Carry gun for Alaskan fishermen

[Photon Guy]

I heard that fishermen in Alaska often carry handguns, specifically the Smith & Wesson .500 with a short barrel. This is for in case they come across a bear since bears are common in Alaska and they might attack fishermen. I was thinking, how about a Ruger Redhawk in .44 Magnum, would an Alaskan fishermen ever carry that?

[ammo.crafter]

I'm thinking .375 H+H mag.

Research the general anatomy of a brown bear; heavy-boned, thick fat layer.

You would want penetration as well as knockdown power.

Hard to come by in a revolver.

That being said, a close friend who has hunted Africa many times always carried a .454 Casull in addition to his double rifle.

Casull ballistics as example: JSP 300ghr 1814ft/sec 1650ft/lbs

Good luck!

[Salmoneye]

Ruger Alaskan.

http://www.ruger.com/products/superR...an/models.html

[grumpa72]

When I was in the Air Force and lived in Alaska in the early 1980s I carried a shotgun with slugs. It was an Ithaca feather-light 12 gauge. It was a little bit rough but functioned flawlessly and I had an old leather sling on it that I could whip around in a split second. I felt very comfortable with that is my main protection.

[RaySendero]

Why would anyone make a purposeful decision to bring a handgun to a Griz fight???

[Photon Guy]

Why would anyone make a purposeful decision to bring a handgun to a Griz fight???

A .500 Magnum can put down a griz and a long gun is a bit much to carry while you're fishing.

[mikejonestkd]

A surgeon that worked with a relative took a trip to fish for Salmon in Alaska about 10 years ago. The fishing outfitter had one strict rule - one person in every party on the river had to carry a 12 ga shotgun loaded with slugs. they took turns that week - alternating fishing and watching for bears.

After the first bear sighting at close range they quickly understood the reasoning behind the shotgun rule.

[TimSr]

Why would anyone make a purposeful decision to bring a handgun to a Griz fight???

Because it's a requirement for every forum to have a discussion on the best bear defense gun at lease once a week, or within one week of the last previous thread being locked.

[dschifan]

Ruger Alaskan is a perfect gun. My dad has one and loves it

[kilimanjaro]

Lots of big revolvers, and even more 12-guages with slugs.

The other rule is to fish in pairs, one fishes, one looks.

[campingnights]

I have only seen a Griz once, and it was stuffed and standing on it's hind legs. Gotta say guys, the only thing that you could count on to put that thing down fast is a Ford pickup moving fast!!! Could be a might rough on the truck though......

[T. O'Heir]

"...to a Griz fight..." Especially when Yogi just wants the fish, not the guy catching it. snicker.
It's all very well and good to have a handgun if you can't carry a rifle or slug gun, but just having it doesn't help if you cannot hit the vitals. And absolutely nothing will stop any bear in his/her tracks.
Yogi can travel at 35 MPH when he's in a hurry. That means he can cover 100 yards in less than 6 seconds. You will never be fast enough anyway.

[mete]

If someone taps you on the shoulder , time to draw !
Considering the mass and toughness of a grizzly you don't need a hp you need a hardcast swc !!!
One guy to watch and one to fish is the best proceedure !

[Sharkbite]

Any of the heavy loaded 44mag, 45colts, 454, 480, 500 would work as a easier to carry option to the 12ga with slug/458win mag long guns.

Ammo is the key. Penetration is key

[TimSr]

I was in Alaska fishing with a .454 Casull on my side. I caught a nice pink salmon, and tossed him in the grass about 10' behind me, as it was almost time to cook dinner. I resumed fishing, and out of the corner of my eye, a see a 150lb blackie and her a cub wander away about 50 yards behind me with a salmon in her mouth that looked a lot like mine. I started looking for the one I saved for dinner right behind me, and it was gone. That young sow never even asked what caliber my gun was, or what kind of ammo I had been using, how well it penetrated, or how well I could place a shot. Had she wanted to get nasty about that fish, it would not have mattered.

The key is recognizing a threat before it's too late. The movie version if it running across the field towards you for 20 seconds before it gets there is fantasy. They move like ghosts and sneak up behind you.

[K_Mac]

TimSr while the vast majority of us will never encounter an Alaskan Bear, it is a very popular topic.

