Grizzly Bear Defence rifle

No worries - Thanks for doing your part keeping the thread on track. Hot topic as you can see...

If you're committed to a lever option and you don't reload, I'd specifically recommend a Marlin 1895G (45/70 with the short magazine tube). Personally, I prefer that action to what I see on the Pedersoli. Use some of the savings to send it off to a smith that you trust with leverguns (e.g. Rusty Wood Trading) to have it worked over for reliability (springs, action tune, whatever the man suggests) and add a ghost ring sight of your choosing (maybe a fiber optic front, too). Use the rest of the savings for practice ammo!

You can get shorter and lighter options in 45/70 than the above but you might find the handling to be unfamiliar (not to mention the muzzle blast). Hotter chamberings are available, too, but I'd stick with 45/70 for ammunition availability.

This is my 1895GS I load it with 350gr Swift A-Frames - 460gr Cast Performance WLNGC - 525gr Beartooth Piledrivers - 550gr Jae-Bok Young Craters.

 
elaborate? what's so interesting about it? Pretty common phrase, actually.

Yes it's a common phrase. But it implies a refusal to retreat -as in I'm going on my hike and if a bear gets in my way I'm going to shoot it, even if there's another option to deal with the situation. Maybe that's not what you meant, but that's the impression I get from "stand your ground". Hence why I said it's an interesting choice of words.
 
Yes it's a common phrase. But it implies a refusal to retreat -as in I'm going on my hike and if a bear gets in my way I'm going to shoot it, even if there's another option to deal with the situation. Maybe that's not what you meant, but that's the impression I get from "stand your ground". Hence why I said it's an interesting choice of words.

Thanks for clarifying, that's a fair interpretation. For the record, I would never risk a bear attack (myself or the bear being harmed) to continue my hike. If I bump into a grumpy bear, I turn around and go someplace else. :D

By "standing my ground" what I meant, specifically, was to not run away! lol. :D Don't want to trigger predatory instincts.
 
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No worries - Thanks for doing your part keeping the thread on track. Hot topic as you can see...

If you're committed to a lever option and you don't reload, I'd specifically recommend a Marlin 1895G (45/70 with the short magazine tube). Personally, I prefer that action to what I see on the Pedersoli. Use some of the savings to send it off to a smith that you trust with leverguns (e.g. Rusty Wood Trading) to have it worked over for reliability (springs, action tune, whatever the man suggests) and add a ghost ring sight of your choosing (maybe a fiber optic front, too). Use the rest of the savings for practice ammo!

You can get shorter and lighter options in 45/70 than the above but you might find the handling to be unfamiliar (not to mention the muzzle blast). Hotter chamberings are available, too, but I'd stick with 45/70 for ammunition availability.

Thanks alpining, your recommendation is on point! I was talking with my dad yesterday and he recommends the new Marlin 45/70 produced by Ruger. He said I should go for the .444 calibre if I can find one. :D

I don't think I'll go for the Pedersoli. There isn't much information available for them, and I did find a few forums with people complaining about the action as well as feeding issues.

I appreciate the help I've received in this thread. When I do buy the rifle, I will absolutely follow up in this thread with pics and details. Thanks!!!
 
...I appreciate the help I've received in this thread. When I do buy the rifle, I will absolutely follow up in this thread with pics and details. Thanks!!!

And you can look forward to a similarly entertaining bunch of replies then - Enjoy the new rifle!
 
There is also a strong argument in my opinion for a semi auto option in certain cases.

Yes. There are zillions of .30 Caliber military semi-auto rifles out there. Somehow, those rifles must be considered very reliable by the military. And they are.

Some semi-automatic sporting/hunting rifles in stout (up to .338 Winchester Magnum and 9.3mm Mauser) calibers can be very reliable too. They speak fast. Very fast. And they hit hard at conversational distances - during conversations with bears.
 
Peter at Rusty Wood Trading did the action work on my 1895GS and 20" barreled LSI Puma M92 in 454 Casull both rifles feed anything I put in them from the 550gr Craters to 405gr WLNGC's in the 454 Casull.

The M92 holds ten 45 Colt or nine 454 Casull this picture is what it gives me at 100 yards with 240gr XTP Mags @ 2350fps



A friend of ours shooting it

 
I've got a couple cans of expired Yukon Magnum spray on hand. I really should go and fire one off to see exactly how it does 'pattern.' If they're anything like expired marine flares, I could be in for a surprise.

They are pretty sad to be honest. I fire off all of my expired ones and you get maybe 10 seconds worth of spray, out to maybe 15 feet or so. Once I was in Yellowstone and bought an American can. They hold quite a bit more spray than what we get up here. I never did test fire that one because I left it on my bumper while putting my pack in the truck. I forgot all about it and drove away :)

Chris.
 
Thanks alpining, your recommendation is on point! I was talking with my dad yesterday and he recommends the new Marlin 45/70 produced by Ruger. He said I should go for the .444 calibre if I can find one. :D

I don't think I'll go for the Pedersoli. There isn't much information available for them, and I did find a few forums with people complaining about the action as well as feeding issues.

