handguns 'n bears

Silverado said:
I think in the instance of an attack, anything is better than nothing......

I honestly don't think that, in the same situation, I'd give up a slung rifle or shotgun for a handgun. And I damn sure wouldn't leave it hanging on a tree.
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The best use for a handgun in a bear defense situation is to fight your way back to the rifle or shotgun you should never have put down in the first place. But realistically, it should still be permitted as a last defense measure to protect your life. Getting dumped off your horse and watching it run away with your rifle in the scabard is a poor last sight when your encounter a bear.
 
jjackman said:
The best use for a handgun in a bear defense situation is to fight your way back to the rifle or shotgun you should never have put down in the first place. But realistically, it should still be permitted as a last defense measure to protect your life. Getting dumped off your horse and watching it run away with your rifle in the scabard is a poor last sight when your encounter a bear.
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True, to an extent and to my way of thinking, a .44 Mag with max loads on BIG Bears would be an absolute minimum. With some of the newer stuff available, a couple of the biggies like the 460 or 500 for example, adequate power is now there. These two in particular, have been tested on some of the bigger stuff in Africa, with good success.:)
 
I have always thought a large caliber hand gun in a holster is one of the best animal defense weapons there is. It is fast, devestating at close range and can be manouvered in tight. These things rarey happen when it is expected most maulings arise from an unseen bear etc. One could use a handgun even after the bear is on them and they are curled in a defensive posture.

I just don't see why we shouldn't be allowed to carry a holstered handgun while hunting, hiking etc in the bush where it is safe to shoot a rifle but not a handgun? I for one would love to have a large handgun on my belt while I gut and clean and animal with my rifle up against a tree.
 
jjackman said:
The best use for a handgun in a bear defense situation is to fight your way back to the rifle or shotgun you should never have put down in the first place. But realistically, it should still be permitted as a last defense measure to protect your life. Getting dumped off your horse and watching it run away with your rifle in the scabard is a poor last sight when your encounter a bear.
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Having never hunted on horseback, that situation never occured to me!

I was thinking of the thought process which leads to deciding "I'm going to have to pack out meat... I don't want to carry my rifle"
 
i would rather take the desert eagle 50(prolly one of the few times u actualy need a over powered gun like that)
 
Foxer said:
Good lord - you want to make 'Bionic' bears?!?! :D

(sorry. Steve Austin flash back.)
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Oscar Goldman approves. :D
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Me , northern Wisconsin . 4 inch heavy barreled Ruger Security Six .357 mag . 158 grain jsp over a very healthy dose of 296 . 40 yards , one shot through the neck . Not a big bear , not a grizz and i had time for an aimed shot , but it worked just fine .


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Any soldier or older cop will tell you that the best defense with a handgun is to get to the rifle/shotgun asap. That being said, heavy caliber revolver's make good bear defense guns cause people are more inclined to carry them nad it's what you carry that saves your bacon. It is unfortunate that the CFO's have decided to restrict the right of legally owning individuals to take a handgun in the wild. If I applied to an ATC and was denied then got eaten by a bear while panning a creek with my shotgun on shore. My wife would know what to do... Get the denying letter from the CFO with it's assynine comments to mt lawyer and get a bigger bank vault!

Troutseeker
 
23/4there said:
Most people frown on .357. But I always say it fits nicely under the throat.
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I would rather have a .357 that I could shoot all six rounds off than a monster that takes far to long to recover from the recoil of one shot. Most 357's are quite a bit nicer to carry, lighter and quicker handling than the big boys.

But in the end, practice makes perfect with whatever one would choose to carry if it were legal.(no need to get into that again :evil: )
 
Crazy Davey is right on.

Shooting a bear in a defensive situation is different than shooting an unsuspecting bear in a hunting situation. A .475 Linebaugh is a great hunting tool, but is too much of a good thing in a defensive gun which may require multiple shots in order to survive. You might miss with the first round, you might be faced with a sow and 2nd year cubs. Straight line penetration is more important than raw power in these situations. Concentrate on a heavy for caliber, flat nosed, nonexpanding bullet at 1000-1200 fps. to get the job done.

