Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Pistol, belt & bear spray

Do the Alaska-Canada research: the trail cutter near his home early this year outside Wasila, found with empty bear spray can-KIA by a bear.
Black bears are PREDATORY-do not discount Mr. black bear.
Meet Mr. Grizzly, but beware of mom with cubs.

CCarry spray, BUT: what if the bear is one of 2 % that likes it until he gets pissed. AND, What if the bear is coming from the NE, exactly the same direction that a 10 knot breeze is blowing from, in your face?

Bottom line: carry a rifle or a heavy handgun capable of carrying the fight deep into the bear. A pistol, pistol belt like a GI type with holster and
UDAP spray is a good combination. UDAP is USG approved-a lot is not certified or dribbles out the can. NO CHEAP SPRAY like no cheap guns on the trail in the bush.


Many Alaskans are cheechakos as to bears and think they know it all after a few years. Bears are like gold nuggets, they show up when least expected: Be Prepared.

If spray is all someone can use for whatever reason, then they should carry spray. On the other hand, if a person is capable with a firearm it doesn't make much sense to take a non-lethal option to a lethal get together. The only time I'd want spray is with two suitably armed people so there's immediate lethal back up on hand, in the hopes of avoiding unnecessary skinning. I've sprayed and seen sprayed non-aggressive but habituated brown bears who could have cared less: they blinked a few times, licked their lips, and carried on. They don't like the hiss of the canister, but quickly get over that.

In my view, too much has to come together for spray to be trustworthy. The wind can't be wrong. The bear has to be close enough. It only works if you spray the bear in the face, not the back as it rushes you. Even with a face full the bear may not care and keep coming anyway.

Hiking in Banff a few years ago, all i had was spray. Sure was wishing i had my pistol on. I carry spray when riding my bike since it's way lighter than a gun. I don't carry it hunting anymore. But do have a can in camp in case a bear is just curious

I have a very nice .475 LINEBAUGH 4 3/4" Freedom Arms for sale. $2,400.00

Have other hand cannons available, also.

I was on ft rich doing ammo watch one year. Sprayed a small blackie that wouldn't leave me alone. Didn't phase him one bit. Kept coming back. I had my .45 and a couple cases of hand grenades. Guess which one I was gonna grab?

Dan Schilling was killed just outside of Hope, not Wasilla. The biggest cause of spray failure is pre-testing the can. A little gets caught in the nozzle and the spray/pressure leaks out fairly quickly. Do not test... you have to have faith to waste time on spray anyway... might as well trust the can, too

Even if you have spray and a suitable gun, by the time you have employed the spray and had a failure to stop the bear with it, you are most likely out of time to get the gun in action.

Lots of folks are good with sprays.

I've never carried spray. Right or wrong.

I have extra rounds of ammo in a big mag. I can afford to fire a warning shot or two if too curious. I have a spare mag usually which means 30 rounds of ammo.

I'd rather not have to think or reach for the wrong thing. And can go from warning to center of target quicker without switching weapons.

Obviously we all have to work this out for our own.

And you aren't top of the food chain and you don't always win.

There are good points in this discussion. Anyone in bear country should be aware of their gun/gas options. GF1 made an important point as to time.
A USFS LE Officer was on his mtn bike just outside the West Glacier trail in Glacier Park.
Came around a blind curve headed downhill, and slammed into a 6 yr old boar grizzly. Hair samples and KIA biker.
Left two kids and a wife. Same result, different scenario just outside Yellowstone with a guide and bow hunter with a downed
but not retrieved bull elk. Next day guide and hunter found elk, but it had been taken over by sow grizzly and
2-yr old cub. Mauled hunter and KIA guide. There are valuable lessons here. Bears are incredibly fast.

I can't always carry my pre-war Model 71 in 450 Alaskan. But when fishing, carrying or chopping wood, doing one of a thousand chores,
best believe a Ruger 45 Colt or 44 Magnum all stoked with heavy bullet loading are on the belt

While I prefer a handgun I can control better and with more rounds. But we are all different.

I do my level best not to step out of tent or house or camper without a least a 9mm and heavy bullets and 10mm or 460 Rowland if actually heading out in the boat or bush etc...

I have a few bigger handguns, revolvers, up to 500. None of them are easy to control, easy to get a second shot off with etc...

