Side Arm for Grizzly Country
- Thread starter Bang4theBuck
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sea2summit
Well-Known Member
Thanks.
629 Performance Center, 2.65".
FrogFire7
Well-Known Member
Probably need a little heavier crimp to keep your bullets from growing in length during firing.
Blancoalex
Well-Known Member
We don't have bears here in Central Texas back in the hills. Our thing to watch out for is a rattlesnake. My pistol of choice is 9 shot 22LR and it's snake accurate for 1 - 10 ft. 
Nice shooting! Definitely motivation to practice more with my Glock 29. Maybe someday when I get better with it I will have to move up into the revolvers. I like my 10mm but I am not going to say it will outperform the big bore revolvers.
I'm not much of a pistol shooter but do like my G29. I can use it as EDC, backcountry carry and home defense. It's not great at any one thing, it will most likely shoot through any two legged threats, will be on the light side for bigger four legged threats and muzzle flash will most likely make it hard for follow up shots at night if the threat is moving. But it checks a box or two in each category I need. Best part is it's snappy enough I think my wife is convinced she needs something easier for her to shoot.
sea2summit
Well-Known Member
Ohh, I would argue 10mm is great for two legged threats. Purpose built for that and still fitting in standard size frames as I recall.Nice shooting! Definitely motivation to practice more with my Glock 29. Maybe someday when I get better with it I will have to move up into the revolvers. I like my 10mm but I am not going to say it will outperform the big bore revolvers.
I'm not much of a pistol shooter but do like my G29. I can use it as EDC, backcountry carry and home defense. It's not great at any one thing, it will most likely shoot through any two legged threats, will be on the light side for bigger four legged threats and muzzle flash will most likely make it hard for follow up shots at night if the threat is moving. But it checks a box or two in each category I need. Best part is it's snappy enough I think my wife is convinced she needs something easier for her to shoot.
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If you want to get better fast and cheaply just find a local IDPA match (concealed divisions and compact are out there). For the $20 match fee and $30-40 of ammo you can't buy better training. Even if you talk to no one else which is unlikely just shooting the course of fire will teach you things or watching others.
And don't listen to the naysayers, there's no special magic to be a revolver shooter, it's like my favorite meme says:
levers4life
Well-Known Member
I was excited to get my NIB S&W PD (Scandium Frame Lightweight) .44 Mag.....first shot, factory federal ammo, locked up so tight I had to use tools to get it unjammed. I traded it that night for a Ruger Bisley Hunter in .41mag. I would not trust my life to one of those! I have a Taurus raging bull in 454 but it's developing a bit of a rattle with my handloads.....Next stop....Blackhawk!
I do own a Glock 20, it is a fine handgun but nothing puts a stop on a critter like a wide meplat heavy slug pushed as hard as your gun stand......IMHO of course.
Merry Christmas Y'all!
sea2summit
Well-Known Member
My FIL just got the 629 V-Comp. I really want to shoot that, if they did that so the barrel was 4" overall I think it would be awesome.
sea2summit
Well-Known Member
So teleworking today and had a free minute or two at lunch. Decided to see what I could do with the best gun I have for speed compared to the revolver, never done a six round string for speed in a semi.
100 yards, slow fire, very windy. I was actually very disappointed to only hit three times. I practice at this distance with this pistol several times a week and it has much better sights m. Usually I can get better than 80% hits. Ohh well, three of six.
Stood in the same spot as the revolver. Full disclosure I had to shoot this twice, first time it did not strip or feed the last round, these are low quality reloads I didn't sort brass enough. But it also demonstrates why I don't like semis for bears. First shot .57, last 2.20. Judging by the accuracy I rushed it.
I have a G21, maybe I should run that for more of an apples to apples "EDC" gun.
100 yards, slow fire, very windy. I was actually very disappointed to only hit three times. I practice at this distance with this pistol several times a week and it has much better sights m. Usually I can get better than 80% hits. Ohh well, three of six.
Stood in the same spot as the revolver. Full disclosure I had to shoot this twice, first time it did not strip or feed the last round, these are low quality reloads I didn't sort brass enough. But it also demonstrates why I don't like semis for bears. First shot .57, last 2.20. Judging by the accuracy I rushed it.
I have a G21, maybe I should run that for more of an apples to apples "EDC" gun.
Time to React:
In 2019 we were perched on our hillside a short distance above base camp, glassing for game. A sow grizzly with two young cubs showed travelling down the river bed about 150 yds distant. None knew where we were. I told my partner to shoot his AR15 into the ground to the side of the sow. Don't like grizzlies around camp. Especially sows with yearling cubs.
First shot, the sow looks around wondering what was up, but not too concerned. She doesn't really start heading out at all. Shows just a little concern. Tell my buddy to shoot another round.
