minimum sidearm for black bear country

[indiucky]

When in the smokey mountains or eastern Kentucky I carry a Smith and Wesson model 60-10 3 inch J frame.....Solid jacketed bullets......

 

[Brad69]

So for bear a .357 or bigger.
And the much more dangerous human .380
Indy would you not just stab it with your knife?
I think one is lurking around the pioneer village!

 

[Skullglide]

I am very confident with my 3" GP100 with HSM 180gr Hardcast Bear Load. Manageable recoil. Carried in simply rugged pancake or gunfighters Inc chest rig. Due to hand issues, I will pass on the mega magnums.

 

[hoosierdoc]

You guys are over thinking this. If a bear comes across you, even a 9mm in your buddy's knee is going to slow him down enough to get youbsafely out of there

 

[ChrisK1977]

Where exactly will you be in bear country? I just returned from Idaho. I carried my g26. I also was carrying a rifle. If you go in the same area as me the pistol is pretty much a feeler good thingy. I found out I was much more scared of moose!

 

[Bigtanker]

If you're hunting with someone else, a .25 is more than enough.

Hey Doc. Look up here^^^^

You guys are over thinking this. If a bear comes across you, even a 9mm in your buddy's knee is going to slow him down enough to get youbsafely out of there

 

[The Bubba Effect]

As we drift into long guns for bear defense, I keep my 870 full of these in case I need to kill a bear or moose and I have the time to grab a proper gun: Black Magic® Magnum | Brenneke - Ammunition

 

[MCgrease08]

As we drift into long guns for bear defense, I keep my 870 full of these in case I need to kill a bear or moose and I have the time to grab a proper gun: Black Magic® Magnum | Brenneke - Ammunition

The Black Magic® Magnum is your live insurance against big and/or dangerous game.

I only hope their design and manufacturing arm has better quality control than their copywriting and marketing group.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

I hear you, the ballistic data on their website is all screwed up too. Shoddy web-presence aside, they are reported to be heavy, hard and fairly fast.

 

[CampingJosh]

The wife and I hiked a section of the AT in North Carolina & Tennessee a few years ago during bear hunting season. There were a bunch of hunters and dogs out at the same time, and it made me pretty nervous.

Because we intend to hike in the west sometimes too, I picked up a S&W 329 PD. After switching to the grips for the X frame, it's not too bad to shoot. Enjoyable as a .44 special, even. And when you can carry a .44 for the same weight as a .357, there's no reason not to.

It fits nicely in a HPG kit bag, too.

 

[kolob10]

I've hunted elk and deer in Black bear and brown bear territory. I carry a 4" Smith 629 loader with 300 gr hard cast bullets. It is a handfull but accurate and gives excellent bone breaking penetration at close range. Only had one encounter with a brown bear while hunting in Wyoming. I kept my cool while he approached within 50 yards. I was downwind and leaning against a huge boulder as he approached. Had a 270 Winchester bolt rifle and my .44 mag. I unholstered the revolver and laid it in my lap for follow up shots if necessary. Lucky for me, he caught the wind of some nearby elk and departed.

My hunting buddy had to shoot a brown bear up in Alaska several years ago on a fishing trip. He had a 12 gauge loaded with slugs. The bear charged but my buddy deterred the charge by yelling and waving his arms. The second charge was not deterred by yelling. The first shot at 20 yards caused the bear to come up on its hind legs. The second shot put him to rest. The bear dies at five paces from my friend. He had to wait for the fish and game people to fly in and investigate and claim the carcass. He was required to purchase a bear license prior to the trip due to the population density of bears. I have a 454 casull but it is single action and the recoil is heavy. Some hunters up in bear country are carrying Glock 10mm autos. I will stick to my 44 mag. Brown bears seem bigger than life when you see them in the wild. Big powerful animals.

 

[rhino]

Black bear country is a good excuse to buy a new Sig Sauer P220 in 10mm and a new Glock 20.

 

[INPatriot]

You guys are over thinking this. If a bear comes across you, even a 9mm in your buddy's knee is going to slow him down enough to get youbsafely out of there

Too many, Sir, are majoring in the minors!

 

[Leadeye]

For me a defensive round would be the same as a hunting round. Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt with a 325 grain Lyman cast lead sitting on a decent charge of powder.

 

[MinuteManMike]

If you're hunting with someone else, a .25 is more than enough.

OUCH. Remind me not to hang with you.

 

[MindfulMan]

I don't hunt, and would only shoot an animal if I thought it was going to kill me. Wanting to always stack the cards in my favor should that happen,
I carry my S&W 4" .500 magnum when I hike in the Rockies. Even with 500 grain flatnose, or 700 grain hardcast, I realize I'd have to both be a decent shot, and be lucky to stop a charging brown (or black) bear.
But in the absence of a rifle, I think that Big Duke (as I call it) would be my best bet.

With suspenders, you can carry darn near anything on your waist, and a cross-draw holster gives me the fastest access when I'm packing 30 lbs. of camera gear.
This is me in Wyoming about five years ago.

 

[ChrisK1977]

Bear spray for a big can is around $45

 

[Kaardomos]

Black bear you really don't have to worry about unless you get between a sow an her cubs. But a grizzly will hunt you and you won't even know it.

Predatory black bears are actually responsible for most bear attacks on humans. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/art...rs-responsible-most-human-attacks/2011/05/11/

 

[AtTheMurph]

You're afraid of black bears??

 

[Expat]

You're afraid of black bears??

After watching that video on Michigan Outdoors many years ago of a black baer that was pursuing a guy to eat him, yeah.