Given the above criteria, a .357 is at the lower end of the power spectrum, although I have heard of more than one person who survived a dangerous bear encounter because they could shoot very well with a 9mm pistol. At the top of the power band is the .44 magnum or a heavy loaded .45 Colt. A .480 Ruger would work as well if it was slowed up a bit.
 
troutseeker said:
Any soldier or older cop will tell you that the best defense with a handgun is to get to the rifle/shotgun asap. That being said, heavy caliber revolver's make good bear defense guns cause people are more inclined to carry them nad it's what you carry that saves your bacon. It is unfortunate that the CFO's have decided to restrict the right of legally owning individuals to take a handgun in the wild. If I applied to an ATC and was denied then got eaten by a bear while panning a creek with my shotgun on shore. My wife would know what to do... Get the denying letter from the CFO with it's assynine comments to mt lawyer and get a bigger bank vault!

Troutseeker
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:)This I have to remember. Good one.:D
 
crazy_davey said:
I would rather have a .357 that I could shoot all six rounds off than a monster that takes far to long to recover from the recoil of one shot. Most 357's are quite a bit nicer to carry, lighter and quicker handling than the big boys.

But in the end, practice makes perfect with whatever one would choose to carry if it were legal.(no need to get into that again :evil: )
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I know what you mean, and I guess there's two primary choices or trains of thought. Do you go with Firepower or Powerful fire? In a defensive situation with a big Bear and knowing how quickly they can cover ground, at best I'd get one shot and if I'm really lucky, possible two. In this situation my choice for and PRACTICE with would be Powerful fire.:cheers:
 
If all you can shoot is a 9mm then that should be you're choice...

If you can shoot a 475 Linebaugh proficiently by all means that should be what you carry.

The answer to this thread is to shoot the most powerful handgun that you can shoot profiently...

Me... I carry 10mm semi-auto's in winter and Ruger Super Redhawk's in 454 Casull the rest of the year. :canadaFlag:
 
Camp Cook said:
If all you can shoot is a 9mm then that should be you're choice...

If you can shoot a 475 Linebaugh proficiently by all means that should be what you carry.

The answer to this thread is to shoot the most powerful handgun that you can shoot profiently...

Me... I carry 10mm semi-auto's in winter and Ruger Super Redhawk's in 454 Casull the rest of the year. :canadaFlag:
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JOOC... why the semi's in the winter? Don't you fear the cold will cause a malfunction? (Maybe I'm way off base there... I'm thinking of lube getting thick/freezing up, cold causing parts to get tight etc.)
 
My winter carry gun is a Glock 20 10mm and I always use Lucas synthetic gun oil which doesn't gum up in anyway even in the coldest weather (appr -30 C) that I encounter.

This gun/cartridge functions flawlessly in any conditions I am exposed too...
 
Each to their own, but if you run into trouble with a sow with cubs, the cubs, especially second year cubs, will be as dangerous as the sow. Fast repeat shots might be all that saves you. The same applies if you are surprised by a bear lying up in the willows, or if you are getting pulling out your tent while stuck in your sleeping bag. That is my recurring nightmare. A skinny old bear getting at me while I'm sleeping, and why I hate tents in bear country. It is possible under those conditions to miss the first shot no matter how good you are. A fast follow up shot might be all that will save you. Bears do not react in a positive manner to live fire. Don't expect Yogi to wander off just because you fire a shot at him without hitting him. Don't assume that because you wound him he'll break off an attack. If you have to shoot, keep shooting until the problem is resolved.
 
Sorry Geologist I can't help myself... Please forgive me for writing this...

Do you put the lanyard around your neck so that if/when the bear grabs the gun instead of you it will choke you quickly...

Oh man I'm hating myself for posting this... :wave:
 
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