You gotta Bill Drill time with a 329 you'd care to share?
1) Backpack hunting (remember, the topic for this thread?) ... leaning back against a tree and 4x5 buck walks by at 27 yards unaware of you.
2) Back country, 2:17 am, hunting alone, sleeping bag in a bivy sack under a tarp. You wake up with warm breath in your face and a snarl echoing in your ears.
Now, for S&G, please remind me WTF a "Bill Drill" has to do with reality.
Tom
Anyone who thinks there's two sides to everything hasn't met a M�bius strip.
-You are 12 times more likely to die of a bee sting than a bear attack (120 times more likely compared to a black bear)
-You are 10 times more likely to die from a dog attack than a bear attack (45 times more likely compared to a black bear attack)
-For each person killed by a black bear attack there are 13 people killed by snakes, 17 by spiders, 45 by dogs, 120 by bees, 150 by tornadoes, 374 by lightning, and 60,000 by humans.
"60,000 by humans." As I said above, I carry a firearm when backpacking as much for humans as anything else.
Dogs? Do you want me to cite the countless instances where life-threatening dog attacks have been prevented with a firearm? I hate to go to the trouble, but I might if you insist.
No dogs, bees, tornadoes, snakes, or spiders, where I go brown bear hunting.
Two people close to me (one had a .44) had a black bear sow with cubs invade their camp area in the Sangre de Cristos, and it went on for hours. They didn't have to shoot the bear, but they would have been a lot more unnecessarily stressed if they had not had that option. A lady I know was with a "Sierra Club backpacking trip in the 2002 drought year in Colo. when the group was harassed for hours by a hungry mountain lion in their camp. They tried to deter the lion with rocks, screaming, etc... to no avail and then huddled in their tents for hours. When she told me of the story at work, and asked me whether I ever worried about something like that, I said "No." She said "Why?" I said "Because I always carry my .44 Magnum Redhawk when I go backpacking." She said "Ohhh." Epiphany. Animals (let alone people) do sometimes threaten humans in the wild. Even if you might be okay with no firearm, it's unnecessarily more stressful in some situations without a safety net. Just like the seatbelt you may NEVER need. I have NEVER EVER used my life insurance policy. You can believe that, or I would not me typing this. I still have one. I never go out into the wild unarmed. WTF? Carrying a 27-oz gun (e.g. loaded G27 with 11 500-ft-lb loads) is too much for a "backpacker"? And, as I said earlier, I avoided a serious tragedy once by being so armed when confronted by some freaks. Best 27ozs I ever carried.
You gotta Bill Drill time with a 329 you'd care to share?
1) Backpack hunting (remember, the topic for this thread?) ... leaning back against a tree and 4x5 buck walks by at 27 yards unaware of you.
2) Back country, 2:17 am, hunting alone, sleeping bag in a bivy sack under a tarp. You wake up with warm breath in your face and a snarl echoing in your ears.
Now, for S&G, please remind me WTF a "Bill Drill" has to do with reality.
I never go out into the wild unarmed. WTF? Carrying a 27-oz gun (e.g. loaded G27 with 11 500-ft-lb loads) is too much for a "backpacker"? And, as I said earlier, I avoided a serious tragedy once by being so armed when confronted by some freaks. Best 27ozs I ever carried.
But, but, you've only killed ONE brown bear, and you're not from Alaska:)
I never go out into the wild unarmed. WTF? Carrying a 27-oz gun (e.g. loaded G27 with 11 500-ft-lb loads) is too much for a "backpacker"? And, as I said earlier, I avoided a serious tragedy once by being so armed when confronted by some freaks. Best 27ozs I ever carried.
But, but, you've only killed ONE brown bear, and you're not from Alaska:)
Love Alaska, but not from it. Post isn't specific to AK or BB. OP isn't from AK and didn't mention AK. It's just my opinion.:) There are bears in Colorado.:) There are bears in N. Mex.:) There are cats in Colo. There are people in Kansas. There are bears in W.Va. Been to AK, but haven't killed every bear there.:) I carry a 27oz+ little gun without much trouble.:) I love smiley faces. :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
I don't think anyone says you have to be from Alaska contribute to this thread.
Most are mearly giving our experience on what we do when we go hunting with a rifle into grizzly country (OP didn't ask about people in KC, cats in Colo, or black bears in New Mexico).
Some of us spend quite a bit more time in grizzly country that others, but that certainly doesn't make your concerns any less valid at all and I don't think anyone is saying that.
We aren't talking about just general backpacking, cause then of course taking a handgun along makes sense. But for a backpack hunt in grizzly country when you are already taking a rifle then it just seems overly redundant to take a handgun IMO, and my opinion is just that so you get what you pay for it.
