Hey guys, I know there must be a few of these threads out there but I couldn't seem to find any. As a geology student I'm thinking about working up north on intern-ship and one of the requirements be that I be able to use something for defence from bears, wolves, etc. I have a wide range of different firearms but what do you guys think is the most reliable/most versatile wildlife defence gun.
Wildlife Defense!!!!
- Thread starter JRodko
- Start date
when you use the search you have to change the time line of what your searching it sets itsself to a week or something change it to a year and you will find a couple hundred threads on this topic. there is also a wilderness survival section with a couple hundred threads on survival/defense firearms
- Location
- Niagara Region, Ontario. For now
Why not list your guns, and we can talk about them?
Asking which, of all the possible options in the world, is a rather ridiculous question!
Oh, and this question gets asked every other day here, so forgive me if this sounds a little #####y.
Asking which, of all the possible options in the world, is a rather ridiculous question!
Oh, and this question gets asked every other day here, so forgive me if this sounds a little #####y.
I live in Northern BC.I`m a sport fisherman and I like to walk a small stream in my area that has a large population of Grizzly bears.I`ve seen 5 in the last two days of fishing.I carry a Mossberg 500 18"1/2 barrel with 5 2"3/4 slugs in the tube.I leave the chamber empty and will rack in a round if ever needed.Personal preference for me is a full rear stock and open sights.I like to be able to shoulder the gun and follow a target through the sights.And I practice with this setup at the range a couple times a year.
If your going to carry and walk lots a good long sling is a must to get it around and up fast if need be.
I will most times leave the area if I spot the bear far enough away and leave them be.
But Its just a matter of time before I trip over one in the bush or on the river bank.The gun will be a last resort but I enjoy my time on the river better armed.The only draw back is my set-up Is heavy.
TOM
If your going to carry and walk lots a good long sling is a must to get it around and up fast if need be.
I will most times leave the area if I spot the bear far enough away and leave them be.
But Its just a matter of time before I trip over one in the bush or on the river bank.The gun will be a last resort but I enjoy my time on the river better armed.The only draw back is my set-up Is heavy.
TOM
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It will depend on where you will be working and the terrain, whether you are looking for a camp gun or a carry gun, what type of work you will be doing and the time of the year that you will be in the field.
It's kind of like selecting boots, you have to choose your boots for the work/terrain/time of year that you will be facing.
Be aware that most companies are control the firearms on their project sites. Check first.
It's kind of like selecting boots, you have to choose your boots for the work/terrain/time of year that you will be facing.
Be aware that most companies are control the firearms on their project sites. Check first.
Just go to 'advanced search'
then go to the 'find posts from' drop down menu
select whatever time you want. I set 'a year ago.'
then scroll down and hit 'save search preferences' > 'go'
This will change the default to a full year every time you use advanced search.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
The easy answer is to go big or stay home, but that doesn't address your shooting or hunting experience. If you've hunted big game and have an idea what it takes to kill a big animal, that’s a start. If you're a gun guy with lots of rounds under your belt from guns that recoil when they go off, that helps too. But the first best step is to get a bunch of books: the trilogy of bear attack books by James Garry Shelton, and Stephen Herrero's Bear Attacks, their causes and avoidance. If you haven't spent much time around bears, these will give you a head start. Ignore most of the other bear attack books, they are mostly written for sensationalism. You can also get good information from the Alaska Dept of Game and Fish.
As to the guns themselves, a 12 ga shotgun is popular among many who carry defensive firearms for bears. They have the advantage of being able to use less lethal ammunition so that a bear might be scared away rather than killed. When lethal force is necessary, slugs are usually the best choice, and Brennekes are IMHO, the best choice of slugs. The shotgun is desirable in populated areas because shot and slugs don't penetrate to the extent that a rifle bullet does; this might also be considered a disadvantage in some circumstances. Another plus for the shotgun is that a good quality pump action is less expensive than a suitable centerfire rifle. Shotguns are often available with folding or collapsible stocks, which when combined with a short barrel, makes them friendlier if you are going to ride around in small planes or helicopters.
Now for the disadvantages. Shotgun ammo is heavy and bulky, limiting the amount you can reasonably carry. Shotgun shell brass corrodes in a short period of time when exposed to the elements on a daily basis, so its prudent to have enough that you can swap them out every 3 weeks to a month. Shotguns are suitable for only short range. Should someone be in trouble some distance from you, if you don't have a rifle, you're are little more than a spectator. Recoil from a shotgun can be heavy. Shotguns tend to be more fragile than rifles due to their thin barrels and magazine tubes.
