I plan to carry both. Strange that professional tree huggers don't want you shooting bears though.This U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service publication Fact Sheet #8 – Bear Spray vs. Bullets – Which offers better protection? (pdf file) states that since 1992, 50% of all people that attempt to protect themselves from grizzly bear attacks with a firearm were injured. Those that used pepper spray “escaped injury most of the time”, and if they were attacked, their injuries were less serious and the attacks did not last as long. So if you plan to hike or hunt in grizzly bear country, get yourself a magnum sized pepper spray canister and keep it handy in a holster. It will be as useless as an unloaded gun if it’s in your backpack. I take that back. An unloaded gun can be used as a hammer.
those aren't handguns......we can name long guns all day long375 any flavor, Marlin 45-70 loaded with buffalo bore, or benelli m4 loaded with black magic.
Never had to use any of these but I’ve carried some of each, at various times. Fishing in grizzly country is my most worrisome. The rivers in and next to Yellowstone primarily. Only when fishing because if hunting, like Homer said, any rifle is better than any other alternative. However, when fishing I think a pistol gripe 18” 12 guage would be my first choice, but I’d still want a holster fill of pepper spray, as a back up. I’d have an empty shotgun before I drew the pepper spray.375 any flavor, Marlin 45-70 loaded with buffalo bore, or benelli m4 loaded with black magic.
There is more truth to that than I like to admit.Bought a G20 Gen 4 in 10mm last Spring. Seems grizzly bears are slowly moving in to our area. Shot it a lot all Summer. Probably more of a mental comfort than anything. mtmuley
Yup. Security blanketsThere is more truth to that than I like to admit.
We all got a few......... they keep us sane........ mostly.Yup. Security blankets
I have the same pistol. I thought I was in good shape to protect myself until I used it to kill a treed bear. I know ammo makes a huge difference but I was very surprised at how much lead that bear soaked up.Titanium .41 magnum. Same pressure and density than a .44 mag in a medium frame revolver. Thing almost doubles in weight when I load it. Draw back is, it only holds 5 rounds. Pepper spray is a must, but I'll be darned if I don't get a chance to kill the animal that tries to kill me. I'm surely pulling the trigger.
My favorite series.According to Nate Romanowski, best bud of the real Joe Pickett, it would be a tie between the 454 Casull and the 500 Wyoming Express. (Sorry, just finished reading CJ Box's books- they were really good)
What Bullet did you use?I have the same pistol. I thought I was in good shape to protect myself until I used it to kill a treed bear. I know ammo makes a huge difference but I was very surprised at how much lead that bear soaked up.
You had me there HighFast! Even past the "poop" comment. I thought it odd that the G&F department would use that word.Worth a read for using bear pepper spray……..
Montana Grizzly Bear Notice
In light of the rising frequency of human/grizzly bear conflicts, the Montana Department of Fish and Game is advising hikers, hunters, and fishermen to take extra precautions and keep alert for bears while in the field. We advise that outdoorsmen wear noisy little bells on their clothing so as not to startle the bears that aren't expecting them. We also advise outdoorsmen to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a bear.
It is also a good idea to watch out for fresh signs of bear activity. Outdoorsmen should recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear poop. Black bear poop is smaller and contains a lot of berry seeds and squirrel fur. Grizzly bear poop has little bells in it and smells like pepper spray.
Most factory 10mm ammo is loaded to nothing more than the 40 S&W(short and week) ballistics. Go shoot some loads that it was originally designed for and you will see a major difference. When the 10mm came out in the early 80's Norma did the load development and they had a load shooting a 200 grain bullet at 1,260fps from a 5" barrel. I load 200 grain wide, flat meplat hardcast bullets at that velocity and it's pretty impressive.Depends who you ask. My problem with bear spray is wind. Wyoming wind can be rough. Plus i have some cans break. Carrying both isnt a bad idea. Lot of guys went to 10mm due to more rounds. Most others carry a .41 mag, 44 mag or a .45 long colt. In the end do what you shoot best with and most accurate with. Personally i am not a fan of the 10mm. I have seen to many outfitters use them and it wasnt enough power. Some have a great luck. Hell this last year 5 shots to a griz with a .44mag wasnt enough for the guy.
I had the 454 Casull and its predecessor the .450 mag express that was built by NAA before Dick Casull started up. Try finding ammo or brass for the .500 Mag express. Personally I think the best practical large bore revolver is the .480 ruger. It is much easier to shoot than the Casull and puts a bigger hole in things. A 400 grain bullet at + 1,200fps is no slouch.According to Nate Romanowski, best bud of the real Joe Pickett, it would be a tie between the 454 Casull and the 500 Wyoming Express. (Sorry, just finished reading CJ Box's books- they were really good)