grizz back-up gun

[Mr Hawken]

dad and i are planning a elk hunt in sw alberta with a high population of grizzlies.i shoot a .54 renegade and would like to use that instead of my 30/06 that i used to use.the problem is is that i don't know how comfortable i feel with one shot.in alberta you can't use a handgun for anything but targets so thats out for back-up.do i go back to the odd 6 or put a conical in and hope for the best.dad uses a 300 win providing we are together.any ideas

 

[jtmattison]

Not primitive but I'd carry a 12ga loaded with slugs. A short barrel model with extended magazine tube and light synthetic stock. Sling it on your back and you would bear-ly :haha: know it's there.

HD

 

[paulvallandigham]

I doubt you are going to have many bear running towards the sound of your .54 rifle going off, but some bears are fast to look for gut piles from hunters in some areas, and have been known to scare off some hunters while they are field dressing their game. That 12 gauge pump shotgun may not be PC, but neither is being attacked by a Bear! That would be advice for a backup firearm if you can't carry another rifle, or magnum revolver.

 

[davy]

You could allus put blackpowder shells in that shogun too! :hmm: :grin:

Davy

 

[Protrucker]

When I took my first black bear, everyone that had planned to go with me backed out for one reason or another. I still went, by myself & was determined that I was going to use my T/C Renegade flinter. The same rules applied for that hunt too. I couldn't take along a handgun, so I carried my Remington 7600 in .30-06 on my shoulder. When I got to my tree stand I hung the 06 on a limb within reach in case I needed it. Who really cares about being P/C when it could mean your life is on the line. :v

 

[Mr Hawken]

i sold most of my guns to buy a custom .32 so the shotgun is out of the question and it's about 3 to 5 mile hike in so we are going to try backpacking in.no vehicles or atv allowed

 

[bwhoffman]

Met a horse packer/outfitter some time back,his "backup was a mossberg pump with the pistol grip. loaded it Slug, OO buck slug OO buck Slug. gave him 5 rounds of splat and penetrate.has afactory sling that hangs on the saddle horn or your should just fine.

liked his concept so well, I bought my wife one for the house!

 

[pennsyltucky]

there are times when i become a little less concerned with the laws, and a little more with my safety. 3-5 miles in? im gonna guess there wont be a conservation officer waiting at camp to check your guns in... :thumbsup:

the sidearm would be with me, for sure. :wink:

 

[Robert Egler]

That 12 gauge pump shotgun may not be PC, but neither is being attacked by a Bear!

Actually, I would think that being attacked by a bear probably IS PC! :haha:

 

[Ron LaClair]

Actually, I would think that being attacked by a bear probably IS PC!

Ole Hugh Glass sure would've like ta had a pump 12ga :grin:

 

[Little Wattsy]

Well you guys are all WAY OFF! I contacted PETA, The Siera Club, and Earth First and they ALL agree that IF a bear decides to attack you it is YOUR fault as the bear is just acting on its "natural urges" and the only correct thing you could do is die because thats how the NEW PC food chain is supposed to work. IF, however, you insist on defending yourself, you are supposed to just "appear larger" and make lots of noise...Remember the bear is more scared of you than you are of the bear. As a LAST resort you can use pepper spray but dont get any on yourself as the seasoning just encourages the bear dine.
:bull: :rotf: :bull: :rotf: :bull: :rotf:

Yah I'm voteing for a 3 1/2 inch 12ga magnum slug...maybe two. :thumbsup:

 

[XXX]

I doubt you are going to have many bear running towards the sound of your .54 rifle going off, but some bears are fast to look for gut piles from hunters in some areas, and have been known to scare off some hunters while they are field dressing their game. ...

I have read that this is a problem with Brown Bears on Kodiak Island. The big browns have learned to associate gunshots with a free blacktail meal.

 

[BrownBear]

Your backup is already at hand- your dad and whatever he's packing. If you're going to split up for the hunting, that's another matter.

Canada is death on handguns, so I wouldn't even think of that unless a blackpowder revolver or frontstuffer falls through the legal cracks. My faith in handguns of any sort only runs as deep as the shooting skills of the owner, however. There are some reasonable blackpowder handguns for your needs, but only if they are legal and you're really good with them.