IMHO, a .30/06 with factory ammo represents the minimum for bear defense. I got my son a .270, but I don't like him much. Kidding! With heavy handloads, the .270 is a giant killer. Whatever you choose, you must be competent with it, and it must be proven reliable as any mechanical device can be. Choose the gun and the cartridge that you are the most competent with and the most confident of. Practice lots. When you've practiced lots, practice lots more.
If you need to shoot, the action will probably be close, fast, and shocking. The target will be in motion. The tendency will be to fill the sight with bear and pull the trigger. Don't do it. The purpose of shooting is to stop the bear's forward progression, once you've don’t that you've got time to kill it with a follow up shot. The first choice is a CNS shot if that is an option. The brain is only the width of the snout, so don’t get confused by the width of the bear's head. The bad news is that the head might be in constant side to side motion, in which case a spine or shoulder shot is a better choice. But once again I'm getting ahead of myself. Choose you gun carefully, work with it, and ensure it will stand up to the rigors of wilderness travel. Waiting until you're hundreds of miles from help is not the time to discover you gun has a hiccup.
Weight is a killer on the land. After a few days of tough slogging and no sign of a bear, you'll be inclined to leave the gun in the tent. The heavier the gun, the bulkier the ammo, the more likely it will be left behind. Consider that when making your choice.
As to the guns themselves, a 12 ga shotgun is popular among many who carry defensive firearms for bears. They have the advantage of being able to use less lethal ammunition so that a bear might be scared away rather than killed. When lethal force is necessary, slugs are usually the best choice, and Brennekes are IMHO, the best choice of slugs. The shotgun is desirable in populated areas because shot and slugs don't penetrate to the extent that a rifle bullet does; this might also be considered a disadvantage in some circumstances. Another plus for the shotgun is that a good quality pump action is less expensive than a suitable centerfire rifle. Shotguns are often available with folding or collapsible stocks, which when combined with a short barrel, makes them friendlier if you are going to ride around in small planes or helicopters.
Now for the disadvantages. Shotgun ammo is heavy and bulky, limiting the amount you can reasonably carry. Shotgun shell brass corrodes in a short period of time when exposed to the elements on a daily basis, so its prudent to have enough that you can swap them out every 3 weeks to a month. Shotguns are suitable for only short range. Should someone be in trouble some distance from you, if you don't have a rifle, you're are little more than a spectator. Recoil from a shotgun can be heavy. Shotguns tend to be more fragile than rifles due to their thin barrels and magazine tubes.
IMHO, a .30/06 with factory ammo represents the minimum for bear defense. I got my son a .270, but I don't like him much. Kidding! With heavy handloads, the .270 is a giant killer. Whatever you choose, you must be competent with it, and it must be proven reliable as any mechanical device can be. Choose the gun and the cartridge that you are the most competent with and the most confident of. Practice lots. When you've practiced lots, practice lots more.
If you need to shoot, the action will probably be close, fast, and shocking. The target will be in motion. The tendency will be to fill the sight with bear and pull the trigger. Don't do it. The purpose of shooting is to stop the bear's forward progression, once you've don’t that you've got time to kill it with a follow up shot. The first choice is a CNS shot if that is an option. The brain is only the width of the snout, so don’t get confused by the width of the bear's head. The bad news is that the head might be in constant side to side motion, in which case a spine or shoulder shot is a better choice. But once again I'm getting ahead of myself. Choose you gun carefully, work with it, and ensure it will stand up to the rigors of wilderness travel. Waiting until you're hundreds of miles from help is not the time to discover you gun has a hiccup.
Weight is a killer on the land. After a few days of tough slogging and no sign of a bear, you'll be inclined to leave the gun in the tent. The heavier the gun, the bulkier the ammo, the more likely it will be left behind. Consider that when making your choice.
cool thanks
I was on the North Coast here in BC this summer and was talking to a native guy who walks creeks assessing spawning salmon returns that of course have lots of black and grizzly bears in them too.
He's among the band's most succesful hunters and of course has several firearms, so I asked him what he carries when he's in the creeks.
His reply was this:
"My fish counter."
He's among the band's most succesful hunters and of course has several firearms, so I asked him what he carries when he's in the creeks.
His reply was this:
"My fish counter."
While not a geologist, I worked for the GSC for 30 years(not in the field,tho) - standard arms issued were either 12ga. or .30-06, with the rare .44mag. revolver.(rare because of the ever-increasing paperwork).
The revolver was only considered because the theory was it'd be ON your person, and would hopefully allow you to Get to your 12ga.
As Boomer said, a polar bear's skull is very narrow (picture a playing card with a magic marker attached - that's your skull/spine sized target with the .44.)
I would imagine you'll be given some kind of bear defense course by the university/company you plan on interning with, and unless your prof.is an 'armchair geologist' he ought to have some decent advice as well...... but you'll do fine if you show up with a 12ga.
