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Backcountry side arm

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Backcountry side arm

Postby Kessler10 » 04 05, 2019 •  [Post 1]

Im finally going to purchase a hand gun to carry on my back country archery hunts. Im planning to more solo hunting and could be hunting more in griz country in the coming years.

I do not know much about hand guns but one of the biggest factors for me with this purchase is weight. I want to be able to protect myself but I don't need to be overkill on power.

I have looked and held a Charter arms .44 special and liked it. Also looked at a lightweight Ruger .357.

Any reco's here given what I am looking for?

Thanks!
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby wawhitey » 04 05, 2019 •  [Post 2]

Griz country = .44mag
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 04 05, 2019 •  [Post 3]

Luke, find you one of these. Very light and can handle the BIG rounds (HSM 305 GN Bear Load).

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/pro ... s_id/11881
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby Lefty » 04 06, 2019 •  [Post 4]

Wyoming is going to announce their methods of grizzlies safety training using both Bear deterent and fire arms
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby Lefty » 04 06, 2019 •  [Post 5]

Found this today
I haven’t been carrying a gun when solo hunting. Personally I’m thinking of a defense style shotgun
I’m planning on making hikes in the Winds this year and the area the guide was killed
If I’m going to carry a gun it’s going to be big
I’ve seen bunches of cougars, a handfull of wolves, a few crazy people, ticked off moose
But only a few moose and every grizzle I’ve seen reminds me I m a little guy

“The partnership stems from the death of Jackson Hole resident and hunting guide Mark Uptain, who was preparing to pack out a client's elk for Martin Outfitters in September when he was fatally mauled in the Teton Wilderness.

Livingston says the groups are going to create a standard protocol for grizzly-bear training and bear-spray training for all regional land and wildlife management agency employees”
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby gperdue4 » 04 06, 2019 •  [Post 6]

Glock 10mm g40 or g20 holds 15rnd use a chest rig. This is what people use now days in alaska. 200 gr solid bullet. Much better then 6 44 mags.[img]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190407/4871c8ea953c615fce1e645eed865f89.jpg[/img]

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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby RAMMONT » 04 07, 2019 •  [Post 7]

gperdue4 wrote:Glock 10mm g40 or g20 holds 15rnd use a chest rig. This is what people use now days in alaska. 200 gr solid bullet. Much better then 6 44 mags.


I hear this argument so often and it's absolutely silly.

True, SOME people use a Glock in 10mm in Alaska but not everybody and definitely not most.

In most bear attack situations you wont have more than a couple of seconds to get your shots off, you will never get more than 3 or 4 shots off during the actual attack so having 15 rounds doesn't do you any good what so ever.

What is more important is getting the largest caliber (with the greatest penetrating energy) that you can handle well enough to put 3 or 4 shots in to the kill zone of a bear in under 5 seconds. I would never waste my time on any caliber less than a 10mm and I definitely wouldn't waste my time on the idea that you'll have the time to put 15 shots down range if you are attacked.

I carry a S&W 329PD in .44 mag in a Kenai chest rig. It's actually lighter than the Taurus and I personally would recommend a S&W over a Taurus any day. The only negative point about the 329PD is it's cost, it runs just about twice as much as the Taurus and I do believe that having anything is better than having nothing so if all you can afford is the Taurus then I'd go that way before I'd bother with a Glock 10mm. On the other hand, if you can't handle the recoil of the .44 mag then I'd go with anything chambered in at least the 10mm and Glocks are definitely one of the most reliable guns available.
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby wawhitey » 04 08, 2019 •  [Post 8]

RAMMONT wrote:
gperdue4 wrote:Glock 10mm g40 or g20 holds 15rnd use a chest rig. This is what people use now days in alaska. 200 gr solid bullet. Much better then 6 44 mags.


I hear this argument so often and it's absolutely silly.

True, SOME people use a Glock in 10mm in Alaska but not everybody and definitely not most.

In most bear attack situations you wont have more than a couple of seconds to get your shots off, you will never get more than 3 or 4 shots off during the actual attack so having 15 rounds doesn't do you any good what so ever.

