Build a rifle for sheep or bears?

[Just an Old Cowboy]

What about carrying a shotgun with alternating buckshot and slugs for bear protection. A short barrel shotguns not very heavy

 

[Just an Old Cowboy]

Unfortunately, carrying a handgun in Canada will seldom be an option, and when things happen, they happen very fast with a bear, and I feel much more comfortable taking my chances with a rifle and a confident attitude for success!
I think that it was KDM Bell that said " I don't care what a man can do with a rifle at 300 yds....I want to know what he can do at 3 yds."

 

[Varminator 911]

Have you guys seen this clip where Rinella gets charged by a bear?



After watching this and seeing them scramble to fire warning shots and rinella trying to get his gun off his should I might be convinced that a big handgun is the way to go. Can fire a shot in the dirt and still be ready to let a couple more rip. Watch this a couple times and you can see how hard it might really be to get a scoped bolt action on target, and reload after firing one in the dirt as a warning shot or whatever...they exercised some restraint by not shooting her, crazy close call.

Not that a handgun would have guaranteed to save the day, but things happen quick and being able to send 5-10 downrange as fast as you can pull the trigger seems like your best bet.

Those guys should have spread out some. They had plenty of time. I don't want anyone behind me if things start happening fast. Last thing I want is to shoot my partner tying to scare off the bear. Make the animal choose one of you or the other. That leaves shooting lanes and opportunities to shoot the bear off your partner.

I'd take a pistol and a 338 shooting tough bullets. If necessary I want a hole in both ends of the bear. A 338SS or WM in a light gun with a brake doesn't kick too much. Keeping the bullet weight below 250 helps on recoil. The right 210-250 gn 338 will still shoot thru any bear.

 

[theosmithjr]

So I go back and forth, I'm looking at hunting sheep in an area that is crawling with Grizzly, it's also an area that had a reputation as challenging to access, I have my gear list and I'm working in it and it's naturally ultra lite but then I come to the rifle!
I had a rifle planned out on paper that would be on the light side of stupid and probably chambered in a 6.5 SS, awesome on paper till I started thinking about the inevitable run in with bears, I don't like the idea of standing there with a 5 lb 6.5 with a bear deciding how badly my being there is offending him.
I have zero intention of putting my life on a can of bear spray, ya, we'll be packing it but really I'm putting a big hole in something if it comes to it, the last guy locally that got killed blew a whole can into the bear and he died and the bear had spray all over it when they killed it!!
Another guy I know of ran out of spray by the time he made it to the truck, he sprayed the bear, got thrashed, made it a ways and the bear kept coming back for more as he hiked out, he lived but was messed up!
So to the question, do I build an ultra lite sheep rifle and then carry a Ruger Alaskan in 454 OR build an 8-9 lb 300 of some kind and pack just that?

No matter what caliber rifle you choose; you should ALWAYS be carrying a sidearm that's powerful enough to kill anything that roams the N American continent, when hunting where you're going. What happens if you're dressing a Sheep, and that bear pops up 10 ft. from you and your rifles lying on your pack? What happens when you're in your bedroll after a gruesome day of climbing terraine? What happens when you're taking your morning constitutional, and only thing in your hand is a roll of toilet paper? What about when you're humping out that trophy sheep you just bagged? What it, what if, what if!
BE PREPARED son! MOST rifles will get the job done from distance; but you need to PROTECT YOURSELF at ALL TIMES! Better to have it, and not need it; than to NEED IT, and NOT HAVE IT! Theosmithjr

 

[Varminator 911]

What about carrying a shotgun with alternating buckshot and slugs for bear protection. A short barrel shotguns not very heavy

Buckshot is worthless on a bear IMO.

 

[26Reload]

The video shown really doesn't show an actual charge by the sow...she was just coming down the mountain..heard noises and was trying to get her cubs away from trouble...and then the shot rang out and she like any of us would have lost her bearing trying even more to escape...and accidently ran towards the guys......this wasn't a charge....
As a gun to carry...whichever you have utmost confidence in...backup?...there are titanium revolvers out that don't weigh hardly anything and cost around 700$...

 

[RMorris]

A Glock 29 with a 15 round model 20 magazine is pretty light insurance no matter what else you choose.

 

[FIGJAM]

The video shown really doesn't show an actual charge by the sow...she was just coming down the mountain..heard noises and was trying to get her cubs away from trouble...and then the shot rang out and she like any of us would have lost her bearing trying even more to escape...and accidently ran towards the guys......this wasn't a charge....
As a gun to carry...whichever you have utmost confidence in...backup?...there are titanium revolvers out that don't weigh hardly anything and cost around 700$...

