Sidearm for guide in bear country

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My camp in UP has lots of bears and wolves, I worry about the dogs. I carry S&W 696, 44 special, with Buffalo Bore. 240grn around 1000 fps

I was looking for a long time for 629-5, last year before locks. But now I want 69, L frame 44 mag. Little lighter.

When snowshoeing I carry Glock 19, cause it will just be wolves, and I want more shots.
 
BSA1 said:
JustKen,

I'm not sure if you are asking about carrying a handgun as a Professional Hunting Guide or just a general question.
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I was thinking it must be for a general run of the mill fisherman. Otherwise, anyone with enough knowledge of the area and the animals within it to guide and ask a fee for those services, should not have to come to a internet forum and ask a bunch of random strangers "what gun for Blackies?".

BWDIK?
 
Yes, escorting fishers as a paid guide. I owe them a safe experience as I can give them too, so the sidearm. The only time I have ever been attacked was by a skunk with distemper, and I had to beat it to death with a piece of driftwood and a camp shovel. Never again.

Part-time summer job, so I don't wanna lay out big bucks for a fancy gun that'll get carried much, shot seldom, so there's that.

I also know from experience that in the bush autos will screw up, jam, or otherwise malf sooner than a six gun will. But when they do, autos are easier to field strip and repair. Revolvers, not so much.

Ten rounds of 45 hardball aught to kill anything I've ever seen or heard of in Michigan, two legs or four. I guess I was asking if there were any pro guides on THR who would say what or if they carried and why.

Thanks to everyone who chimed in.

Ken
 
If you want 10 rounds of 45, you are looking lever action or semi auto.

Persobally I think .45 colt or 44 revolver is enough to deal with most things.

I
 
When fishing in bear country, I carry bear spray as a primary with a S & W 44 Magnum backup.
 
If I die and come back I'm going to pray it's not as a bear. Bears are apparently the standard for packing in the woods and it seems everybody from the little old lady from Pasadena to every hiker in the world is expecting to have to shoot one.
 
If I die and come back I'm going to pray it's not as a bear. Bears are apparently the standard for packing in the woods and it seems everybody from the little old lady from Pasadena to every hiker in the world is expecting to have to shoot one.
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I don't think it's so much that everyone is expecting to have to shoot one...
It's like my pappy used to say... "Much better to have one and not need it, than to need it
and not have one".

(Dad never actually said that but I believe it through and through.)
 
Many many moons ago when I was just a young pup the fishing guides in AK carried 870 marine magnums loaded with slugs.

For the smaller black bears I would want at least a 4" .357 with 180 grain SWC Keith loads, wolves don't need that much penetration, they travel in packs and I would want more than six shots. Maybe a nice doublestack .357 Sig or 10mm would give both good penetration and a fairly high round count.
 
Now to be fair and we must always be fair. What pistol should the bear be armed with to handed those pesky home invasions by humans
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Because of their large paws I felt the best option was an M6 survival rifle. It's bar type trigger and lack of trigger guard made sure they could handle it. Since none ever picked it up and used it, I presume they are anti-gun.
 
@ku4hx
Ever see the claws on a black? They don't need to be armed or teethed any further to kill humans. Your guilt shame attempt here is really beneath us.
 
Hmm, I often wonder as I read "bear" threads, just how many of those replying have actually shot a bear?
 
jeepnik said:
Hmm, I often wonder as I read "bear" threads, just how many of those replying have actually shot a bear?
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Well it's kind of like deer. I've hunted 'em for 40 or so years. Shot lots of them with .223, .243, 30/30, .308, 30-06, .300 wm, and .338 wm.

Some of 'em dropped just a few steps after being shot. Others ran a mite. One ran about a half a mile.

But see none of them were trying to hurt me at close range (there most certainly have been cases of deer attacking and killing folk.) Now if a scared deer could run hundreds of yards after bring shot with the likes of a 30-06, think of an enraged grizzly tuning at you.

Alaskan guides do tend to bring big guns with them and I doubt it's cause they like to look cool. Alaskan gamewardens tend to bring big guns with them when near bears, and I also found its cause it looks macho.

I really don't care if one brings a .44 or .454 or .500 pistol or an elephant rifle, the exact caliber is unimportant except it must be fairly potent, say for pistols it starts with a .41 or 10mm. .338 is not bad place to start with a rifle and 12 for shotguns.

But I have no doubt shooting grizzlys that are attacking you is not the same as hunting.

Deaf
 
Bears go really fast.

If one comes after you, it will get you, spray or no spray, gun or no gun. Take whatever makes you feel better. It won't work, but you'll feel better. Don't expect the bear to be at all concerned or intimidated when you point your gun at him. Bears are not afraid of much when they are irritated. Shooting an irritated bear is a sure way to piss him off.

Better to be alert and avoid them (they are noisy and they smell really bad). If you see one don't look directly at him, turn and move away like you could care less about him. Give him a chance to escape. If he is a black bear, he'll likely move on. If he is a Grizzly, he'll likely eat you. If he is an Alaskan Brown, he will eat you before you see him -- no need to worry about them.

That's just the way it is.
 
A friend shot an adirondack black bear point blank with his .45ACP. He will never do that again. He tracked it for a couple of days and never could find it. He is almost a hermit and an excellent shot. The bear was walking about 5 feet from him. Just sayin!
 
JWH321 said:
Bears go really fast.

If one comes after you, it will get you, spray or no spray, gun or no gun. Take whatever makes you feel better. It won't work, but you'll feel better.
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I didn't realize bears were built by Skynet in the future and sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor.
 
Deaf Smith said:
Well it's kind of like deer. I've hunted 'em for 40 or so years.
Deaf
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Actully no. They can see colors and have peripherial vision. Also have a very good sense of smell. Plus they eat meat.

You want a bear to get used to your smell, leaving behind clothes, the opposite of deer.
 
Hi! A Glock in .45 acp should work. However, if you second guess than you can't go wrong with a .357 Magnum.
 
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