What is more important is getting the largest caliber (with the greatest penetrating energy) that you can handle well enough to put 3 or 4 shots in to the kill zone of a bear in under 5 seconds. I would never waste my time on any caliber less than a 10mm and I definitely wouldn't waste my time on the idea that you'll have the time to put 15 shots down range if you are attacked.

I carry a S&W 329PD in .44 mag in a Kenai chest rig. It's actually lighter than the Taurus and I personally would recommend a S&W over a Taurus any day. The only negative point about the 329PD is it's cost, it runs just about twice as much as the Taurus and I do believe that having anything is better than having nothing so if all you can afford is the Taurus then I'd go that way before I'd bother with a Glock 10mm. On the other hand, if you can't handle the recoil of the .44 mag then I'd go with anything chambered in at least the 10mm and Glocks are definitely one of the most reliable guns available.



Yup, realistically if you get even a shot or two off youre lucky. I think people imagine some slow motion scenario where theyre able to calmly pump round after round into a critter that charges at the speed of molasses after giving ample warning of its presence and intent before hand.
In the real world youll want to make that first shot count. A 10mm hits with slightly less energy than a .357 mag. I consider .357 minimum personal defense sidearm even when in black bear country. And for the record i have actually killed a black bear point blank with a .44mag (taurus raging bull) and a whitetail buck with a .357 (s&w 627) and was able to see firsthand the results of bullet performance from handguns at close range. I would not call .357 adequate grizz protection, let alone the slightly less powerful 10mm.
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby Fridaythe13th » 04 08, 2019 •  [Post 9]

X2 on the glock 40. 10mm
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby >>>---WW----> » 04 08, 2019 •  [Post 10]

Guys will always argue and try to tell you which hand gun to use on charging bears. And most will realize that you may be lucky if you get off more than one accurate shot and possibly even be more lucky to even have time to clear your holster at a charging bear running 30+ MPH at you.

So here is my advice! " Be sure to file the front sight off of your gun. That way it won't hurt so bad when the bear shoves it up your arse"!!!! :shock: :o :o :lol:
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby jmez » 04 09, 2019 •  [Post 11]

No such thing as overkill on power if it is a grizzly gun. Weight and overkill should be the least of your concerns when purchasing a bear gun. The lightweight 44's with proper bear rounds are abusive to shoot. If you know little about guns then not a good choice for a starter gun.

What you really need to do first is get a cheap gun and get some professional training. When you learn more and become proficient shooting a handgun then buy your bear protection.

If you don't shoot much, don't know much about guns, save the money from the gun purchase to pay your health insurance deductible.
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby Lefty » 04 09, 2019 •  [Post 12]

>>>---WW----> wrote:Guys will always argue and try to tell you which hand gun to use on charging bears. And most will realize that you may be lucky if you get off more than one accurate shot and possibly even be more lucky to even have time to clear your holster at a charging bear running 30+ MPH at you.

So here is my advice! " Be sure to file the front sight off of your gun. That way it won't hurt so bad when the bear shoves it up your arse"!!!! :shock: :o :o :lol:


Locally a few years back guys were going in after black bear , all were armed they walked in on a momma griz
The whole thing happened so quick
Ma griz smacked around the guy with dogs the walked away the one fellow said something to the effect they didn’t have time to shoot, but had no idea how they ended up in the trees
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby Swede » 04 09, 2019 •  [Post 13]

If you are hunting in a place where Grizzly bears are a real menace, then I would recommend hunting in pairs only and both hunters carry a heavy gun i.e. 44 magnum, and have a can of bear spray. If you are hunting alone and thinking about having a gun "just in case", probably any large cartridge pistol will be ok. Most likely you won't have time to get it out and use it if that very rare case became actuality.
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby RAMMONT » 04 09, 2019 •  [Post 14]

jmez wrote:...The lightweight 44's with proper bear rounds are abusive to shoot...


I don't agree but I will admit that I've been shooting .44's and larger since about 1975.

