I purchased this model 29 for bear country. It should be carried at all times. It can be drawn from strong side carry quickly.
240gr HP or FP projectiles at 1250fps beat the anemic 9mm
These guys now have a great story from their hunting trip they can tell for the rest of their lives.
If your going to pack a hand gun in bear country while hunting or hiking it is smart to have a 44 mag. I pack a Taurus, stainless steel “Tracker” in 44 mag. I revolver makes more sense than a 9 mm semi that is subject to jam. There is no room for error when in a bear fight.
Perhaps something a little bigger than 9mm is called for in these situations.
L
Bow hunters. When did “Archery Hunters” become a thing?
Predators generally attack without warning. The Grizz is something else, maybe they were generally meaner in those days, but Lewis and Clark reported that grizzly bears often simply charged and attacked at full speed as soon as they had a clear line of sight. And they are fast.
They had under-estimated the grizzly bear, the Indians had been regaling them with accounts of these gentlemen all the way up the Missouri in their journey, and Lewis figured it was exaggeration. They soon found out that wasn’t the case.
I purchased this model 29 for bear country. It should be carried at all times. It can be drawn from strong side carry quickly.
240gr HP or FP projectiles at 1250fps beat the anemic 9mm
In before the first idiot posts the Griz poop/pepper meme.
You need some advance warning, no matter what defensive methods you're using. A good dog might do the trick. When I'm out walking with my Sheltie he senses anything that comes within a hundred feet.
A buddy of mine just got back from an elk hunt (rifle hunt) and he and his guide were charged by a grizzly that was approaching their horses, which were tied to trees. They saw the bear at 35-40 yards (way too close) before it charged them and managed to hit it three times - the guide with a .44 and my buddy with a .300 Win. Mag. - before it ran off. They followed it down hill to an area of thick brush and decided (thankfully) not to pursue it further.
My buddy said that the outfitter told them that, because of a rapidly growing bear population and increasingly common bear incidents, the state has been trying to institute a hunting season for bears, but every time it passes, “environmentalists” get an injunction from a federal judge. Comforting, huh?
Bear hunter no.2: "I know that but all I have to do is outrun you!"
“..they used 9 mm handguns.”
Fifty years ago I was shocked to learn Fred Bear, known big game hunter with a bow, carried a .44 Magnum under his shirt when hunting.
I later learned that for TV and movie production, the bow hunter often had a man with a rifle off screen, “just in case.”
It is like learning your favorite rough and tough cowboy actor is afraid of guns and horses, and uses makeup.
When I hunt in Bear country I keep my Springfield Armory Range Officer chambered in 45 ACP by my side. The very purpose for which that side arm was developed was stopping the bear like tribesmen in the Philippines.
Okay, smaller, light weight, I get it but jeez... consider the choices that are available. Even for the same size and weight, why not an SP101 loaded with some serious .357 hardcast loads?
Glad these guys got away with just a trip to the ER.
Bones Heal
Scars Fade
Glory Lasts Forever
Glad they survived but I bet if they go hunting there again they will have a tad more firepower.