I saw a video once with a grizzly hunter, guide, and camera man. The guide after checking for other bears gave approval to take the shot of a male grizzly. As soon as the shot was fired, a mother with two cubs appeared. She took one look at the downed male and charged the men. The guide tried to shout scare the bear off but had no choice but to shoot it. After a couple of shots the bear was killed just a couple of yards short of the group. The speed the bear closed 100+/- yards was shocking. If the guide hadn't been carrying a 30 something caliber rifle and had the presence of mind and skill to make a couple of well placed shots it would have been disastrous. The loss of a mother with cubs was bad enough. The moral of the story for me is twofold: 1. When in grizzly country do not anger the bears; and 2. A handgun would be better than nothing, but I would hate to bet my life that it would be enough to stop a committed brown bear.

[22-rimfire]

A .500 Magnum can put down a griz and a long gun is a bit much to carry while you're fishing.

If you are actively fishing, just about any gun is a "bit much" and inconvenient if it is a large enough bore to be reasonably effective.

The problem in an emergency is stopping power and your ability to put the bullet where it needs to go under extreme stress. Many handgun calibers will kill a grizzly or Alaskan brown bear, but it is a matter of time and how quickly they either leave or die.

I was in Alaska fishing with a .454 Casull on my side. I caught a nice pink salmon, and tossed him in the grass about 10' behind me, as it was almost time to cook dinner. I resumed fishing, and out of the corner of my eye, a see a 150lb blackie and her a cub wander away about 50 yards behind me with a salmon in her mouth that looked a lot like mine. I started looking for the one I saved for dinner right behind me, and it was gone. That young sow never even asked what caliber my gun was, or what kind of ammo I had been using, how well it penetrated, or how well I could place a shot. Had she wanted to get nasty about that fish, it would not have mattered.

The key is recognizing a threat before it's too late. The movie version if it running across the field towards you for 20 seconds before it gets there is fantasy. They move like ghosts and sneak up behind you.

That 454 came in real handy. But at least it made you feel good. Feeling good is important.

I like the 480 Ruger caliber and if I were doing much fishing or hunting in Alaska wild country, I would prefer the Ruger Alaskan. But like most big caliber handguns, it is a brick. My choice would be a 4" M57 (41 mag) loaded with solids if I don't have an alaskan model.

[Llama Bob]

Any of the magnums or super-magnums .44 caliber or bigger would be fine. I would recommend hardcast, Barnes buster, or punch bullet loads:

http://www.grizzlycartridge.com/inde...33mkbt6w487jfv

While it would be darn nice to have a rifle, it's hard to hold a rifle and a fishing pole at the same time.

The buddy system makes it less likely you'll be snuck up on.

[drobs]

AK-47. The very best there is. When you absolutely, positively got to kill every Grizzly Bear in the room, accept no substitutes.

[johnwilliamson062]

*Points to biceps while flexing*
"these guns"
Which I will use to quickly empty my basket of any fish right before I run away as cowardishly as possible.
Just like every other intelligent animal on the river

[Radny97]

^^^^^^^^ hahahaha

[colbad]

Rife or SG is usually not practical if you are wading in river. Nice to have rifle or SG close on shore but like to keep my .454 Alaskan on my chest at all times. In a confrontation with a Grizz it would be the last ditch contact shot before getting eaten if cant get to the rifle or SG.

Looking fwd to going back in July/Aug!

[Photon Guy]

Rife or SG is usually not practical if you are wading in river.

I usually don't wade when I fish. Either I fish on shore or I fish from a boat. Now, when fishing from a boat Im not sure how much of a threat bears are but I would imagine they could be a threat since bears can swim.

[jgcoastie]

The answer to your question is simple.

Serious bear protection starts with a rifle in a caliber that begins with .4 and gets bigger.

Mind you, a lesser rifle or handgun may well be capable of killing the bear, but it most likely won't happen quick enough to stop the bear.

However, I've spent a lot of time fishing in Alaska, and I've had very few bear encounters where I had to employ any sort of defense tool. Each time, the bear spray I carried got the job done... Well, that and chucking fish at them works pretty well.

The lone exception was during a friend's archery brown bear hunt where I went as a back-up. That one got scary for a couple seconds until my .45/70 barked.

Point is, don't ever go buy a hand cannon, or any gun for that matter, just because you're coming up here fishing. Push comes to shove, and you probably won't be able to make a difference with it anyway. If you're going to bring something for bear protection, buy a can of bear spray when you get your fishing license and carry that. If it must be a gun, then bring your favorite shotgun loaded with the hottest and hardest slugs you can find.

[Photon Guy]

Serious bear protection starts with a rifle in a caliber that begins with .4 and gets bigger.

So are you saying a .375 H&H Magnum won't stop a bear quickly enough?