Which N frame should I take on this Alaska trip?

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akjaeger

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My wife and I are spending next week riding a motorcyle around central Alaska. She hasn't been in that part of Alaska before and I'm looking forward to showing her around.
The trip is going to include a hike almost every day and I won't go unarmed in bear country.
I've picked on to many of them while guiding hunters up there and don't plan to let them get even.
So, I take a few N frames to the backyard range today. They included a 625-6 Mountain Gun in .45 Colt, a 629-2 Mountain Revolver, a 329 PD and a 29-2 5".

The 625-6 shoots a 285 gr SWC at 950 fps, not quite enough juice.
The 629-2 shoots a 250K SWC at 1150fps, it's been a long time favorite.
The 329PD the 250K SWC at 1150fps, but I see the top strap is beginning to get flame cut.
The 29-2 the 250K SWC at 1200fps, to nice a gun to drag around Alaska, but it is the easiest to hit with.
I'm thinking the 629-2 will get the call.
 
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Well if you can't take your Guide Gun in 45-70...

...I'd go with the 629-2.

Regards,
Arkdweller
 
arkdweller,
My guide gun is a modified Browning model 71 in .50 Alaskan and sometimes I feel nekkid without it.
Motorcycle travel does require sacrifices.
 
The 629-2 loaded with Garretts Hammerheads. You need a bullet that will penetrate deeply if you're lucky enough to get a shot off and hit at a grizzly coming at you at 30 MPH. A soft LSWC WILL not cut it. I lived on Kodiak and Sitka islands in Alaska for 7 years. Saw one 900 lb. Kodiak take 3 good shots from a .338 Win Mag loaded with 210 gr. Nosler Partitions before it went down.

I carried a 12 Gauge 870 with 00 buck followed by a slug followed by 00 and kept the same pattern going for 8 rounds when hiking. Had my 57 loaded with HOT 210 gr. hard cast LSWC's as a back up to the shotgun.

If you make alot of noise when hiking you should be good to go, but it is comforting having a large bore revolver with easy access in the highly remote chance you'll need it.

Enjoy your trip.
 
If you have a hostile bear encounter(think MISTER BEAR), you will have to make a brain or spine shot to stop him, nothing else will stop a determined bear.
So as indicated above you need penetration, penetration, penetration. Really hard non expanding heavy bullet moving at a respectable speed. Think in terms of 30 inches of penetration. Buffalo Bore builds some nice heavy, fast, hard loads.
Just a thought, the S&W is not the most robust 44 mag out there, the Ruger Redhawk, Super Redhawk, big single actions and the old Vaquero are better choices for bear stopping loads. Not saying your 629 won't do it, but it will be hard on the gun-not as hard as the bear might be on you however.
Any of your wheelguns will do the job if they can move at least a 350 gr hard slug at least 1300 FPS.
On the other hand your bike should be able to out run the average bear.
 
I am responding according to the guns you mentioned you have available at your disposal.

I assume the 285 SWC you mentioned in your opening post is the RCBS 270 SAA? If so, it'll do the job. I lived in Alaska for a while, and my brother still does after 28 years. People who have never played with the old .45 Colt don't reallyunderstand what that round will do. I have .44's, .41's and my .475 Linebaugh. The post above mentioning hitting the spine or brain is dead on. It's the only way to stop a determined charging bear.

However, the old .45 Colt with a good hardcast 260 grain or heavier bullet will do more than any .41, and do as well as most any load the Smith 29/629 .44 will do. It's no trick to reach 1200 FPS with the above mentioned hardcast bullets, even in a Smith 25/625 depending on barrel length. I can easily reach 1100 FPS with a 265 hardcast bullet in my 25-5 with a 4" barrel. It penetrates very well, too!

Most experts in Alaska recommend carrying a double action revolver if you are going to rely on any handgun for defense. They provide easy functioning under stress, and can be reloaded faster. That may seem unimportant, but if you ever get run up a tree by a bear, and he decides to come up after you, any advantage you can get helps.
 
The 629-2 with your SWC's will shoot into the brain of any bear.

It will work fine.


I would also carry a personal protection load, for the road, that did not penetrate as much as your SWC.

I would carry several speed loaders as well.
 
I vote for the 629-2. :cool:
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Hey guys,
Thanks for the replies!
I get a kick out of the different opinions. I really enjoy discussing guns and hunting.
I'm not really worried about the bears, just a little superstitious. I've been in on killing 22 of them, grizzlies and browns, and I don't want them to get even.
In all that time I only had one unprovoked charge, a young 8' boar who followed our scent trail for about 1/2 mile at a run. Luckily we heard him coming, he burst into the clearing we were in that later measured 11 yards wide and we got him stopped at 5 yards. We had a .416 Weatherby, a .450 Alaskan and a bow and arrow on our side. He did get back into the brush and we had to root him out.
I'm not sure that I could have stopped that boar if I'd been alone, even with my .450 Alaskan. I got two shots off before he turned, I'm pretty sure they hit him. He had a lot of holes in him when we were done.
A handgun probably wouldn't have done much. Even my .454 loaded with 380 gr WFN's.
It would have taken the perfect shot.
So, I've come to prefer S&W N frames as my sidearm of choice while tromping around AK.
They are powerful, yet controllable. I'm pretty sure I could hang onto one with one muddy or bloody hand while the other hand was in the bear's mouth!
 