I don't disagree - i think they call it a false charge...even still, you can get a sense of what it is like to have a run in. Most of us have been lucky enough not to, seeing even that encounter changed my opinion of how an enounter should be handled.

 

[FIGJAM]

A Glock 29 with a 15 round model 20 magazine is pretty light insurance no matter what else you choose.

That is what I carry - I know people will discount the 10mm, but I carry and shoot the glock platform and am super comfortable with it - way more so than with a big wheel gun. All that practice I do with my other glocks transfers over to my bear protection gun...at least thats what I tell myself

 

[FIGJAM]

Buckshot is worthless on a bear IMO.

I did a job up in alaska and decided to take a self guided fishing trip over the weekend. Ran into cabelas to buy a bear gun - ended up walking away with an 870 tactical with buckshot as the first shot followed by slugs. That is what all the locals recommended - the buckshot is to spray the ground in front of them (which is supposedly effective ) then the slugs to close the deal if necessary. Shipped the gun home and still have it next to the bed and take it camping - great souvenier

 

[ClydeBullion3]

So I go back and forth, I'm looking at hunting sheep in an area that is crawling with Grizzly, it's also an area that had a reputation as challenging to access, I have my gear list and I'm working in it and it's naturally ultra lite but then I come to the rifle!
I had a rifle planned out on paper that would be on the light side of stupid and probably chambered in a 6.5 SS, awesome on paper till I started thinking about the inevitable run in with bears, I don't like the idea of standing there with a 5 lb 6.5 with a bear deciding how badly my being there is offending him.
I have zero intention of putting my life on a can of bear spray, ya, we'll be packing it but really I'm putting a big hole in something if it comes to it, the last guy locally that got killed blew a whole can into the bear and he died and the bear had spray all over it when they killed it!!
Another guy I know of ran out of spray by the time he made it to the truck, he sprayed the bear, got thrashed, made it a ways and the bear kept coming back for more as he hiked out, he lived but was messed up!
So to the question, do I build an ultra lite sheep rifle and then carry a Ruger Alaskan in 454 OR build an 8-9 lb 300 of some kind and pack just that?

Why not have a friend go along that carries a larger rifle and helps you with the hunt?

 

[26Reload]

The difference between this bear 'running into them' and false charging is intent....she only knew she needed to flee the area...she wasnt being aggressive as a 'false charge' would show...

In Oregon while bow hunting elk i (and another guy) had a short scene with a black bear....it came out of some brush about 20 yards in front of us..scared it with two figures that close..it ran over and off the road while screaming and up a tree still screaming..down out of the tree and back across the road up another tree..still screaming..down out of that tree and back across the road.....you guessed it..still screaming......interesting......
The guy i was with had been an engineer in AK for many years..dealt with many bears.......after this scene...he was shaking uncontrollably.....we both had arrows knocked..no gun.........i was laughing...but not for funny reasons...this was an unnerving situation...and it wasn't a cub....maybe 150 bear.......but still big enough to do damage.....still remember it well...red hair and all.......situation finally ended when the bear came out of the last tree and we heard it screaming running down the mountain.....

 

[Lasiter]

I'm in sort of the same situation .I leave in 30 days to go with a friend of mine to Kodiak island for his bear hunt. He drew a grrat tag in the red lake Olga Bay area and he is a resident so we will be going without a guide. I'm going as an assistant but I'll be packing a self defense weapon. I still can't make up my mind what to pack .I don't want to carry unnecessary weight but I want plenty of gun. I've got a redhawk 44mag and a galco Kodiak holster which I will probabaly take but other than that I cant decide between a shotgun and slug or a large rifle. I've got 45/70's and a 458 Lott even. I'm leaning towards the 870 tactical full of slugs though

I was told by one with a lot of Alaska experience that he carried a shotgun with 12ga slugs. His rule: If they don't get too close, leave them alone -- the slug won't do it at distance. But if they get too close, shoot, the slug will work. You could always look at at the .50 hard slugs in the 12ga sabot.

 

[Lasiter]

I'd go with a light rifle in 6.5 or 7mm and carry a bear gun in a chest holster. When I'm in griz country I have a S&W 460v in a Guide's choice chest holster. The nice thing about the 460 is you can practice with 45 Colt and carry 454 Casull or 460. Need to practice with the full power stuff too but way cheaper to shoot the 45 Colt mostly. Yes, it's about 4lbs but with the chest rig I hardly notice it and with a bit of practice drawing is very fast.

It has been said by those with experience, when facing a deadly threat, whether 2 or 4-legged, adrenaline will mask the difference between firing a normal and hot load.