MH, on your brown bear hunt it wasn't a backpack hunt, in that you weren't carrying your whole camp on your back everyday. In such a situation then sure why not bring a sidearm to go fishing and what not, though I still think its overkill cause you were with a guide but that is your choice not mine so rock on, but this wasn't what the OP said he was going to do. He said he was going backpack hunting in grizzly country, not backpacking in Colorado with mountain lions and black bears. Just trying to keep it on topic.
I certainly respect your opinion/experience based on your hunt up here in Alaska. I just have a different outlook on it. Doesn't make either right or wrong, its a free country (for the most part unless you live in Cali) and we can carry whatever amount of firearms we want into the backcountry. I just don't feel the need to take more than one per person and often one handgun or rifle shared is good enough for my backpack hunts.
If the OP sleep better at night cause he has a 30 oz handgun in addition to his rifle then by all means take it...sleep is important on a hunt and 30 oz isn't gonna really make a difference in the scheme of things, but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy a handgun if I was him and didn't have one.
Depending on his rifle even bringing a 30 oz handgun along might still be lighter than many hunting rifles. My .308 Kimber and 329 PD combined for 7.5 pounds all up and loaded. Its not that it weighs too much, its that I don't see the need for it and I don't like carrying things I don't feel I need.
However if he is trying to justify a handgun purchase....then by all means I agree :), YOU'LL FREAKING DIE IF YOU DON"T HAVE ONE...BUY TWO!!! :P
I don't carry a handgun if I'm hunting either. But I certainly do when backpacking.
Either way, the lighter the better in my opinion and for that I still vote for the scandium framed Smiths. I carry a 396 and it's great.
I've also carried Glocks loaded with 10 rounds, or 8. Carried them in shoulder/chest rigs and on my hip belt. They just made me wish I'd brought the 396.
Travis
Originally Posted by Geno67
Trump being classless,tasteless and clueless as usual.
Originally Posted by Judman
Sorry, trump is a no tax payin pile of shiit.
Originally Posted by KSMITH
My young wife decided to play the field and had moved several dudes into my house
That fairly oozes "reality".......The tactical garb, the hearing protection, the red partitions, the camera rolling to record it all......it almost feels as real as the set of a TV show.....
That fairly oozes "reality".......The tactical garb, the hearing protection, the red partitions, the camera rolling to record it all......it almost feels as real as the set of a TV show.....
You still hanging on my every post? You silly SOB. That "reality" you mock is where people from all over the world go for the finest handgun instruction available. That include tier one clients.
A few years ago I was looking for a hand gun for backpacking, the best advice I found came from other "muledeer" Dennis from Alaska who use to be a regular here. (BTW I hope he is well I know he was had a health issue and rarely posted after that)
His advice was buy sometime you could carry conformably because you would actually have with you when the need arises. He had gone the route of buying the big magnums but found out he always reached for his Taurus 5 shot 44 mag when heading out because it carried so well. I got to try one out and purchased it, It is light with a ported 4� barrel that is easy for me to shoot even with my hotter loads and some reason I can shoot that gun better then my 357 S&W or my Ruger 41 Mag.
Yup. Like someone already observed, the entertainment value is off the charts. Since Lee24 and Larry Root aren't around, your posts are the best thing going.
...buy something you could carry conformably because you would actually have with you when the need arises....
I'll restate this. Buy something you will carry. Bigger magnums might give you a warm fuzzy but are useless when left in the truck or the cabinet.
I'd also offer cautionary advice... It's your choice to carry a secondary firearm (handgun) and I don't dispute it. That said, be wary of the sense of security/boldness it might provide. Most of the scenarios listed ended without shots fired and without physical confrontation. Although the people were scared (rightfully so, always maintain a healthy respect for danger even when armed... especially when armed), they all survived without a fight.
I'm not opposed to packing heat, but the right mindset is always essential.
"Bears are like gold... they're heavier than they look."
Good advice. I like the lightweight S&W revolver for this reason--it's not heavy enough to tempt me to leave it behind. Plus we only have black bears here.
The last two run-ins I've had ended without having to use it but I was glad to have it. Especially with the bear that came in fast while I was cow calling with a bow in my hand. He was looking for something to eat, and even after he recognized I wasn't an elk he lingered, and gave me the stink-eye before he slowly walked off.
Come to think of it, I was glad to have it for the one that was just starting to chow on my bull when I walked up too. He ran without hesitation, but I wanted to put one in his ass, just on principle. Didn't though, of course.
