Best Bear gun?

[TeePeeCreeper]

Am I the only one here who thinks shooting animals in their own home isn't very nice

If one was about to eat you.... Let me guess... You'd rather play dead?

EDIT: After thinking about it for a minute, I no longer need a bear gun... Why would I? "Thisgoodone" your more than welcome to head out into the bush with me.... When the bruin makes it into our camp I expect you to lay down, as I slowly walk away... Brilliant me thinks!

[thisgoodone]

Its one thing to protect yourself, (gun, bear bangers, spray) but it seems as though everyone here is waiting for an opportunity to shoot and kill a bear, just so they have the story to tell. Maybe I'm wrong, but that is the vibe I'm getting. The Best Bear gun? One that convinces a threatening bear to leave without harming it. Bears that are considered 'trouble' should best be left to Fish and Wildlife.

[Castorero]

Thisgoodone...

The best bear gun is not a hunter's gun IMO. It is a purely defensive weapon meant to save your bacon in the event that if you are unlucky enough to have crashed your airplane somewhere in the bush, survived with injuries, and are about to become bear appetizer.

Or, you are blindsided by a bear in the bush, a side rush that leaves little room for much thought. and you need something short and powerful enough that will stay in your hands long enough to use it.

Most guys here, I think, would not go out looking for a bear with a handgun or a shotgun if they were hunting. There are far better tools for that.

Unfortunately there are lots of people that hunt and kill bears, why I don't know, they don't taste very good, I hear...

[rigpiggy]

Its one thing to protect yourself, (gun, bear bangers, spray) but it seems as though everyone here is waiting for an opportunity to shoot and kill a bear, just so they have the story to tell. Maybe I'm wrong, but that is the vibe I'm getting. The Best Bear gun? One that convinces a threatening bear to leave without harming it. Bears that are considered 'trouble' should best be left to Fish and Wildlife.

This guy sounds like his idea of "the Bush" is hyde park. Nobody here wants to shoot a bear, however they also don't want to personally get to know one.

[Doc]

thisgoodone....you do realize this thread isn't about "killing" bears....unless.....they are about to "kill" us?
Indeed, most guns discussed are short range weapons that would be relatively useless except at close range. Nobody has suggested a 7mm Remington Magnum with a scope, or any kind of sniper rifle? Personally, I like bears. I just don't stomp around in their back yard without adequate protection. And bear spray just ain't going to cut it once the bear is bent on having me for dinner. Perhaps a shot of bear spray as an appetizer, but defiantly a 12 gauge as the entree.

[LousyFisherman]

I ma amazed at the number of great shots there are that figure they can drop a charging bear in the one second they will have after they are surprised and it charges them from 25 metres away.

Polar Bears hunt humans, the best polar bear gun is the one the Inuit with you is carrying.
Grizzly bears want your food, the only purpose a gun has is to "dust" them with a light buckshot from 50 or 60 yards away to scare them away from your food cache. This is after they have ignored the flares and bombs.
Black bears are the troublesome ones, unpredictable, crazy and fast. At least with bear spray you have a chance of hitting the bear: assuming you have the cool to wait until just before he hits you; and assuming the bear is not already snacking on you through the tent. As to whether bear spray is effective,,,,. I would rather not know.

BearTracks in KuglukTerritorial Park These were found about 50 metres from our cooking site at the edge of the Coppermine River just inside the park. They were about 2 days old. Our campsite was on top of the tundra about 200 metres away. When we returned to Calgary our bear bombs were still in the plastic packaging and the bear spray had all the security locks still on. (The small print was too small for our middle-aged eyes to focus on )
The only real bear protection is be aware of the bear before it is aware of you.

IMHO
LF

[rigpiggy]

Most of the time you'll have some warning, that said a bear would probably cover 25 metres in under 3 seconds. Sometimes the Bahr gets to eat you.

[Doc]

Any thoughts on a .45 ACP as a bruin defender?

Sorry......I couldn't help myself.....it's BACK!

[xsbank]

I shoot a .45 ACP occassionally and it spits a large lump of lead about 25 yards then it drops like a rock. For a bear, I would think its principle virtue would be the hellish bang it makes (I load my own ).

[Skyhunter]

Thisgoodone...

The best bear gun is not a hunter's gun IMO. It is a purely defensive weapon meant to save your bacon in the event that if you are unlucky enough to have crashed your airplane somewhere in the bush, survived with injuries, and are about to become bear appetizer.

Or, you are blindsided by a bear in the bush, a side rush that leaves little room for much thought. and you need something short and powerful enough that will stay in your hands long enough to use it.

Most guys here, I think, would not go out looking for a bear with a handgun or a shotgun if they were hunting. There are far better tools for that.

Unfortunately there are lots of people that hunt and kill bears, why I don't know, they don't taste very good, I hear...

Actually Black Bear is pretty good eating. The hams are especially good smoked! I do hunt and kill bears (black bears), but I do eat what I shoot.

[shimmydampner]

45 ACP seems like a pretty weak round for anything more than a small black bear.
If you want a handgun round for bear protection my personal choice would be the .454 Casull, stuffed into a Taurus Raging Judge Magnum.

[Doc]

Actually, I wouldn't choose a .45 ACP on a dark night. If it's the only thing on hand, have at it, but the best bear gun is a 12 gauge pump! One rubber bullet, two 00 buck, and the rest slugs. Short barrel, on a sling. And practice.

[Castorero]

You are so right, Doc.

Preferably magnaported and with a pistol grip, so you can use 3'' magnums and still retain the use of your wrist afterwards

[Kooty Monster]

+1 for the 12 gauge.
My dad always tells me its better to trust in 12 than be carried by 6, a piece of advice I never question!

