favorite side arm for bears

[stickslinger]

sup guys! i have been going out scouting quite a bit lately in some bear country. im familar with handguns and such but i just am wondering what is every ones favorite pistol to carry. i have a ruger superblackhawk 44 mag but with the 10.5 in barrel its not very fun to pack around lol. i traded a fly rod for a ruger gp100 357 mag last year and carried that all year and now i just bought a beretta 96 in 40 s&w. i think i am still gonna pack the 357 tho so i dont have to worry about jams or anything. what do you guys think?

 

[d-bone20917]

About a month or so ago I bought a Ruger SP101 with 4" barrel in 357 mag. I've been carrying it on my side while in the woods. It's a fun little gun to shoot.

 

[MThuntr]

I have a Ruger Super Redhawk in 480 Ruger that I used to carry. Dang thing is so heavy that I'd rather go without. I just got a Springfield XD in 9mm for plinking that will probably tag along.

 

[Papa-Zulu]

Stainless Colt Python in .357 Magnum, 6" barrel.

 

[nidahunter]

+1 on the sp101. Very nice little gun, and most importantly it is not so heavy that I leave it at home. It wont do any good if it is too heavy to comfortably carry and is in the closet when you need it!

 

[buglum]

Glock 10mm compact. small and lethal.

 

[CabinFever]

Would you guys trust a .40?

 

[revelized]

i carry a 9mm most of the time. 15 rounds sounds better than the 7 rounds i get in my 1911... and nowadays with the ammo that is out there anything on your hip will most likely deter a griz from making you into breakfast. my first shot will always be just in the direction... if they don't get the point then I will start putting rounds into him.

practice with your gun is a BIG help though. If you getting charged you want your gun out and ready in no time flat.

 

[idnative1948]

JMHO
If you carry a handgun in the field I would just that it is one you are comfortable with and shot enough that you can make a lethal shot if you need to draw.

 

[huntme]

:hump:if comfort is a issue then by all means carry the 357,or the 40 barreta,but in bear country you might have 1000 pounds of mean comming at you at around 20 to 30 miles per hour,at say 50 feet or less maybee,so i ask,what is your life worth?
i do not know you so i have no idea how well you can use a pistole,i do know bears,grizz in particular,a sow grizz is a pooping,eating,and killing machine,if cubs are around,eating and killing to protect her young are the only thing she thinks about,nothing else,that is her only aggenda,and let me just say she is one of the best killing machines out there.
that being said,the 357 would be my last ditch effort to defend my life against a big grizz,the 40,only if it was with in 10 to 15 feet from me and i had no other choice but to fight.

 

[Sytes]

This is a repeat of a usually fun thread so I'll chime in with my current piece for my back country carry:

Taurus .45 / .410 Polymer 2.5" barrel

 

[sweetnectar]

I was looking at some data a while back and for some reason .40 s&w had more penetration and wound channel volume than the 357. The test was through 4 layers of denim and into ballistic gel. I'm not sure why that was because the 357 shows more energy in the stats I see. So if a bear is the same as 4 layers of denim and ballistic gelatin then you'll be just fine.
I'll see if I can find the old FBI data and post it up....
Here it is
http://demigodllc.com/~zak/firearms/fbi-pistol.php

There are even some 10mm results for you better lead slingers.
I want to do some of my own tests. The only one I've done myself is blast a piece of 3/4" osb and it appears the .40 has no problem blasting through it.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Anyone that carries in non-grizzly bear country is pretty much a homo. Fact.

 

[spook12]

I must be a homo Dink, i carry 365 !

 

[Devil Diver Down]

You're from Arkansas. How are we supposed to tell the difference?

 

[T Bone]

I do carry my 45acp when packing meat.

Kinda sucks when you return to get the last load of meat and an 85 pound bear is on it.

 

[Oak]

I do carry my 45acp when packing meat.

Kinda sucks when you return to get the last load of meat and an 85 pound bear is on it.

C'mon, you can whip an 85# bear.

 

[spook12]

Damn, DDD . Now i'm all confused .

 

[Dinkshooter]

Kinda sucks when you return to get the last load of meat and an 85 pound bear is on it.

Let me guess, you soiled yourself as you strained to jump over the deadfall to chase him away

 

[Ben Lamb]

This is my sidearm in grizz country:

If you want to carry a pistol, then carry the one you are most proficient with. Velocity, caliber and bullet weight don't mean squat if you can't hit a pie plate moving at you at 30 fps and moving erratically.

If I had to carry a gun for bear, it would be a 44 magnum Ruger Redhawk w/ a 5.5 inch barrel w/ 310 grain hardcast bullet w/ a stout load of W296.