Check. I fear no bear, but I respect ALL bears!
 
#28 ·
I lived among the brown bears and grizzlies of Alaska for 10 years,. I had a few close encounters but never had to shed blood. The two rules for staying safe in grizzly country is-

1. Respect the animal and give it the distance it needs.
2. Expect to meet one around every bend. If you're dressing game, have someone keep watch and always have a 12 ga loaded with slugs and 00 nearby. Remember grizzlies and brown bears are bullies. They are used to kicking other bears' butts. They also have a nose that puts a bloodhound to shame but only fair eye sight. When they smell blood, they are going to the source for a meal. If you happen to be bent over gutting an animal when the bear comes up, you look just like another smaller bear that is standing the grizzly's way. The bear is going to do exactly what he would do with another bear in this situation, try to kick you butt and get you off the kill.
3. And the one rule that never fails- Never hunt with anyone you can't outrun. Be prepared to shoot your partner in the knee before running. A 22 revolver is perfectly functional for that. ...;-)
 
#31 ·
That is a great example of just how big brownies can get. We flew in to Hinchinbrook Island in November 1987 for a Sitka blacktail deer and brown bear hunt. Unfortunately, the bears had already gone into hibernation. Our bush pilot in Cordova had a picture of a brown bear standing on all fours with a large Sitka blacktail buck in mouth. The bear was holding the deer pretty much in the middle of his body and none of the deer's feet were touching the ground. It looked like a large German shepherd holding a chihuahua in its mouth.
 
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