Activities in grizzly country

Remington 673 Guide Rifle in .350 yRemington Magnum loaded with 250 grain Nosler Partitions at roughly 2,500 FPS.

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When I bought my first centerfire @ age 14...that rifle made my short-list! I ended up going with a Win. Model 88 in a .308 Win., for it's fast repeat shots in the dense brush/timber of Louisiana....the .308 Win., because it was the military cartridge at the time! I loved my Winchester, but really wish I'd have bought that exact Remington! memtb
 
Read chapter 7 first, the unpredictable bear, and the moral must be... always carry a firearm.

A couple of decades ago, while on Sanibel Island, took a quick 25 on my bike at 2 PM in August. Just took one water bottle and left the 357 Snub at the lodge.
With 5 to go, out of water, and rounding a long sweeping curve was a big gator.
Gator got up on all four snapping his jaws.... or her jaws.
No gun and my only way out was thru beach sand on the road.
Kept the bike upright and wizzed by the gator.

Plan B was to feed the bike to that critter.
Growing up and practicing maneuvers like that on bicycles and my 125 Ducati on ice and snow, I had a wee bit of confidence. :rolleyes:

Learned to use SCUBA when I was 14 in '61.
I have tanks but fish from a boat with rods/reels.
Never give fish a fighting chance.

Don't free dive anymore after a big Cuda chased me from his shopping market. :D
The gent that rented us the boat, Caloosa Cove in '78, set me up for that fun adventure.
Never dive alone with just a tickle stick and a little knife!!!
 
When I bought my first centerfire @ age 14...that rifle made my short-list! I ended up going with a Win. Model 88 in a .308 Win., for it's fast repeat shots in the dense brush/timber of Louisiana....the .308 Win., because it was the military cartridge at the time! I loved my Winchester, but really wish I'd have bought that exact Remington! memtb

I got it for elk hunting. It knocks them over with authority!
 
As a dedicated hand loader and bullet caster.....I always thought that a 35 caliber could be a near perfect "do it all" caliber! Cast Bullets or jacketed handgun bullets ( if not a bullet caster) could be used for inexpensive, low recoil practice and plinking.....then step-up to premium bullets, pushed hard for big game! memtb
 
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TRUE DAT!!!!!

I second that! Also, I have never seen or heard of a bear of any kind in my area(north/Central Indiana), but I want to be prepared just in case.:) So I read these kind of threads with interest. Just now remembered a story I read years ago of a large bear coming into a cabin and the man in the cabin fired a cylinder full (A Super Blackhawk IIRC)of 44 Mag 240 gr jacked hollow points into the bear and none of them penetrated deep enough to do any real damage to the bear. I assume the lesson from this is to use heavy flat nose hard cast bullets for this kind of animal.
 
I second that! Also, I have never seen or heard of a bear of any kind in my area(north/Central Indiana), but I want to be prepared just in case.:) So I read these kind of threads with interest. Just now remembered a story I read years ago of a large bear coming into a cabin and the man in the cabin fired a cylinder full (A Super Blackhawk IIRC)of 44 Mag 240 gr jacked hollow points into the bear and none of them penetrated deep enough to do any real damage to the bear. I assume the lesson from this is to use heavy flat nose hard cast bullets for this kind of animal.

If my memory serves me correctly.....that was Larry Kelly. He was carrying loads for killing a deer. Later in the hunt, he killed a large bear (can't recall if grizzly or brown) with a single, well-placed shot with a heavy, hard cast bullet. He was a big advocate of heavy, hard cast, wide metplat bullets for handgun hunting large dangerous game with a handgun! memtb
 
I second that! Also, I have never seen or heard of a bear of any kind in my area(north/Central Indiana), but I want to be prepared just in case.:) So I read these kind of threads with interest. Just now remembered a story I read years ago of a large bear coming into a cabin and the man in the cabin fired a cylinder full (A Super Blackhawk IIRC)of 44 Mag 240 gr jacked hollow points into the bear and none of them penetrated deep enough to do any real damage to the bear. I assume the lesson from this is to use heavy flat nose hard cast bullets for this kind of animal.

I actually think that the lesson is, "lock your cabin"
Sorry guys and gals, its been a really long week!
 
