Semi vs Bolt Gun for Bear Country

[rayporter]

just like any other gear i suggest hunting with what ever you get or choose before you go.

 

[WKR]

A .45-70 can kill out past 400 yards

 

[hereinaz]

We never saw a bear on south end of Kodiak in 10 days. Sign, but never a bear. There was salmon running, so I can't see them looking for trouble. Sign showed the bear sat on the bank and gorged on fish for days.

The bear munched on the caribou carcass a bit, we saw that a couple days later, but that was it.

Depends on when and where you go I guess.

I carried accubonds in the rifle and shot deer with Bergers. No way I would carry anything heavier than I needed hiking all over Kodiak hills and tundra.

 

[Snyd]

So I’m looking at options for a “do all” rifle that I can use to hunt deer and elk but is nimble in close quarters if we ever have a run in with a brown bear. While a 45-70 lever would clearly be a great option for bear defense, it’s usefulness for hunting really starts to drop off after 200 yards so I’ve pretty much ruled that out.

It would be a hoot to hunt deer on Kodiak with a 45-70 levergun! Go for it! With either open sights or a low powered scope. Take your pic. I've only hunted there once but killed 3 bucks with my 45 Colt Bisley Hunter with 2X scope. Load was a hardcast WFN 355gr at 1200 fps. My 4" 454 Redhawk was on my hip just because it always is. Didn't take a rifle with me. Anyway, those deer are pretty easy to get close too. It's a blast stalking them. At least that's what I found on that Nov. trip. I killed these 3 bucks at 50, 65 and 100yds. 2, 3 and 4 pt.

 

[NIDAHO HUNTER]

Most brown bear attacks are very sudden. If you are able to get a shot off it may be your only one. Shoot whatever you have and practice close range moving targets. We used to staple a piece of cardboard with a target dot to an old tire then roll the tire down a hill. It's very unlikely that you will place an instantly fatal shot on a charging brownie. You're hoping to dissuade him long enough to get away.