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Old March 13, 2011, 10:51 PM   #51
10mmAuto
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The only off the shelf automatic I'd consider for woods carry in Brown territory is a Glock 20 with some 230gr hardcast. Dead reliable, throws a round with a high SD and a lot of energy 15+1 times. That being said, if I knew my most likely bear encounter would be with a brown I'd probably take a .454 Casull.
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Old March 13, 2011, 10:59 PM   #52
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I don't want to take the time to find it again but I have posted several times when this come up, a story about a 14 year old kid who took a very large charging black in Northern Idaho with a 44 mag. He was archery hunting and they had just left the truck. His father who had taken the pics and posted the story on an archery forum watched it all happen from less than a 100 yards away. They had literally just got out of the truck and were on their way to stands/water hole.

So naturally I carry one. Only I carry a 329 PD. It is fun to shoot.
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Old March 13, 2011, 11:03 PM   #53
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The .44 magnum has great penetration with large hard cast bullets such as the through and through shots mentioned in the above post with moose and bear. it all comes down to shot placement and a whole lot of luck as many have already pointed out. But with the right shot placement, it is enough.
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Old March 14, 2011, 02:32 AM   #54
PIGMAN
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Usually when someone finds themselves in a dangerous situation with a bear it is a surprise and up close, otherwise a bear at a distance is not immediatly dangerous.For this reason often times it is hard to even get a shot off before the bear is on you.In bear country taking a dog along can give you a big edge over the bear.A dog can smell a bear before you get too close and as a rule bears do not like dogs because they associate them with wolves. So in a close encounter the bear will probably go after the dog first or the dog will go after the bear thus creating enough of a diversion to retreat or give you adequate time to place a good shot or two.

In bear country a gun with out a dog is not adequate protection.I am is agreement with the gentleman from Alaska .375 H&H is a really fine bear stopper.I also like my H&R Handi-Rifle in 45/70 that I hand load up to 30/06 pressures.This is a small package with lots of stopping power and I feel pretty secure with it ,otherwise I tote a Browning .375 A-Bolt which is not very Handi due to weight and length.

Last edited by PIGMAN; March 14, 2011 at 02:43 AM.
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Old October 12, 2011, 11:49 PM   #55
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Ive heard all of those stories close encounters with brown bears.
You guys talking about those large bore guns, especially magnums, as everyone, including hikers are Wyatt Earps, Dirty Harrys and Rambos.
First of all, if youre faced with a bear, it is very likely that you going to be stoned for around at least a second and a half, which is crucial moment for a bear to attack you. If you dont get stunned and start to run with high on adrenaline it is very likely that you can outrun a bear. Youd be very surprised how fast people can run under life thretening circumstnaces, not very long distances, but very, very fast.
Second thing is that SW 29 is very cumbersome revolver, and it is very heavy too, so its very slow to draw. Also, the same gun have, while shooting have such enormous recoil that it is gonna take you a while when youre ready for another shot(in case you missed).
For that matter it is much better solution to have light weight 9mm pistol, with large capacity clips.
Also, you guys talking about stoping the bear right on the spot, and not about deflecting an attack.
.44 and stronger amunitin have enough power to kickdown even largest bear.
The 9's can deflect a bear for further attack on you, and if you miss one, you have another twelve trys, one after another semi-auto.
So with some SW 9mm i would feel quite safe.

I remember when i was around 9 years old, going with my dad in to the hunting. He offten caried this gun with him self:
http://www.czub.cz/en/catalog/81-cen..._STANDARD.aspx
For the case of close encounters with bears he had this pistol:
http://www.czub.cz/en/catalog/79-pis.../PC/CZ_83.aspx

And if you wanna be almost 100% safe from bear attacks, you will need a hunting dog with your self. This Bosnian "tough guy" is unbeatable for such purpose:
Bosnian Coarse-haired Hound. Check it out on the internet, and if you get one, i bet you wont regret. It is very brave dog, that can not be scared by even largest grizzly out there, because ive heard storeis that some dogs just run away in front of the bear, letting its master on the mercy of the vicious beast.

Cheers,
Edo
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Old October 12, 2011, 11:58 PM   #56
youngunz4life
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yes, but you're rollin the dice and sometimes they don 't roll the right way. I can think of worse situations.
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Old October 13, 2011, 12:03 AM   #57
Alaska444
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No one wishes to ever have to put to the test whether a .44 magnum is big enough for a brown bear. However, that being stated, it is a fact that many people have successfully defended against brown bear attacks with .44 magnum revolvers. It all comes down to shot placement which comes about by practice. I suspect none of us get as much practice as we should to be completely proficient. I am a much better shot with my Marlin .444 than with my Ruger SRH. However, the Ruger is much easier to carry and won't get the same attention by game wardens that could bring an accusation of poaching in the right/wrong circumstances.