The 329PD is nowhere near "abusive", in fact, I've had several friends that have never shot a .44mag shoot it and they were absolutely surprised at how easy the gun was to handle. Yes, you do feel a heavy push to your palm but it doesn't have the kind of muzzle flip that most people assume it would have, in fact, it has next to no muzzle flip at all. It's almost a straight line push in to your palm and wrist. My single action Ruger Super Blackhawk is far worst to shoot and it's almost exactly twice the weight of the 329PD.

But I do agree that if you are new to using a big handgun you should find a way to test fire everything from a 10mm up to a .454 or .480 Ruger and see where your limits are.

I also agree that regardless of what caliber you choose, you need to practice with it because you wont have time to think about your shot if you ever have to defend against a bear.
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby gperdue4 » 04 10, 2019 •  [Post 15]

I think 44 mag is a fine caliber but the chance you can make 4 to 5 quick shots in a circle the size of a pie plate is slim for most people. 10mm lots of penetration and I am not saying everyone but with good practice and a imr you could put 15 shots in a paper plate as fast as some one with a 44 revolver. Semis do not recoil the same. Imr is quick to put on target. I know more and more people are going to the 10mm and yes more people carry big caliber revolvers. But the change is moving that direction. But a shotgun with slugs and buck shot will always be King.

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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 04 10, 2019 •  [Post 16]

RAMMONT wrote:
jmez wrote:...The lightweight 44's with proper bear rounds are abusive to shoot...


I don't agree but I will admit that I've been shooting .44's and larger since about 1975.

The 329PD is nowhere near "abusive", in fact, I've had several friends that have never shot a .44mag shoot it and they were absolutely surprised at how easy the gun was to handle. Yes, you do feel a heavy push to your palm but it doesn't have the kind of muzzle flip that most people assume it would have, in fact, it has next to no muzzle flip at all. It's almost a straight line push in to your palm and wrist. My single action Ruger Super Blackhawk is far worst to shoot and it's almost exactly twice the weight of the 329PD.

But I do agree that if you are new to using a big handgun you should find a way to test fire everything from a 10mm up to a .454 or .480 Ruger and see where your limits are.

I also agree that regardless of what caliber you choose, you need to practice with it because you wont have time to think about your shot if you ever have to defend against a bear.


Where the heck is the thumbs up emoticon; who’s running this forum? ;)
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby awbowhunter » 04 12, 2019 •  [Post 17]

You can Google the incident but to put in perspective as far as an attack happening fast. I met a lady last year at trail head that had been recently attacked by a grizzly in Libby Montana. In talking to her, what really stuck with me was the fact that she had bear spray hanging around her neck. Yet the incident happened so fast she was on the ground with bear on top of her before she used the spray. She specifically stated she just hit the ground. She was able to discharge the spray but only after being injured.
To me, a take home from this is whatever you use for protection..... PRACTICE.....even though the real thing will never be the same as practicing. Work out any bugs in your execution of said plan ahead of time. It's more important to know how to react and how to use very efficiently whatever your tool of choice will be......IT WILL HAPPEN FAST!!

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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby gperdue4 » 04 15, 2019 •  [Post 18]

Ok this is what I have been trying to explain.
https://youtu.be/t1AbItAe-h0

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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby Lefty » 04 16, 2019 •  [Post 19]

awbowhunter wrote: whatever you use for protection..... PRACTICE.....,,,,,,....IT WILL HAPPEN FAST!!

Ill add to WW advise: Lube the barrel

One thing ive read about and is suggested for grizzlies is the curl up , fetal position. And with a pack slip it up towards your head.
And maybe that's the reason I hunted further in fringe areas with my daughter this past season . We both practiced drawing and pulling the pin,,,, well slipping the safety off.
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby gperdue4 » 04 17, 2019 •  [Post 20]

If hand grenades were legal. I would carry one.

