Need some opinions with rationale.

[Bob33]

At close range a shotgun's pattern is not a lot different than a bullet.  If you miss the animal charging you at 44 feet per second to mangle you, it's game over or you'll probably wish it were.  Very few animals die instantly when shot.  If you can hit some portion of the brain or spinal column, death might be instant. Otherwise, the bear will have enough time to do some serious damage before expiring.  You might get lucky and blind the bear, but if you're off by a couple inches it won't work.

Pepper spray works instantly, and has been proven to be as or more effective than a firearm.  Neither is 100 percent effective. I would carry spray and some potent firearm, but I'd rely on the pepper spray first in most instances.

[MP123]

Even if you did hit it in both eyes with birdshot it could still smell you and hear you screaming like a little girl    I bet it could still get ahold of you too since we're talking about an up close charging scenario.

I don't know how well spray would work on an old/sick/injured bear that really wanted to eat you either but it would cetainly be better than nothing...

[JimmyHoffa]

The good strong bear spray works really well on mountain goats.  I don't know anyone that has tried it out on a bear though.  This summer a mountain goat came after my neighbor and he blasted it in the face with bear spray.  The goat ran off pretty quickly.  I would think it would work great on bears seeing as they have a really good sense of smell and taste.  But the counter is, a guy I used to know used the human version of pepper spray on his dog and the dog liked it.  It would lick it up.   

[jackelope]

there may or may not be good info here. I don't have time to read all of this right now.

http://www.nps.gov/glba/planyourvisit/upload/bear%20spray%20in%20Alaska.pdf

[MikeWalking]

Heard from a lot of Gammies from Alaska over the years. They all recommended 00 or 000 to the face. The idea being blinding the Bear and filling its nose with blood so it couldn't smell you. Followed up by several slugs. Some recommend a mix of Buck/Slug/buck etc...Up there I pack Spray in a chest holster and a 45-70 with 430gr hardcast FP's +p+

I've met 12 Bears in the woods, just hikking, 8 Griz including a Sow with 2 cubs and 4 Blackies. The only real charge was a Blackie that turned when our eyes met, me looking over the sights of the .357 I had.  Of all the Alaskan Griz I met only one made me worry. The rest ran like scalded cats or didn't spot me (sow and cubs at 125yds thank you Lord). I got some great pics of one till I realized he was following my trail up to my camp. Despite making a lot of noise he kept coming. He stopped just short of the target I checked my sights on, about 100yds out.  Bear spray is great stuff but only if the weather is on your side.  I only had one instance where wind and heavy rain weren't an issue, in my face or crossways...

I've read some who claim Bear Spray doesn't work too well on Blackies, more mucus in the nose, more gunk in the eyes to shield them.  During my 3rd Brooks trip 2 of my Pilots long time friends were killed and fed on by a Griz despite spray and a 45-70, of course he got'em in their tent. (not to many air miles away) Same week another customer was mauled by a Griz he surprised in the willows. It got a chunk of his thigh before he sprayed it, point blank. The bear vanished after that.

[MikeWalking]

I suspect that your best odds of deterring a charging brownie is gonna be with bear spray...it's especially difficult to shoot a big bore handgun or a shotgun while simultaneously pooping yourself.

   My first "Griz meeting" up there came just after draining the tank before putting on the heavy LJ layers for the night. The bear made a tactical retreat through the brush before coming back into view 300+yds away (after locking eyes with me from 50yds) After many tense minutes waiting to see if he was putting the sneak on me, then getting some poor pics way out there I relaxed. And drained a full tank about 6x in the next hour...

[mjbskwim]

A ton of great ideas here.
1 thing to remember is the friend has been doing this and knows there are bears around.So he won't be "jumping into action".He will likely see the bear from a ways off and be able to get ready.(or if he isn't aware of the surroundings,none of this matters)
There is a story of a guy who dropped a bear from a very short distance with a 1911 and then the ever famous ones of guys shooting bears in the head(bad choice) with a 44 mag and dot doing any good.

I like the idea of the 45-70 guide model or a pistol grip 12ga.If you sling them low enough,you should be able to cast without a problem.
Otherwise go for the 44mag with Buffalo bore or 454 casull or some of the bigger ones they have out.

If he's pissed,I think only the shotty or 45-70 will be sufficient ,but otherwise the handguns should deter him enough.

[thinkingman]

 Bear spray is great stuff but only if the weather is on your side.  I only had one instance where wind and heavy rain weren't an issue, in my face or crossways...
Always thought the same thing...gotta play the wind.

[AWS]

For a rifle or shotgun a Nimrod Back Scabard is just the thing it keeps both hands free to fish and you just have to reach over your shoulder and the weapon is ready to go.  I use one while skiing on a predatoer hunt.

http://www.nimrodpacks.com/n215.html

AWS

[MtnMuley]

Very true AWS, as I use the same system.   Also, Eberlestock makes many packs which also carry your gun vertical on your back.

[carpsniperg2]

I have friends that guide in Alaska, and family that has lived up there for years. Most vary on what they carry. Some go with the big bore handguns, others use lever guns and others shotguns. I know 2 people that have had to shoot bears in self defense. You better make sure its true self defense and not like 50 yards away standing there watching you Alaska fish and wildlife does not mess around. One bear was shot with a 454 casull, the other was killed with a shotgun and slugs. If a person is no use to shooting a handgun of at least 44 mag size, i would not tell them to go with that route. Lever guns are great but very heavy and a pain to pack. Most my friends that guide carry 444-45-70 lever guns as there main gun. But once again if not use to shooting them they can be hard to shoot and spend time learning. I would go with the shoty for him. He can get one that shorter and get a lot of rounds into it. Most of the guys i know, do the reverse of what you would think. They shoot slugs first, why because the first shots are going to be more then likely "in a self defense situation" be very close. You want stopping power! buck shot does not have the stopping power on a bear that slugs do. Then after the slugs they put 1-2 shots of #8 or 9 shot. Why? they want to blind the bear if the slugs miss. You mess with anythings eyes, its going to be f-ed up.These are just my thoughts and feed back.

[MikeWalking]

Very good points. Even in a .44 mag the Hard cast +p+ monsters from Buffalo Bore hurt 3 fast rounds and my ring/pinkie fingers go numb and my wrist stings like mad.

I put a Pachmayr recoild pad on my 1895 45-70. Pretty big push but easily mastered with a box or 2. Wouldn't want to shoot the 430gr from BB with a factory butt plate..

[rasbo]

A fishing partner thats much slower than you.. ...........I know  some guys up there have the riot type shotguns that fit on a pack made for them,they fish fine with them

[NWBREW]

I don't know if it's been brought up here yet....I kinda skimmed through some of the post but I watched a documentry that was pretty interesting...and scary at the same time. It was on the effects of pepper spray on grizzly bears in Alaska. What they did was not shoot the pepper spray at the bears but emptied a can on the ground with salmon carcasses around it. 6 bears came to the carcasses and when they came in contact with the pepper spray 5 bolted away....running completely out of sight. The one that didn't run was a big, big, ugly old boar. He rolled around in the pepper spay for something like 13 minutes like he was in heaven. Never touched the salmon but loved the pepper spray.

[MikeWalking]

 

I've seen that too. some researchers hosed a bush with bear spray set up a camera and waited. About 2 hrs later a big ol'griz was there rolling around in that bush like he was in love.


Spray and LEAVE...