Second shot she's immediately on alert. Looking all around her first and next turns to locate her cubs, which were trailing behind some 40yds in sparse brush. I don't know how she communicated to her cubs, but they came to her at a fast walk. Now the sow moves forward 60yds and the stops for awhile. Not as relaxed as when she first showed. Tell my buddy to shoot again.
Third bullet slaps into riverbed gravel and rock about 6yds to the side, and upwind of the sow, at the base of some willows. Kicked up some visible smoke/dust. Sow stands erect on rear legs, jerking neck in all directions, clearly alarmed. When the smoke dust drifted to her, she attacks the location of the bullet strike. Three quick pogo stick hops on rear legs has here into the clump of willows. Her front paws are just a blur, parting the willow branches, while she's looking down for the threat. Then unable to find anything to kill, she hesitates, drops to all fours, and heads for the hills at a gallop.
Whole point of this story? If a guy had been in that clump of willows, it woulda been curtains. This sow was out for blood. The only way a guy woulda had any chance was if the firearm was in hand and pointed toward the sow at the moment she started her attack. It was both alarming and frightening. I looked at my buddy and said "we just witnessed what mauling victims see, just before death".
It was a sobering moment. Something I'll never forget. Still can cause the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end. Spookier than when a black bear stalked me by scent, sneaking to within 20 feet before I could respond and kill it.
Just thought I'd share this experience for others consideration, when deciding on what firearm to carry, and how & where to carry it.
That sow woulda killed the majority of us, if not all, no matter the weapon carried. She came unglued and moved way too fast to respond.
In 2019 we were perched on our hillside a short distance above base camp, glassing for game. A sow grizzly with two young cubs showed travelling down the river bed about 150 yds distant. None knew where we were. I told my partner to shoot his AR15 into the ground to the side of the sow. Don't like grizzlies around camp. Especially sows with yearling cubs.
First shot, the sow looks around wondering what was up, but not too concerned. She doesn't really start heading out at all. Shows just a little concern. Tell my buddy to shoot another round.
Second shot she's immediately on alert. Looking all around her first and next turns to locate her cubs, which were trailing behind some 40yds in sparse brush. I don't know how she communicated to her cubs, but they came to her at a fast walk. Now the sow moves forward 60yds and the stops for awhile. Not as relaxed as when she first showed. Tell my buddy to shoot again.
Third bullet slaps into riverbed gravel and rock about 6yds to the side, and upwind of the sow, at the base of some willows. Kicked up some visible smoke/dust. Sow stands erect on rear legs, jerking neck in all directions, clearly alarmed. When the smoke dust drifted to her, she attacks the location of the bullet strike. Three quick pogo stick hops on rear legs has here into the clump of willows. Her front paws are just a blur, parting the willow branches, while she's looking down for the threat. Then unable to find anything to kill, she hesitates, drops to all fours, and heads for the hills at a gallop.
Whole point of this story? If a guy had been in that clump of willows, it woulda been curtains. This sow was out for blood. The only way a guy woulda had any chance was if the firearm was in hand and pointed toward the sow at the moment she started her attack. It was both alarming and frightening. I looked at my buddy and said "we just witnessed what mauling victims see, just before death".
It was a sobering moment. Something I'll never forget. Still can cause the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end. Spookier than when a black bear stalked me by scent, sneaking to within 20 feet before I could respond and kill it.
Just thought I'd share this experience for others consideration, when deciding on what firearm to carry, and how & where to carry it.
That sow woulda killed the majority of us, if not all, no matter the weapon carried. She came unglued and moved way too fast to respond.
Marine sniper
Well-Known Member
^ Thankfully bears are not very proficient killers- that alone is why so many people survive their attacks. The same can not be said about the big cats of Africa.
I think it's true bears don't kill to eat people as commonly as lions. But I don't think 'proficient' is the right word. Maybe "determined" fits. They have no problem killing humans should that be their mindset. Adult brown/grizzly bear have little problem killing adult moose, moose much larger than them.
We're no match, helpless without a weapon. Large brown bear are able to kill by crushing our skulls. Has happened twice within less than 15 miles of me. One bite, one kill. Smaller bear often bite the head, but rip thru the scalp, unable to fit the skull far enough in their teeth to crush it. Thus the pics of blood streaming down faces.
No reliable way to know their intentions. Often they'll depart after their mauled victim is no longer a threat. But even non-lethal maulings can be horrible.
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Once upon a time, I was around some G bears in captivity. One of their treats was fruit frozen in big blocks of ice. About the size of 5 gallon pails.
Long and the short, I won't soon forget watching the big bruins saunter over to the blocks of ice and with one smack of their paw they'd shatter the big blocks of ice into smitherines (is that a word, gues it is this morning)...
I was as you can say impressed!
Long and the short, I won't soon forget watching the big bruins saunter over to the blocks of ice and with one smack of their paw they'd shatter the big blocks of ice into smitherines (is that a word, gues it is this morning)...
I was as you can say impressed!
