I am a new member BSCutter. I live in Anchorage, Alaska. I own a side by side 72 caliber rifle. I have hunted a elk with it. Planning to go black bear hunting this fall with it. Using round ball and goex. Any advise on a side arm would be greatly appreciated. Hunting in a muzzleloading only area.
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Sidearm when hunting bear?
- Thread starter BSCUTTER
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Treestalker
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Welcome from Arkansas! You'll find loots of experience here. For Black bears I'd get a Ruger Old Army or a Howdah pistol, or two! :shocked2: Treestalker.
Ken Cormier
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Welcome to the forum. Your black bears are bigger than here in Maine. I would with 2 or 3 biggest caliber I could get. Cuz I am scared of bears especially big ones LOL.
wayne terry
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Howdy Alaska from Alabama understand Big Bear Country up there don't know of anyone who makes a muzzleloading bazooka lol, enjoy the site.
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WELCOME ABOARD.
Pardon me, but for a sidearm in BIG bear country, I want my old/trusted Model 1917 S&W in .45ACP (with at least 2 loaded "full-moon clips") for SELF-preservation, rather than any 19th Century handgun. = I'd sooner not become "brunch" for Brer Bear.
Fwiw, one of my boyhood chums has, for >3 decades, been a "home missionary" in AK & has probably "lost count of" his "close encounters with bears", while visiting for the several NA churches that he pastors and/or while hunting/fishing. - Neither he nor "Dottie" go anywhere without a loaded rifle & handgun.
(In one of Mac's "letters home" he recounted a parishioner killing a hungry bear INSIDE the church's Christian Life Center.)
just my OPINION, satx
Pardon me, but for a sidearm in BIG bear country, I want my old/trusted Model 1917 S&W in .45ACP (with at least 2 loaded "full-moon clips") for SELF-preservation, rather than any 19th Century handgun. = I'd sooner not become "brunch" for Brer Bear.
Fwiw, one of my boyhood chums has, for >3 decades, been a "home missionary" in AK & has probably "lost count of" his "close encounters with bears", while visiting for the several NA churches that he pastors and/or while hunting/fishing. - Neither he nor "Dottie" go anywhere without a loaded rifle & handgun.
(In one of Mac's "letters home" he recounted a parishioner killing a hungry bear INSIDE the church's Christian Life Center.)
just my OPINION, satx
I always heard that you should take the front sight off your handgun in Alaska so it doesn't hurt as much when the charging bear shoves the pistol up your ar$. :grin:
Welcome to the forum! :hatsoff:
Welcome to the forum! :hatsoff:
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BSCutter said:
That's a tough one to accomplish if you're going to pack a muzzleloader for backup. I'm over on The Rock, and have spent the last 40 years around Kodiaks, with or without a muzzleloader. I've been charged 5 times over those years, though I never needed to pop a cap even if I can still remember every slobbering second of each charge.
Modern handguns are handy, but only as good as the hand that holds them. Modern longarms are bulky and carrying them may run afoul of the muzzleloader-only regs. I know most guys over here carry a modern handgun during our muzzleloader deer season, but I've never seen that it's actually legal. Might be a "blind eye" thing with the local wardens.
Best "backup" on a bear hunt would be a buddy you really trust at your side with a modern 375, 416, 458 or such.
Welcome aboard, BTW. Not many Alaskans here, but good folks in spite.
Preacher Jeremy
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:grin: Welcome to the Camp!
If I were to go bear hunting and only black powder was allowed, I would carry my 1847 Walker.
rodwha
58 Cal.
I'd likely get a ClassicBallistix cylinder for my Ruger Old Army as it holds an extra 5-10 grns and being made of modern gun steel it can certainly handle the stress of a huge heavy conical and energetic powders.
