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The best anti bear pistol and round…

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The best anti bear pistol and round…

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 09 14, 2024 •  [Post 1]

to carry back into a kill site in big brown bear country. To clarify, I’m talking UL. I do not normally carry my UL hand cannon when hunting but always bring it along for the ride when heading back into the elk kill site for the second + pack out. Taurus 444 UL Titanium (1.8 lbs) loaded with 6 HSM 305 grain bear loads. I’ve shot thru sone amazing “things” with this combo, no kidding. Whatcha got that will challenge this combo? I’m all ears.
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Re: The best anti bear pistol and round…

Postby Lefty » 09 18, 2024 •  [Post 2]

A long ago friend who moved to Alaska his first year he killed Big boar brown bears literally on his porch.
A 870, 12 gauge with Alaskan split pedal ( steel bearings) slugs.


We're carring bear deterrent a 40 and a 10mm.
Yeah I agree not big enough.
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Re: The best anti bear pistol and round…

Postby Tuffcrk14 » 09 19, 2024 •  [Post 3]

Having lived in Kodiak, AK and being in close with fuzzy fur babies, nothing feels big enough. I harvested a brown bear with a 375 Ruger and it took three well placed rounds to bring it down. First shot was a frontal right into the boiler room and the next broke his pelvis and the last was behind the shoulder. I put a fourth in him to finish him off, but my god. Having gone through that, pistols seem like child’s play with bears. Their will to live is unreal. With that experience in mind, pistols to me teeter on the edge of deterrent to defense. I’ve seen the noise alone make a bear reevaluate their decision to charge and then there are times that they will soak up lead like a sponge before they stop. There are those lucky shots with a pistol where a bullet hits their spine, brain, or major artery. If I were going to a carcass like what you’re describing, I’d be more inclined to carry something like what Lefty described. If you’re super confident with your pistol, it sounds like that is more than adequate to take care of business. I’d be carrying my 375 because it’s what I have and it’s easy to wield with more than enough stopping power.

My hand started to hurt when I read what pistol/round you have! I hope it works great for you.


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Re: The best anti bear pistol and round…

Postby Lefty » 09 19, 2024 •  [Post 4]

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I bought these loads from Salt Creek custom ammunition out of Utah.

Otherwise we had been carrying in double-ought buck.

Those young fellows a couple of weeks ago west of Henry's lake; 24 pistol rounds.
3 years ago the grizzly that killed the fishing guide out of West Yellowstone in mid April, I don't know if the information was ever released how many loads were emptied into that bear, by fish and game, shirrif department and West Yellowstone police Department.
So retrieving game pistol; is a shotgun.

I'll state this right now I have a real fear of grizzly bears (and Mama moose).
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Re: The best anti bear pistol and round…

Postby Lefty » 09 19, 2024 •  [Post 5]

What other thing I should state.
I have not shot lots of pistol rounds in my life,
But what I do know, for me I am much More familiar with my Benelli M1, 90.
That shotgun is a part of me, My Glock there's no way I would be near as effective
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Re: The best anti bear pistol and round…

Postby Tigger » 09 24, 2024 •  [Post 6]

10 mm Glock. Worked perfectly. No bears were even seen, so it did it's job I guess.
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Re: The best anti bear pistol and round…

Postby 7mmfan » 09 24, 2024 •  [Post 7]

:mrgreen:
Tigger wrote:10 mm Glock. Worked perfectly. No bears were even seen, so it did it's job I guess.


Well, you didn't shoot any bears, what about the target species???
I hunt therefore I am. I fish therefore I lie.
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Re: The best anti bear pistol and round…

Postby Tigger » 09 25, 2024 •  [Post 8]

I shot a twig. Augured that sucker just perfectly. Right on its way to a bull. Arrow dove under the bull. Never seen it.

Going to the Breaks tonite to call for some buddies for a couple of days.
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