Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only "Walkin Around In Bear Country" Big Bore

You guys, figuring out my secrets! I'm only wrong handed for some things, not others. When I was a kid I wanted to be left handed but was right eye dominate so dad made me switch to right for shooting. I still managed to bat and cast left handed. The other thing is that while the .444 was busy leaning around there was a suitably loaded G29 on my chest.

One time years ago, as I stood in knee deep water coho fishing I got this hinky feeling I was being watched. When I turned around there was a medium sized brown bear intently watching me 15 or so yards away. My bag and .375 were in-between us. I dropped the rod into the stream, drew the 5.5" Redhawk .45 Colt I was carrying at the time, and yelled him away. Thankfully that bear was just a creeper and not aggressive.

I've had various experiences like that over the years, and dealt with some stuff, which is why I carry more crap than the average person: a rifle and a pistol along with suitable first aid items.

I think this is a brown bear ... Upper Togiak Lake Alaska

I carry one of my big bore Lever Actions and my .44 Special but of the two you listed I'd go with the .458. Not that I don't think the .375 is not enough but the .458 is just more.

How about a Browning BAR in .458 Win?

Or my 500 Jeffery. Won't have to shoot it, it'll just scare them away lol

I wouldn't hesitate to carry a Savage 99F lightweight 358 loaded with 180 Brnes ttsx and a heavy load of TAC. It drops everything I shoot with it so far and penetration is good.

Mostly carry a customized Marlin 45-70 with 400 grain Kodiak bullets for my "hiking" bear protection. I also like a Rem. 870 with Breneeke Black Magic slugs, a 220 grain Nosler Partition in my old Mod. 70 Featherweight 30-06 and a Barnes 225 grain TTSX in my .338 Win.

Also have a 10mm 1911 and a S&W .44 mag. and heat treated heavy hard cast loads. I really don't want to ever rely on any hand gun for stopping a bear charge. Black or brown or big or small.

Still rely on a pre-war Model 71 in either 450 Alaskan or the other .450 pre-War M-71. Heavy revolvers in 45 Colt with UDAP bear spray are better than most, but bear spray may not work-but may be better than orphaning grizzly cubs.
That said, last large moose was taken with a 348 Ackley with 270 gr bullets. A rifle is just better when things get dicey. Powerful,durable and accurate. Lever action rifles are a bit faster
and repeat reliably in older rifles. An old time Alaskan named Jay Williams relied for decades on an 1886 Winchester in 33 WCF caliber. It worked for all the bears he shot. Others used the same rifle in 45-70, 45-90 or 50 EX/ 50-110 WCF.
Pick your cards, you will be living with the choice.

These days when I'm in grizzly country I bring my Springfield V16 in 45 Super even if I'm carrying a rifle. It's lighter and less bulky than a revolver and I shoot it well.





Good to know it's been proven to work.

https://gunwatch.blogspot.com/2017/11/wy-45-super-stops-grizzly-bear-charge.html

I carry my 45-70 Mauser safari style rifle for larger north America stuff, the 400 grain flat nose is stout medicine. A lot lighter than my 458 Lott.

+1 on the 250 plus gran flat nose 45 Super, with 8 rounds in a 1911, it is handy, for a backup or camp carry gun.

Nice rifle!

It's been a couple weeks since any activity on this thread, so I'll jump in here. Anything worthwhile on bears intrigues me as they've become my favorite species to hunt, and so I walk around in bear country a lot! Not in Alaska, but Ontario, Canada, where only blacks are found. But they've proven themselves to be very crafty and dangerous for the unwary. I'm a handloader, and for hunting them I have "mediums" and a big bore. For walking about I used to carry a Marlin in .45-70 (one of several), but with time found them a bit heavy with that thick barrel. Now I carry a single-shot Traditions Outfitter G3 in .35 Whelen. With a 3 - 9 x 40 scope and one in the chamber it comes in at 7.75 lbs and is 39" in OL. With 3 in a buttstock cartridge holder + 1 in the chamber = 8 lbs. The load is 2 distinct. For close range (inside 50 yds) a 300gr Barnes O. at 2355 fps, and longer (or shorter) range the 225gr Nosler AB at 2840 fps. It's a neat rifle, fast handling and accurate. In a potential dangerous situation (close quarters) I'll be lucky to get off a single shot only - so it must count.

