Pistol for bears?

[kellyreno]

There are no Grizzlies in CO, only black bears and in 35yrs of hiking in CO I have never seen one there (did see one in WY). They are not prone to confronting humans and if they do, you can scare them away by yelling and waving your arms. No need to shoot them.
What you should be more concerned with is mountain lions of course 2 legged predators. For those I carry a Glock .40 or a .357 revolver.
The best advice is to keep your group together, especially kids and dogs. Don't let them lag behind, and make some noise as you hike. Just enough noise so that critters know you are coming and they are likely to clear out.
Have fun and be safe.

 

[gerhard1]

I am strongly considering a trip to Alaska in the not-too-distant future, and this will be my primary firearm defense against bears and other unfriendly critters with large sharp teeth.

I will also have a handgun with me. It will be either my 629 Mountain Gun or my 627.

If you use your head for something besides a hatrack however, the chances of needing to shoot an animal in self-defense are slim.

It will not be a hunting trip per se, but rather a trip to explore and generally experience the state.

 

[NINEROUND]

.357 Mag and some Buffalo Bore or Cor-Bon heavy hitter ammo will probably do you just as good as spending it on a gun +ammo that you don't have already....unless you just want to get a new gun

 

[udiablo]

Opinions are like........, anyway you got a lot of them with your question.

Agree with 358Norma and kellyreno, based on living, working, etc. for many years in CO, UT, and WY. And I still get to CO/WY as often as possible when not traveling elsewhere.

No grizzly in CO for a long time, last ones were probably way up in the second box canyon of the Piedra River back in the late 50's, but you can check with CO Game & Fish cops about it if you are seriously worried.

Black bears are typically shy critters, nocturnal, seldom seen during the day, etc., can be enticed by garbage, sweet stuff. So maybe just watch your personal hygene and don't walk through the woods eating donuts or sweet rolls (they make good bear bait).

Check with the CO Game/Fish cops about mountain lion activity in the area you intend to hike in and pay attention to what they say since there are some places where caution may be needed especially if your hiking will include the kiddies.

Like others, when in CO my worry is pretty much focused on two legged varmints, so my carry preference is .45ACP unless hunting deer or elk. But in upper Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska I take along a 4" S&W 629 in 44Mag.

So, if you want to use your upcoming trip to CO as an excuse (to the wife?) for justifying the purchase of a new revolver, go ahead and do it. We won't tell.

 

[Vamoose]

IMHO The best bear country side arm made is/was a .44 Mag Ruger Vaquero with a 4 5/8" barrel. But for practicality I agree with NINEROUND above.

 

[been]

i would carry a Remington 1740 or a .68 caliber revolver.

 

[Tampabucs]

I'm going to be in grizzly country shortly, so I bought this pistol with that sole purpose in mind. I wanted something that had manageable recoil, was reliable, not too big that I wouldn't carry it. Oh.. and it had to have the ability to chamber the ultra hot rounds i.e. 340 grain hard cast 44 mag bullets. So, I bought this ruger super blackhawk in 44 mag with a 4 & 5/8th's barrel.

This is the ammo I'm going to use. No hollow point crap for grizzly, I want a hard cast bullet.

 

[phwillie]

I spent 4 years in Alaska back in the 80's and usually carried a Ruger single six when out fishing. If I was really worried about bears I carried a shotgun.

 

[Vamoose]

I'm going to be in grizzly country shortly, so I bought this pistol with that sole purpose in mind. I wanted something that had manageable recoil, was reliable, not too big that I wouldn't carry it. Oh.. and it had to have the ability to chamber the ultra hot rounds i.e. 340 grain hard cast 44 mag bullets. So, I bought this ruger super blackhawk in 44 mag with a 4 & 5/8th's barrel.

This is the ammo I'm going to use. No hollow point crap for grizzly, I want a hard cast bullet.

It doesn't get much better than that for something you can actually carry and shoot.

 

[Jeff Freeman]

Grizzlies aren't native to Colorado. The .44 Mag is enough for the Black Bears in CO. The Bull Moose is the one to be weary of.