And to be extremely honest in a fast situation to start shooting my first handgun round is usually low anyway but the 2nd etc are usually where they need to be. The fact I have more than 5-6 rounds at least makes me feel better. And the above rounds by various folks have all killed up to brown bears charging.

We hunt so much with our 10mms that I have zero doubt that the 10 will work. It works really well for jumping wounded deer we trail for others too and dropping a bullet into them, usually the wrong end, and once we get a shot its usually a short run and its over. I don't expect a bear will be that easy. But I also know what matters is penetration and shot location. 44 or 45 are not the only rounds that do those.

Never knew the term pre war on a model 71. Learned something new again.

Rost, what bullets and velocities do you like in your 10mm?

So far I trust a load of 200 hard cast I load. Velocity around 1100 fps as I recall.

Use buffalo bore 220s also.

Big on the idea of the mono 190 Lehigh, that I think buffalo bore has, need to order some to try though.

I hunt with 180 XTP.

I would not carry the 180s for a bear defense issue. I suspect they would work but if I wanted HP I'd go heavier.

The Lehigh penetrator is good too. I"ve shot a bit of game with Lehigh defender and both are about the same design. But the penetrator gets the nod.

Not sure of the speeds of all the above, other than the 1100 fps one at top. The rest it really doesn't matter to me as they work. Just wanted to know about the 200 grain one for some reason.

The 10 mm is an excellent choice. I have carried a Series 70 45 ACP 1911 with Double Tap +p FP 230s along with a 1920s Colt New Service 45 Colt ala NWMP.

That being said, I am my most comfortable in serious alders with a 1936 (pre war) Winchester Model 71 in 450 Alaskan. The Woodleigh/Swift/Alaska Bullet Works/Hawk 400 gr FP
bullets are just incredible. Another Deluxe pre-war 1937 M-71 is a close cousin in 450 Fuller , just the shoulder angle on the case is less and it cycles through
the action really well. A back-up rifle with few peers. Came out of Coopers Landing Johnson-Fuller shop that developed the Alaskans. These 400 gr bullets are the cat's meow
for stopping a big bear.

For an extra few rounds like a single stack 1911 I'd rather carry the scandium 44. Just me. But for 16 rounds of 10mm I'll go that route. Much as I love the 1911 platform.

And truth be told I have a 50 beowulf that cycles 400 grain hard cast very well. I've just been told I can't... LOL. Meaning it would be stupid.

Dunno, for an up close encounter I'd trust that AR15 all day long. Quick thumper, and short handy and light. Can't hardly loose that way.

Living in, and boating around, Juneau, my regular carry was a 1911 in .460 Rowland. .44Mag ballistics from a (for me) more controllable semi-auto. And convertible to .22LR when I wanted to pop balloons floated across the water in some secluded bay.
RB

We’ll never had a personal Bear experience live on the Kenai have had a 454 Casuall, 475 Lindbaugh built by him (one I should kept) .445 Dan Wesson a few others. My only issue with them is they were heavy they’d be in tent or maybe on me fishing. Hunting I’d carry my rifle but it wasn’t always in reach. I finally decided on a Glock 10mm loaded with hard cast. Do I wish to put it to the real test NO!!!! , but it is always on me. I still feel a good double action is probably best but I know I can get multiple CONTROLLED shots off with the Glock. He or she might get me but I won’t be alone.

I don't get the fear of the 10mm. It won't fail. Penetration tests show that. Especially after a young brownie was killed with a 9mm.

Much more controllable than a 500 etc...extra rounds so I can fire a warning shot in the dirt or miss and still almost the equal of 3 cylinders without a reload.

I've not had to use mine either and have your sentiments, hope I never do. But they have taken out moose easily and they aren't that easy to penetrate either. And those rounds have gone through the head area and on to penetrate a body panel on a truck in the yard at a friends.

Having shot a lot of deer and pigs with a couple of 10mms we own we have never recovered a bullet from a pig up to just under 300. And thats with our hunting round of 180xtps...

This is exactly where I come out on things. Another poster here Mackay Sagebrush is a professional manufacturer of ammunition and I trust his loads. Haven't used them yet in a "bear scenario" but based on our interactions as well as his postings here on the fire, I would trust them with my life.

Right now moose are whats scary like my Springfield XDM 10mm with 220 grain BB with 15 rounds. Bear will be out in 2 weeks!

Bears in some places and cases will be late. The heavy snow will keep many out of action for weeks.