Bear defense

[The Heretic]

Disclaimer: I have spent months in Alaska in areas where bears frequent, including the Kenai peninsula. I have also spent time in Montana, including in GNP and a few other areas where bears are known to be a problem. I once spent an afternoon off from work in Yellowstone. I have a bear that crosses my property from time to time (others have seen them and cougars). I have hunted both WA and Orygun for years until I could no longer make the treks required.

I have never seen a bear in the wild. I have seen their fecal matter (yes, they do **** in the woods) and their tracks (including brown bear tracks in Alaska).

I do not feel threatened by the fact that bears and cougars are in the woods. I carried often in Alaska and Montana, but I am regularly out in the woods on my property with little more than a pocket knife. I feel more threatened by dogs - both domestic and feral - I've seen them attack other dogs and humans and I've had them chase me and act very aggressively.

More people are attacked and injured/killed by moose than by bears. More people than that have been attacked and injured/killed by domestic dogs.

So, I have noticed the frequent topics here and there "what is the best bear gun/caliber".

Given that a full sized brown bear was once taken down by a woman with a .22 rimfire rifle, I would say whichever one you have with you at the time - which is why my choice is a S&W 329PD because if I am going to carry something, I want it to be light enough to be hardly noticeable and I don't mind that it is a pain to shoot - I can handle it if necessary.

Which brings me to this article which I just now stumbled onto:

Defense Against Bears with Pistols: 97% Success rate, 37 Incidents

Read More

 

[Koda]

Which brings me to this article which I just now stumbled onto:

Defense Against Bears with Pistols: 97% Success rate, 37 Incidents

thats an interesting article... and statistic, 97% success rate is incredibly high compared to the only other published study Ive found on the subject which gives pistols an 84% chance.

https://web.archive.org/web/20141231020018/https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/42173184/Survival Spray.pdf

however the takeaway from that article was that the bear inflicted injury on the firearm defenders 56% of the time yet the article says zero fatalities when bear spray was used...

 

[ma96782]

Bear Spray = Bear Repellent
Same, same, Rrrright? It's all in the "correct application."

Aloha, Mark

 

[Flymph]

The article makes me think I should get anything except a .357magnum...

 

[Certaindeaf]

Karamoja Bell used a Velo Dog pistol to kill 5,000 of them.



















not really

 

[Alexx1401]

Very good article. Surprised to see how many times the 9mm was successful on the large bears. I had to laugh at the one where the guy used a half a box of .45 to stop one, was then given spray and noise rounds, then went to town and bought a 10mm

 

[Joe13]

12ga.... thread completed

 

[MasterChief]

Not so fast @Joe13 ..... For convenience and round capacity....with a chest holster

Although I like the 12g super mag 3 1/2in buckshot and slugs.....

10mm with 16rds

ROCK Ultra FS HC - 10mm | Armscor International, Inc



EDIT: I have now switched to G20 modified barrel and some others ....Underwood 220gr hardcast is a witch to playwith

 

[The Heretic]

12ga.... thread completed

Sure. Tromp around planting trees and marking trails and spraying weeds with a 12 ga in your hands or slung on your shoulder.

 

[Alexx1401]

I still have my Dad's Dan Wesson. 357 he bought in AK. He loved that place but said Moose scared him far more than bear. Reason he bought the gun was mom moose chased him into a river while fishing one day. So he went into town and bought it with a shoulder rig

 

[BroncoFan]

Disclaimer: I have spent months in Alaska in areas where bears frequent, including the Kenai peninsula. I have also spent time in Montana, including in GNP and a few other areas where bears are known to be a problem. I once spent an afternoon off from work in Yellowstone. I have a bear that crosses my property from time to time (others have seen them and cougars). I have hunted both WA and Orygun for years until I could no longer make the treks required.

I have never seen a bear in the wild. I have seen their fecal matter (yes, they do **** in the woods) and their tracks (including brown bear tracks in Alaska).

I do not feel threatened by the fact that bears and cougars are in the woods. I carried often in Alaska and Montana, but I am regularly out in the woods on my property with little more than a pocket knife. I feel more threatened by dogs - both domestic and feral - I've seen them attack other dogs and humans and I've had them chase me and act very aggressively.

More people are attacked and injured/killed by moose than by bears. More people than that have been attacked and injured/killed by domestic dogs.

So, I have noticed the frequent topics here and there "what is the best bear gun/caliber".

Given that a full sized brown bear was once taken down by a woman with a .22 rimfire rifle, I would say whichever one you have with you at the time - which is why my choice is a S&W 329PD because if I am going to carry something, I want it to be light enough to be hardly noticeable and I don't mind that it

Based on the thread title I'm going to have to split with most of the group. I just don't think we need to be arming bears, so there is no right "calibear...".

 

[Joe13]

Sure. Tromp around planting trees and marking trails and spraying weeds with a 12 ga in your hands or slung on your shoulder.

Yup. I'd probably use a backpack with a scabbard though. And you can put snacks and a water bladder in the pack.


If you just want the least inconvenient thing to carry that will probably work then get the bear spray and then pray I guess.

 

[mkwerx]

Based on the thread title I'm going to have to split with most of the group. I just don't think we need to be arming bears, so there is no right "calibear...".

Bears have the right to bear bare bear arms too. I saw it on Family Guy

 

[Joe13]

They have those neat little birds head handle shotguns now as well if you think an 18" barrel is too heavy.

 

[TCOV]

Thanks for the link. A good read. My conclusion is most full power pistols are effective at very close range.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I still have my Dad's Dan Wesson. 357 he bought in AK. He loved that place but said Moose scared him far more than bear. Reason he bought the gun was mom moose chased him into a river while fishing one day. So he went into town and bought it with a shoulder rig

Man, I'd rather play peekaboo using a sapling rather than trust that freezing water would slow it.. they swim like a freaking shark with a laser on its head.

 

[CLT65]

I call BS, has to be fake news. Everyone knows that you can't stop a bear with a handgun. You need at least a howitzer to stop a bear, pit bull, or cougar.

 

[Alexx1401]

Man, I'd rather play peekaboo using a sapling rather than trust that freezing water would slow it.. they swim like a freaking shark with a laser on its head.

LOL, he was pissed but laughing about it when he told me. Said he was just walking the bank fishing and a calf came out of the brush up ahead. Saw him and out of curiosity started walking towards him. All of a sudden Mom came crashing out of the brush and charged him to protect the calf. He dropped his gear and waded off in the water. She got the little one and moved back off into the woods. He lived for years in a town that was just a wide spot in the road about 100 miles from Fairbanks. He said now and then Moose would wander through and all who lived there would give them a WIDE berth until they moved on. Animals have a reputation for charging people if they feel threatened. NW Trek up here has a tram that takes you through a zoo where the critters are allowed to roam. They made the news years ago for this. During rut male Moose attacked the tram and got his horns stuck in one of the doors.

 

[Alexx1401]

They have those neat little birds head handle shotguns now as well if you think an 18" barrel is too heavy.

Shockwave would work.

 

[LuckySG]

They have those neat little birds head handle shotguns now as well if you think an 18" barrel is too heavy.

There are some nice scabbards for the Shockwave and TAC14s, you will hardly know they are there. And for those to whom fishing means catch and release, come see me for a few boxes of rubber buckshot so you can meet that bear again and try to sort it out all over again sometime later!