[rigpiggy]

now that you have take it out and practice with it, you don't want this to happen

further to the 3" magnum, at the range you would be shooting at a bear 2,3/4 will do just fine http://www.federalpremium.com/products/shotshell.aspx

[Redneck_pilot86]

...the best bear gun is a 12 gauge pump! One rubber bullet, two 00 buck, and the rest slugs. Short barrel, on a sling. And practice.

Not to single you out Doc, but your quote was the one I found the easiest. What is this infatuation with rubber bullets and 00? For me, its going to be all slugs, preferably 3". I don't want to be faced with a scenario where I am being charged by a grizz and the only thing I have to rely on is a dense condom followed by a bunch of tiny marbles. There is no way I, or any of you, is going to get off 4 shots at a charging bear, which would be the fastest way to cycle through to your useful ammo. If I have the gun loaded exclusively with slugs, I still have the option to warn off a bear that is farther off by shooting into the ground between us, but I am not handicapped if I need some serious stopping power NOW.

These slugs will put a 600 grain bullet out the muzzle at over 1500 FPS. Can't argue with that.

[dahspeers]

Ahh but has anyone found the Brenneke's in Canada yet?

I have a few I'd take along if I needed to. My Marlin Guide Gun in .45-70, loaded HOT, my Rossi Ranch Hand in .45 Colt with a full stock on it, again loaded hot, or my Stoeger Coach Gun, with slugs in each barrel.

Practice is everything though, god forbid you ever need to use it, it better be like a third arm to you.

[railroad]

Excellent!

I use a Stoeger coach gun as well. I can't argue that a pump with five shots wouldn't be better than just two, but it is the overall situation that I find the coach gun handy.

I had a local lady make a pouch to carry it. It is equally at home between the seats of the Ford, under the throttle quadrant in the boat or beside me in the Otter. Its convenience allows me to have it close by no matter where I am, and thus, I usually do.

Regardless how you rate the pros and cons of bear guns, I maintain that a gun you have with you is always better than one you don't.

**I must caution, the short barrels of the coach gun make it a handfull to shoot well, so practice and familiarity are an absolute necessity.

[Doc]

...the best bear gun is a 12 gauge pump! One rubber bullet, two 00 buck, and the rest slugs. Short barrel, on a sling. And practice.

Not to single you out Doc, but your quote was the one I found the easiest. What is this infatuation with rubber bullets and 00? For me, its going to be all slugs, preferably 3". I don't want to be faced with a scenario where I am being charged by a grizz and the only thing I have to rely on is a dense condom followed by a bunch of tiny marbles. There is no way I, or any of you, is going to get off 4 shots at a charging bear, which would be the fastest way to cycle through to your useful ammo. If I have the gun loaded exclusively with slugs, I still have the option to warn off a bear that is farther off by shooting into the ground between us, but I am not handicapped if I need some serious stopping power NOW.

These slugs will put a 600 grain bullet out the muzzle at over 1500 FPS. Can't argue with that.

I think we could just go with one rubber, and the rest slugs. The rubber bullet placed anywhere on the bear might discourage him from showing any further interest, thus saving his life.

[Trapon]

Pfeifer Zeliska .600 Nitro Express hopefully it can stop a bear

[DHC2eater]

That looks like a great handgun and cartridge.....but if it was me I'd grind off that front sight ....so that when you miss and the bear takes it away from you and shoves up your ass it won't hurt as much.....

Heh heh

Eater

[Doc]

Pfeifer Zeliska .600 Nitro Express hopefully it can stop a bear

That would probably derail a train!

[JayVee]

Pfeifer Zeliska .600 Nitro Express hopefully it can stop a bear

That would probably derail a train!

Looks more like something you might pleasure the bear with.

[Castorero]

It must take 2 AA's by the looks of it

[182-SS]

Forgive me if this has been stated, I didn’t read every single post.

Q. How do you identify Bear crap in the woods?
A. It jingles if you kick it and smells like pepper.

Seriously though, unless you've got your PAL and either hunt or are out in the bush a lot why bother commenting on what the best gun is? Its painfully obvious that many have no clue what they’re talking about.
Dust a bear with light shot at 50-60 yards? Please you cant even drop a bird with that set up, it would be the sound only, the bear wont even feel it. .45acp? really? sorry

The deterrents work one of two ways, they either scare the bear away or they piss the bear off.

12ga Pump Shotguns are good in 3”-3.5”mag chambering, slugs and heavy buck shot….. your best close quarters legal option probably. But they are not as powerful as many would like to believe. It is by no means a sure thing. Slugs and buck shot have very poor penetration, and if a bear decides to maul you and your shot didn’t kill him……well hang on because you’ll be dead before the shot you hit him with does anything to it.
short barrel and pistol grip they are heavy, and have you ever shot 3” slugs out of a pistol grip? They can really hurt your wrist if your not careful, try a follow up shot with a bunged up wrist lol

The big bore rifles have the best take down power but obviously as stated many times before, big and heavy, and you must take the time to aim and slow for follow up shots in a charging situation . I shot a black bear with a .338 win mag in the chest and it ran a good 50 yards before it dropped, and I had time to aim for the vitals. Oh by the way bear meat can be very tasty. Spring time bear is best eating. Fall bear is typically for the hide and sausages.

Hand guns, .44mag/.45 colt are the smallest that do enough damage to be effective…
454 casull, .480Ruger, .460/.500 S&W are fine hand cannons but put it this way, the biggest production hand gun is the .500 S&W and it is a beast of a gun but its roughly comparable to a 3” 12ga shotgun in terms of power but the kicker is the penetration is superior with the .500 so it is superior to the shotgun for take down power.
But your not going to get your carry permit in most places in Canada.

There is no right answer, just some far better than others.