sidearm caliber in bear country

[HighDesertSage]

I've been bluff charged by black bears twice, both small sows.

Those two experiences make me realize that if a grizzly ever really did really come at me, I'd be screwed regardless of what I was carrying for deterrent. If a grizzly's going to try to kill me, he's probably going to succeed.

When rifle hunting, I don't carry anything other than the rifle. If archery hunting or hiking I carry spray, but realize the chances of it helping are very slim. I'm a joke of a shot with a pistol at the range, can't even imagine how bad I'd be under stress.

I agree. I am terrible with a handgun, and couldn't imagine trying to defend myself with one. I carry spray most often. If I felt there was a real chance of a threat from a bear I would want a rifle, or a 12 ga pump.

 

[mtmuley]

Anyone try the S and W 4" 500 Mag?

or the Remington TAC - 14?

I know a guy with a .500 Smith 4 inch. He don't shoot it much, it's too brutal. False sense of security with a cannon he can't shoot accurately. mtmuley

 

[Tradewind]

I saw a video (years ago) - a guy was "testing" bear spray to see what reaction the bears (grizzly, in this case) had. He set up in an area that had a good population. Bears he sprayed ran away. Just to get an reaction, he emptied a can along the beach. The next bear through just LOVED the sprayed area. Spent a lot of time sniffing & licking, rolled all over the sprayed ground. You might want to make SURE your pack gets a really through cleaning.

Diluted it's probably not bad on your steak. All I can tell is it burns for a long long time when it gets on my skin. Maybe i'm too thin skinned, eh.
yeah. I cleaned the pack really well that night. I sure the scent is still there. the stain is.....

 

[onpoint]

Diluted it's probably not bad on your steak. All I can tell is it burns for a long long time when it gets on my skin. Maybe i'm too thin skinned, eh.
yeah. I cleaned the pack really well that night. I sure the scent is still there. the stain is.....

Also, don't leave it on the dashboard of your work truck - in August. I know a really absent minded moron who did that once......................................................................

 

[rideold]

I'm a joke of a shot with a pistol at the range, can't even imagine how bad I'd be under stress.

I shoot pretty darn good at 5 yards.....

 

[mtmiller]

I shoot pretty darn good at 5 yards.....

I still like "my" odds better with the larger pattern and maintaining a trigger at 5 yards.

Still enjoy this annual debate topic.

 

[mtmuley]

I still like "my" odds better with the larger pattern and maintaining a trigger at 5 yards.

Still enjoy this annual debate topic.

It is annual isn't it? We need a good Creedmoor thread to break things up a bit. mtmuley

 

[onpoint]

Debate?

 

[Keeptrying]

Manbuns. Hunting necessity or not?

It is annual isn't it? We need a good Creedmoor thread to break things up a bit. mtmuley

 

[375H&H]

Manbuns. Hunting necessity or not?

Depends on what you are hunting for...but my trigger finger gets a little itchy every time I see a man bun and ESPECIALLY when I see one while hunting. Fortunately I don't do much hunting in Colorado so my exposure to them while wearing orange is limited.

 

[Tradewind]

Debate?

Is there a consensus?

You know, with all of the days in the back country this group collectively logs each year, one would think there would be more "encounters".

 

[onpoint]

These what gun for griz discussions are neat but less than practical, for the most part. I have spent the better part of every one of the last 20 summers deep in the sticks all around the Upper Gallatin, Madison, and to a lesser extent, Yellowstone drainages. Usually myself and a partner, oftentimes in crews of 3-4. We crawl into places most folks, hunters and fishermen included, don't bother with. I usually have .41, we all have spray. We prepare for and discuss bear encounter contingencies. We see griz tracks, turds, beds, trails with great frequency. We do see bears. I have one special recurring g. bear dream that I'm not real fond of. I know a guy that has been beat up by a bear. All that being said - I have never had a bad encounter. I have never had to deploy spray - friends have had to. Spray is tough in a hurried practice situation when you have other packs, straps, an instant stressor. My .41 is even tougher when holstered under the same conditions. Now add a real deal taking place in literally seconds. I carry my .41, but seriously doubt, except in a slow developing situation (in which I would have time to use spray) I would be effective. Hope I never find out. As an aside, I spend enough time in griz country all summer, I hunt it very little anymore. Tent camping in the Breaks lends to way better sleep.
Talking about which sidearm seems to take a back seat to many other aspects of sneaking around quietly in the habitat of something that can at best, seriously ruin your day.
Here's a few photos of places I have run into g bear sign. Study the terrain, the cover, the height of the cover. Then imagine the time elapsed between a cub or sleeping bear popping up behind a log and deciding to charge. Will it matter which sidearm??? Will an internet discussion help?
Campanula Cr, YNP, those willows are about 3-5 feet tall. Bear daybeds right in the willow margins.

Unnamed trib in Tom Miner Basin, Upper Yellowstone Valley. G bear track crossing the creek everywhere.

Sheep Creek, near Quake Lake, Upper Madison Valley. G bear turds scattered around hillside.

 

[The Hedgehog]

I took a selfie with a griz 2 years ago- same spring I fogged myself twice with pepper spray. It was an old male- not so scary, but I wasn’t packing a gun.

A handgun is a nice thing to sleep with, in a tent, where there’s plenty of bears.

 

[onpoint]

I took a selfie with a griz 2 years ago- same spring I fogged myself twice with pepper spray. It was an old male- not so scary, but I wasn’t packing a gun.

A handgun is a nice thing to sleep with, in a tent, where there’s plenty of bears.

Wonder if you woulda' got that selfie if you and the bear were in frame of my 2'nd photo - real fun stuff.............
And, yup, I do "feel" (operative word) better with the .41 next to my sleeping bag (which happens to make a great burrito) at dark while camped at the head of Teepee Cr.

 

[onpoint]

Out in the sage, 150 yds. away pics of Griz are cute and cool - especially selfies (gay) - but don't have much to do with which side arm to carry. This one stared me down from just across the Gallatin in the park and I had the common sense to back off and let him chew on his carcass. Fun to shoot with a camera, not so much, I bet, with a .40 or .357

 

[The Hedgehog]

Here’s one I took in the park with a phone. Just saw the dead bison until real close. I did have both spray and a 357. A hiker was eaten a half mile from here a day later. Sorry for the gay selfie.

 

[onpoint]

GH, you've successfully subverted this to which phone to use, the Apple iPhoneX or Samsung Galaxy Note 8, in grizzly country. You win......
BTW - You should see what happens to a .357 pill when it "penetrates" a big headed ol' boy like that in a less than perfect shot situation.

 

[The Hedgehog]

The selfie bear is the one with a big head. Here’s a better pic. I recommend the iPhone X in bear country. There’s a 911 shortcut.

I’ve never bought the “bullet bounced off” the bears head tale though.

 

[mtmiller]

I’ve never bought the “bullet bounced off” the bears head tale though.

Rookie. Most of the time it is the angle.

 

[Art Vandeley]

I was bluff charged by a sow black bear once, and I had no weaponry on me of any kind. It was not a great feeling. Thank god it turned and ran up a tree. I ran into its cubs about 100 yards down the trail when I was hiking back to the rig to change my shorts. That one could have ended very differently.