The place for general talk about gun, shooting, loading, camping, survival, and preparedness related tools and gear, as well as gear technology discussion, gear reviews, and gear specific "range reports" (all other types of gear should be on the back porch).
arctictom wrote:I have hunted bear and taken a couple , I would suggest a couple things, carry a rifle or shotgun in areas you expect to see bear,or have seen bears. A handgun is a weapon of opportunity and I can guarantee you will always prefer your long gun if you can realistically carry it. A hand gun is better than no gun, I carry a 4" Colt Anaconda 44 mag with 300 grain solids.
They have some really good self defense courses ,here, specifically for bear defense ,such as when and how to shoot and what seems to be the most effective.So a good suggestion might be to check your local Fish and Game office to see if they have anything similar.
Excellent advise! If you expect bear, carry a really big gun, or don't go there!
The handgun is for places you DON'T expect to see a bear - but after a rational examination of the odds - may be seen by a bear!
In other words, the handgun is always with you, even if you left the long gun at the tent as you went out to go to the bathroom.
"Stand it like a man, and give some back." Al Swearengen
For the truly crazy, There are revolvers in large calibers. Don's Guns had a snubnose revolver in 45-70. I normally don't go in there, but I was in there two summers ago when a friend and I needed to take some clients of his to a shooting range and we didn't have the time to go out of town. Oh, and the gun was ginormous for a snubnose, with most of the length taken up by the cylinder, unlike Magnum Research's BFR. The BFR is up to 17.5 inches long, and available in a few flavors of bear medicine, though not in .22lr...
Bullspit wrote:The handgun is for places you DON'T expect to see a bear - but after a rational examination of the odds - may be seen by a bear!
The handgun is also for after the bear is on top of you because you missed, had insufficient warning, or the rounds from your long gun failed to stop it, or whatever. Several people have saved their lives by having a securely holstered handgun in addition to their rifle or shotgun. If you play dead, a brown bear will usually let up long enough for you to draw the handgun and fire, at a range where it is difficult to miss (assuming you are still physically capable).
Tom is spot on. Even the weakest rifles are usually more powerful than the biggest handguns, so the handgun is at best a backup. When I was out at the cabin this week (serious bear country), I always kept my pistol on my belt, but anytime I was away from the cabin and yard I also carried my rifle. And I know I have posted this before, many times in the previous forum, but this is MY idea of an anti-bear gun:
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Cognosce teipsum et disce pati
"People come and go in our lives, especially the online ones. Some leave a fond memory, and some a bad taste." -Aesop
Bullspit wrote:The handgun is for places you DON'T expect to see a bear - but after a rational examination of the odds - may be seen by a bear!
The handgun is also for after the bear is on top of you because you missed, had insufficient warning, or the rounds from your long gun failed to stop it, or whatever. Several people have saved their lives by having a securely holstered handgun in addition to their rifle or shotgun. If you play dead, a brown bear will usually let up long enough for you to draw the handgun and fire, at a range where it is difficult to miss (assuming you are still physically capable).
Tom is spot on. Even the weakest rifles are usually more powerful than the biggest handguns, so the handgun is at best a backup. When I was out at the cabin this week (serious bear country), I always kept my pistol on my belt, but anytime I was away from the cabin and yard I also carried my rifle. And I know I have posted this before, many times in the previous forum, but this is MY idea of an anti-bear gun:
Good points indeed. As for your anti-bear gun, 'though it pains me to see a light and those big sights on a classic lever gun I can't argue with your choice. Despite the pain, I have to say that both are practical. Is that in .45-70 or .444 Marlin? Do you find the large loop lever to aid when using gloves or something? I find the smaller loops faster to operate.
"Stand it like a man, and give some back." Al Swearengen
It's a .450 Marlin. The large loop lever is mandatory for me, with or without gloves. I have fairly large hand, and the small stock lever was beating the hell out of my hand under recoil. After having carried this rifle through bear country at night both without and with the light (there was a long thread about it in the previous forum), I would never go back to not having the light. Darkness shifts the odds further into the bear's favor, since they have poor eyesight, and rely mostly on scent and hearing anyway. Having your rifle also be a powerful flashlight is a huge confidence booster.
Cognosce teipsum et disce pati
"People come and go in our lives, especially the online ones. Some leave a fond memory, and some a bad taste." -Aesop
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“I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party. The Democrat Party has adopted our platform.” - Norman Thomas, a six time candidate for president for the Socialist Party, 1944
Rifle, then handgun. I even copied NPR and bought a .450 marlin for serious duty. Even if I have my .454 lever or my .44 lever, it is still better than just a handgun. Growing up in a place full of bears, I have rarelyh run into one, nor ever had to shoot one. Still, it is a good idea to carry especially in the spring....
Winner of the prestigious Автомат Калашникова образца 1947 года award for excellence in rural travel.
You bet CC you cant go wrong with a 1895 marlin, and NPR and I suspect are on the same page with 1895 marlins for bear defence, although mine is 45-70 with 540 gr hard cast solids, his is one of those new flanged 450 marlins.
Boy we are up and running now. Next is discussion of fiat currency . Tom,
