Closest a bear can get...

If it is charging at me absolutely no closer than 25 yards and perhaps as far as 50 depending on the circumstances. I understand that he may be bluffing but am not going to let him get within 25 yards just so I can find out if he's kidding or not.
 
I know that a lot of guys say 25 yards is their comfort zone. I'm just thinking that you likely only get one good shot at a charging bear within 50 yards. If you only get the one shot, how long can you wait. Like has always been said, most of us would regret the need to shoot a bear that was only defending its turf. I think I'm just trying to figure out how late is too late sort of thing.

If I'm mauled by a grizz this year that dies on top of me, could one of your guys bring a tape measure out and set up a graph or something to help out future generations?
 
It depends on the situation, but within 50yds bluff charge or not an aggressive bear is going down.

How many solid hits can a guy get in the time it takes a pissed off griz to cover 50yds? 25yds?

Where's do you draw the line when three griz are charging you?
 
as a wise guide once told me....

No charge is ever a bluff untill the second that bear turns. do think the bear knows the outcome of his run untill he decides to turn? he's sizing you up the whole time he's comming in. never make the mistake of assuming "this one's a bluff charge"



personally, the rifle goes up @ 50m, lead flies at 25m.
 
When I was about 7 we were picnicing up near Blue rock or Gorge creek. We spotted a huge Grizz boar about 500yds away on top of a hill, he stood on his hind legs let out a roar and proceeded down the hills towards us at full tilt. We had plenty of time to get into the car and load up our food and warn the only other group at the campground. The Grizz ran head first into the side of their car as they were follwing us out. I had a clear veiw of that charge and would say based on that and a couple of other experiences that my comfort zone is 100 yds. I have twice had the unnerving experience of having an adult male Grizz close the distance between us and at 25 yds you get one shot! I'm thinking I would like at least 5 to feel like i had a fighting chance.
 
I've had a few tense moments with grizzlies but haven't had to shoot one yet. I have noticed that they seem to be getting more plentifull or more agressive or both. 8 years ago a friend of mine was charged and the following investigation showed the bullet hit the bear in the heart at 19 yards. That didn't stop it but it did cause it to vear off and die about 100 yards later. He was packing a Browning BLR in 7mm mag. He has hunted with that rifle for many years and though he thought he had chambered another round, he later found that he had only cocked the hammer on the one he had just fired. I have a couple of photos of the bear with the CO's who were less than pleased with my friend but later had to admit it was justified. The bear was a particularly big interior grizzly and I was told it has been mounted and is now in the CO's office in MacKenzie BC.
 
beras

I had to shoot an aggreassive blackie in the face with 00 buck at about 10 paces, not my favorite way of getting a bear. :shotgun: I was packing an over/under 12 gauge,it stopped him dead but I would rather have had a rifle in that situation and been further away.:runaway:
 
Never had to shoot a Griz yet in self defense! But this past black bear season man i almost did! I accidentally scared one up when i was on the ATV it stopped maybe 50 feet away from me and spun around and looked at me! It was snapping its teeth and clawing at the ground. All the wile i was in a panic trying to get my rifle loaded! then the fringen thing walked to the side of the road and laid down! it watched me for about 20 min! the hole time i had the scope on its head ready for it to make a move toward me. But luckily it didn't and it just walked in to the bush. from now on I'm going to have ammo in more pockets then one!
 
Last year while hunting moose in northern BC my 16 year old son and I came upon a sow griz and her 2 year old cubs. My son was carrying a 338 and I had my 35 whelen. We were walking up hill, on an old road in a no vehicle area. The bears came out on the road 59 yards ahead of us. Jesse pulled out the camera and started taking pictures while I watched mama through my scope. She was clicking her teeth and huffing up and down with her front feet. Jesse said "tell me when to drop the camera and start shooting" to which I repied "you'll know, cus it'll get real noisy around here". Because she was up hill, I figured on starting to shoot the moment she started coming at us. I figured I would likely get off 2 shots at best and my son, who is pretty slick, would get off 1. It would have been clear shooting on the road, but she took her cubs up the road and around a bend which put her about the same distance and incline away but it meant that she would be coming through a bunch of xmas tree size bush. Not having a clear shot made that less comfortable. After a bit of grunting and snorting, she took her cubs and carried on up hill. We went somewhere else.
I don't want this to get too long, so I'll save the story of the grizzly, my wife and me. She's not as hairy a Jesse or I but she does have balls.
 
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I don't think there are any bears here in Oklahoma,but if any kind of critter starts eyeballing me and moves towards me it"s toast at half a football field!

And I don't care if I'm carring .375H&H,308,223,or .22WRF!

The beast is always more savage than the man,but thats why they make Savage,Winchester,and Remington even Ruger!

I allways carry a blackhawk or King Cobra on my hip,just incase a rifle is set down and SHTF!

To have and not need is the real question here!

Bob:cool:
 
I hear those Oklahoma gophers can cover the half lenght of an NFL football field in under 3 seconds. What are you gonna do then....heh? :D
 
I spose the question was more about Grizzly than Black bears. I was stalked and charged by a Black Bear once... they don't false charge! It stood on its hinds, popped it jaws, turned sideways and showed me its profile... then it covered 20 yards in the time it took me to shoulder the gun and fire.
I have no comfort zone with regards to Black Bears anymore. If I see one inside 100 yards and I am not looking at its ass moving away... I will shoot it.JBRO
 
I had black bear stare me down on a logging rd once @50 yds, but he decided my Sportsman 500 was bigger than him.:) A few more steps though I'd pull the trigger.;)
 
MHUNT said:
... a friend of mine was charged and the following investigation showed the bullet hit the bear in the heart at 19 yards.

... the CO's who were less than pleased with my friend but later had to admit it was justified. ...it has been mounted and is now in the CO's office in MacKenzie BC.
Click to expand...

I wonder who paid the taxidermist's bill?
 
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