- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
The most import consideration is marksmanship under stress. A good way to put your body into stress is a hard run, but it does not create mental stress, so perhaps if you can arrange a hard run followed by the stress of lots of critical observers who are betting on 6 misses.
A body shot with a handgun will not stop him, in fact if he is commited to the attack it might not turn him! A bear's brain is much narrower than his entire head - only about the width of his snout, and extends from a line just behind his eyes to just forward of his ears if he is coming head on. The head comes first - shoot it, but hit the brain!
Bullet choice is far more important than caliber, although the bigger the caliber the bigger the wound volume. Pick the heaviest bullet for caliber that your gun will drive at 1200 fps. Gas checked hard cast bullets are every bit as good as jacketed, and in the case of wide flat nosed profiles they are better. This combination of velocity and a heavy for caliber WFN hard cast bullet will ensure sufficient penetration, a large wound cavity, and should be controllable.
Choosing the super powerful revolvers like a .475 Linebaugh or high velocity loads is a mistake for anyone who is not a hardened big bore revolver shooter, and even then, a fast backup shot might not be possible due to the level of recoil. The .357 that you can handle trumps the big bore you cannot.
I like the grip size of a single action, and the way it handles recoil, others do not and put value in the speed at which a DA can be reloaded. I think a SA is stronger because there is no crane to knock out of alignment. Similarly nonadjustable sights that are regulated to your load are stronger than adjustable sights.
I have no issue with the choice of a pistol over a revolver, in fact the pistol in some cases can be more reliable, particularly in very dusty conditions such as where drilling is being done. It seems however, that in their wisdom, some CFO's have determined that pistols are not suitable for wilderness carry and have stopped adding them to ATC's.
Realistic training can be problematical, but if you can shoot where a vehicle can be driven onto the range, try shooting a 5 gallon plastic oil pail as it's pulled towards you under power.
Consider how you are going to carry the gun. Most ATC's dictate that the gun must not be concealed and that there is a retention device to keep the gun in the holster. A book could be written on this subject, but don't cheap out on the holster and the belt must be a thick wide heavy gun belt. Mine are leather but there is nothing wrong with synthetic. The holster must hold the gun securely, but the retention system must be simple, like a thumb snap, and the holster should not follow the gun as you draw it.
A body shot with a handgun will not stop him, in fact if he is commited to the attack it might not turn him! A bear's brain is much narrower than his entire head - only about the width of his snout, and extends from a line just behind his eyes to just forward of his ears if he is coming head on. The head comes first - shoot it, but hit the brain!
Bullet choice is far more important than caliber, although the bigger the caliber the bigger the wound volume. Pick the heaviest bullet for caliber that your gun will drive at 1200 fps. Gas checked hard cast bullets are every bit as good as jacketed, and in the case of wide flat nosed profiles they are better. This combination of velocity and a heavy for caliber WFN hard cast bullet will ensure sufficient penetration, a large wound cavity, and should be controllable.
Choosing the super powerful revolvers like a .475 Linebaugh or high velocity loads is a mistake for anyone who is not a hardened big bore revolver shooter, and even then, a fast backup shot might not be possible due to the level of recoil. The .357 that you can handle trumps the big bore you cannot.
I like the grip size of a single action, and the way it handles recoil, others do not and put value in the speed at which a DA can be reloaded. I think a SA is stronger because there is no crane to knock out of alignment. Similarly nonadjustable sights that are regulated to your load are stronger than adjustable sights.
I have no issue with the choice of a pistol over a revolver, in fact the pistol in some cases can be more reliable, particularly in very dusty conditions such as where drilling is being done. It seems however, that in their wisdom, some CFO's have determined that pistols are not suitable for wilderness carry and have stopped adding them to ATC's.
Realistic training can be problematical, but if you can shoot where a vehicle can be driven onto the range, try shooting a 5 gallon plastic oil pail as it's pulled towards you under power.
Consider how you are going to carry the gun. Most ATC's dictate that the gun must not be concealed and that there is a retention device to keep the gun in the holster. A book could be written on this subject, but don't cheap out on the holster and the belt must be a thick wide heavy gun belt. Mine are leather but there is nothing wrong with synthetic. The holster must hold the gun securely, but the retention system must be simple, like a thumb snap, and the holster should not follow the gun as you draw it.
