Back county pistol, what do you guys think?

[Alexx1401]

There was a woman here in an Idaho campground that was awakened by a bear chewing on her feet yesterday. Do you think she is looking for a pistol today?

Hopefully but some liberals remain that way even after this. There was one comes to mind from a coupe decades ago. Couple from here, has a cabin in AK somewhere. They of course had seen Bear. One day hungry smaller Black comes to cabin intent on getting in. The husband made it out, wife got killed and partially eaten. He described the things they did to fight off the Bear. As they were losing the battle he managed to get out and run to call for help. By the time help got there all they could do was kill the Bear as they HAD A DAMN GUN. Now why this couple did not even have a simple shotgun? They were the kind who believed no one should. Well good on them. If husband is still around he probably still thinks that way. Some just can't be reasoned with.

 

[Captain O]

Hopefully but some liberals remain that way even after this. There was one comes to mind from a coupe decades ago. Couple from here, has a cabin in AK somewhere. They of course had seen Bear. One day hungry smaller Black comes to cabin intent on getting in. The husband made it out, wife got killed and partially eaten. He described the things they did to fight off the Bear. As they were losing the battle he managed to get out and run to call for help. By the time help got there all they could do was kill the Bear as they HAD A DAMN GUN. Now why this couple did not even have a simple shotgun? They were the kind who believed no one should. Well good on them. If husband is still around he probably still thinks that way. Some just can't be reasoned with.

He will be removed from the 'gene pool" by some "Ursine chlorine" and soon.

NEXT!

 

[Certaindeaf]

I read a story in the American Rifleman decades ago about a guy getting mauled by a black bear and all he had on him was a 3" pocket knife. He stabbed that thing for a long time to no effect.. finally he palm pushed it into the bears heart and the bear died.

 

[orchemo]

Ruger 1911 in 10 mm

 

[Argonaut]

One of my favorite stories about back country handguns is of course by Elmer Keith.
Seems there was a rash of man-eating black bears (the Indians were leaving their old and sick people out for them to eat and they developed a "taste" for human flesh) up in Canada so not being stupid, they went up there to have some easy fun.
Anyway, they're single-filing it through the deep thick woods and a scrawny 90 pounder decides it's dinner time and asses and elbows it towards the leader of the line.. who (not Keith)shoots it in the eye with his 255gr Keith slugged Webley .455.
The second guy in line buries his axe in its head as its momentum carries its already lifeless body into their midst.
cool hands

I spent a few hrs with Keith at his Salmon Idaho shop in the early 80's. I was a GI, stationed at Hill AFB where he had worked as an inspector during the war and I was from Idaho too boot......although I was born in Lewiston and my folks lived down the street from Jack O'Connor (whitch provoked a little growl from him)...........Keith was fascinated about my rescue job in the USAF. Kept me around talking until it was nearly dinner time........he was an absolute character. One of my best memories. I was hunting bear on the upper Salmon river out of North Fork and shot a good bear the first day out so spent a couple of days exploring the area when I stumbled into him. He was much more entertaining in person than in his writings.

 

[djharteloo]

There was a woman here in an Idaho campground that was awakened by a bear chewing on her feet yesterday. Do you think she is looking for a pistol today?

I would imagine she went to Cabelas as soon as she got out of the hospital.

 

[Argonaut]

I would imagine she went to Cabelas as soon as she got out of the hospital.

I don't think she was badly injured.......but a trip to,Cabelas would be what a logical person would do....especially since no concealed carry permits are required here in Idaho.

 

[DunRanull]

My own choice in Colorado mtns has been either a 1911 with hopped up 200gr handloads, or straight 230 ball ammo, OR a Ruger Redhawk 5.5" .44 magnum. Have carried other things but my pistol is there to help me get to my rifle... Browning .308 BLR or a loaded AK-type rifle. Sometimes have a .30-30 Marlin 336 Cowboy or a Mauser in 7,92X57.
The pistol is usually a stop-gap solution. Just the look of the AK causes folks to steer clear of me and my camp.

 

[Alexx1401]

My own choice in Colorado mtns has been either a 1911 with hopped up 200gr handloads, or straight 230 ball ammo, OR a Ruger Redhawk 5.5" .44 magnum. Have carried other things but my pistol is there to help me get to my rifle... Browning .308 BLR or a loaded AK-type rifle. Sometimes have a .30-30 Marlin 336 Cowboy or a Mauser in 7,92X57.
The pistol is usually a stop-gap solution. Just the look of the AK causes folks to steer clear of me and my camp.