Though there was never a conclusive reason my 285 grn WFN conical burst an ASM cylinder with 40 grns of Pyrodex P. Though I was not there I'm certain he loaded it properly so it would either be the weight and/or design of my conical, less than stellar craftsmanship as I've heard many of the ASM's had issues, or, being the third owner may not have been cared for well enough. Since my conical cannot be ruled out, and that a Walker was designed for their 170 grn pointy Picket conical, I'm not sure if it can handle the pressures. And for bear country I want a heavier WFN design.
Though there was never a conclusive reason my 285 grn WFN conical burst an ASM cylinder with 40 grns of Pyrodex P. Though I was not there I'm certain he loaded it properly so it would either be the weight and/or design of my conical, less than stellar craftsmanship as I've heard many of the ASM's had issues, or, being the third owner may not have been cared for well enough. Since my conical cannot be ruled out, and that a Walker was designed for their 170 grn pointy Picket conical, I'm not sure if it can handle the pressures. And for bear country I want a heavier WFN design.
.44 Mag Taurus Tracker. Yeah, I read the bit about blackpowder only. Your sidearm ain't for hunting!
There hasn't been a place around Los Anchorage, Fairbanks, Denali, etc., I haven't had that gun on me nor a camp without a 500 shotgun with six 3" Mag #000 copper-plated buckshot rounds.
There hasn't been a place around Los Anchorage, Fairbanks, Denali, etc., I haven't had that gun on me nor a camp without a 500 shotgun with six 3" Mag #000 copper-plated buckshot rounds.
You have got two barrels, you don't need back up on black bear, not hard to kill!
Everyone else is talking about Brown bear/Grizzly
Walking out and meeting these you better have a .454->500 smith.
NW
Everyone else is talking about Brown bear/Grizzly
Walking out and meeting these you better have a .454->500 smith.
NW
Patocazador
54 Cal.
Never saw a griz while hunting but when my brother and I spent 10 days bowhunting for elk in the Bob Marshall wilderness south of Glacier NP, I carried a S&W model 29 with a 4" barrel and 240 gr. hard-cast Keith handloads.
My brother had a $25 resident grizzly license just in case.
My brother had a $25 resident grizzly license just in case.
I, too, use a .72-caliber double rifle - and am having built a [more powerful] .72-caliber Alexander Henry single barrel Big Bore Express rifle.
Since we have grizzly bears in some quantity, I bought a Clements-ROA .50-caliber five-shot cap lock revolver. Excepting, perhaps recoil backing out 325-grain bullets from its cylinders (two), it is physically impossible to overload the revolver to become dangerous to the shooter.
If I can find something bigger, I'll get it.
***
One bit of advice I implore you to accept is to field dress your animal, be it elk or bear, with another person acting as "shotgun." Having a huge pistol on you will do little good were [another] bear within 35 yards. You will git got before you can do more than say goodbye.
Hope this helps.
Since we have grizzly bears in some quantity, I bought a Clements-ROA .50-caliber five-shot cap lock revolver. Excepting, perhaps recoil backing out 325-grain bullets from its cylinders (two), it is physically impossible to overload the revolver to become dangerous to the shooter.
If I can find something bigger, I'll get it.
***
One bit of advice I implore you to accept is to field dress your animal, be it elk or bear, with another person acting as "shotgun." Having a huge pistol on you will do little good were [another] bear within 35 yards. You will git got before you can do more than say goodbye.
Hope this helps.
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VERY WELL UNDERSTOOD. = IF I go to visit Mac & Dottie, my 9.3x62MM (loaded with 286 grain JHP) will make the trip.
yours, satx
yours, satx
Bayonet or short sword!
No :idunno:
B.
No :idunno:
B.
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Im partial to the cold steel. FIX BAYONETS... now that is bear hunting. Kinda makes me wish id wound him and make em good and mad with my first shot. But I dont :idunno: :grin:
longcruise
70 Cal.
The only time I ever hunted in grizz country I carried my WWII vintage colt 1911 with 7 in the mag and one in the spout. I figured I could do more damage getting off eight aimed 230 hard balls than 2 or 3 from a single or double action. In two weeks we never saw a bear, but occasionally found their fresh tracks where they had wandered by during the night. :shocked2:
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