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My vote is for the 329. I retired my 629-2 mountain gun to the safe a few years ago for the 329PD. If you plan to bounce around on a bike for a couple of days, the 329 will be a lot more comfortable and still fire the 44 magnum if necessary. The 329 isn't fun to shoot but it's hard to beat for lightweight protection from either two or four legged predators. We have a lot of the coastal brown bears in Valdez and while the 44 is not the best bear medicine it beats the hell out of teeth and fingernails.
 
akviper,
I know what you mean about the 329. I really like mine and had planned to take mine on this trip.
It's been my "shoot a little, pack a lot" gun for about 5 years. I was trying to save it from wearing out and only shot it enough to stay proficient.
A couple of days ago I took it out to run a few rounds through it. I noticed that the little steel shield that protects the top strap from flame cutting had been cut through. So I guess I'll have to send it back to S&W.
We'll be in Valdez next Tuesday, how's the weather?
 
All this nitpicking! I just want to know how you get your handgun there! I may want to do the trip in a year or two. What do you do with the canadian bluenoses?
 
feralmerril,
I'm actually flying to Anchorage and renting a BMW 1200 GS.
The mounties are really serious about their handgun laws. Onetime they found a magazine for a 1911 that had got lost behind the seat of my truck, I was stuck at the border for hours.
I never took the chance of carrying a handgun in Canada.
 
I vote 329PD with X-frame grips. It's as perfect as your going to get for power to weight ratio in AK, why did you buy it? ;)
 
I bought it for the power to weight ratio and I packed it a lot while guiding hunters in Alaska. It also shoots great for me.
The only reason I decided not to take it this time is the little steel shield above the cylinder gap has been cut through.I just noticed it after posting this thread.
I guess I shot it to much.
 
What? You're not going with a whistle and pepper spray? How about a grogger?

JET-193-2T.jpg


BTW, what is the wife going to use?
 
I think you should bring them all and leave the least favorites with me here in Wasilla:) They will have a good home:) Seriously, I would carry the 629 and a 12 gauge with alternating slugs and triple odd buckshot:) Kyle
 
Take the 29-2. It may be nice but that is part of the fun. Carrying a nice gun. What are you saving it for? Any little dink it gets will just be a fond memory of the trip. Can't shoot it when you are fishing in Heaven that's for sure.
 
Just carry a bell and make a lot of noise...that should do it. Guns are dangerous anyway and are illegal in national parks pending a environmental study.... Plus bears are cute and cuddly.
 
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alaskavett said:
I think you should bring them all and leave the least favorites with me here in Wasilla:) They will have a good home:) Seriously, I would carry the 629 and a 12 gauge with alternating slugs and triple odd buckshot:) Kyle
Click to expand...

I'll second that again only the first shot from my 870 would be 00 buck to hopefully blind the bear and maybel penetrate the skull or hit the spine. Your chances of stopping that bear go up 98% using a shotgun properly loaded over a handgun if in the HIGHLY unlikely and extremely remote chance you are attacked.

Run a 100 yd. sprint as fast as you can and try drawing AND hitting a 15" X 15" target shooting DA as quickly as you can with that handgun from 25 yards, then try the same with the shotgun. It'll kind of simulate your hearbeat in the event one is coming at you at 30 MPH in a full charge. 1K says you'll hit it with the .12 gauge at least once out of 5 rounds. 1K also says you you'll miss every shot with the .44.

When I lived in Kodiak there were local folks who had never seen a Kodiak in their lifetime, let alone attacked by one. I was fortunate enough to be flying in helicopters for the US Coast Guard and saw hundreds of them beautiful creatures both on the Island and the penisula / mainland. Also had the pleasure of having a 8" bear walk right past me from about 7 yards when I was glassing for mountain goats on Crown mountain. Never heard him coming and as soon as he went into the alders he dissapeared like a ghost. My heartbeat DID go up on that event. If you do see one consider yourself lucky and enjoy the experience.

Relax and enjoy the scenery on the bike and if your hiking. Many, many more people die from hypothermia and exposure than bear attacks in Ak. I'd personally be more worried about hitting a deer or moose while riding than a bear attack.
 
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Hey guys,
Thanks for all the replies.

The winner is..... The 625-6 .45 Colt.
I worked up some loads that give 1050 fps with the 285 gr bullet this week. They are the most accurate yet in this gun. I got some 3" ,3 shot, groups at 50yds.
Since it's my newest toy I've been shooting it the most.

The 329 is going back to S&W to have the flame cutting issue resolved.
The 629-2 just got back from S&W, the trigger stud had worked losse from to much shooting, it's probably due to retire.
I don't really have a good holster for the 29-2 or I would be more tempted to take it.
 
A Galco Phoenix strongside/crossdraw holster is an excellent choice for riding anything. I have one for my 27-2, 5", and my 25-7 also with a 5" barrel. Suede lining protects the finish of polished guns too. Just a heads-up for your 29-2, 5".:)

I think you made a wise choice for a carry gun. ;)
 
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