Best backup handgun for grizzly?
Thanks for all the great suggestions. I never heard of the S&W 329 but it sounds interesting. I also forgot about Taurus. One in 480 or 454 might do nicely. Had a Ruger once and didn't like it but maybe I'll check one out again. The other big single actions are way out of my price range and I don't know if I could handle the 500 S&W.
Years ago an old timer convinced me the best bear gun was a 12ga. slug gun. He also said that when a bear decides to charge, the main thing is to not aim for the head (he once bounced a 45-70 slug off a grizzly's skull, stunned it but didn't penetrate) but throw as much lead at it as fast as you can and try to break something, hopefully a shoulder. Once it is stopped then you can worry about killing it. I now carry a 7 shot Benelli M1 with ghost ring sights and my 29. My wife carries an Ithaca 37 deerslayer and a can of pepper spray. The only trouble with a shotgun (or rifle) is sooner or later you're going to have to put it down (yes, even if it has a sling). Three years ago while looking for firewood I leaned my Benelli against a tree to take a wiz. As I zipped up I noticed what looked like a gunstock sticking out of the ground about 30 feet in front of me. I only took a few steps toward it when I realized it was the lower part of a moose leg. There is no more sickening feeling in the world than realizing you just stumbled on to a fresh grizzly kill and your freakin' bear gun is leaning against a tree 20 feet behind you. And of course that day I left the 29 in the cabin and brought my Colt Woodsman along to shoot something for supper. The bear was standing about 50 feet away just watching me. Why he never charged I will never know but I figure he was stuffed on moose meat and too full to move. Since that day I never left the 29 behind again.
A few other things I learned in bear country. 1. Never run from a bear(easier said than done). Because it is a predator, running will only trigger it to chase and kill. 2. Always run from a moose. Because it is not a predator, if it charges you it has pretty much made up it's mind it is going to stomp you into the ground. 3. Most bears will run away before you ever know they are there, especially a sow with cubs(unless you get between her and her cubs). The most dangerous situation I can think of is what happened to me and while that one never charged, most are extremely protective of their kills and will attack anything they think is a threat. 4.Any big handgun that you have in your hand, even if the front sight is filed down, is better than the one you left back at the cabin.
And as for those little ankle bells they sell for hikers and backpackers who travel in bear country, a much better use would be to put them on your dog's collar. That way you can escape while the bear is eating your dog! And finally, Al Lee has a sign in his Air Taxi office at Tolsana Lake. It too warns people to wear the little bells when traveling in bear country. It also explains that you can tell you're in bear country when you find large piles of poop containing little bells. Pretty funny.
Thanks again. bj
Years ago an old timer convinced me the best bear gun was a 12ga. slug gun. He also said that when a bear decides to charge, the main thing is to not aim for the head (he once bounced a 45-70 slug off a grizzly's skull, stunned it but didn't penetrate) but throw as much lead at it as fast as you can and try to break something, hopefully a shoulder. Once it is stopped then you can worry about killing it. I now carry a 7 shot Benelli M1 with ghost ring sights and my 29. My wife carries an Ithaca 37 deerslayer and a can of pepper spray. The only trouble with a shotgun (or rifle) is sooner or later you're going to have to put it down (yes, even if it has a sling). Three years ago while looking for firewood I leaned my Benelli against a tree to take a wiz. As I zipped up I noticed what looked like a gunstock sticking out of the ground about 30 feet in front of me. I only took a few steps toward it when I realized it was the lower part of a moose leg. There is no more sickening feeling in the world than realizing you just stumbled on to a fresh grizzly kill and your freakin' bear gun is leaning against a tree 20 feet behind you. And of course that day I left the 29 in the cabin and brought my Colt Woodsman along to shoot something for supper. The bear was standing about 50 feet away just watching me. Why he never charged I will never know but I figure he was stuffed on moose meat and too full to move. Since that day I never left the 29 behind again.
A few other things I learned in bear country. 1. Never run from a bear(easier said than done). Because it is a predator, running will only trigger it to chase and kill. 2. Always run from a moose. Because it is not a predator, if it charges you it has pretty much made up it's mind it is going to stomp you into the ground. 3. Most bears will run away before you ever know they are there, especially a sow with cubs(unless you get between her and her cubs). The most dangerous situation I can think of is what happened to me and while that one never charged, most are extremely protective of their kills and will attack anything they think is a threat. 4.Any big handgun that you have in your hand, even if the front sight is filed down, is better than the one you left back at the cabin.