Decades ago when I first got online and was using the old Usenet boards this came up quite a few times. People talking about a gun ending what "could have been" a "situation" before it ever started. When I brought up one day that there were I was sure MANY times the sight of a gun stopped a problem before it ever started. That and many times a gun was drawn and ended something with no shots fired and not reported. I was talking about something that happened to me one day when I was carrying (illegally) as we had no CC law. Stopped a robbery from happening and of course I did not call the law. It got a LOT of people relaying times they were sure the display of a gun stopped problems for them. Camping was often one of the times people were bringing up.

 

[TopPinElk]

Take a Bell and tie it too your ankle.

I spent most of my life in the NW woods (first years were in a tropical jungle where everything bit and was poisonous) and have seen a grand total of 1 black bear my entire 28 years up here and that was his rear end as he ran off the road.

This isn't Alaska.

I would've agreed with your post until the last several years, like you I've lived here my entire life (50years now), after the liberals from Cali moved and special interest groups resulted in a vote making dogs and bait illegal for bear and cougar their populations have skyrocketed. I spend several weeks a year archery and guiding my kids rifle hunting for various animals and we see multiple bear and get cougar on trail cams every year. 99% of the time Blackbear and cougar go the other way and you never knew they were there. Last year I was charged by a blackbear with a cub, she stopped short but still way too close. I think part of the topic should be ease of draw because in my situation I had virtually no time to get my handgun out and on target. I even have a specially made holster that is incorporated to the front of my pack. Back to your comment though, in 2016 I saw 7 bear and 2 cougar between August and December. If someone is in Northeast Oregon they will see cougar and now wolves.

 

[Joe13]

I haven't been out as much the last few years as I'd really like too be so I will take your experience to heart and keep an eye out when I get further up in the hills.

 

[Argonaut]

Bear used to be so common in Western Washington, they could be taken any time of the year and as many as you wanted. I am 65, took my first bear on Jacknife mtn in north east Washington state 50 years ago. When younger, (than 15) I watched my grandmother chase them off the back porch of the church camp she was cooking at (near Riggins) during the summer with a broom. During huckleberry season, she would simply shoe them out of the patch she wanted to pick. We have lots of family bear stories being 7th generation Idahoans, each generation gathers new ones. I have never been afraid of a bear in the lower 48 unless they were in a garbage dump or your camp food but I do believe in being prepared. My great uncle killed one with an axe while he was in elk camp in the 50's. It was after a hanging elk carcas and got aggressive. We hunt them with deer size rifles, for self defense......they will be close, most any over 40 caliber handgun should be adequate in the hands of a competent shooter. My last one, I killed with my 378 Weatherby at a couple of hundred yards. I shot it from camp, near the Anderson Ranch reservoir, (here in Idaho) She absolutely rolled over with her feet in the air. She was a huge black bear. I wouldn't have used that rifle necessarily but of the rifles I had in camp, it was sighted in the best. My ideal bear gun is my Savage (Valmet) 2400 308/12 gauge. Bear season coincides with Grouse season in the high country. I carry the gun often on the horse, it is very flat and is perfect in the scabbard.

 

[MrMillspecer]

 

[Joe13]

Now that's funny

 

[DunRanull]

Mine's a S&W 4" 66-2 in .357 Mag. Carried it hunting and hiking for years. Never needed more for anything.

A Smith 66 4 incher? It should cover most exegencies in the lower 48.. I did trade mine in on a 4 inch model 28... simply because I feared that too many heavy .357 reloads were pounding it. The 28 is a lot heavier but just as classy. The stainless steel of the 66 has got to be advantageous up there in the rainy woods.

 

[Captain O]

Move on up to a 6" barreled Model 657 and load it up with some stout 210-grain .410" Soft Points.

You won't be sorry.

 

[DunRanull]

There is only one serious back country stand alone pistol. An N frame S&W 44 mag. It is the only caliber/handgun combination that makes sense. I prefer a 4" barrel. Everything else is simply a want to be. The bigger 50 caliber pistols are unwieldy and overkill. The Rugers are good pistols but large and crude. I have taken coyotes at 100 yards with my 4" 629. It is also the smallest legal caliber for big game in many states. 44 mag shot shells are effective and readily available. If there is one gun in my truck, it is my 629.

Ummm Rugers are "crude"??

 

[orchemo]

The Glock 29 that I have for sale!!

 

[DunRanull]

Probably died.
Shoulda went all .25 acp.

View attachment 376308

I don't believe that Colt advert about the .25 auto taking out a big ol bear! Ive got one of the .25 Brownings... and THAT just aint cuttin it!

 

[Certaindeaf]

I don't believe that Colt advert about the .25 auto taking out a big ol bear! Ive got one of the .25 Brownings... and THAT just aint cuttin it!

That's the spurt.