Best self defence Grizzly buster..

Best grizzly buster.

  • Marlin 45-70 Guide gun

    Votes: 85 67.5%

  • Springfield 30-06 M1 Garand

    Votes: 17 13.5%

  • Remington 870 12g Police

    Votes: 24 19.0%
  • Total voters
    126
  • Poll closed .
Airborn_69

Airborn_69

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I'm putting this as is: Heard it from a guide & expert in grizzlies & he says that the minimum caliber you should have is a 30-06.

45-70 & 12g shotgun is also mentioned in his quotes.
 
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Of those three choices, I'm going to opt for my 45-70 1895GG (with stiff reloads.) But depending on the type of hunting and terrain (longer shots) I may be better served with my 300WSM.
 
A 1 or a 1 1/4 ounce slug at 1300fps is the best for up close bears i think. If I had to pick one out of the three.
 
This is something that I'm not all too familiar with...so I'm leaving this question to the experts...but doesn't the M1Garand have troubles cycling heavier loads?

I've never hunted bear, and I know that hunting and bear defense guns can run two different categories all together...but my two defense guns over a handful of isolated bush work seasons have been either the marlin 45-70 (loaded heavy, hard, and slow) or the rem 870 (Brenekke)...
 
No one has mentioned if the choice is for hunting or defence. A reasonable minimum for hunting is a .30/06 with a good quality 180 gr bullet. An unsuspecting bear can be killed easily when shot from a distance. An enraged adrenalin charged bear at 20 feet is more of a problem.

The .45-70 suggestion should only apply to those who handload ammunition - the factory stuff ain't up to it. Under the second set of circumstances you can't have too big a rifle provided you can handle it competently. I would consider a .338 or a .375 the minimum and a .458 is better.

It is my opinion that a shotgun should be used only when over penetration from a heavy rifle could endanger other people - otherwise Dave is right.
 
Well I have not shot one of the brown ones with big teeth, but i have shot many big black ones, and yes out of the guns mentioned i would take a 50 yard broad side with the 45-70 and 350 grain barnes or a bonded bullet.
However I have built a gun for brown bears and infact it turns 300 lbs black bears inside out, that i would love to try on the browns sme day.
Its a Win pre 64 , 26 inch custom barrel in a 350 mashburn that chronys a 225 grain Nosler part at 3250 fps. Not the most pleasent gun to shoot all day, but if you hit where your supposed to , the cartridge will do its part.
 
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George Bugbee shot a 1600 lbs 9' bear with a 19" skull in full charge with a 3006. 1(one) shot through the mouth dropped it @ 75'. He anchored this bear 60 miles from Rocky mtn house and in the old article I read they strongly suspected it might actually be an Alaskan Brown Bear.

Some "empirical' evidence to support other choices listed here might actually raise this BBDT above the hundreds of other threads started here.
 
You didn't mention if this fantasy is for hunting or a stopper. I have hunted grizzlies with my .45-70 GG and spicy handloads, but didn't like being limited to 100 yards or less (self imposed) due to the open peep sights. I'd hunt grizzly with a .30-06 if I had to, but I'd use a reliable bolt action like a Winchester Model 70, not some GI Joe gun. And the last time I checked, shotguns were illegal for hunting grizzly, at least here in BC.
 
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