Besides bear spray, I carry a Ruger® New Model Blackhawk® 4⅝" barrel 41 Magnum in a Diamond D Guide's Choice™ chest holster loaded with these...
41 Remington Magnum 265 Grain Lead Wide Long Nose Gas Check – Underwood Ammo

Guides Choice™ Leather Chest Holster, the ULTIMATE outdoor gun holster | Diamond D Custom Leather | Handmade Leather Holsters

I handload my own in .41 magnum....use a stout charge of H-110 or 2400 pushing these Cast Performance 265 grain gas checks:

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They are available at Grizzly Cartridge Company (of course!).
 
In the real world these kinds of discussions are called fantasy. Nobody has ever done it but everybody knows how. We used to call it spitballing. When I was a kid we had our 22 rifles but around the campfire or in the fort the discussion would frequently come to the realization that we needed a real big African elephant rifle. Not just any rifle but a rifle of sufficient power to protect the neighborhood from man-eating lions and tigers or marauding big tusker elephants. You see the Union Pacific tracks ran less than a quarter mile from my house and we'd seen the circus train with cars of big animals come through every year. A derailment and darkest Africa would be a cake walk compared to such a catastrophe.
 
A SEMI AUTO shot gun in 12 gauge. A SEMI AUTO pistol in 10mm. Can't be worried about pumping and wheel turning when in a fight with a bear.
 
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In the real world these kinds of discussions are called fantasy. Nobody has ever done it but everybody knows how.....

And I would say it has been done, but you are correct few if any who posted has actually been threated by the brown bear, none by the black. I doubt few have even hunted either bears or as much as sought to watch them wild.

But there are a few.

Even the advise from those will be looked at with doubt, and thus the search for the magic that would save them.

The bear is not a mystical creature that requires a magic bullet to drain it's life. It is a creature who's lack of respect has turned into a animal so feared that most here believe that a simple sighting puts their life in mortal peril as if bears wake in the morning with some bloodlust to seek out men just to maul and eat them. These fantasies are what drives threads like these.

Yes, man has been mauled and killed but with a bears reason, not the sight or scent, not malice but for instinct to protect and survive.

Those that venture into the bears world should be prepared to meet the wrath of a bear when they venture in with fear and ignorance.

Yet most arm themselves with firearms they can't use with the proficiency. They will fail to really understand the speed and stealth. They will fail to recognize when they are in the wrong place.

How do I know this? Why, I read the posts- the holsters, the slings, the firearms you should have, and how much kinetic energy your ammunition has.

Some sound advice, yes, no, maybe.
No credentials for the opinions with no facts to back them up.

How long does you take to recognize you are in trouble or threat exist?

How fast does a bear with intent move?

Me personally, I am no expert, but I have spent more than my share of time studying, hunting, and watching bears.

My single bad experience with bears end well for me not because the revolver I had was big and the bullet capable, but because the condition was recognized and the gun was in hand.

be safe
Ruggy
 
I think the rip in the cover might have been a crazed Koala!!!

A buddy from NYC just got his PADI ticket and came down South to dive the Keys.... 1978
Went on a drift boat, Lauderdale, and he hooked up with a big Triggerfish. As he was reeling in the fish and it came out of the water, a rather large Cuda came up and sliced the fish in half.
His new gear has never been used.
That's why I was diving solo that day while he and the ladies were in the boat. :D

Nervous was the first time my boy and his buddies took the boat to free dive for lobsters in the Keys.
Besides the Cardinal headings there's above and below.

The books will go out to the Rockies shortly.
Good reads!
My boy's Mrs is a veterinarian and will enjoy them as well.
She'll need a bigger scalpel! :eek:
 

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Gun in hand.
My only time with bears was mostly in the Sierras, 67-70 and people thought carrying a pistol in Yosemite was not just illegal but unnecessary.
Following proper precautions, at night when the black bears walked thru the campsite, they got a better understanding.

In certain boatyards, in Riviera Beach etc etc, working thru the night, when I walked to my truck or the head, my gun was always in my hand.
When shocked boaters asked why, my reply was that the criminals most likely had their's drawn and ready as well.