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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby baddaddy » 04 17, 2019 •  [Post 21]

44 mag with heavy cast bullets or a 454 Casull with heavy loads. Work your way up to the heavy loads. The nice thing about both rounds is you can start with 44 Special and 45 Colt loads then work up to the heavy loads. I carried a 454 with 395 grain cast bullets when I lived in AK and was out and about. When I was fishing on the rivers and knew the bears would be nearby I also carried a .416 Remington.
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby RobinHood » 07 12, 2019 •  [Post 22]

Very interesting thread; sorry I’m late to the discussion. I recently read an article (wish I could remember the site, I’d posted it) that looked at 30+ actual bear attacks (I believe they were all grizz) where the person used a handgun as defense. The premise was “what caliber handgun is most effective?” As I remember, the sidearms ranged from 380’s to 44 mags. The bottom line was that all the attacks had been thwarted with little or no damage to the recipient, except one. The most important factor was not the gun caliber; but could the person hit the bear with their first/second shot(s)? I realize this is only circumstantial evidence, but it did help clarify what I have instinctively known for years; practice, practice, practice!
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby Tigger » 07 12, 2019 •  [Post 23]

I just picked up a Glock 20 (10mm). Only shot it once so far, but it wasn't hard to shoot at all. I was charged by a small cardboard box, but kept my composure and filled that sucker full of holes. It will charge no one else, ever.

my first griz deterrent will always be bear spray however!
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 07 12, 2019 •  [Post 24]

Pics or it didn’t happen. Everyone has a story about a charging, frothing, blood thirsty box they had to shoot in self defense but you seldom see photographic evidence offered ;). Congrats on the new hand cannon.
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby saddlesore » 07 13, 2019 •  [Post 25]

WapitiTalk1 wrote:Pics or it didn’t happen. Everyone has a story about a charging, frothing, blood thirsty box they had to shoot in self defense but you seldom see photographic evidence offered ;). Congrats on the new hand cannon.


Hard to take pictures when you are either pointing the camera over your shoulder backwards while running at full tilt or bent over kissing your butt goodbye. :lol: :lol:
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby gperdue4 » 09 02, 2019 •  [Post 26]

My G40 hard cast 200gr bullet 1200fps 4" group at 65 yards.[img]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190902/e058a5d1d131c7afd145e026967bfd41.jpg[/img]

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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby def90 » 09 02, 2019 •  [Post 27]

Having been shooting rifles and handguns for the last 20+ years I can say that you can ignore the caliber debates for a few minutes.

What you need to do is find a handgun that fits your hand well, is comfortable for you to shoot and naturally points for you. To do this go to several ranges that rent firearms and try them all. Some will feel clunky, some will feel too small, others will feel just right. Take the ones that feel just right and then play with the ergonomics as in can you easily hit the mag release? Are the sights easy to acquire? Can you easily manipulate the slide release and so on. Once you have narrowed it down to a few less handguns see how it points, by this I mean when you quickly raise the handgun up to a shooting position are the sights aligned with the target with a natural neutral grip as in you do not have to force your hand in to an awkward position to get the sights aligned.

For me my Browning HiPower shoots and points effortlessly and I have recently found that a Glock 19 has a very similar feel in my hand. Everyone will be different so try not to put too much in to people that are recommending a specific model of handgun.

Once you pick one out take some classes and shoot it.. a lot. Get 500 or even better 1000 rnds and shoot that handgun until you can reliably make hits on the A zone of an IPSC target. When you are done at the range go home and put all of the ammo in a closet and then verify that the handgun is unloaded and drill using dry fire. Practice all of the manipulations required such as mag changes and malfunction drills. Dry fire is free and its as valuable as actual live fire practice.

Caliber doesn't matter if you can't quickly naturally point your handgun and get off a shot before the threat is on top of you. You can't do that with an ill fitting gun and little to no practice. You might as well have a stick or a rock.
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby RAMMONT » 09 03, 2019 •  [Post 28]

def90 wrote:Caliber doesn't matter if you can't quickly naturally point your handgun and get off a shot before the threat is on top of you. You can't do that with an ill fitting gun and little to no practice. You might as well have a stick or a rock.


Of course hitting your target is the primary requirement for stopping a bear attack, but having pin point accuracy with a .22 cal handgun wont help stop a bear.

