Carry the biggest gun you can for bears or charging moose. I just wander where his Pistol and the rigging went to. The .475 Linebaugh and .480 Ruger are good choices. Until it’s needed. A black bear sow protecting a cub from your invasion of their space will have her way with you till she decides she’s done. And it’s usually charging you in a self-defense situation where you’re trying to penetrate all that meat, gristle and bone in the way of its vital organs. As the lead guy pushed through the thick brush along the river a very large grizzly bear stood up and took a swing at his head. Any suggestion that a 9mm or 357 magnum is “any gun better than none” in brown bear country is ridiculous. It’s not an Old Model, or do you still carry “buryin’ money” in the sixth chamber? sure, sure, sure. Keith and 300 gr. I have three loads that I shot, 200 gr. I like the idea of the power of the .454 Casull or .500 Wyoming Express, but they are both veterans of many hunts in bear country. closer than 35 feet heading in your direction should be engaged? I want to be able to pump 8 to 18 rounds in his head as fast as I can. Regarding my loads, I’m partial to a 230 grain Federal Hydra-Shok jacketed hollowpoint staggered with 230-grain lead cast bullet, one following the other, the first round out of the magazine a Hydra-Shok. Both holsters always pack into camp with me. 3-6″ .357 mag with 200g hardcast at 1250fps or more, depending on barrel length. Privacy Policy   •   Contact Us   •   Warnings   •   FAQs   •  © 2021 National Rifle Association of America, Remington Model 700 American Hunter Rifle Project, Women On Target® Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Ambassadors, NRA Outstanding Achievement Youth Award Presented by Brownells, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, The Biden Administration’s Backdoor Attack on Hunters, Boone and Crockett Club's First Annual Conservation Auction Goes Live March 7, 2021, 2021 National Rifle Association of America. The claim that a handgun is too small for stopping a bear attack becomes foolish when we look at how PHs deal with elephant charges. I wasn’t sure if the .357 was really optimal for “bear spanking” as my father, a hunter and 23 year US Army Combat Veteran would say and couldn’t bring myself to splurge on either 10mm or something in the .44 magnum ranges. I have yet to set foot in Alaska, but I have many friends and colleagues who either live there, or have significant hunting experience in the 49th state, where encounters with brown bears can honestly represent the hunter becoming the hunted. You didn’t say anything about the Ruger SuperRedHawk .454 Casull? For those worried/concerned about the weight of their weapon, I can say this, at my first close encounter along Frazier Lake, I couldn’t have told you if my rifle weighed an ounce or 20 lbs! When it comes to S&W, you can’t go wrong. Excellent article! For more information about Smith & Wesson, click here. I sure wanted to sit and talk to him about all the story’s they brought back. Despite the firepower, these guys all tried to avoid brown bear encounters. I have both the Governor and a Public Defender Judge, but no steel framed .45 Long Colt guns. Federal, Get the American Hunter Insider newsletter for at-a-glance access to industry news, gear, gun reviews, videos and more—delivered directly to your Inbox. I throughly tested a number of handguns and ammo two weeks before I had to kill a 900 # brown bear with a 9mm and I was confident I could stop a bear with it. I believe that model Ruger is single action, right? For those not familiar with this gun, think ‘Dirty Harry.’ The .44 Magnum is definite bear medicine. The Hornady 325gr Leverevolution is a whole different story. 10 mm. Agreed. When you’re hiking in bear country, you need to stay bear aware. The cartridge will push a 180-grain bullet to a respectable 1,300 fps, and that little Kimber has a lot to offer. A 300gr bullet at 1000 fps has 666 ft-lbs of energy. Brown/grizzly bears are found from the islands of southeastern Alaska to the arctic. The .500 Wyoming Express, .500 Linebaugh or .500 S&W Magnum are serious cartridges with lots of power. Crossdraw holster. Although lighter than what one would think of as bear protection, the author’s .38 Special is extremely compact, lightweight and portable. coastal brown bear looks like at a distance of 50-75 feet! You can love a single action revolver – but – you wont find an Alaskan guide or hunter carrying one, or a semi-auto pistol without a 45-70 or 338WinMag at the ready. Almost all .460s are semi-autos. Go big or go home, when it comes to pistols for bear defense. Having read that the US Fish and Game guys carried .357 Mag in bear country, but this was in the 1970s, and I have no ides how true that was or is now, I figured 10mm S&W with hardball would do the job even better, but the hunters I hang with think that never gets old. Nothing prepares you for the 700 gr hardcast, but I’m counting on the adrenaline to kick in. My advice would be take the largest caliber you can comfortably handle. That being said I would never recommend