Side Arm for Grizzly Country

[Lasiter]

Sorry but you and whomever showed you that data are wrong. I'm pretty sure what the source of that data was and it doesn't reach the conclusion that most people think it does. Most people can't provide a reference to the original source documents for this misinformation but if you want to understand how the original studies were misquoted then read the article at this link.

Handguns work far better than bear spray at stopping a charging bear, and that's a proven fact. The truth is that the study that contains the misquoted data says that bear spray is only successful at stopping a bear charge 33% of the time while firearms are proven to be at least 76% successful and possibly as high as 96% successful at stopping a bear charge.

I've heard the most effective use of Bear Spray is to coat your handgun bullets with it.

 

[Bdubose]

I used to load 158 grains for my 357. The ballistics were awesome.
That would be my selection

 

[Captain1967]

We hunt the Thorofare in Wyoming. I carry either my glock 20 or my ruger alaskan in 454. 200 grain hard cast for the 10mm and 350 grain hard cast for the 454. I use a chest rig so that the pistol is always available even while quartering an animal.

 

[Backcountry sports]

I am going on a horseback Mule Deer hunt in Grizzly Country. I will be with a guide. I am told that it is advisable to have a side arm for protection from the grizzly bears. The simple choice looks to be a 44 mag, with hard cast bullets, but I'm interested in hearing what you guys are using, and what advantages and disadvantages you have seen. I am limited in the weight that I can carry, so that is a consideration. I have a 6" S&W 357 Wheel gun, and hoping it is reasonable to use that for protection.

I use Springfield xdm in 10mm 15plus 1 with cast bullets

 

[shane holt]

as fast as a griz can run, along with the fact that few people can shoot any handgun accurately in very stressful situations, leaves not much choice. having been around a few dozen moose kills in bear country, we always have a shotgun with slugs handy after a moose is down.

 

[Mrvmax]

That is not a true charge, that's a faint and that's why the bear spray seemed to work, that bear had no intention of actually attacking, she was just trying to make sure that the guy in the video wasn't going to go after her cub. A real charge is far more aggressive and you typically wont see it coming because the bear is actually stalking you so it will hold to cover until it's ready to attack. I live in SW Montana and more often than not, when you read about bear attacks around here, real attacks, it's more common to hear about how the bear just ran right through the spray without any effect. What's even more of a problem is that when people buy a can of spray they never practice with it and it's not unusual to hear that some guy TRIED to deploy his spray and he never did because he didn't know hot to disengage the safety, or he didn't know how to use the spray.

Thanks, I did miss the link in your post, I'll book mark that link for future reference. The bias is clear now.

 

[Lasiter]

We always carried Model 29 Smith .44s into elk camp. I know Glocks are reliable (as are my Sigs) but revolvers never jam.

Sorry, had a model 29 fail in a big-gun pistol match. Thirty-six rounds of full-factory loads and it went out of timing. Was worthless as a pistol, better as a hammer. It can happen.

 

[rammac]

Thanks, I did miss the link in your post, I'll book mark that link for future reference. The bias is clear now.

It really bothers me when we get fed propaganda from the poorly educated press, they really confuse us with their opinions rather than facts.

 

[ericbc7]

Revolvers for me. I don't ride horses but a chest rig works well on a 4 wheeler and won't interfere with slung rifle for the most part.

 

[kwcoop]

I am going on a horseback Mule Deer hunt in Grizzly Country. I will be with a guide. I am told that it is advisable to have a side arm for protection from the grizzly bears. The simple choice looks to be a 44 mag, with hard cast bullets, but I'm interested in hearing what you guys are using, and what advantages and disadvantages you have seen. I am limited in the weight that I can carry, so that is a consideration. I have a 6" S&W 357 Wheel gun, and hoping it is reasonable to use that for protection.

The guides that we hunted with carried 10 MM's They wanted a gun that would put as much lead down range accurately in the shortest amount of time.

 

[archangel485]

Whatever side arm you use, have it easy to access, like a chest holster, tucked away somewhere you can't get to it in a second will be of little value. But honestly in my opinion, the most important thing to have with you is another person you trust who is also armed. I know many go into griz country alone, I think they're crazy. Someone earlier made the statement that it happens fast, that's for sure. Often the person being attacked is not the person who fends the bear off, it's often the other guy with him that shoots the bear. A friend of mine experienced this, he walked up on a sow with cubs, within a couple seconds she had ran by him and smacked him, slid several yards past him from her momentum, they get moving fast in a short distance. As she was turning to come back to get him, he bear sprayed her to no avail. She jumped on him and was mauling him when the guy he was hunting with heard him yelling and shot the sow off of him. Luckily that guy was close enough to hear the screams.

To give you another idea how fast it can happen, a recent attack in Park County, the guy never even got the pepper spray out of the holster, but luckily the bear bit the can while mauling him and that chased the bear off. Funny/not funny. Happens fast, so I'd go with at least one other person and both of you be armed. https://cowboystatedaily.com/2020/0...-after-accidentally-biting-can-of-bear-spray/

 

[Backcountry sports]

I use Springfield xdm in 10mm 15plus 1 with cast bullets

Another quick note was you shoot your game that's the bears dinner bell they come toward smell and the noise

 

[jarnold37]

I am going on a horseback Mule Deer hunt in Grizzly Country. I will be with a guide. I am told that it is advisable to have a side arm for protection from the grizzly bears. The simple choice looks to be a 44 mag, with hard cast bullets, but I'm interested in hearing what you guys are using, and what advantages and disadvantages you have seen. I am limited in the weight that I can carry, so that is a consideration. I have a 6" S&W 357 Wheel gun, and hoping it is reasonable to use that for protection.

I watched informative show about being in grizzly territory and the caretaker kept a 44 on his belt but said that even a 44 body shot did nothing to slow them down and a 9mm was useless. He said with deep conviction that bear spray is the best protection because they cannot take that severe irritation to their highly sensitive nose. Also it doesnt take a direct well placed hit like a bullet. Two men were attacked. One was high in a tree and watched grizzly maul the man on ground scalping him with one bite and breaking many bones with one swipe of paw then dragged him stuffed him in brush pile and deficated on him. Then climbed the tree grabbed breaking his ankle pulling him out of tree. He had can of bear spray and sprayed in bears direction and bear stopped his attack and turned slowly walked away shaking his head.

 

[archangel485]

Another quick note was you shoot your game that's the bears dinner bell they come toward smell and the noise

This is absolutely true, be very aware approaching a deer you've shot.