Lots to learn about the Rockies and the critters that live there.

Bear spray recommendations?
My boy, once things settle down, will carry his new G20 most often for local hiking and has the 629/4" as well.
Talking last night about whether their dogs will attract bears etc etc or scare them away is something we need to learn about.

The rest of the South Floridians, are skilled with guns but not the wild.
Their fishing skills are marginal as well. :rolleyes:
That will be addressed shortly.
 
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There are some changes afoot as far as big bear ammo choice.
00 Buck lacks penetration, slugs designed with deer in mind are lacking too.
Brenneke Black Magic slugs have a good reputation, DDupleks steel slugs are well regarded but elusive. Federal has a deep penetration slug that does OK in a pinch but it is only 1 oz.
There is a movement away from heavy wheel guns to 10mm pistols as handgun secondary ballistics become better understood and followup shots more appreciated.
Modern, strong lever guns in heavy calibers are a viable chioce as well.
 
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I looked hard at the bear spray market last year as we were making plans for camping in Grizzly country.
We chose UDAP spray for their philosophy of emptying the can as fast as practical vs. the dated guideline of requiring the can to spray for a minimum amount of time. IMO UDAP's holster is superior too. Be sure to get the practice can too. When confronted with a potential man eater is not the time to figure out how it works.
 
And I would say it has been done, but you are correct few if any who posted has actually been threated by the brown bear, none by the black. I doubt few have even hunted either bears or as much as sought to watch them wild.

But there are a few.

Even the advise from those will be looked at with doubt, and thus the search for the magic that would save them.

The bear is not a mystical creature that requires a magic bullet to drain it's life. It is a creature who's lack of respect has turned into a animal so feared that most here believe that a simple sighting puts their life in mortal peril as if bears wake in the morning with some bloodlust to seek out men just to maul and eat them. These fantasies are what drives threads like these.

Yes, man has been mauled and killed but with a bears reason, not the sight or scent, not malice but for instinct to protect and survive.

Those that venture into the bears world should be prepared to meet the wrath of a bear when they venture in with fear and ignorance.

Yet most arm themselves with firearms they can't use with the proficiency. They will fail to really understand the speed and stealth. They will fail to recognize when they are in the wrong place.

How do I know this? Why, I read the posts- the holsters, the slings, the firearms you should have, and how much kinetic energy your ammunition has.

Some sound advice, yes, no, maybe.
No credentials for the opinions with no facts to back them up.

How long does you take to recognize you are in trouble or threat exist?

How fast does a bear with intent move?

Me personally, I am no expert, but I have spent more than my share of time studying, hunting, and watching bears.

My single bad experience with bears end well for me not because the revolver I had was big and the bullet capable, but because the condition was recognized and the gun was in hand.

be safe
Ruggy

I have had my share of bear encounters over the years. Closest one was back in 2013 a 350 pound black bear tried crawling through the kitchen window. I heard a noise (my two labs slept through this) and thought my 3 year old was walking around, so I headed for kitchen. Mr. Bear had his head and one arm through the window that he had pulled the screen off of, and was hauling his butt into my house. Since I thought I was going to investigate my 3 year old son I did not pick up a firearm. I ended up smacking the bear as hard as I could with a pan that was handy. He fell out the window and high tailed it for the woods.

How do I know what he weighed? Game and Fish brought out a trap and caught him a couple of days later.

Of course after all the excitement was over my two labs woke up and demanded attention!
 
Forth book arrived today. :D
Came from someone who never read it.
One of the four was new and three were never read.
No need to speed read as bears seem to move faster than a hungry Barracuda. :eek:

Not as lucky with another 460 arriving in a timely manner, and the excuses from that out of state dealer are becoming quite creative, as they said they had many in stock.
Will give them a few more days to post it and hope it's not a floor sample if and when it arrives.
Nothing available locally or could be ordered in our time frame.