I appreciate the help I've received in this thread. When I do buy the rifle, I will absolutely follow up in this thread with pics and details. Thanks!!!

You might have a hard time finding ammo and brass for that .444. I'd pick a .45-70 for that reason alone. You can get all sorts of bullet types for the .45-70 pretty easily too.

I've had a number of guide guns over the years, but now just have this one Marlin. It's an older XLR .45-70 cut down to guide gun length with XS sights. This XLR is smoother than any other 1895 I've owned and a better trigger. I like the pistol grip too.

Camp Cook, what range did you shoot that bear at? Was that with the 350gr bullets or the heavy cast ones?

thanks,

Chris.
 
This is by no means a shot at anyone doing groups at 100 yrds. But at defense range what can you do at 15 yrds and in ? This is where practice counts.
 
12 gauge, 00 buck, followed by slug or 00 buck, followed by slug or 00 buck.

With the first shot with 00 buck, a few pellets would hit the bear and give it a shock to at least pause or slow down. This would give you the time for aiming more accurately with a slug or 00 buck.

If you are close enough to warrant actually killing a bear, your buckshot will not have spread enough to make any difference…..essentially rendering it a very poorly penetrating slug. Better off to use a quality hardened slug like a brenneke instead.
 
I'd be ok with the Brenneke slug. I just had to open one up and see what was in there.
20210522_091502.jpg
 

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12 gauge, 00 buck, followed by slug or 00 buck, followed by slug or 00 buck.

With the first shot with 00 buck, a few pellets would hit the bear and give it a shock to at least pause or slow down. This would give you the time for aiming more accurately with a slug or 00 buck.


If you think that buckshot will have any affect on a large bear ..... maybe you want to have a look at this:

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1724640-Penetration-Test-II-Buckshot

And then have a look at the penetration test of the slugs ....

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1635960-Unofficial-12ga-Slug-Penetration-Comparison
 
For my many solo canoe expeditions in the Arctic Barrenlands, in Barrenground Grizzly country, I chose the 12 gauge pump shotgun with short "deer" barrel. I did alot of hiking on the barrens on these trips.

Yours truly showing carrying my shotgun:

Me_870_Bear_Gun_Burnside-01.jpg

Shotgun: Remington 870 Wingmaster 12ga.

Barrel: Remington's deer barrel, smooth bore with Remchoke system. Remchoke used is the smooth bore because of the multi-ammo selection I use: Rifled slugs, SSG, cracker shells, and rubber slugs. (Should I want to change the system to using just slugs, I would install the rifled Remchoke and use sabot slugs).

Sling: Sporting goods leather sling, nothing special. Front swivel is an Uncle Mike's adapter for the magazine screw cap. Rear swivel I installed in the usual bottom of the buttstock position. However this does dig into my back, so one of these days I need to install a flush cup QD swivel mount on the side of the buttstock, which should improve the carry comfort by flattening how the shotgun sits on my back. I also plan one day to upgrade the sling to a more adjustable model for different carry options.

Note also the bear spray on my right hip. In my pocket I have pen launch bear bangers.

This is the transport setup:

Bear_Gun_System_Burnside-01.jpg

The camo inner case is a floating shotgun case, but it is not waterproof. In the canoe that case goes into the Kolpin dry bag case. In camp the shotgun is always out of the cases. The uncased gun goes into the tent with me for sleeping.

Ammo sleeve on the buttstock for reloads if I need them, but also for a selection of slugs, SSG, crackers and rubber slugs. The white hull round is a rubber slug. In my later trips I culled out the cracker shells because I use pen launched bear bangers.

IMO the 12 gauge pump shotgun with a relative short deer barrel is a versatile and reliable bear self defense system. This old 870 (1970's vintage) action is very smooth and reliable.

In the Barrens one is literally surrounded by grizzlies, although at low densities.

Griz_Excavation_Contwoto-01.jpg

The photo above (location: Contwoyto Lake, Burnside River, Nunavut), shows a typical griz excavation of Sik-sik (Arctic ground squirrel) burrows. This was near my campsite.

This one below is a relatively fresh griz excavation of sik-sik burrow beside my campsite. As you can see the clods of turf have been peeled back not too long ago. In the Barrens Griz are all over the place. One has to learn how to stop worrying in order to sleep at night, inside the tent where you cannot see anything,....but you sleep with both ears open! :)

Griz_Excavation_Burnside-02.jpg

My Barrens solo trip durations are typically 30-45 days, and griz sightings happen every trip. Its been a while since I have been on the Barrens. I really miss it.
 

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Great pictures, and info! Thanks for sharing.
I'm hoping to get out there some day and see it for myself. Bucket list item to satisfy my Farley Mowat fanship. :D
 
Yes! ..for sure.. I hope to do at least a Joe Robenot, Algonquin tour.esk. Alone, in a Canoe... Who goes full rouge/wilderness, w/o some defense?
 
This is by no means a shot at anyone doing groups at 100 yrds. But at defense range what can you do at 15 yrds and in ? This is where practice counts.

My experiment. :redface: I did change out the choke tube from modified to cylinder.

6LO6zMp.jpg


Grizz
 
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