California Bear Gun (CQB)

[Sling10mm]

My first thought would be a guide gun in 45-70 or a shotgun with slugs for a long gun, and a 44 Magnum in a handgun.

 

[eric001]

I've got a Taurus Raging Bull .454 with a 6.5 bbl--all of these are ported. It's just as easy to shoot as a .44, easier than one that ISN'T ported. Heavy to carry, but I'd trust a .454 to take down or seriously impede a bear if I couldn't have a long gun available.

 

[Hop]

Up in Alaska, the Conservation officers/ rangers use Remington 870s with Brenneke Black Magic 12 ga slugs.

https://www.brennekeusa.com/hunting-ammunition/black-magicr-magnum/

That's what was suggested to me when hiking up there. Problem is it was very tiring to carry all that weight. Getting a slung shotgun off your shoulder and onto target seems like it takes too much time. I ended up with a chest rig and a S&W 629 loaded with HSM 305 grain Bear loads.

Tell your friend that ammo is key and to get a good bear load. Hard cast lead from HSM or Buffalo Bore will make a smaller caliber handgun effective in stopping a bear.

 

[Liberty Sanders]

That's what was suggested to me when hiking up there. Problem is it was very tiring to carry all that weight. Getting a slung shotgun off your shoulder and onto target seems like it takes too much time. I ended up with a chest rig and a S&W 629 loaded with HSM 305 grain Bear loads.

Tell your friend that ammo is key and to get a good bear load. Hard cast lead from HSM or Buffalo Bore will make a smaller caliber handgun effective in stopping a bear.

​Those HSM bear killers are what I had in my Model 29 in Montana.

 

[roscott]

Budget long gun: 870 with slugs
Classy long gun: Miroku Winchester 1892 in .44
Budget handgun: Taurus .44 mag
Classy handgun: S&W 629 or Ruger Redhawk

 

[Dead Duck]

Budget long gun: 870 with slugs
Classy long gun: Miroku Winchester 1892 in .44
Budget handgun: Taurus .44 mag
Classy handgun: S&W 629 or Ruger Redhawk

OK....
I just have one little question on your choice here.

WHY?

WHY?

WHY?

WHY?

WHY?

WHY?

WHY?

















WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? 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WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? 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[BiscuitsandGravy]

12g pump & large bore revolver w/ above mentioned ammo.

 

[roscott]

Touché Dead Duck, the old ones are definitely superior, but I figured for a bump-in-the-night gun the tang safety and lack of collectible value would be a better option.

Have you handled the new Miroku stuff though? I’d say it’s a sight better than most modern American stuff (most not all) getting pumped out these days.

 

[Dead Duck]

I just can't do it.
If I want a revolver, I look for Colt or S&W.... and I'd pay an extra $500 for an older S&W to NOT have a Hillary Hole.
If I want a lever gun, I look for Winchester. Henry if I'm never going to shoot it. (cause they're too dang purty)
(also old vintage Winchesters, I'd be scared to use, should be in the museums)

The only Japanese gun I might own would be a surplus from WW2. Unfortunately those "Buy a Cheap Crate" of surplus days are gone.


Anything new American should be better than buying any import clone. Shouldn't it?
I just don't look there and have never handled them. I won't even buy a Taurus of anything because they are a clone factory.






As for bear....
I would definitely have a dependable slug gun. I favor crazy auto-loaders though. My favorites are mag and drum fed. Most people don't get into those but the ones that do - love them. I can put 20 down range accurately in seconds. Of coarse none of my guns would be welcome in CA even though most I purchased there when they were legal to have.

A 44mag revolver hip or chest rig would be a great back-up.

 

[roscott]

Anything new American should be better than buying any import clone. Shouldn't it?

Yep, it should. But is it?

 

[Leadeye]

Bah, I shoot 120 year old Winchesters every week.

 

[Dead Duck]

Bah, I shoot 120 year old Winchesters every week.

Man that's awesome.
I wouldn't be able to sling it with all the bubblewrap I'd keep it in.

 

[Leadeye]

With a little good maintenance I think 1873s will shoot forever.

 

[Vigilant]

I am told it works on cougars...

Nah, they prefer the Eagles, or maybe some Tom Jones.

 

[Mgderf]

I have a Taurus Raging Bull in .454Casull.
It wears an 8-3/8" ported barrel. If you can hold it up to get a sight picture, it's relatively easy to fire.
The recoil is a heavy push, straight back, but it is NOT a sharp slap.

The .454Casull round has been known to take any game animal on the north American continent, including grizzly bear.
I would not hesitate to rely on it to dispatch anything that presented itself.

 

[Beowulf]

Marlin 1895 GSBL in .45-70

If it's good enough for dinosaurs, it's good enough for bear.

 

[BStarkey 46947]

Anything with a bumpstock and 100 round drum.

 

[indytoe]

I would love to know the actual details of this. Did they wound the bear with something else and dispatch it with this pistol thereby claiming it was what actually killed the bear?

Even in the fuzzy picture, the tufts of hair on that bear seem *way* too large. (Making the bear way too small.)

My guess is that the only way that bear weighed 300 pounds is if a 250lb dude was standing on it.

 

[two70]

Even in the fuzzy picture, the tufts of hair on that bear seem *way* too large. (Making the bear way too small.)

My guess is that the only way that bear weighed 300 pounds is if a 250lb dude was standing on it.

The bear in the Colt ad (assuming it was true) wouldn't be the first bear to be killed by a small caliber nor the largest.


As for bear defense arms, grizzly bears can cover a 100 yards faster than a thoroughbred and attacks frequently happen with little warning in areas where the terrain and cover significantly limit visibility. Carrying a shotgun or rifle may be comforting but the likelihood of being able to deploy one before a bear is on top of you in such conditions is small and the chance of doing so after the bear has reached you is even smaller. Same with large, long barreled handguns. IMO, better to have something smaller, that can be drawn quickly and which you can shoot well under pressure.

 

[gglass]

https://www.ammoland.com/2018/02/de...s-rate-37-incidents-by-caliber/#axzz5wEhFQDub


Here are some real world stats!

Looks like a 9mm is fine !

Don't go throwing around real world stats in a purely emotional debate concerning scary bears... It's bears, man! BEARS!!!!!