Going prepared for bear defense just makes sense if you are going to be in that sort of woods. For myself, it begins with a .44 magnum as the minimum with large, hard cast bullets. Handling the recoil goes back to practice. The .44 magnum gets your attention but it is manageable to say the least.
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Old October 13, 2011, 12:30 AM   #58
jackmon
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I wouldnt go with a 44 mag. Ive shot both the 44 and the 50ae. I will take the 50.
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Old October 13, 2011, 12:39 AM   #59
Alaska444
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Go with the largest round you can comfortably shoot well. For me that is the .44 magnum. Sure, a 50 cal will put a big hole in the critter, but who can shoot one of those things easily.
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Old October 13, 2011, 12:41 AM   #60
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I have shot 100s of rounds through mine and im very comfortable with it
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Old October 13, 2011, 12:44 AM   #61
Alaska444
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I tried a .454 Casull, but it made my hand go numb for 5 minutes even though I was able to shoot it well. I decided on the .44 magnum as my highest hand gun caliber that won't bother me to shoot. Once again, not the biggest and baddest, but who can contend that with the right shot placement and the right cartridge that it is enough. That is the question, not is it the best.
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Old October 13, 2011, 01:31 AM   #62
Edhem
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Absolutely. .44´s have a lots of stopable power, no doubt, and a lots of hydrostatic effect on tissue. But in those crucial seconds after you encounter the bear, as you Alaska guy said, shot placement is crucial. I d like to see that terminator of a hum,an being to stay calm and take aim and shoot a bear in the midddle of the chest. And how many bulltes you have in Sw 29´ers? As far as i know six. And you can not shoot as rapidly as from 9´er pistol. Bet on that all of you guys would miss the target around 70%.
To put things straight-then the best thing out there woul be an HMG, anti aircraft .50cal with 12.7X99.


Cheers,
Edo
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Old October 13, 2011, 02:46 AM   #63
2500ak
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Edhem
Ive heard all of those stories close encounters with brown bears.
You guys talking about those large bore guns, especially magnums, as everyone, including hikers are Wyatt Earps, Dirty Harrys and Rambos.
Most real hikers in Alaska carry some form of firearm. We're not Earps, Harrys, or rambos. Just loaded for bear. No one goes into the woods completely unarmed up here.

Moose show up in my back yard fairly frequently. Bears and wolves occasionally.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edhem
First of all, if youre faced with a bear, it is very likely that you going to be stoned for around at least a second and a half, which is crucial moment for a bear to attack you.
I have never found this to be true, maybe I'm desensitized.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edhem
If you dont get stunned and start to run with high on adrenaline it is very likely that you can outrun a bear. Youd be very surprised how fast people can run under life thretening circumstnaces, not very long distances, but very, very fast.
Bears can run at 35 mph, with burst up to 55 mph. No human can run that fast. Also the times I've encountered bears (fortunately at safe enough distances) I've been hours away from my truck.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edhem
Second thing is that SW 29 is very cumbersome revolver, and it is very heavy too, so its very slow to draw. Also, the same gun have, while shooting have such enormous recoil that it is gonna take you a while when youre ready for another shot(in case you missed).
A .44 Magnum with a good compensator has less kick than a .40 S&W. At least in my experience.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edhem
For that matter it is much better solution to have light weight 9mm pistol, with large capacity clips.
Also, you guys talking about stoping the bear right on the spot, and not about deflecting an attack.
I know people who've found 9mm stuck in the hide of grizzlies they've hunted. 9mm cannot be trusted to penetrate. It's the equivalent of trying to kill a deer with a bb gun.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edhem
.44 and stronger amunitin have enough power to kickdown even largest bear.
The 9's can deflect a bear for further attack on you, and if you miss one, you have another twelve trys, one after another semi-auto.
So with some SW 9mm i would feel quite safe.
You'll get off maybe two shots, if you're lucky. Neither of them will do anything if it's a sow with cubs, or a starving grizzly, or a rabid grizzly, or an oblivious grizzly that's having a bad day.
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Old October 13, 2011, 07:24 AM   #64
American Made
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I own several 44 magnums and reload all my own ammo. My 'oh crapolo' handgun is my Ruger 4" redhawk loaded with 265 gr hornady interlocks.

From my backwoods testing ( logs, coffee cans filled with dirt, etc) I prefer the 265gr hornady against the hardcast bullets. Because they do provide more tissue damage and hold together.

Will they save my life? I think that any handgun is marginal for big bears.

But..they sure are better than tossing tree branches and dirt clods.

My new .358 Winchester is a very different story... just can't find any holster for it. Just ordered some of these for spring bear
http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php...t_detail&p=249

Last edited by American Made; October 13, 2011 at 07:35 AM.
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Old October 13, 2011, 08:14 AM   #65
warbirdlover
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Quote:
Is .44 Magnum Big Enough for Brown Bear?
No
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Old October 13, 2011, 08:45 AM   #66
Art Eatman
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Y'know, I feel real sorry for that poor old horse...
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