One very important, and often overlooked, aspect of hunting a bear with a handgun is the need to file off the front site. Doing this will make it hurt less when the bear takes the handgun from you and crams it up your @$$!
Do I really have to spell it out for you? Say some punk teenagers go out into the woods and strap a bullet proof vest onto a grizzly bear. Well then what do you have? Invincible bears. Now what are you gonna do, they're running around Raping your Churches, burning your women. "Oh no someone save us" Oh sorry we threw our special guns away.
Thats funny right there!
I love stories about bears.
I believe it was the thin air that caused my Ruger Redhawk to triple in weight during a Colorado elk hunt. While in remote spots of Colorado, I would be cautious of two legged critters as much as four legged.
Enjoy your trip. Remember, bear stories first, snake stories second.
I believe it was the thin air that caused my Ruger Redhawk to triple in weight during a Colorado elk hunt. While in remote spots of Colorado, I would be cautious of two legged critters as much as four legged.
Enjoy your trip. Remember, bear stories first, snake stories second.
Seriously, they're already dangerous enough. What's next? Bear cavalry?
But for your question a .454 casull would be preferred for me, a .357 might not drop a bear, but it will definately rock it's world. Anything under a .357 is just going to piss it off. Bear spray with a .357 backup should be plenty.
A .22 should work...
I know the guy who took those photos. He is stationed at Tinker.
That's just a retarded reply and does nothing to help the OP. There are a few of us that venture into bear country as part of our jobs every summer. It's serious business. To the OP, for your Colorado treks I'd be more then comfortable carrying your .357 but I'd also load it with a good cast core bullet. I carry the Corbon 200gr in my 2 1/2 686 when I'm in black bear country.
http://www.shopcorbon.com/CORBON-Hunter/357-Mag-200gr-CORBON-Hunter-HC/HT357200HC-20/300/Product
http://www.adn.com/2011/05/17/1867811/nome-bear-mauling-victim-recovering.html
People tend to worry about this some, but in Colorado it shouldn't really be much of a concern. I'd carry a sidearm, but just as much for thugs, skunks, coyotes, rattlers, etc. as anything. Unless you just want to justify the purchase of a 44 mag. then your 357 is perfect.
I spent nearly 10 yrs. in the Colorado and Wyoming mountains and a LOT of it was horseback, alone, in the boonies (best time of my life). Most of the time all I carried was a folding knife. I never even saw a bear! I saw 2 mountain lions once. A few badgers. A few rattlesnakes. Porcipines. Lots of coyotes, foxes, etc. etc. etc. Lots of bear scat and tracks, but never confronted or even saw the backside of a bear.
There's always the chance for that one odd occurance, but it's a long shot. A 357 will take care of 99.999% of anything you need.
Honest to Goodness, in Colorado I can't even imagine needing a shotgun with slugs, 454, 460, 500 S&W etc. If that is what it takes for someone to be comfortable then I really think that is okay, but I just can't imagine it. Just go and have fun!
I can't claim to know much about the military or LE, but stumbling around in the Rockies is something I do know about. If you were going to NW Wyoming that begins to be a little different.
I spent nearly 10 yrs. in the Colorado and Wyoming mountains and a LOT of it was horseback, alone, in the boonies (best time of my life). Most of the time all I carried was a folding knife. I never even saw a bear! I saw 2 mountain lions once. A few badgers. A few rattlesnakes. Porcipines. Lots of coyotes, foxes, etc. etc. etc. Lots of bear scat and tracks, but never confronted or even saw the backside of a bear.
There's always the chance for that one odd occurance, but it's a long shot. A 357 will take care of 99.999% of anything you need.
Honest to Goodness, in Colorado I can't even imagine needing a shotgun with slugs, 454, 460, 500 S&W etc. If that is what it takes for someone to be comfortable then I really think that is okay, but I just can't imagine it. Just go and have fun!
I can't claim to know much about the military or LE, but stumbling around in the Rockies is something I do know about. If you were going to NW Wyoming that begins to be a little different.
I like to load up with the Buffalo Bore ammo in mine, http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=100
If you are going to be around bears, and plan on using bear spray, please read the sign. Pay particular attention to the last line.
Dave
