Best Grizzly defense weapon

[mountainman]

Your eyes...

[kodiak10]

I worked as a bear viewing guide in the Alaskan peninsula for 2 years. having a combination of things is the best for sure, I would carry bearspray, a firearm (44mag or 12 guage short barrel with iron sites) and a flare gun. It is so wet in kodiak and the peninsula that I was never worried about popping off a flare and starting a fire. Definitely different in Montana though. Hand flares work well too, some of my coworkers reported that those worked real well. They cleared out a whole meadow of brown bears lighting one of those things up.

Honestly, if you can scare it away without killing it you will be in better shape legally. But some of them just aren't going to be scared away by anything and need to be killed. I've met a bear like that before.

Saw a subadult on Kodiak at the river that was a real mean bear one time. Watched him harass a group of 20 fishermen for 2 hrs. Stalking, popping out of bushes full charges, straight up insane. He was charging a guy and I threw a rock at him and it fortunately scared him. Only had that option as I didn't have a safe shot on him. I ended up catching the largest sockeye of my life and decided to bail. The alaska state troopers showed up an hr after I left and put that thing down for good. Good riddance, some of them just are too far gone to be hazed or educated to play nice.

[boneaddict]

    Pretty dang good answers from everyone, even the friend with crutches. 

[boneaddict]

Personally I’d want no less than a 12 gauge with the plug removed.  I can tell you when you are staring face to face with one with nothing but a longbow at 10 yards you feel kinda shorted.  The eyes worked.

[Mudman]

Curious why nobody ever speaks of a good dog?  It may run it off?  It may slow it down allowing time to act?  I know hunting with dogs isnt allowed in some states.  A "Good" dog would be a must for me if I lived in bear country.

[boneaddict]

A dog will get you killed faster than anything IMO

[HuntandFish]

Great replies Everyone and along the lines of what I was thinking. Honestly I am not too worried about it, more an excuse to buy another toy.... I have had a face to face encounter with a grizzly while my 12ga was loaded with #4 turkey load....I definitely felt under gunned. The raw short range power of a 12ga is great, but am worried about the penetration, and the lack of versatility (can’t use to shoot black bear, coyote, wolf, etc. unless at close range), a 45/70 loaded with 500+ grain flat nose seems fairly potent, along with the rest of the family carrying bear spray. I think the best defense is just being woods and animal wise, which I think we have covered.

Anyone care to share favorite manufacture/models of 45/70’s or 450 marlins etc.? Along with favorites loads?

Thanks all!
H&F

[Bango skank]

Anyone care to share favorite manufacture/models of 45/70’s or 450 marlins etc.? Along with favorites loads?

Thanks all!
H&F

I know remlins have a bad rep, for good reason, but they seemed to turn things around a few years ago with their new facility.  I bought a marlin 444 dark series back in january and its a damn fine gun.

[CaNINE]

https://www.wildwestguns.com/custom-guns/ak-guide/

[CLARKTAR]

https://www.wildwestguns.com/custom-guns/ak-guide/

I want one!!

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[Woodhunter]

My 458 Win Mag.   Usually wears a 2X scope in QD mounts.  18 inch barrel.   Fiberglass stock.   Barrel mounted recoil lug.  Stock comb is a little too high for open sights, I need to put a different stock on the rifle.





Another short 458, this one has a one piece aperture sight on the rear bridge. 16 inch barrel.  Really fast to obtain a sight picture, you operate on instinct.  Some call it a ghost ring.



This one is to shoot your buddy to distract the bear.  S&W M29, SS, 6 inch barrel.   240 grain full house loads.   6 in the gun, 6 in the  speed loader, 12 in the black pouch just to the left of the speed loader pouch.



All due respect to everyone, but whatever you pack remember you will only get one shot before the bear is on top of you, provided you see it in time.  If that rifle is slung over your shoulder I doubt if you will even get one shot.

Cute aren't they?

[HuntandFish]

Well I have settled on the Marlin 1895 SBL as the fun I want to purchase. But as many of you know, Marlin is no longer in business, so it makes finding this rifle at a reasonable price very hard. Any ideas on the best place to purchase one new ideally?

Anyone know if Ruger has plans to continue manufacturing this rifle in the future? Bummer they didn’t continue this line of rifles right away...

H&F

[Calvin Rayborn]

Pachmayr Dominator

[2MANY]

Is that the bear that lived in Toledo?

[CaNINE]

Well I have settled on the Marlin 1895 SBL as the fun I want to purchase. But as many of you know, Marlin is no longer in business, so it makes finding this rifle at a reasonable price very hard. Any ideas on the best place to purchase one new ideally?

Anyone know if Ruger has plans to continue manufacturing this rifle in the future? Bummer they didn’t continue this line of rifles right away...

H&F

Smart choice. I’m sure Ruger will continue to build this top selling model. Call some gun shops and see if they can order you one from a local distributor. Or get a hold of carpsniper.