what is the best gun to kill a grizzly bear
July 11, 2018
Every large-game hunter worth his salt has read Apply Enough Gun, Robert Ruark'due south classic book on hunting big game. The premise of this collection of safari stories is that you should "use enough gun" for the game yous are hunting. When it comes to choosing a firearm for defense force confronting a charging behave, what is enough gun?
Concluding summer, I spent a week taking a class with employees of the Alaska Section of Natural Resources, Alaska Section of Fish and Game, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Geological Survey — people who routinely spend fourth dimension in some very remote country. Found in this country are bears of three different varieties: black bears, brown bears (the grizzly and the coastal brown bear), and polar bears. Whatever of these bears are capable of having a bad day if you come across up with them.
In a well-documented attack in 1977, Cynthia Dusel-Salary, a geologist working with the USGS was mauled by a predatory black behave. (Deport researchers classify almost deport attacks as either predatory or defensive.) Cynthia lost both artillery equally a result of the assail just recovered and continued her career with USGS. This incident led Steve Nelson, a coworker, to develop and begin didactics a firearm-based class on behave awareness and defense force. He has taught hundreds of students including many from government agencies and private corporations, likewise equally boilerplate citizens who want to be better prepared to bargain with members of the Ursus family. Nelson has had occasion to deal with four bears (two black bears and two grizzlies) in DLP situations (shooting a bear in Defense of Life and Property). The class I
attended was almost Wasilla, Alaska, and hither is some insight into what I learned.
Shotguns in Bear Country
More any other firearm, a pump-action shotgun loaded with slugs is what Alaskans carry to hedge their bets with bears. In that location are several reasons for this. A shotgun is usually less expensive than a rifle, equally is the armament. Shotguns are readily available in well-nigh areas and offer the versatility of using different types of ammo. In the bush you tin can conduct the shotgun loaded with heavy slugs for bear medicine and switch to bird shot if you need to take minor game.
Reliability is the simple reason well-nigh of those who piece of work in the backcountry choose the pump gun. Semiautomatics have not notwithstanding won over the populace for this work. Although any configuration of the shotgun will do when confronted with 800 or more pounds of teeth, claws, and muscle, the tactical versions are the almost popular. Brusk barrels and long magazines are the keys here. The shorter barrel is handier in tight places, and extended magazines readily offering more than ammunition. Rifle sights on these shotguns are popular, and several of the Alaskans I spoke with like a ghost ring rear sight. Remember, we are talking very close range in dealing with a charging bear — less than 50 yards and sometimes only a matter of feet.
Remington 870 DM Magpul
If you lot think that not much more can be said about the iconic 870 shotgun, you are correct. The stone-solid twin action bars forth with the 1-piece solid steel receiver are the basis for this shotguns reputation of reliability. The eighteen.five-inch butt, extended magazine holding six rounds, 3-inch chamber, and ghost band rear sight brand the 870 DM Magpul a expert choice for deport and home-defense. $800; remington.com
Big Rifles for Big Bears
"The shotgun with slugs is great for deport defense, but I am admittedly a rifle guy," Nelson told me. Nelson is an gorging hunter in Alaska, and so it stands to reason he would often exist carrying a burglarize anyway. Although he recommends "anything .30-06 and up," like many Alaskans he is a fan of the big diameter guns: .375 H&H, .375 Ruger, .338 Win. Mag., and sometimes he will pack a Marlin lever gun in .45-70. I noted that Nelson liked open sights for deport-defense force situations — once more, this is short-range work. Nelson admitted with the furnishings of historic period on eyesight he is looking more at using carmine dot sights on a rifle. He believes they are effective and allow quick target acquisition. What he has not decided on is if these sights will stand up up to the pounding they may take while working in the Alaskan bush.
At the risk of raising the ire of lever gun fans I was a footling surprised that some of those in the class carried Marlins chambered in .45-lxx. The .45-seventy being a skillful option for bears no doubt, but I was skeptical nigh working a lever gun nether the stress of a bear charge. Nelson demonstrated he had no problem with rapid-burn down drills on the range, and reiterated that practice and familiarity with the weapon are very important.
CZ-United states 550 Safari Magnum
This rifle has been known worldwide equally the 602 Brno and is at present made by CZ-USA. Alaskans like this full-sized magnum rifle, rather than a downsized action made to fit big-bore calibers. The Safari Magnum holds three rounds of .416 Rigby or v rounds of .458 Win. Mag. Features include a controlled-round-feed action, fixed ejector, single-set trigger, cute Turkish walnut stock, and three leaf sights. $one,215; cz-usa.com
Wheelguns Get the Nod
I found these Alaskans like large-diameter handguns for the ease in carry as well every bit stopping power on a bear with malice in its center. Carrying a long gun in the bush can get tedious, equally you are hiking through the brush, getting on and off ATVs, and in and out of boats and airplanes. The gamble tin be that when the scat hits the fan, the long gun may non be in your hands — it was left in the boat, on the ATV, or leaning against a convenient tree.
This is where a handgun strapped on your hip or in a shoulder or breast rig may salvage your bacon. The Alaskans I spent fourth dimension with were not bashful about carrying large calibers. The .454 Casull rules the roost hither, and in that location is no doubt this circular is a beast and capable of bringing down the wrath of God if unleashed. The fox is that no matter how constructive the .454 is yous must be capa- ble of hitting something with it. Many in Nelson's class thought the .44 Magnum was an acceptable step down if the shooter did not desire to deal with the recoil of the .454 Casull.
Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan Model
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Source: https://www.petersenshunting.com/editorial/which-firearm-is-best-for-bear-defense/272018
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