Handgun for Woods Carry

[mjbskwim]

I bought the G20 for this reason.16 rounds of 10mm .And I have looked at the ballistics and the gel tests of the 357. They match the 10 pretty close.
So a Ruger GP100 ,or Blackhawk would be my second choice.
But as is always stated in these threads,a shotgun is the best if you can pull it off.Or a Marlin guide model 45-70

 

[Jerry]

You might want to re-think the .44 mag and go with a .41 mag. Similar hitting power, and the .41 is easier to get back on target for a follow-up shot.

 

[Ding]

first shot, hit it in the snout with the 12 ga .00 (takes out their eys and smell) then back up and finish him off with the .44

This is all anyone will need in bear country..

 

[Medic!]

S&W 329.

 

[CZ Fan]

This is all anyone will need in bear country..

That would suck if the rubber happened to snap.

 

[Medic!]

Poof.

 

[revjen45]

How about a BFR in .45-70?

 

[Oro]

I spend a fair amount of time in bear country, seen several over time, a grizzly once, too. Nothing frightening of note, they go about their business and I mine. But I always think hard about it and carry. I carry either a .357 or .44, with hard-hitting ammo. For your purposes, a S&W 686 is a great all-around gun. If you compare ballistics, 10mm and .357 are very similar.

 

[nitestocker]

i like the glock 20 stocked with double tap 200gr WFNGC Hardcast if i went to a 44 mag ruger ether stainless black hawk or red hawk if the black hawk id use randy garritt 310 gr. hammerhead if the red hawk it would be the same round but 330 gr have fun on your choice i like the glock 20 its lighter most likely run into two legged preditors before you walk into a bear

 

[A.I.P.]

10mm

 

[unklekippy]

.357 is the way to go. 4" 686. Buffalo Bore and HSM have "Bear Loads". Double Tap has very heavy loads as well. I make 180 grain loads that move at about 1350fps. Penetration is the key when dealing with bear skulls. If it is hard enough, the higher velocities of a 158 grain make for possibly better penetration, but I think from a defensive, skull-busting, save your life standpoint, 180 grain projectiles are ideal for black bear if necessary. This of course requires head shots while being charged by a bear. If there were Grizzlies here, I would say the .44 mag. The way I understand it, Alaska folk are calling for no smaller than .454 Casull these days. Kip.

 

[mjbskwim]

Head shots are not the answer.When looking at you the skull is slanted up and back,very thick and it deflects the bullet.
The F&W people have found bears with 44cal slugs grown into the skull and determined that it wasn't the cause of death.Plus if the skull grew around it the shooter may have passed through the bears digestive track buy the time the doc's got to it.lol
And there's the article I saw in and Alaska magazine years ago that said if you carry a 44mag for grizzlies,make sure to file off the sights so it doesn't hurt so much when the bear shoves it up you ***

And I'm sure there is more tall tails than time.

 

[RVTECH]

I am certainly NO expert when it comes to bears (other than blackies here in Oregon and usually all I see of them is the rear end) but I can not imagine anyone cool enough to engage a charging Griz with a handgun. Controlling a .44 mag is hard enough on jackrabbits (lots of experience here) but factor in adrenalin/fear when confronting a possible bear charge and I just do not see it coming out well for the human. I am sure there are verified stories of bears being killed with a .44 mag but most stories I have read about deadly bear encounters was bear one, human zero.

 

[sr1911fan]

Take a 30-30 or a 762x39, they are good for two and four legged things that want to hurt you, handguns are for in town.

 

[Buddhalux]

Dont shoot the bears. All you have to do is go out in the woods with somone that is slower than you, and nature will take care of the rest. Or if you are slower than your friends, you wouldnt be after you put a 9mm round in their knee cap. Only kidding.

I have a .357 that I take into the woods, but we dont have any grizz's around here. Up in AK, my Uncle would only take his 30-30 that he kept slung over his shoulder. Granted he played football in highschool, and I am, well, slower but, yeah, crap... never thought about that....

Do you play Shane on Walking Dead by chance??

G20 would be my choice. Dresdan has one and it's just more comfortable than his blackhawk. But then again my teeth were broke in with the 1911 as well. The ballistics for the 10mm are damn impressive when compared to the 44. Having a few more rounds than 6 at a time has always been my concern with pistols.

 

[unklekippy]

I am for sure no expert on aggressive bear defense and have never been charged by any bear. I believe that in this case I would be carrying a "bear defense gun" just to give me peace of mind. In the end, you need a really big gun to kill a charging, angry or hungry bear. If carrying any sidearm makes you feel safe, carry it. From what I read, most people that survive armed bear encounters do it with a high power rifle or shotgun and there is a lot of luck involved. Killing a charging bear would in my opinion generally require penetration of the skull. I'd wager the .44 slugs grown into or deflected off of the bears skull were probably not of the Buffalo Bore "Bear Load" nature. Of course getting the shot off under those conditions is a feat of it's own. Did the bear give you 10 yards to react or 200? The point is, if you want ANY chance of stopping a charging bear with a pistol, you need a penetrating bullet. A 125gr. .357 Golden Sabre is an awesome defense bullet for man or even cougar, but probably a total waste on a bear. If I were in serious danger of bear confrontations on a regular basis, I would want no less than a .454 Casull on my hip and would feel even better with a S&W500. Good Lord, I hope I never have to face a bear like that. What a scary thought. Kip

 

[Crazyeye24]

My experiences with Bear is not the thickness of the skull but the angle of the skull. The reason, again in my experience, bullets don't penetrate the skull, if you get a good shot while they're coming at you, is the bullet ricochet's off their heads. My dad shot a bear, heart/lung shot, with his 30-06 and we still had to track it 1/4 mile in the bush. I shot it 2 more times with my glock 23 and it kept going. Final kill shot was a bullet to the side of the head with the 30-06. Just to see if it had a thick skull I pulled the brain out and it wasn't too thick at all. I've seen handgun bullets go through much thicker bone!

Again, This is just my experience and will change from animal to animal. I'm sure the huge bears have somewhat of a thicker noggin than the ones I've seen.

 

[noshis9s]

I chose a 4.2" Ruger SP101. Small frame but comfortable enough for shooting larger 357 magnum loads with the 4" barrel. Should be quite handy this hunting season!

 

[mat33]

Anything that ends in 'Nitro Express' should do the trick.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

Friend, if you are looking at a woods carry handgun that will put a dent in a Grizzly bear I feel that you are unnecessarily limiting your options if you go with your posted pistols / calibers.

If you see a Grizzly bear from a distance you will be able to avoid him. If one charges you from close range I feel that you will only get off one shot: if that.

I suggest that you consider a Thompson Center Contender or Encore pistol in an appropriate caliber.

Right now, on Gunbroker, there are some of these pistols for sale in .308, 45-70, 30-06, 30-30 and many other calibers.

I further suggest that you carry one of these pistols in an appropriate chest holster.

I know, from personal experience, that the above combination works very well for pigs on the big island of Hawaii. I suggest that it will also serve your purposes equally well.