-You are 12 times more likely to die of a bee sting than a bear attack (120 times more likely compared to a black bear)
-You are 10 times more likely to die from a dog attack than a bear attack (45 times more likely compared to a black bear attack)
-For each person killed by a black bear attack there are 13 people killed by snakes, 17 by spiders, 45 by dogs, 120 by bees, 150 by tornadoes, 374 by lightning, and 60,000 by humans.
"60,000 by humans." As I said above, I carry a firearm when backpacking as much for humans as anything else.
Dogs? Do you want me to cite the countless instances where life-threatening dog attacks have been prevented with a firearm? I hate to go to the trouble, but I might if you insist.
No dogs, bees, tornadoes, snakes, or spiders, where I go brown bear hunting.
Two people close to me (one had a .44) had a black bear sow with cubs invade their camp area in the Sangre de Cristos, and it went on for hours. They didn't have to shoot the bear, but they would have been a lot more unnecessarily stressed if they had not had that option. A lady I know was with a "Sierra Club backpacking trip in the 2002 drought year in Colo. when the group was harassed for hours by a hungry mountain lion in their camp. They tried to deter the lion with rocks, screaming, etc... to no avail and then huddled in their tents for hours. When she told me of the story at work, and asked me whether I ever worried about something like that, I said "No." She said "Why?" I said "Because I always carry my .44 Magnum Redhawk when I go backpacking." She said "Ohhh." Epiphany. Animals (let alone people) do sometimes threaten humans in the wild. Even if you might be okay with no firearm, it's unnecessarily more stressful in some situations without a safety net. Just like the seatbelt you may NEVER need. I have NEVER EVER used my life insurance policy. You can believe that, or I would not me typing this. I still have one. I never go out into the wild unarmed. WTF? Carrying a 27-oz gun (e.g. loaded G27 with 11 500-ft-lb loads) is too much for a "backpacker"? And, as I said earlier, I avoided a serious tragedy once by being so armed when confronted by some freaks. Best 27ozs I ever carried.
Who said go out unarmed? OP will have a rifle. Furthermore, you seem to be more worried about PEOPLE than bears, which you should be statistically.
All of the grizz encounters I'm familiar with (and I live in a grizz state) were during hikes during daylight. Most encounters happened because they bumped the bear on a trail. Furthermore, of the people who were attacked (with bite marks) most (not all) said that neither pistol nor bearspray would have helped due to the speed of the bear. I know of no one who was attacked in a tent at night.
Has anyone on this board had a bear encounter while in a tent at night? No third party reports.
For those who DO wish to carry a handgun. A HPG Kitbag is a right handy thing to take on a picnic. It will comfortably carry most any handgun I could envision carrying into the woods, and transfers all the weight onto your shoulders. You can even sleep fairly comfortably while wearing it I suppose. (I've never tried that) I wish there were a reasonable way to attach a holster to a hipbelt of a backpack but if there is I haven't seen it yet. The kitbag works great. http://www.hillpeoplegear.com/
Gloria In Excelsis Deo!
Originally Posted by Calvin
As far as gear goes.. The poorer (or cheaper) you are, the tougher you need to be.
I will be backpack hunting alone this fall in an area with a good Grizzly population and after some research decided to buy a Glock 20 10mm. I am not too worried about bears and I will have a rifle. I normally do not carry a pistol and will take all bear-safe measures, like hanging food, avoiding mama bear, and carrying bear spray. As a backpack hunter, I am always looking for ways to shave weight. Adding a pistol works against that I know. However, I will sleep a little better with a pistol nearby. I looked at a 44 magnum but you start losing effectiveness with a (lightweight) short barrel, which points back to the 10mm. Also, I am very comfortable with a Glock. My dilemma is the Glock 20 10mm weighs 2#8oz and my Glock 23 40 cal weighs 2#0oz, or a half pound less. Both of these are with 14 shells. I am tempted to carry the 40 cal, save a half pound, and hope I never need it. Should I carry the 10mm canon, compromise with the 40 cal, or ditch the pistol altogether?
When I'm hunting I don't carry a pistol since I already have a rifle, but when i'm hiking or fishing I carry a pistola. I also carry a pistol when i'm bowhunting. I wouldn't carry the Glock while hunting but having it handy in the tent ain't a bad idea. If you want to carry it then don't carry max capacity, 6-8 rounds should be plenty because if you don't hit it with the first 1 or 2, your probably dinner anyways. lol
Post isn't specific to AK or BB. 
unless you live in Cali) and we can carry whatever amount of firearms we want into the backcountry. I just don't feel the need to take more than one per person and often one handgun or rifle shared is good enough for my backpack hunts.![[Linked Image]](http://s273.photobucket.com/user/deflave25_2008/media/IMG_4153_zps01d5e157.jpg.html)