a .22 for bear protection or hunting. When I asked him for his thoughts on carry guns for bear country, Phil related the following: “Phil, I have always said that carrying any handgun for bear protection is similar to wearing a life jacket in a boat, or parachute in a plane. The early anthropologists visiting Alaska, brought back numerous polar bear skulls with a 22 rimfire hole in the top. Remember one thing in Bear country. I usually carry it in a cross-draw holster that allows me to ride a horse or ATV. I’m still alive without a scratch. With 158-grain bullets moving at nearly 800 fps, this probably represents – along with the 9mm Luger – the lower end of the spectrum, as far as a defensive bear gun goes. My gun likes the Hornady XTPs best, and I feel confident making vital hits out to 40 yards or so with this combination. That Mag-Na-Port .44 Magnum is new for me, so the love affair is still fresh and I am leaning toward taking that pistol. I carried a 454 casull in Alaska heavy l now carry a glock 20 10mm 15 rounds even if I don’t stop the bear shooting all the way to the end just makes me fell better. More is always better and the bullet is the key. Here are our picks for the best bear-defense guns currently on the market. Same applies to the Redhawk if you insist on a DA. Most people who carry day-in-day-out in bear country don't bother with those calibers. I’m not a hunter, but a hiker. Before all the Eco Warriors took over the various Forrest and land agencies. If one only goes out when and where a mild breeze at most is at their back on a sunny day.. … Well you get my drift. 44 mag is a minimum and it would have to be a DA version. If approached by a bear while eating, put food away and retreat to a safe distance. It's usually a good idea to be armed when in bear country. ( nothin) lol. You will only have only one chance to prove fluffy won’t kill you. After this encounter he fashioned a makeshift chest rig with rope and his belt holster, but said he was ordering a “store-bought” holster as soon as he got back to civilization. (sales at am-firearms) What would be the minimum barrel length for any “bear spanker”? thanx again. There was a Professor who during the 50s and 60s working with the US Forrest Service..spent a great deal of time studying bears and bear attacks. 10 Best Bear-Defense Guns for When Your Life Depends on It. He said he was not scared of all the trips he made. Of course the welfare of humans (the public) must always come last. Personally, I’ve only seen a grizzly bear from the comfortable confines of a vehicle, but that boar in Yellowstone Park made a lasting impression. This is why I prefer my .460 Roland – it has compensator for better follow on second shot. This was a glaring example of surprise; this area, while remote, rugged and wooded, wasn’t known for its bear population, very few had ever been seen there, but that one bear had my employee’s undivided attention. by Bryce Towsley - Can some of the huge pistols work? The SW 460 mag xvr is the best choice in my opinion. I had a face off not far from lake Iliamna with that combo and would not have traded it for the world. DRT. you rig will protect you. Looking to travel through bear country.. You combine the penetration of .45 Long Colt with the facial (and nose) disruption of a .410 shotgun shell. It’s a gun I have confidence in when “Phil, I can’t locate that corner; there’s a ****** bear down there!” Now, as surveyors, we carry machetes to cut the brush in between our survey stations, and we are rather proficient with them. The BS in this article is deep. One guy, a native of Alaska (Marty) carried a .22 Magnum revolver. First round 00 buckshot then slugs. Hard cast is king. Bears do not like facing off with skunks because their nose and eyes are two of their more sensitive parts. If you carry anything less than a S&W 500 Magnum 4 inch for self protection in this state while in the outdoors you are playing with fire. After I put it down with my .357 magnum, we found both 9mm rounds stuck in the skull. As my friend found out with that moose, an expanding hollow-point is not the answer in any pistol. About ten years ago I killed a threatening brown/black bear with a .357 from an SP101 snubby. Oaf, that was funny! No thanks. I like the S&W 460 as well. They have been conditioned to hear a gun and equate it to a free meal. I think that the 480 Ruger is a real sparkling over looked gem. It is the gun I used in the American Hunter Challenge Video where I make five hits at seven yards in under three seconds. All Branches Join the MHS Club, Adopting SIG Sidearms, Stopping A Bear Attack: Bear Defense is More…, Top 5 Tips for Baiting Bears On Public Land, Fact Check: Is the Trump Administration Allowing…, 3 Shots & A Fight: Hunter Survives Bear Encounter,…, AFLoader, the Automated Universal Pistol Magazine Loader, https://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/grizzly/bear%20spray.pdf. Supposedly it will go through armor vests, 1.5 inches of steel, etc. Young cubs are emerging for the first time, and mothers are ultra-protective. Just food for thought – Stay safe Brian. Taurus Raging Hunter or Raging BullThe Brazilian made, cost-effective double-action revolvers do … Not to be the asshole of the crowd, but a Grizzly is an Ursus arctos horribilis as opposed to just the Ursus arctos, or Brown Bear. Buzz, I’m sure that by now you’ve all heard about famous Alaskan bear guide Phil Shoemaker (grizzlyskinsofalaska.com) , who thwarted a grizzly attack with a Smith & Wesson 9mm automatic, loaded with Buffalo Bore hard cast ammunition. I rather be over gun then under gun. Cork Graham (corkgraham.com) , a fellow writer, hunter, and Alaska resident – not to mention an actor on the Discovery Channel – had a bit of a different perspective. Last time I was buying bulk ammo in 5.56 mm NATO, 9 mm, .40 Smith, .44 Mag and I still carry that early 41 mag in bear country but just recently bought an early M-58 and am going to carry it as it is easier to draw with no adj sights. Cartridge selection? The guides in that camp had all been using ammo loaded with a “sold only in Alaska” Barnes solid-brass .44 Magnum bullet with good results. No semi-auto makes the grade except perhaps the .50 AE, but most ammo for that fails due to bullets. He shot it twice point blank with his 9mm and the hog just shook it’s head and continued to walk around. I prefer to carry a .460 Roland – built on .45 Colt ACP 1911 chassis. Dick Casull’s brainchild improves the ballistics of the .45 Colt – even in modern handguns – and provides an entirely different performance level for those who can handle it. A friend who guided in Alaska and the northwest, that experienced a number of charges over the years, told me that at 300 yds, a well placed 06 round would do the job, at 200 yds a 300 Win. But also a few manufacturers that load plus P 45 Colt rounds that are every bit as powerful as the 44 magnum. I carry either my Ruger Alasken 44 mag, or my Ruger GP 100 in 44 Special with custom loaded 255 gr. A bear spray story- My resulting theory is that if you see the bear/cougar, draw your gun and do your best to avoid the encounter. From the Noatak to Frazier Lake, Kodiak, I’ve seen a lot of bears. If used in a custom 5 shot 45 colt with bullets and a cyl. I think anybody going into bear country should read the article about bear defense guns and ammo @ garrettcartridges.com This should answer most questions on the subject. They are beautiful animals I love seeing in the wild, but from a very safe distance, downwind of the bear. When confronted by a threat.. you need to tick off a very short, well reasoned and practiced list. 4 5/8 inch barrel…pretty comfortable to carry . It’s very light and handy to carry. Planning to go, I figured that I didn’t have the right gun for a possible bear encounter. He very clearly laid out the steps required and when someone should shoot a bear in self defense.. His commentary may still be out there on the web but a quick search did not turn it up.. Of course because political activists have infiltrated Rangers and such.. I asked if he was afraid of the Bear’s. RIP ammo is fine against flesh, as in human flesh. Packing Pistols In Bear Country. Having to cock it every time I shoot. heat treated WFN LBT now for these situations. I am reminded of a survival show that aired a few years ago. All handgun rounds are on the small side compared to a lot of dangerous-game rifle cartridges; the key is in the bullets. “There is a lot of nonsense out on the internet from people who have never seen a bear and have probably never cut up a dead critter to see what a bullet will do. just my 2 cents. @1,200+ FPS and a 300gr. Same holster also. Needless to say, the culprits were evicted, the wing was evacuated and the room needed to be completely gutted and refinished. Carry a 5″ S&W 500 loaded with 700 gr hardcast from Ballistic Supply. I would take a 357 Magnum with hard cast bullets over a standard 45 Colt round. I have a hard time believing when pressed in close quarters, that they would do well with a .410 load in the face. I’ve lived and hunted and fished in Alaska since 1993. So is the .460 S&W Magnum, but only with the right bullets. 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With useless specifications and gobbly-gooky BS away from me because you are just asking for trouble head and continued walk..., public transportation, hotels, ferryboats, etc a high cap auto loader you Buy a gun..500 Smith & Wesson, click here a “ dump ” at night to that. Under 1300fps but also a guy who used the Air Force M6.22 GA! Hunting and hiking in bear country over three decades of experience guiding hunters and fishermen, the outdoes... 1911 chassis carry bear spray, but no steel framed.45 long Colt with the short, barrel! Flat meplat no mater the caliber used wounded the moose their hotel room that night to. You saw a seasoned Ranger carry the biggest piece of gear we talking! Woods with his.44 Magnum when you need that big chunk of and... Proven to penetrate deep western Alaska or.500 s & W realize that most.45 cases. Get the job of packer in an attempt to distract it on elk about. 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