Bear spray? What ya think?

[Mudman]

Im curious if anyone uses the stuff or have used it on bear/cat?  Is it effective or is a sidearm still the preferred method.

[Button Nubbs]

My bear mase sprays 10mm

[Johnb317]

Interesting topic, I've read that unless you hit the bear just right ( pistol) you just tick him off, and the bear spray stops him.  Problem with spray is the bear has to be within 30 feet and if he's upwind guess what.  How is your aim with a pistol under stress?
Also, what caliber pistol?  Don't know if there is a better or worse unless you add 12 gauge with slugs.
Need to find someone who has used both

[Huntbear]

Im curious if anyone uses the stuff or have used it on bear/cat?  Is it effective or is a sidearm still the preferred method.

Easiest way to tell if it is bear scat???   It smells lie pepper spray!!! 

I carry a handgun here where I do not have to worry about Grizzly.... in Grizzly country, I would carry a 12 ga. 18 in. barrel with rifle sights with extended mag tube, loaded to the gills with 00 buck and slugs..  The bear may very well get me.. but he is gonna be so sick from lead he wont be able to eat me....

[Johnb317]

Read this, also some of the comments below
http://www.glacier-national-park-travel-guide.com/firearms-in-glacier-national-park.html

[runamuk]

I am gonna just get a air horn    make enough noise the entire area should clear right out of all potentially dangerous wildlife 

I found I never had run ins with bears ever when I had my dog with me...every single bear incident in my life I had been without a dog and either without a gun or undergunned, however a gun does make noise so if bells and whistles are gonna work then so should a few bangs 

and having owned and carried a very gnarly pepper spray (back in my non gun days), I cannot imagine myself functioning if I shot that stuff and the wind was slightly off, I cannot even use black pepper anymore it makes me cough, sneeze and choke so bad.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

A black bear with a 200 grain hardcast to the brain is going to stop in it's tracks. I have no concerns about my ability to put it there if needed.

[pat riotic]

its good for seasoning just make sure you got a heavy gun to kill the bear

[washelkhunter]

Wasp Killer: $3 a can.

[NW-GSP]

my thoughts are that if you are going to carry either a gun or bear spray it should be easy for you to get to it or its useless, I have a buddy that always carrys a .44 mag while hunting BUT its in his backpack so its really just extra weight in his pack if you ask me.
I have also seen hikers with bear spray that have it hanging from their back pack and still would not be able to draw it quickly

[NW-GSP]

Wasp Killer: $3 a can.

brake cleaner works even better

[Mudman]

Im thinking alot of people who carry are not packing a gun strong enough for a charging bear?  Also it would be very dificult to hit bear accurately in time. 50yards in three seconds!  If closer I dont think I could draw aim and shoot before bear was on me.  Very dificult.  These points are very interesting and do make sense however when armed I cant help but think I can protect myself just fine.  I wonder if this feeling of safety is simply ignorance.  The bear spray seems very practical easy to pack and use quickly and aim isnt crucial.  I may just go with the spray at times and avoid the headache of worrying about guns.  Besides I dont have a 50cal.

[washelkhunter]

Wasp Killer: $3 a can.

brake cleaner works even better

Will it throw a concentrated stream of product 20+ feet?

[runamuk]

The other thing is are we all talking the same bears  I am 99% surethe bears where i hang out in the woods are gonna be black bears.....I hunt black bears, I enter the woods aware there are black bears and have the same attitude in the woods when I am hiking as I do when hunting.  Respect for whats out there and knowing there are bigger badder predators than me all the time.  I just can't see how carrying bear spray instead of the gun or guns I normally do is more effective add to that when hunting I am actually usually calling so even more likely for that bear to come charging in...or sneak in like the cougar did....when just hiking I talk in a normal voice and tend to be myself and not try and be all ninja stealth mode  the animals are gonna know I am there more than likely

[Huntbear]

Im thinking alot of people who carry are not packing a gun strong enough for a charging bear?  Also it would be very dificult to hit bear accurately in time. 50yards in three seconds!  If closer I dont think I could draw aim and shoot before bear was on me.  Very dificult.  These points are very interesting and do make sense however when armed I cant help but think I can protect myself just fine.  I wonder if this feeling of safety is simply ignorance.  The bear spray seems very practical easy to pack and use quickly and aim isnt crucial.  I may just go with the spray at times and avoid the headache of worrying about guns.  Besides I dont have a 50cal.

I have a twisted train of thought I guess....  My thinking is this.... bear charges, even if I am unable to stop him from getting to me... I will stick that gun in its belly and shoot....  or stick it in its mouth and shoot... if all else fails,, put it to my own head and shoot, so I am not eaten alive.....

As for size of gun.... Ruger Redhawk .44 mag.  Hand loads are 300 gr. Sierra JSP (designed for bear and russian boar) pushed with a near max load of H110.  They hurt to shoot a lot of...

I may be delusional or ignorant to think I can save myself or anyone else from a bear attack with this set up.. but is better than spraying bear spray or any other spray and having it blind me because the wind swirled.. and then I have no clue where the bear is....