And as for those little ankle bells they sell for hikers and backpackers who travel in bear country, a much better use would be to put them on your dog's collar. That way you can escape while the bear is eating your dog! And finally, Al Lee has a sign in his Air Taxi office at Tolsana Lake. It too warns people to wear the little bells when traveling in bear country. It also explains that you can tell you're in bear country when you find large piles of poop containing little bells. Pretty funny.
Thanks again. bj
0
-
I have a place in Alaska in the middle of grizzly country. I normally have my 12 ga. slug gun with me and my model 29 for backup but it has an 8 3/8" barrel and is a pain to carry. I'm thinking of getting a 629 with a 5" barrel. Any other suggestions? Thanks. 0 -
Not sure if anyone suggested it or not as I missed your original posting but how about a used Magnum research BFR in 45-70? The new ones are ,granted, a bit on the pricey side but a lot of Souther's buy them becuse they look or seem cool and fire it once and go home crying to mommy. Just like a 'slightly' used car depreciation takes over pretty quickly and perhaps you could get one under a thousand? I'm not entirely sure the 454, big and bad as it is, would really be considered enough gun to slow down a big brown? As you said whatever big pistol is in your hand is better than the one you left in your cabin but merely pissing one off doesn't seem like a good idea either!
"When I cease learning...I'm dead"(Me)
"Power corrupts...Absolute power corrupts absolutely"(Descartes?)
"History is written by winners"(Patton)
"You get a lot farther with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone!"(Al Capone)
"There is nothing lower than the human race...except the French" (Samuel Clemens)0 -
Specifications
SKU: 163414
Caliber: .44 Magnumr/.44 S&W Special
Capacity: 6 Rounds
Barrel Length: 4"
Front Sight: "Light Gathering" HIVIZr Orange Dot
Rear Sight: Adjustable V-Notch
Firing System: N/A
Grip: Ahrends Finger Groove Wood & Hogue Sq. Butt Rubber
Trigger: N/A
Hammer: N/A
External Safety: N/A
Frame: Large
Finish: Matte Black
Overall length: 9-1/2"
Material: Scandium Frame, Stainless Steel Barrel, Titanium Cylinder
Weight Empty: 26 ounces
$927.00*
*Suggested Retail, Dealer Sets Actual Pricing
http://www.swfirearms.vista.com/store/index.php3?cat=293482&item=831456&sw_activeTab=1
MOLON LABE!0 -
Wouldn't a .444 be better than a 12guage slugger for bears? Especially grizzly? I would think you would have just as much knockdown power and the + of added penetration. Not to mention accuracy and maybe range.
The main reason I ask is my dad has always sworn by his marlin .444 for bear protection. Always said if it doesn't kill him it should at least knock him back a few feet. Course he was talking about black bears, they weight a little less .0 -
I would say a 44mag would be fine I use my 500S&W and the recoil isn't really that bad[:)] 0 -
Nothing is going to "knock a bear back a few steps" when he has his mind made up to destroy you. I think a 12 gauge with a seven shot tube would be the best defense coupled with a few cannisters of bear spray. The best way to avoid getting charged is to avoid the encounter in the first place. If you are hiking or hunting or fishing in grizz country, keep your eyes and ears open. And contrary to popular belief, a grizz will climb a tree to get you. They are excellent climbers. If you would like some excellent reading on grizz attacks, get the book "Mark of the Grizzly" it is excellent and eye opening! http://half.ebay.com/cat/buy/prod.cgi?cpid=718097&domain_id=1856&meta_id=1
Chris8161
Admit nothing, deny everything, demand proof!0 -
Chris, you are right on. also your choice of reading material is excelent. for more reading on the topic of true story bear encounters, Larry Kaniut's books "Alaska Bear Tales", "More Alaska Bear Tales", "Some bears Kill", "Cheating Death: Amazing Survival Stories from Alaska", & "Danger Stalks the Land" are all super reading. first time you see a bear stand up, "woof", shake it's head blowing snot & dripping ugly, snap it's teeth, then drop to all fours to charge, you learn respect in a hurry. we're talking 800+ lbs. of cute & fuzzy one minute, mean & UGLY the next. fact, they can do the 300 yd. dash faster than a quarter horse & do it over the roughest ground you've ever seen. 3 guys ran into a griz with a bad attitude a few years back near here. two were armed with 30-06 & the had a 270 if I recall right. the bear charged & the first volly knocked it down. It got up & charged again finally droping 15 feet in front of them. when skinned, there were 17 solid hits- that's one tuff brute!
