What caliber side arm would be sufficiet for protection while bow hunting to protect against bear and cougar?
Bow hunting personal protection firearm.
- Thread starter henkesean
- Start date
Drhorsepower
Veteran member
MT backcountry hunter
Active Member
I have a snub nose Ruger SP101 in .357. I wanted a pistol that would cover a wide range of use, from personal protection to bear encounters. I keep 380 ammo in it when its in the car and then I throw in the .357 180 grain solids when headed into bear country. I can also practice alot with the pistol since 380 ammo is cheap and recoil is next to nothing.
Bitterroot Bulls
Veteran member
MT backcountry hunter,
I hope you mean you keep .38 special ammo in your sp101.
That is a fine carry pistol.
I think good bear spray is the best deterrent to a bear attack. There have been a lot of people mauled by wounded bears, and then there are tragedies like the hunter being shot and killed by his partner in north Idaho this year, trying to shoot a mauling grizzly.
That said, I often carry a .40 S&W Glock while in the backcountry.
I hope you mean you keep .38 special ammo in your sp101.
That is a fine carry pistol.I think good bear spray is the best deterrent to a bear attack. There have been a lot of people mauled by wounded bears, and then there are tragedies like the hunter being shot and killed by his partner in north Idaho this year, trying to shoot a mauling grizzly.
That said, I often carry a .40 S&W Glock while in the backcountry.
Elkoholic307
Banned
bushmasterar15
New Member
- Feb 28, 2011
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shootbrownelk
Veteran member
I carry either a bobbed ruger super redhawk (4"bbl.) shooting Barnes XPB,
or a 4" N-frame S&W in .41 mag. also with the Barnes bullets. I agree with Jerry,
one good hit with a big-bore is better than the "spray & pray" with lesser calibers.
or a 4" N-frame S&W in .41 mag. also with the Barnes bullets. I agree with Jerry,
one good hit with a big-bore is better than the "spray & pray" with lesser calibers.
RUTTIN
Veteran member
I carry a Taurus Judge, 3 45 long colts, and the rest are 410. Don't get the big grizz in Utah, so I think it would work fine on Black bear.
jenbickel
Veteran member
Drhorsepower
Veteran member
What ever caliber you decide to carry, just make sure your very proficient with your handgun.....
When your worst thoughts come to life right infront of you, you have to have the mindset to react instinctively and to place your shots where they need to be......You might be proficient on the range, but the rugged wilderness terrain will place you off balance and you will probrably have to be moving when your shooting. Practice shooting from different postitions and scenarios....
When your worst thoughts come to life right infront of you, you have to have the mindset to react instinctively and to place your shots where they need to be......You might be proficient on the range, but the rugged wilderness terrain will place you off balance and you will probrably have to be moving when your shooting. Practice shooting from different postitions and scenarios....
Drhorsepower
Veteran member
I second that. You can have whatever caliber you want but the best one is the one you can use proficiently. You would do more damage with a 9mm you have shot 5k times than a whatever you have shot 100 times.
bushmasterar15
New Member
- Feb 28, 2011
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Drhorsepower
Veteran member
That's one bad 1911. I'm glad to see another 1911 fan on here. I love em. I would own more if my pockets were deeper.
What caliber?
8750
Active Member
I used to carry a Glock 22 .40 sw. but now I carry bear spray. Anything would have a hard time taking 15 rounds of .40 s&w, but in the end a bear's weakest system is his nose and respiratory system. Bear Spray is very efective at damageing this system. On the other hand when you shoot a bear you are attacking his circulatory system, which is quite tough. A bear can go for a long time even if you hit him in the pumper. He wont go anywhere with his sinuses full of pepper spray.
tim
Veteran member
this one is a wierd one, especially since the kid mistook the young grizzly for a black bear and wounded the bear. Both hunters went looking for the wounded bear, when the bear charged and the kid shot the other hunter while he was tyring to kill the wounded grizzly bear.
a bad situation all the way around.
Elkoholic307
Banned
I've kicked around the Handgun vs. Bear Spray ideas for a while now, but am still clinging my gun. Reason being, my bullets fight the wind a whole lot better than the spray. After messing around with a can of bear spray I saw how much the wind can drift it around. Everyone knows how windy the high country can be, so what if the wind is not in your favor?