New 460 arrived today.
Was always polite and to the point and the owner got things on track.... even shipped it overnight.
Trigger is crisp. :D
 

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When I bought my first centerfire @ age 14...that rifle made my short-list! I ended up going with a Win. Model 88 in a .308 Win., for it's fast repeat shots in the dense brush/timber of Louisiana....the .308 Win., because it was the military cartridge at the time! I loved my Winchester, but really wish I'd have bought that exact Remington! memtb

I love the Remington 600/660s. I have one of the 350 Remington Magnums. A reload deal for sure though.Just finding brass is a pain, but not that hard to make from 7mm mags. They are a bit harsh on the recoil also.

I have seen a few bears in my time and had one come into camp. No real problems though. Closest was hearing something and after going outside finding tracks where one went right though camp early in the morning. An actual attack is a bit like getting struck by lighting, Rare. But, don't stand around unter tall trees or on hill tops during storms. Certain times and places make me more nervous, wild fruit patches, gutting out a fresh kill etc.

But, here is my best bear story. Years ago one brother of mine is camping out in bear county. Back packing and decent weather so no tent. Sets sleeping bag up with his head near a big log. Ruger 44 mag. goes with him into the bag. Middle of the night he hears something and looks up to see a big round furry face and a set of eyes hissing at him from on top of the log. BEAR! Fumbles around in the bag and pops out with the Ruger in time to see the coon that had hissed on him from on top the log run off in their weird lope.
 
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I love the Remington 600/660s. I have one of the 350 Remington Magnums. A reload deal for sure though.Just finding brass is a pain, but not that hard to make from 7mm mags. They are a bit harsh on the recoil also.

I could not find a 600/660 so I grabbed a 673 when they came out. My favorite elk cartridge is the .350 Remington Magnum. Factory ammo is impossible to find, so I bought 500 pieces of brand new brass from Brownells. Mine seems to like 250 grain Nosler Partitions chronographed at ~2460 fps. Hits elk REALLY hard. Have not tagged a bear with it yet.
 
Have spent a lot of time in black bear woods in Maine, NH, Vermont and Pennsylvania but have had no problems with them. Spent several months in Idaho where there were both blacks and grisly but never a problem there either...

But never a day went by that I didn't have a .41 Magnum 4" on me, either a 657 Mountain Gun or a 57 blue... The load was nothing special, just a 230 Keith at 1000 fps... Probably the best .41 round for bear defense would be the original Remington 210 Soft Point or one of the factory loads that use the 250 LBT from Federal or CorBon. The Federal load is very easy to manage at 1080 fps from a 4" S&W...

..and the .350 Remington Magnum...favorite all-around cartridge. Have had several but the best of the best is the Remington Custom Shop 7KS...7# even, loaded with sling and scope...foolishly I sold mine...but do still have a 600 and a custom Montana Rifle Company.

Can't find it right now but there was a study of bear shootings that had guns from 9mm up through .454...everything worked...

It's just insurance...you don't need it till you do...

Bob
 
Besides bear spray, I carry a Ruger® New Model Blackhawk® 4⅝" barrel 41 Magnum in a Diamond D Guide's Choice™ chest holster loaded with these...
41 Remington Magnum 265 Grain Lead Wide Long Nose Gas Check – Underwood Ammo

Guides Choice™ Leather Chest Holster, the ULTIMATE outdoor gun holster | Diamond D Custom Leather | Handmade Leather Holsters

Diamond D Chest Holsters are hard to beat, quality and gun fit is top notch, worth every penny in my opinion
 
I second that! Also, I have never seen or heard of a bear of any kind in my area(north/Central Indiana), but I want to be prepared just in case.:) So I read these kind of threads with interest. Just now remembered a story I read years ago of a large bear coming into a cabin and the man in the cabin fired a cylinder full (A Super Blackhawk IIRC)of 44 Mag 240 gr jacked hollow points into the bear and none of them penetrated deep enough to do any real damage to the bear. I assume the lesson from this is to use heavy flat nose hard cast bullets for this kind of animal.

If bears are a concern always load up with hard cast ammo, otherwise you are wasting a good soft or hollow point bullet if you have to shoot, especially where grizzlies are involved.
 
I don't travel in "Bear Country" but in my area we have "Wild Girls" that stalk good looking sexy guys. When out and about I carry a police whistle to summon help if I am attacked. I going to need a new whistle as the one I have is rusty from unused.

Why carry a whistle.... just grin and ........
Bear it!!!
 
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