Yep - that’s what I’d go with for sure- put a light on the gun too- just in case you get jumped by a bear in dark or near dark conditions. Much easier put a light on an XD or a Glock than a 6 shooter.
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Good cheap bear gun for Grizzly country
- Thread starter LordMDP
- Start date
While the 10mm is a powerful round. The only thing the 10mm has over the 44 magnum is the guns it is chambered in hold more ammunition....The 44 delivers more velocity and dumps more energy than the 10mm. For Grizzly bears, I like to give myself better odds. IF..it has to be a pistol. A shotgun with slugs outperforms all the adequate bear defense handgun cartridges. The only issue with shotguns right now is that adequate slugs are almost impossible to find.
Even with buffalo bore dangerous game mono metal in both the 10mm and 44, the 44 has pretty much double the velocity and double the energy dump.
The 475 Linebaugh is even better in that dept.
But, if you are more confident and shoot a semi auto better, then go with the gun you are confident with and study the ballistics of the cartridge you choose. Make your order for ammo soon with whatever calibre chosen, so your ammo doesn't miss you in the mail..lol
Even with buffalo bore dangerous game mono metal in both the 10mm and 44, the 44 has pretty much double the velocity and double the energy dump.
The 475 Linebaugh is even better in that dept.
But, if you are more confident and shoot a semi auto better, then go with the gun you are confident with and study the ballistics of the cartridge you choose. Make your order for ammo soon with whatever calibre chosen, so your ammo doesn't miss you in the mail..lol
Good and cheap usually don’t go to gather especially if you life depends on it
For $500 you're stuck with a 357 or if you get really lucky, a 44mag. Another idea is a 10mm. Either way use a hard cast bullet such as buffalo bore or other specialized ammo and practice with it. To use this ammo you will need a good quality firearm that can take the abuse. A hand gun is very inefficient so the larger and heavier the bullet the better
There's a reason you wear your bear spray on your chest rig / backpack straps. It should be your first response not only because it's faster to deploy, doesn't rely on precise accuracy, and will stop the charge. You should only shoot bears that continue to display predatory/aggressive behavior after being sprayed and by then you'll have a little more time.
I'm not a fan of becoming peppery bear poop, but I'm also not a fan of people killing bears that could be just startled, curious, bluff charging, defending a food source, coming for your improperly stored food etc, and driven off thru non lethal methods rather than a predatory attack.
It's also worth while to remember the bigger picture here. There's roughly 12 grizzly attacks a year in norht america, most usually occurring in alaska and canada. Since yellowstone was established in 1872 8 people have been killed by grizzlies in the park while 121 people drowned. People are usually a lot more concerned with things that tap into our primal fears (getting eaten by a shark/bear etc) and while I'm not saying to ignore them, there's a hundred larger threats we don't treat anywhere near as seriously when we plan/prep. Carrying an extra liter of water on your hike and a gps beacon is probably a lot more important to your safety than even carrying a weapon, let alone worrying about what caliber it is.
Spend some money on good quality ear muffs for your child. If you child is on your back and you let loose with a large caliber weapon, if she's not wearing ear protection you can deafen her for life. Don't take a chance on that.
Well then. I have a healthy dose of that!
