Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Bear Defense...

Sounds interesting...please explain / describe what that is:"I also sometimes carry and sleep with my Merkel drilling, 12-12-9.3x74R, with two Brennekes and a 286 NP at 2400. This, actually, if you are familiar with it, a VERY important point, is about as "good" a bear defence gun as exists."

Thanks...

He did ask and I said that of the choices given I would take the 338 BAR with the Marlin as second choice.

Damn. That's a strange looking caribou.

000shot, I don't know, as I have not had to stop the hordes of rampaging, savage Grizzlies that some seem to encounter. I have found, that for ME, the CRF bolt rifles just feel and shoot better and the cartridge-bullet combos I use have been proven in many situations worldwide in stopping large animals from terminating humans.

I have owned a lot of rifles, these include two Savage 99s, several Win. 94s, a Win. 71, a Win. P-64 Mod. 88, two Marlin 1894CS-,357s, a Marlin 336-.44Mag., a Win Mod. 64 and a Sako Finnwolf, second type as well as a Belgian BLR. I have loaded for most of these, shot them and hunted with most of them. I just cannot do as well with any lever rifle as I can (barely) with the Mod. 70 controls and bolt rifle balance....others are, as I have seen several times, different in this respect.

I also carried 870s, a Win. 97 and have a Benelli Nova with Brennekes and a Browning-Miroku Mod 7500-.308x12 ga. and I still feel best with a bolt rifle. If, I were to return to remote BC bush work alone, I would just use a .338 or 9.3 and call it good.

In seven mountain fire lookouts encompassing a few years of solo bush work in Grizzly counry, ie, just east of Jasper National Park in Alberta, on the BC-AK border, in the Kootenays and so forth, I never once had to shoot a bear. In my time supervising silviculture and wildfire crews, I also never had to do so and, frankly, I am of the caution and preparation school where any bush work-recreation issues are concerned.

I do not care for autoloading guns, I have had quite a few and have a few still, but, I just tend to use what I can handle best and am satisfied with what I now have. So, that is all I can contribute as I am retired and do not expect to work in the weeds again.

He did ask and I said that of the choices given I would take the 338 BAR with the Marlin as second choice.

Phil, I just wonder what you think would happen if a bear got close and it was tasered. Some places I hunt do not allow firearms in archery season. thanks

Phil, and other folks who guide bear hunters, spend part of their time doing follow-up work on wounded bears. Their's can be a task of 1-3 seconds (or more) of high drama with plenty of uncertainty and stress, but high alert status, woven throughout. One's ideal weapon in that situation isn't necessarily the most ideal for being out and about in bear country. Perhaps the more important attribute of the 'out and about' bear weapon IMO&E is it's friendliness for carry and handling when not on 'high alert'. ('Cause no sane person stays on high alert for long periods effectively without that being/becoming a full-time job.)

In my neck of the woods, a dangerous bear encounter is either most probably going to be one with virtually no warning (unlikely), or it will be one where you are aware of the situation, often rather benign, for some time before it turns dangerous or deadly. Paying attention to one's surroundings, knowing what to look for (and how), but especially listening, and smelling, something that becomes almost second nature through time and exposure, can be useful in avoiding surprises. Looking for trouble out of ignorance is never great way to reach one's 'golden years.'