My point is, that practice takes care of accuracy but you need to be realistic about what is a reasonable caliber to use on a charging grizzly.
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby RAMMONT » 09 03, 2019 •  [Post 29]

Tigger wrote:...my first griz deterrent will always be bear spray however!


First of all, I think that most of us are referring to an actual bear attack, not a situation where you will have time to try to deter the bear. Maybe you don't understand how most bear attacks happen, they don't just meander in to your area and sniff around for a few minutes while you talk calmly to them, if that's the situation that you think of when you talk about bears then you don't understand real grizzly bear attacks. In the real world, if you've got time to make the decision about whether to use a spray or a gun then it's not a real attack, and in most of those kinds of situations the bear will go away and leave you alone anyways. I've come in contact with black bears several times and none have stayed around after they recognized me as a human. I've never come in contact with a grizzly but they do live around my home in Montana even though they live around here. The point is that most bears will run away if you give them half a chance and they feel that they have an escape route.

In my opinion, spray works to deter a bear that is curious or one that has simply no interest in you. It might seem like it works if you spray a bear after it has mauled you but in reality the bear most probably would have walked away after it was finished biting you a couple of times anyways, that's their way of telling you to go away. Like that woman that was attacked by Libby, most people assume that the spray drove the bear away, I don't believe that it did. I think that the bear would have walked away at that point regardless of what the woman did or didn't do. It was done letting her know that she had overstepped some boundary and it made it's point, it didn't want to kill her, it just wanted to scare her away. The spray didn't do anything to help the situation, in fact, making bears used to the effect of bear spray might make it less effective over time.

Statistically, in a real grizzly attack, you wont even know that the bear is close to you until it's almost on top of you, you wont have much time to respond. You definitely wont have time to first deploy a spray (which wont work in that kind if situation anyways) and then choose to use a gun as a follow up. A true grizzly attack is fast and vicious and the truth is that the bear usually isn't trying to kill you, they are just reacting to a perceived threat and they don't understand that we can't suffer even a light swat with one of their paws or just a little gnawing from their teeth. Most animals that they deal with can survive a couple of bear swats or a bite or two so a bear thinks that they are just making us understand that we need to leave them alone. I honestly don't think that most grizzlies intend to kill humans, they just don't realize that their are so powerful that we can't survive their typical response to what they perceive as a threat.

On the other hand, there are grizzly attacks where the bear's only interest is to eat you, and in that situation you'd better have the biggest, meanest gun that you can handle because not much is going to stop that bear from tearing you apart. Bears aren't rocket scientists, they are brutes that mostly react according to instinct. If they are hungry then they eat, and there are times when they prefer lots of high calorie meat, and the easier it is to kill something and eat it the better, they don't have to burn calories in order to gain calories. Unfortunately, some bears learn that humans are easy targets and they go after us when they are starving. They don't reason and they are single minded when they are hungry so they are very hard to stop, in their minds it's OK for them to take a little damage in order to eat something, they can recover from it. So shouting, hollering, curling up in to a ball, spraying them, none of that is going to stop them when they are attacking out of survival instinct - you have only one choice - kill them before they kill you.

Our problem is that most of us can't tell the difference between a bluff charge (warning us to go away) and a real attack. And because of that our society is split between two lines of thought;

1. Lets use the least damaging response so that the bear doesn't suffer unnecessarily for our ignorance.
2. It's better to take no chances and kill the bear.

When charged by a bear, I support the idea of killing it. I wont have time to spray and then follow up with a shot if it's a real charge so I have to choose one or the other response and I'm not taking a chance that I've misjudged the situation, I'm just going to shoot. I don't even want to be mauled if I can avoid it so even if the bear intended to just bite me a couple of times I'm still going to shoot.
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby gperdue4 » 09 03, 2019 •  [Post 30]

I was a guide in the bridger wilderness in the late 90's. All the guides had to go through a grizzle bear awareness class put on by the university of Montana. They wanted us to give up are guns for spray. I call bullshit and none of the guides gone for it. Bear spray not in the face of a bear doesn't do nothing. If a bear charges what would you rather have in your hand. You don't get a second chance to decide. Even if you can't stop a charge with a hand gun you may stop the attack after it starts.
You can tell grizzle scant from black bear scant. Grizzle scant smells like pepper spray and has little bear bells in it.