Yeah, I have others I tote from time to time - over bait and more open country: a 9.3 x 62 (very light), a .375 H&H and a .458 Win.

Bob
www.bigbores.ca

I have a few different rifles that I carry from time to time when out and about with no specific purpose.
I have a couple of Marlin 1895 45-70's with barrels cut to 20". One is pre-stainless blue/walnut that was cut to fit in the dimensions of a 4-wheeler width, and for hiking about. I liked the handling dimensions and did the same to a XLR stainless when it was available. The blue/walnut is still a favorite walk-about rifle. Both have peep type sights. I have not hand loaded for these yet. I have normally used the higher psi hard cast factory loads from 420-460 grain. I currently have a few boxes of the Buffalo Bore 380 copper flat points to give a try.

I also like carrying the un-scoped 20" 375 & 416 Ruger Alaskans. These are nearly as handy as the lever guns.
I have been tempted to set up similar in a 458 Winchester.

I have in the past, when I thought the likelihood of bumping into a grizzly type was near-zero, I have carried lightweight revolver cartridge lever guns in 45 Colt. Loaded with heavier hard cast and copper flat points. I now have a stainless Rossi r92 454 Casull that will probably be the top dog in this use.

Another potential lever gun type is a somewhat recently acquired BLR 81 in 358 Winchester.

For my highest personal confidence level, I like the 20" Ruger Alaskans. They seem nearly, as handy as the Marlin 1895s. For the minimalist times, the little 454 lever gun might see some use, maybe.

Mossy 88 with an 18" barrel with 3" magnum High Shock Slugs and 00 Buckshot.

Lots of lead flying with 00 Buckshot and no bear is walking through that "Hell Fire"

That is what I use, in fact, if I am in bear country, I do not leave home without it.

F Pepper Spray!

with the CORRECT slugs a shotgun could be ok. With buckshot and our bears it would be better than nothing. Maybe if I had 000 nickel plated.... regular buck deforms so bad. And we have used lots of buck on deer and pigs....

Rifle... BIG rifle. From my standpoint of guiding not hunting. If not I carry a decent semi handgun. But you have to be good and lucky and the right bullet. Of course the right bullet and a good shot stopped a black bear in camp with my 9 this fall...

Yeah, I have a shorty 12ga (18.5") with 3" chamber, and pump for DGS slugs that leave at 1550 fps (chronographed) and hit where the ghostring - peep + front glo-sight says. I need to tote it more. It has both a bark and a bite. Neat handling at 7 lbs. Mostly reserved for follow-up of something very black in dark surroundings that's hurting and resentful.

Edit to add: I've owned four 1895 Marlins in .45-70 - three in the Classic 22" and one GG (18.5") with the horrid ports. Got rid of it within a year. Replaced by another Classic with the intent of having my smith cut 2" making it a 20" (I still think that's the best length for that rifle). But my smith objected, and put it off for months. I retrieved it, kept it for awhile, then sold it having a Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT (my smith gave it a Long Throat) that thought it was a .458 Win. T'was my favorite rifle for two decades.

Bob
www.bigbores.ca

What is big enough, fast enough, deadly enough, etc., to stop an attack by a pissed off bear? Several options may work and then again when applied to a different day and different bear maybe not. I would prefer the fastest action and portability combined with some power, for me it would be a trapper length 16” barreled Winchester 92 in 44 Rem Magnum with full length magazine. 10 rounds of 300 grain Barnes Busters at 1,450 fps. May work, may not, just like the other choices.

Working in the beartooth plateau and the Absorka range for years, someone I survived. Had some encounters with g bears but I wasn’t killed dead. Noe I play there and still aren’t dead. Summer time I expect trouble from tourons more than bears

I’m thinking a Marlin in 45-70 would be my rifle of choice. There’s lots of options that should work well though.
I think you’re asking what would you carry for protection, right?

If I were hunting for a trophy and the range would be greater than what a 45-70 would be appropriate for, I’d probably carry my 300 Weatherby with 200 grain partitions. Again many good choices.

Doesn’t Phil Shoemaker’s son carry an AR in .50 Beowulf around? No experience, but that or a 12ga stuffed with Brennekes seems adequate, backed by a 10mm to always have something on one’s person.