California Bear Gun (CQB)

[ghuns]

A "bear" can mean something different in certain parts of Kalifornia...

 

[nonobaddog]

Most bears will avoid people... but those are not the bears you carry a gun for. You carry for those ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ (get it?) situations when the bear actually attacks. A big long gun is best but some people insist on a handgun. If it is a black bear you can get by with a 44 Mag or better but if it is a brown bear you want a small cheap 22 like a Jennings because it won’t hurt so much when the bear shoves it up your butt.

 

[Dead Duck]

How about a chest mounted.....

 

[regulator1175]

Speaking from the experience of having a brother killed by a black bear in 1993, Your best defense against bears is keeping your trash picked up and not giving them ANYTHING to eat. Once a wild animal develops a taste for human food they will not return to foraging. Who would blame them, give me a Quarter Pounder with cheese any day over berries and nuts. Otherwise, you want to scare them off. It is much more effective than trying to kill them. An air horn, pepper spray type bear spray, or a shot gun works the best for bear defense. For offense, there are some great suggestions here.

 

[rhslover]

I see all these references about grizzlies, but grizzlies haven't lived lived in California for nearly a hundred years. Keep your trash cleaned up and decent doors on the house and do what I did when I lived in black bear country, don't worry about it. But that being said, a 12 gauge with slugs will do.

 

[edporch]

I have a cabin in the woods of NW Wisconsin near the Minnesota Border in Burnett County.
There's black bears, some are pretty good sized.

I have a Mossberg 590 with 8 shot capacity and load it with alternating deer slugs and 00 Buck.
And for a pistol, I use a Glock 40 with 10mm 200 grain hardcast bullets , Glock 20 with 10mm 200 grain hardcast bullets, or S&W 629 .44 Mag.

Never needed them, and hope I never do, but have them in case.

 

[t-squared]

One guy's take on a bear defense handgun.....[video=youtube;t1AbItAe-h0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1AbItAe-h0[/video]

 

[nonobaddog]

If you ever see this view of a grizzly up close you just lost every 'handgun' caliber for grizzlies argument ever.

Awesome Grizzly photo by Charles Glatzer.

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

I have family in Alaska, and a cabin near Sterling. My 870 has a VTAC 2 point sling that I carry at low-ready. I agree that hiking with a pump shotgun is heavy, but it feels very reasuring when we detect bears.

Brother-in-law uses a Winchester 1300 with slugs. He has lived in Alaska for 35 years and has worked summers as a guide on the other side of the Cook Inlet. .

I am going to aquire a handgun as a backup. I am leaning towards a Ruger GP100 Stainless 4" revolver in 10mm. Buffalo Bore makes a good hardcast load. It would be plenty of energy for black bear.