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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby Tigger » 09 03, 2019 •  [Post 31]

Rammont,
You make some great points and I for sure don't subscribe to the theory that I should be using the least damaging method to the bear to stop the attack. If the griz is attacking me, I will shoot to kill and not think twice. But there is another component that I think bears (yep, pun intended!) touching on. Many, if not most, people are not good enough with a pistol to shoot that bear when it comes barreling at them at 1,421 miles per hour from about 18 feet. In fact, I question my own abilities with a pistol. So am I better off with a pistol that misses or bear spray that hits? Let the debate roll on. I, at least at this point, am in the camp that says bear spray that hits is more effective than a pistol that misses. Now if I have time to pull them both, my left hand will have the spray and the right will have the pistol (not exactly sure what happens to the bow in this scenario.... :?: ). The more proficient I become with a pistol, I think the more likely I would be to pull that out first.

The scenario that I fear is walking around a bush and there is the griz at 20 yards or less sitting on a carcass and he takes off towards me. That is a nasty one. I doubt I can get either the spray or the gun out in time. I can sit here and type what I think I will pull, but in the heat of the moment, who knows....I might draw my bugle tube!
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby Indian Summer » 09 04, 2019 •  [Post 32]

Back to the original post.....

Luke I really don’t see you hunting in griz country. You’ve stuck with Colorado up til now and Vince says you’re into elk. The area you hunted in Montana has no griz. You and I have talked about a Wyoming hunt plan and that wouldn’t be near grizzlies either. There is great hunting in tons of areas that don’t have them so why would you choose to hunt where they live?

Theres a big difference in self defense depending on whether or not you need to be prepared for grizzlies. A big and bulky and heavy difference.

So with this season under your belt how about making another post on exactly what you’re looking for.

I really don’t see why anyone debates between spray or a pistol. If you hunt where grizzlies are you should carry both. Keep both very easily accessible and know how to use both. Use spray first and follow up with lead.

If it gets to the point where a bear is chewing on me I’ll take the lead.
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby Dittydogood » 10 10, 2019 •  [Post 33]

Thought: any like weight handgun is going to be absolutely savage in the recoil department.
That being said, if you are trying to learn how to affectively protect yourself against a bear, you need to learn good techniques and recoil management with another firearm of a lighter caliber. Borrow from a friend if you can and get good advice from the shooting community on YouTube. Apply them and then go for the big guns. Remember you are training to protect yourself from one of the most savage animals in the lower 48. It’s your life, train, invest like your life depends on it.


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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby Swede » 10 10, 2019 •  [Post 34]

Welcome to the forum Diddy. Join in some of the hunting discussions with us. There is always room for more input.
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby saddlesore » 10 11, 2019 •  [Post 35]

Dittydogood wrote:Thought: any like weight handgun is going to be absolutely savage in the recoil department.
That being said, if you are trying to learn how to affectively protect yourself against a bear, you need to learn good techniques and recoil management with another firearm of a lighter caliber. Borrow from a friend if you can and get good advice from the shooting community on YouTube. Apply them and then go for the big guns. Remember you are training to protect yourself from one of the most savage animals in the lower 48. It’s your life, train, invest like your life depends on it.


I use to teach basic handgun courses for people that needed it to get Concealed Carry Permit.I probably ran about 500 people over a few years in my course, which included about four hours range time. The typical thing I saw and it is more prevalent today is everyone want to buy one of the subcompact handguns like the Ruger LCP or LCR, in 9mm or one of the light weight .380 semis.
I would start them off with single action, double action, and semi 22 RF.The graduate to 38 Sp target loads. After some proficiency was accomplished, I invited them to try their own handguns. Almost to the person when they touched off a few rounds with one off their light weights they did 3-4 rounds and they were done. I'm sure those handguns went home and stayed on the night stand after that. Guys that brought the smaller 45 semis, 44mags , and such were astonished at the recoil. After putting 15-20 rounds in the black with my 22rf's,they were lucky to him the paper at 10 yards. My advice was to shoot at least 50 rounds per month of concentrated fire with handgun they were going to carry if they were going to trust their life to it. I doubt most did not follow thru with that.

