Bear Protection

[yoda10]

Hi,

I am looking for a handgun for bear protection in Alaska this summer. I plan on doing some backpacking so lighter is better. However, I need stopping power as well.

Any ideas?

Thanks

[midrivers]

Hard to beat a 44 mag, gonna be lighter than any of the big bore handguns out there. Alot cheaper too!!

[Rich]

Get you a short barreled pump shotgun with a sling on it. Take the plug out, load it with slugs and hope you don't have to use it.

Rich

[Win Mag]

Well if you can out run the guys your backpacking with. It wouldn't matter how heavy the gun. Make them carry it.....LOL

All jokes aside a 41 mag to the 44 mag I would feel comfortable with for stopping power.
Had the need for it's use arises

[midrivers]

Your rig sould make for a one hell of a handgun Rich!!! LOL!!!
That being said I would want your suggestion over mine when the deal went down!

[kahuna]

I wouldn't need one, 'cuz the bear would be slipping in my poop, and I'd get away.

Otherwise, the new S&W 460 or .500 would be the ultimate, with a 4 in bbl. ;D

[pheasanthunter]

I would not take a .500 S&W..... You may scare off or kill the bear but you will never hear the same again...
The .44 will do the job on a bear or even the 12gauge. with out PAINFUL hearing loss. Unless you hope the bear gives you time to plug your ears the .500 is very painful to shoot with out hearing protection...

[TLMgamecalls]

the bigger the better, i would say
i have been reading articals on this too
a lot of people are going to a glock in 10mm, cant beat it fo being light
if it were me, i would get a ruger vacaro sheirff model in 45 lc and load it with some hot 300gr loads, there perdy small
or if you have a chunk of money to spend, smith has a 44 mag in titanum $$$
i do know the more confertable you are with the weight and size of the gun, your less likely to travel without it

[Rich]

Yoda10,

If you decide on a pistol you have to get one that you are comfortable shooting and one that you can shoot straight under duress. "I guess that is a good enough word."

Of course, it would have to be big enough to do the deed and a S&W 500 should surely do that. Lots of guys carry 41's or 44's and they could be adequate enough if you know how to shoot one.

There are a lot of oldtimers up there that recommend two things when using a pistol on bears. 1. File the front sight off the barrel and 2. If the pistol is a six-gun only shoot the bear five times. That is because 1. The barrel won't hurt so bad when the bear shoves it up your rear-end and 2. Save the last round for yourself - much less painful.

However, if you do decide on a pistol make it a short barreled one. In a bear situation like you are considering it will most likely be "close contact combat" and a long barreled pistol is harder to draw and harder to point in a situation like this. If you are laying on your back with a 500 or 600 lb slobbering, growling, stinking breathed, teeth popping monster on top of you that is trying to rip your head from your neck, you will have to maintain your "cool" and you sure don't want a pistol that will get hung up in your holster. Likewise a sawed off shotgun would be pretty tough to handle in that situation but, I suggested the sawed off shotgun because it is something you can get off your shoulder as quickly as you can draw a pistol. It is also something you can point and shoot rather accurately from the shoulder. Slugs make nice big holes in just about anything they hit and they have a lot of punching power. A pump is nearly as fast as an auto if you practice with it enough and you wouldn't have to worry about it jamming.

Sir Snood: Sawed off shotguns are probably easier to find in the snow than 44's but, mostly they would be harder to lose in the first place.

If you are planning on hiking and not hunting I would just make sure to make a fair amount of noise and not eat too many snicker bars on your hike. Unless you come upon a sow with cubs or happen to trip over a dead animal covered with dirt and brush that stinks to high heaven you shouldn't have a problem as long as the bear knows you are there.

I lived in Alaska for 30+ years, hiked all over the woods, fished a lot of different streams and only had one bear encounter. However, from that one encounter I can tell you truthfully that your butthole does pucker.

Rich

[yoda10]

Rich,

Thanks for the feedback. Your input makes a lot of sense. Indeed I will be hiking more than hunting and plan on making plenty of noise.


I felt kinda geeky about it but I bought some bells to wear around my ankle for the hikes.

As you know the joke in Alaska is 'what smells like bear crap and sounds like bells?' : TOURISTS

I am encouraged regarding your experience of 30+ years with no bear encounters.
It makes me think the odds are in my favor.

However, I have a friend that had a similar 'butt puckering' experience last fall and now refuses to go out without being armed. He was floating in Eagle Creek and got chased for over an hour by a Black running parallel along the shore.

He refuses to go out these days without a gun. He won't go alone and he won't go with anyone that does not have a gun as well. He figures when one guy gets jumped the other should be able to shoot.

Did you do any of your hiking / fishing trips alone or did you have backup?
I am new to Alaska and may find myself solo on overnight trips.

Thanks

[Rich]

Yoda10,

I did a lot of stuff with friends but I also spent a fair amount of time by myself. I had a small cabin up around Petersville and spent plenty of nights there alone except for the critters. No road access to the place. You could only get there by canoe or atv. I floated the creek many times and I also owned an Argo. After I bought the Argo I didn't float the creek much anymore. It was too darned hard paddling that canoe back upstream.

Everything I've read about bears indicates that a Griz will probably not hunt you for dinner. Griz attacks come from sows with cubs and with bears guarding their food cache. The few stories I've heard about bears hunting a human is when they have been shot at and wounded. Seemed like the Griz wanted some revenge in each case.

However, a black bear that is hunting you is because he is hungry. If he gets you down he does it for dinner. They too will guard their young and their food cache but they will also eat you.

No personal experience mind you but, again from what I've read if a Griz gets you down - play dead. He will knock you around to the point where you probably wish he would eat you but if you lay there long enough he will go away. However, if a blacky gets you down - punch, kick, gouge, bite and do anything you can to discourage him. In other words "fight for your life".

You could call Fish and Game and see what they recommend for bear protection but I'll tell you now they will say to get some pepper spray. It is supposed to work but, I just never felt comfortable with that in my pocket instead of a gun.

Alaska is a beautiful place no matter where you go or where you look and if you live there you should enjoy it to it's fullest. If you have a friend that likes the same things you do, by all means go together. But, don't be afraid to go alone.

Rich