Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Living with grizz and wolves.

We never did see Mama. That little bugger was spotted as my son and I were lugging a tub full of salmon up the rocky 'beach' toward the fish rack...and that cub. We were 200 yards from the nearest weapon (which we yelled for...and another son brought the 45-70......and a handful of 480 ammo). And that's how....




This revolver earned the freckles as it resided full-time and under the eaves on the smoke house last summer.

Not seeing the she-bear was more disconcerting than having her huffing and puffing about. A couple boys placed on the roof of the fish rack provided regular play-by-play on the activity on the nearby stretch of beach.

lol...I can imagine it was a bit tense.

Vic_in_VA
If you want to use the 454 Casull look for a Rossi in the Win. 92 clone and you will still have enough for your shoes. You can also shoot the
45 Colt for practice . Cheers NC

I saw those, and if I were to consider a Casull, the 92 clone would probably be it. As it is, I have a very serviceable Guide gun.

The Bighorn Armory rifle, with the half mag, is just what appeals to my sense of aesthetics, much in the way a Winchester M71 or M64 do.

That price is a little more than I want to spent on something that "just catches my eye".

I recently kept an eye on a rifle at a local store, a Winchester Extra-Light .45-70 that was just begging me to take it home, but I resisted long enough for them to sell it to someone else. Man, that was a pretty rifle!

FWIW, if you're cranking something reasonably hard cast through a lever gun, you don't need chamber-stretching pressures to push bullets fast enough to poke deep holes in furry critters. I keep a little Win M94 Trapper carbine handy, 45 Colt. It holds 7-8 rounds of 320 grain cast bullets which leave the barrel at around 1550 fps. I've run that bullet through 30" of bear at under 50 yards, but the same bullet has also zipped through and gone, a large bull caribou at over 150 yards, punching through antler shovel, left shoulder, across body and out right hip. I like the 45-70, and it does have more impressive recoil, but it really doesn't do enough 'more' to make a 44 Mag or 45 (strong) Colt carbine an ineffective choice.

As I understand it, no more than about 1700 or so fps is what one needs with a hardcast bullet if maximum penetration is what is wanted.

Though I don't have nearly the bear threat you do, I simply like to hunt with the big bores, and have found the LBT-type bullets to be very effective.

I use them in .44 mag rifle and pistol, and the .45-70 on occasion. Pistol velocities are 1200 to 1300 fps with the Beartooth Bullets 300 grain LCMN GC, depending on which pistol, and the .45-70's velocity is 1650 fps with a Beartooth Piledriver Jr. My .44 mag rifle is going about 1590 fps with a 300 grain WFN.

I've run the .45-70 up to 1800 fps with the PJjr, but according to my not-so-scientific tests, all that I got was kicked harder.

For hunting locally, I've kinda gravitated towards the Speer Unicor in my .45-70, and at 1710 fps, it's much kinder to the shoulder. This has me considering Beartooth's 350 grain Piledriver lite.

Repeated for truth. Pay attention. This theory is ignorant.

People that think drawing a can of bear spray is quicker than drawing a gun have never drawn a can of bear spray, taken the clip off, making sure which direction you are going to spray and then go for it. I can and have drawn a gun much faster and don't have to worry about the wind.

Klik, agree most people have no idea how much more substantial a 44 mag or 45 Colt is through a rifle than a handgun. I've got both but my preference is still my 45-70. I use the Buffalo Bore ammo and have a lot of confidence in it. This is what I carry
45-70 Magnum - Lever Gun Ammo - 430 gr. L.B.T.-L.F.N.(1,925fps/M.E.3,537 ft.lbs.)

Where are you located Larry?

East of Cut Bank?

NE of Great Falls. Those 2 Griz in the pix were about 3 1/2 miles South of my place. The camera is facing South (Missouri River breaks / Highwood Mtns). The day before they had been 5 miles North of my place.

I'm familiar with Tarkio, if that is where you're from.

Not from Tarkio. I am over in the Yellowstone Valley east of Billings. Screen name is from my first dog I ever had.

I travel your area though and do some work there in the Highwoods as well as Dupuyer, Ft Shaw, Valier, Augusta etc.

I thought the butte to the left of your picture might have been the sweetgrass hills.

It's Square Butte. You work in some nice little communities. I have a friend North of Conrad who has been talking about a great restaurant in Dupuyer (of all places). There is an excellent restaurant/bar in Highwood, also. Lots of memories.

All my work is done out on ranches near these communities.

I was just in the Highwoods a couple weeks ago up by Lost Lake. Ever been there? Quite the sight.

I don't live around grizzly but have a few wolves and black bear around. Nothing works quite like a properly loaded 870 12ga. Never needed it but it swings rather well with a 20" barrel. You can pick up good used police magnums for under $200 if you know the right shop. I can't imagine a bear or wolf not taking notice of some one plus ounce solid copper slugs or buckshot. You could even cast and load your own. I've seen casting dies for 12 ga slugs and bet a hard cast slug with Linotype would leave a mark.

Yes, I have. We've taken the short walk from the gravel road to the Lake overlook --- impressive.

You should look at the lake from below.

When you're driving in to the ranch below the lake and surrounding cliffs, you don't see it until you are halfway past it. It is pretty amazing from that perspective.

Heavy caliber double-action revolver. Keeps yer arms free to do other stuff. I don't have griz around, only black bear, moose, and wolves, so I get away with a .357 mag in a Ruger SP 101. I carry nearly every day.

Bill

This is my most commonly carried walk-around rifle in SC and Interior Alaska. It was my Dad's '94 in .30-30, made in 1927. 48 years in Alaska, and I have yet to have to shoot an incoming bear, tho there have been a few close encounters of the turd kind. Some of them when I was armed.

Point is - I've long since gotten past bearanioa. But I still take along a little peace-of-mind. Mostly...



I was once surrounded and shadowed by a pack of wolves on a trail flanked by heavy brush. Now, they MIGHT have just wanted to play with Tripper Lab. The .260 thought different.

If I am not carrying a rifle, I'll likely have a 12 gauge pump shotgun with 00 or 000 buck for the first round backed by slugs. Take out a bear's nose and eyes, and there is a pretty good chance to use the rest, if the buck doesn't do the complete job. Or if I'm bird-hunting, 7 1/2s will (probably ) work as well as the buck at very close range. That's my theory, anyway.... And one won't have a lot of choice at that point anyway. Them things are quick, and stuff happens fast.

I believe I can get a carried long arm into action faster than a holstered sidearm or bear spray, and I can't hit chit with a handgun anyway. Bear spray is best used when one has it already in hand (i.e. the situation has already tipped you off), one is not shooting it into the wind, and most importantly, one has PRACTICED with it.. I don't carry it, but my wife does when she goes out alone. I don't think she's ever practiced with it, tho she does review the directions time to time.