If a person is going to select and carry a handgun with enough stopping power to at least slow a bear down,they need something in the 3# range, 4" barrel minimum, and be proficient enough to be able to get back on target after the first shot. Although in reality from all reports of bear maulings and encounters, one shot is about all most can get off.

I did one hunt in Alberta grizzly country with guides( required up there) .They all carried at least a 300Win mag rifle and although hand gun carry is next to impossible in Canada,they all scoffed at the idea of using one for bear protection. I have friend in Cody, Wy and he carries a a12 gauge short barreled pump shotgun loaded with the best slugs he can buy. JMHO though.
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby Roosiebull » 10 19, 2019 •  [Post 36]

glock 20 is my suggestion.... takes so much abuse without hiccups, 15rds of pretty good firepower, have a holster on my pack, don't notice it's there.

i'm a big fan of big wheelguns, my favorite gun I have ever shot was my S&W 500 by far, I love big wheelguns, but they are slow to shoot accurately... it's one of those "make your first shot count" things. I also have a s&w 629, which is another joy to shoot, and look at, but it's heavy, and slower to shoot accurately.

for me, the G20 is the perfect woods gun.

I have had 2 Taurus revolvers in the past, bought an ultralight judge when they first came out, but eventually had timing issues with it and had to send it back. when I got it back I traded it in on a raging bull 454 which was a fun gun, but completely unreliable after a bit... I sent that gun back to Taurus 3 times, when I got it back the last time, I didn't shoot it again, and traded it in for my S&W 500, and of course it's a solid gun, but too heavy to pack for a sidearm.

I could never get another Taurus after my experience with them. I really considered the scandium frame 44mag by S&W, but decided on the 629, because I like my G20 for woods carry, and the 629 is more practical for my needs
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 10 19, 2019 •  [Post 37]

Your results with Taurus differ from mine Roosie but I’m not doubting you (haven’t owned/shot either of those two models). I’ve put a gazillion rounds thru my Taurus .444 .44 MAG UL (305 grain HSM bear loads) with zero issues (well, except the sore hand it produces). The dang thing is really accurate also.
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby Roosiebull » 10 20, 2019 •  [Post 38]

That is good. I can’t imagine they would still be in business if my experiences were normal. I got a couple bad ones.
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby jmez » 10 20, 2019 •  [Post 39]

Hey Roosie you shot the Smith 460v? I've been looking at one. Seems like a great do it all revolver. Shoots 460 mag, 454 Casull, and 45 colt. It's big and a little heavy but covers all the bases.

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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby Roosiebull » 10 21, 2019 •  [Post 40]

jmez wrote:Hey Roosie you shot the Smith 460v? I've been looking at one. Seems like a great do it all revolver. Shoots 460 mag, 454 Casull, and 45 colt. It's big and a little heavy but covers all the bases.

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I have, and it’s awesome. I almost went that route when I got the 500, but it had no practical benefit for my needs. If I was a hardcore handgun hunter, the 460 I think is the best there is, but even the 500, at any range I would hunt with it, has very little drop.

Can’t go wrong either way, but since it’s inception, I really wanted a 500. Amazing firearm
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Re: Backcountry side arm

Postby jmez » 10 21, 2019 •  [Post 41]

Thanks Roosie. I'm not a handgun hunter, just a bowhunter. I'm looking at it for bear medicine when bowhunting. My group is likely going to end up in southwest MT in the next year or two. Currently have a 329 PD. Nice gun and very packable but not real fun to shoot and the loads are pretty limited with it. The 460 would give a lot more options for ammo and be much cheaper and comfortable to plink with using 45 colts. I'm sure I'd shoot it more than the PD.
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