Hunting Washington Forum

Equipment & Gear => Guns and Ammo => Topic started by: Skillet on February 23, 2017, 09:20:31 PM

Title: Bear medicine in AK
Post by: Skillet on February 23, 2017, 09:20:31 PM: Saw Mongo Hunter's 629 for sale, for me thinking I might need to upgrade my kit when going ashore on Baranof, Chichagof and Yakobi islands. Saw coastal brownies on each of those this summer, and thinking if I send the deckhand to shore with my Colt Woodsman the only thing it will be good for is a noise maker to help me find the body.

With the pink run really weak last summer, the bears got very aggressive on blacktail kill sites. A couple of trollers I know that took a week off in Oct to deer hunt had to discharge their weapons to discourage overly curious bears before they gutted their deer. They are convinced they were being followed, considering the speed the bears showed up at the kill site.

I want a dual defence/hunting gun. Pretty set on 44 mag - they are proven for my intended uses, and ammo available by the truckload for those up there. Have always wanted a 629, so looking at those first. But there are Rugers, and Taurus is available at a steep discount. Don't know enough about the options, looking for advice and suggestions on what to look for. It has to be ss to survive the environment. I want enough barrel to be a legit hunting pistol, but not too much to be cumbersome when you have a brownie deciding he's going to run right through you.

Thoughts? Hoping to keep enough cash in the bank to buy another long gun I'm lusting after, so if all else is functionally equal I'll take the cheaper of the options.

Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: Bear medicine in AK
Post by: syoungs on February 23, 2017, 09:29:05 PM: I own a couple Taurus pistols, if I had an inkling I may need a dead reliable accurate gun, and life or limb was at stake, I would consider buying a nicer pistol.

My tracker 44 is accurate, easy to carry, and the price was right, but the sight broke after 5 shots. Which is a common problem. I also don't think running full house 44 mags through it is going to work with this gun. Build quality just isn't there.

If your gonna go Taurus, at least shoot the crap out of it and make sure it's dead solid before packing it. Usually once you figure out the issues they may have they are pretty reliable.i wouldn't buy one from an online retailer either, I looked at 6-7 before I found one I was happy with as far as being a tight gun, the others were pretty sloppy and didn't lock up tight.
Title: Re: Bear medicine in AK
Post by: biggfish on February 23, 2017, 10:44:09 PM: I've heard great things about the Ruger Alaskan, when I had the inkling to own a .454 casull that was my pick but I really have no need at this point for one. It comes in 44 mag as well.
Title: Re: Bear medicine in AK
Post by: Fl0und3rz on February 23, 2017, 11:13:06 PM: I had a 4" Ruger Redhawk I traded on Super Redhawk, and I will have another. Hunt legal in WA and strong enough to handle repeated heavy bear loads, if you need them. The weight is a plus, too, to take up some of the recoil.