"all I really need to know I learned in kindergarten" Robert Fulghum
anyone who says "nobody needs a full auto" has never been in front of a brown bear charge0 -
Yes BJ, those belll are sold up here in north BC as well. I call them "dinner bells"!
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.0 -
Does anyone make the 50BMG in a handgun?[:D][:D][:D]
Everyone has a photographic memory. Only some have film.0 -
If it were my life on the line I'd bring my Garand loaded with 180 fail-safes. And a couple extra clips. Loads fast I could even have my bayonet fixed! 0 -
OK Mr Spanish Inquisition (yes, I got that one) the Garand is a nice gun...it also makes a fine grave marker when the bayonet is affixed to it. Also, the bayonet would make penetration easier for whichever body cavity that Grizzly decided to jam it into on ya'. Read the earlier response about three guys and 17 soloid hits on a Brown that barely stopped him...thats 2 reloads and likely more than 15 solid, well placed hits! The idea of this game is to pump several 350 to 400 grain bullets in the throat or innards area on these guys and that will likely disuade them from making fish chum out of you! 180 grian fail-safes?!?! You're gonna' make the big bruin REALLY angry and likely not very dead at all!!!
"When I cease learning...I'm dead"(Me)
"Power corrupts...Absolute power corrupts absolutely"(Descartes?)
"History is written by winners"(Patton)
"You get a lot farther with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone!"(Al Capone)
"There is nothing lower than the human race...except the French" (Samuel Clemens)0 -
Has anybody ever seen that video on TV where that grizzly bear plows head on at full speed into the side of that red Chevy Nomad? Bears are tuff! 0 -
Should buy one of those civi, m40 grenade launchers single shot break open. If I remember correctly you can legally use a sort of HE round in them. I would have to look for it but they always had them advertised in some of the magazines I used to get.
Only problem being it may just set the bear on fire and not stop him, so now you have a 800 pound flaming grizzly running at you lol.0 -
Redice
Laughed until I nearly wet myself! The other guys at work DEFINATELY know I have to have my computer activities watched now!!! Gives me almost as much of a grin as the thought of some poor dude having his 30-06 used like a pipe cleaner on his rear end ( or some such other orifice)! Also, God help you if you miss with the first shot from that 37mm...only thing worse than a flaming grizzly is a grizzly with your 37mm grenade launcher in his paws and the intention to use it on you in SOME way or another!!
"When I cease learning...I'm dead"(Me)
"Power corrupts...Absolute power corrupts absolutely"(Descartes?)
"History is written by winners"(Patton)
"You get a lot farther with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone!"(Al Capone)
"There is nothing lower than the human race...except the French" (Samuel Clemens)0 -
quote:Originally posted by 1KYDSTR
Redice
Laughed until I nearly wet myself! The other guys at work DEFINATELY know I have to have my computer activities watched now!!! Gives me almost as much of a grin as the thought of some poor dude having his 30-06 used like a pipe cleaner on his rear end ( or some such other orifice)! Also, God help you if you miss with the first shot from that 37mm...only thing worse than a flaming grizzly is a grizzly with your 37mm grenade launcher in his paws and the intention to use it on you in SOME way or another!!
heheh thanks for correcting me, 37mm I looked it up now found a site about them. And its not break open, this is the one I was thinking of however.
http://www.37mm.com/
edit: fixed link so it went to there main page, dang I want one of these if I ever buy a bushmaster, that looks sweet. Wonder how much they weigh
here is a pic I found via google.
Bah after reading a bit It sounds like they don't allow the flame rounds anymore. However if you would still like a flaming grizzly running at you, may I suggest some flame thrower rounds for yer 12 gauge? lol or I suppose you could try one of those flares for the 37mm actualy a flare would possibly work good depending on its fuel type.0 -
redice and 1kydstr you guys got me rolling, you have some great stuff to say, heck im still laugh while typing this out. as for a backup handgun I have no idea, i`ve never hunted bear, but I am a believer in 44mag, as my nick sugest, I have never had one let me down under any cercumstance.
mag44pistol
If you like my first shot? wait until you see my next!0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
16 comments