I've faced down half a dozen charges from coastal brown bears over the years, and they're a whole lot bigger than interior griz in Alberta. I was charged for the first time while packing a ML just last year, and it was a religious moment to do so with a single .530 round ball down the pipe.

But I've never had to shoot one. They always stopped at the last moment, then we talked it over for a moment or two, and finally we both backed away. Yeah, attacks do happen, but I have to believe lots of bear killings were bears that would have stopped if folks hadn't started shooting or turned and ran, both of which might encourage an otherwise reluctant bear to finish the job. We'll never know, and one of these days I'm likely to get my posties toasted by a bear that doesn't stop.

Here is info on hunting safety in bear country. There's more on camping and such in bear country when you cruise the site. In my experience most of it is right on. The more you can do to minimize the risk, the less likely you will need the backup.

 

[BrownBear]

I doubt you are going to have many bear running towards the sound of your .54 rifle going off, but some bears are fast to look for gut piles from hunters in some areas, and have been known to scare off some hunters while they are field dressing their game. ...

I have read that this is a problem with Brown Bears on Kodiak Island. The big browns have learned to associate gunshots with a free blacktail meal.

I've hunted here for over 30 years, and outside of a couple of heavily hunted locations, that's nine parts urban legend and one part truth. Both places where I know it happens are small islands that get hunted way out of proportion to other areas. Yeah, the bears have been trained, but it's taken dozens of hunters per year, year after year to do it. In general hunting areas around here, it's no more true than the local legend that city slickers are all lousy hunters.

Yes, bears are curious and will investigate anything unusual.

Yes, bears are accustomed to taking over any food source and fighting to keep it. If they come on your kill, especially if it's unattended for a little while, they are going to take possession.

And yes, they've got a hell of a sense of smell. They are very likely to find a kill site from a long ways off. They're also likely to follow the scent trail right back to camp if you're dragging a deer.

And yes, they will thank you for the catering if you keep a sloppy camp.

 

[pab1]

Not primitive but I'd carry a 12ga loaded with slugs. A short barrel model with extended magazine tube and light synthetic stock. Sling it on your back and you would bear-ly :haha: know it's there.HD

I agree on the 12ga with slugs. This is also known as the "poor mans double rifle" and better than a double IMO because you have more shots. I knew a guy who carried one when he took a brown bear with a bow. Good luck on the
hunt! :thumbsup:

 

[XXX]

Good to know. Thanks.

 

[dgold]

Met a horse packer/outfitter some time back,his "backup was a mossberg pump with the pistol grip. loaded it Slug, OO buck slug OO buck Slug. gave him 5 rounds of splat and penetrate.has afactory sling that hangs on the saddle horn or your should just fine.

liked his concept so well, I bought my wife one for the house!

I wonder if anyone has any experienced with the hevishot 00 shells. Do these have any effect on the poor penetration coming from lead 00?

 

[Walks Alone]

FWIW -

A friend and his wife owns and operates DNR Ranch about half way between Cody and YNP. They are a guest ranch, guide service for back country hunting, fishing, and all kinds of other activities usually based around horseback travel. Ric and Dollie set me straight on bear protection many years ago when I was spending my summers up on the Beartooth Plateau doing research. Grizzly and black bear encounters are almost a daily experience for them, their ranch hands and guests, and his family and hands had all switched to carrying pepper (bear) spray. They had relied on firearms before they took up the spray, and found the spray to be way more effective even when bears had committed to attack.

I had killed a couple of black bear with them before (hunting), so lugged heavy 44 MAG revolvers all over the Absaroka wilderness those first two summers before Ric changed my thinking. Pepper spray was certainly easier to carry that last summer. Made it through several close encounters with grizzlies on treks alone in the back country those three summers, where luckily none escalated to the need to use either for protection.

IMO now, pepper spray offers better protection than "backup" firearms for some pretty obvious reasons if you think about it.

 

[410-er]

Double barrel 12ga.Sawed off loaded with buck.
GIVE'EM BOTH BARRELS!

 

[whiskey]

Many a wounded griz has hurt and killed the one holding the gun, the same can't be said for the times pepper spray was used. Pepper spray is by far your best bet and should be carried by any hunter in grizzly country.