It's our second amendment right to arm bears!
It's our second amendment right to arm bears!
Of course I read this after I post...
I think the .44mag properly loaded will fail at about the same rate as any of the other (bigger) calibers.
None of them should be carried with any degree of confidence into......a bearfight.
To get into the margins of effectiveness you are going to sacrifice portability.....meaning a 12ga, etc....which is no fun hiking.
Basically as long as you are going to tote a handgun the .44mag will do just about all you can expect.
Load w/ the heaviest, hard cast SWCs available. (skip the hollowpoints)
"Handguns for Protection in the Field" By Chuck Hawks
"This article is about using a handgun for defense against large predators, principally bears and large cats."
http://www.chuckhawks.com/protection_field.htm
"This article is about using a handgun for defense against large predators, principally bears and large cats."
http://www.chuckhawks.com/protection_field.htm
http://wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpecies/SpeciesOfConcern/Mammals/GrizzlyBear.htm
Not the only source for this, but a good one. I understand, and this seems to verify, that the last known grizzly, or brown bear, was killed in SW CO in 1979. The last known sighting prior was 1952.
I would be more concerned about the patch people, and .357 should be adequate should they be hostile.
Not the only source for this, but a good one. I understand, and this seems to verify, that the last known grizzly, or brown bear, was killed in SW CO in 1979. The last known sighting prior was 1952.
I would be more concerned about the patch people, and .357 should be adequate should they be hostile.
I sometimes backpack in Arkansas, where the bears tend to be smaller. As a backpacker, gun weight becomes an important consideration. I usually leave the heavy stuff at home and feel quite comfortable with a single stack .357 SIG. Small enough to not overly burden me, but I figure if I empty the clip into a black bear it should do the trick.
This. They are native but have been exterminated. I was in CO two weeks ago and a bull moose waltzed right through the camp at lunch time. Scary but pretty cool.
-Have one come running through your camp in the dark!! That will wake you up! Had that happen to me a few years ago on a high country hunt.
