Pistols and bears

[Kodiak Hunter]

https://www.ammoland.com/2018/02/de...tols-97-success-rate-37-incidents-by-caliber/


Keep your head on a swivel!

 

[Kodiak Hunter]

When hunters ask me about bringing a side arm I tell them for bear protection, I tell them that they have a rifle, no need for the pistol.


Keep your head on a swivel!

 

[Buckhunter1955]

If you do bring a handgun make sure that you file the front sights off so that you don't chip your teeth when you shove it in your mouth. This was told to me by a famous bear guide.

 

[Oregon]

If you do bring a handgun make sure that you file the front sights off so that you don't chip your teeth when you shove it in your mouth. This was told to me by a famous bear guide.

A different bear guide told me to file sight off so it don’t hurt so bad when getting pulled out your ass!

 

[Beendare]

If you do bring a handgun make sure that you file the front sights off .......

Oldie....for sure. Probably true if you are packing your trusty whitetail woods .22 revolver. .../grin

Now that we have better ammo...... and sites like this stressing the importance of vigilance and practice....that old joke isn't so true anymore.

..

 

[Snyd]

If you do bring a handgun make sure that you file the front sights off so that you don't chip your teeth when you shove it in your mouth. This was told to me by a famous bear guide.

meh... this has always been the b.s. statement from guys that don't know anything about bigbore handguns. My last trip to Kodiak I didn't even take a rifle. 2 Pistols. A Ruger 45 Colt with a 2X scope and 355gr wfn hardcast 1200fps load as my main hunting weapon and a 4" 454 Redhawk backup on my hip or in my hand when clawing through brush or gutting deer. Killed 3 of em. Wouldn't hesitate to pull the hammer on a bear with either gun. Same year a buddy of mine was hunting Brownies with his Freedom Arms 500 Wyoming Express. He's killed a few coastal Brownies with his trusty ol 44mag Redhawk.

 

[Sawfish]

A good handgun is a very efficient tool for deer or bear.

CA Black Bear-45/70 BFR
Texas Whitetail-.308 Win. Lone Eagle
CA Blacktail NT-.25/06 Encore
CA Blacktail-.358 JDJ Contender
CA Mule Deer-30/06 Encore (325 Yds.)

 

[Wrench]

10mm to the face works.

 

[BAKPAKR]

I have shot a few black bears with a variety of 44 Magnums and only two dropped in their tracks. The others covered enough ground after the first shot that, had they wanted to get me, they would have. One was running right at me at about 10 yards (called in) and my shot turned it. A grizzly may have kept coming.

I am still going to carry a handgun in bear country.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Most of the guides up here that I know don’t carry a pistol and a rifle.

 

[Sawfish]

When we had hound hunting in CA, the .44 Magnum was the pistol of choice of the houndsmen that I hunted with, and the preferred rifle was the Savage 99 in .300 Savage. Most carried just the pistol. Carrying two weapons while wrangling hounds was too cumbersome.

 

[mcseal2]

I bought or traded for several handguns that should be decent for bear protection. Going to AK next year and I'll have plenty of time to shoot them and decide what is the best fit for me.

First is a Glock G20 Gen 4. It is off at the gunsmith's now, it has not liked hardcast bullets. If he gets that figured out he is going to install the night sights I bought for it. I already have a KKM 6" barrel and 22lb recoil spring I tried to get the hardcast ammo to work. I might take it if I get to trusting it to feed the right ammo.

Second is a S&W 69 4" 44 magnum. It is a very nice revolver and has a great trigger. It went home with the gunsmith too to get night sights. It's biggest drawback for me is the recoil with bear loads. Even the 255gr Hardcast Buffalo Bore reduced recoil 44's really jumped in it and hit my had pretty hard. I have fought through a flinch from shooting hard kicking rifles once and got it cured, I really don't want to start flinching with a handgun and go through that process again. It is comfortable to shoot with the lower powered 44 ammo like the Magtech 240gr. I'm thinking of trying Underwood 220gr Extreme Penetrator ammo when I get it back, and maybe a different grip. The factory grip really fits my hand well but probably is a bit harder than some. I know the recoil with the hot loads would definitely slow down follow up shots more than either 10mm I have, but the power is significantly greater too. Other disadvantage to the 44 is I can't mount a light to the rail like I can on the 10mm's.

Third is a Sig Tacops 1911 10mm. It is a very accurate handgun with 180gr JHP's, I haven't tried the hardcast in it yet. I shoot 1911's really well compared to other semi-auto handguns. I'm used to nice triggers on revolvers and rifles and think that's a lot of it. It has night sights and a rail. Biggest disadvantages I see are a bit more complicated takedown for a field cleaning and weight.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Did somebody say bear pistols???

 

[BAKPAKR]

Did somebody say bear pistols???

I really like the looks of that Bisley 454.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I really like the looks of that Bisley 454.

It’s a great gun, I carry it with Buffalo bore 360g hard Cast.

 

[OXN939]

The dude who got mauled on Raspberry Island last year was saved by a G20.

 

[Outlaw99]

I bought or traded for several handguns that should be decent for bear protection. Going to AK next year and I'll have plenty of time to shoot them and decide what is the best fit for me.

First is a Glock G20 Gen 4. It is off at the gunsmith's now, it has not liked hardcast bullets. If he gets that figured out he is going to install the night sights I bought for it. I already have a KKM 6" barrel and 22lb recoil spring I tried to get the hardcast ammo to work. I might take it if I get to trusting it to feed the right ammo.

Second is a S&W 69 4" 44 magnum. It is a very nice revolver and has a great trigger. It went home with the gunsmith too to get night sights. It's biggest drawback for me is the recoil with bear loads. Even the 255gr Hardcast Buffalo Bore reduced recoil 44's really jumped in it and hit my had pretty hard. I have fought through a flinch from shooting hard kicking rifles once and got it cured, I really don't want to start flinching with a handgun and go through that process again. It is comfortable to shoot with the lower powered 44 ammo like the Magtech 240gr. I'm thinking of trying Underwood 220gr Extreme Penetrator ammo when I get it back, and maybe a different grip. The factory grip really fits my hand well but probably is a bit harder than some. I know the recoil with the hot loads would definitely slow down follow up shots more than either 10mm I have, but the power is significantly greater too. Other disadvantage to the 44 is I can't mount a light to the rail like I can on the 10mm's.

Third is a Sig Tacops 1911 10mm. It is a very accurate handgun with 180gr JHP's, I haven't tried the hardcast in it yet. I shoot 1911's really well compared to other semi-auto handguns. I'm used to nice triggers on revolvers and rifles and think that's a lot of it. It has night sights and a rail. Biggest disadvantages I see are a bit more complicated takedown for a field cleaning and weight.

Get you a Houge x frame grip and put it on that 29. The x frame grips will fit on your N frame and help a lot with recoil on those stout loads.

 

[mcseal2]

That S&W is the 5 shot I think its an L frame.

 

[Sawfish]

Bear Pistol! BFR 45/70 customized by Magnaport.

 

[Woodrow F Call]

Bear Pistol! BFR 45/70 customized by Magnaport.



View attachment 105708

Jack Huntington will build you one in .50 Alaskan. That'll do the trick.