Hunting Forum

I'm with browning 300. I hunt in northern WI and my choice would be the .44 mag. I have both the Super Redhawk and a Judge. We have an abundance of both wolves and bear in my area. The .44 mag will take down both. The .45 would also work from a pure protection standpoint. But, the .44 has six shots compared to 5 for the Judge.

I'm with browning 300. I hunt in northern WI and my choice would be the .44 mag. I have both the Super Redhawk and a Judge. We have an abundance of both wolves and bear in my area. The .44 mag will take down both. The .45 would also work from a pure protection standpoint. But, the .44 has six shots compared to 5 for the Judge.

I'm with browning 300. I hunt in northern WI and my choice would be the .44 mag. I have both the Super Redhawk and a Judge. We have an abundance of both wolves and bear in my area. The .44 mag will take down both. The .45 would also work from a pure protection standpoint. But, the .44 has six shots compared to 5 for the Judge.

I'm with browning 300. I hunt in northern WI and my choice would be the .44 mag. I have both the Super Redhawk and a Judge. We have an abundance of both wolves and bear in my area. The .44 mag will take down both. The .45 would also work from a pure protection standpoint. But, the .44 has six shots compared to 5 for the Judge.

I'm with browning 300. I hunt in northern WI and my choice would be the .44 mag. I have both the Super Redhawk and a Judge. We have an abundance of both wolves and bear in my area. The .44 mag will take down both. The .45 would also work from a pure protection standpoint. But, the .44 has six shots compared to 5 for the Judge.

OK. I read all of them. First, I don't give a rip WHAT gun you carry to back up your bow. I personally carry a Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 magnum with a Mag-Na-Ported 7 1/2 inch barrel. And I can nail a quarter at fifty feet with all six shots. WHOOPEE!

It will not do me any good if the bear is a determined one or a starving bear that got his butt kicked out of his area and is trying to find new ground. It will not matter what kind of bear it is either. A Blackie can do a lot of harm, especially if he (or SHE) is a big 500 plus pounder, or a Brown/Grizzly with cubs, or a boar with a bad tooth. Polar bears kill and eat and don't ask questions. They figure if you are moving, you are alive enough to kill and eat. RUN!!! NO. Then it becomes a game and you ain't fast enough. Usain Bolt ain't fast enough either. And YOU ain't Usain Bolt either.

The bears that killed "Tasty" Timmy Treadwell and his girlfriend Amy Hugendahl had to be killed with shotguns using slugs at close range. Now I don't mean a range of ten yards or so. One bear was climbing up on an airplane float and the guy shot him right in the eye socket at a range of about two FEET. The bear was already packing slugs from a couple of other rangers at the time, too.

If you want to pack a "Desert Eagle" which weighs just shy of a ton, or a .50 cal BMG with a Rambo style belt of ammo wrapped around your arm, be my guest. I live here. I have had to deal with bears on a first name basis. Personally, I worry more about a moose kicking my butt WAY more than a bear. At least if the bear kills me, he will eat me. A moose just leaves you there to rot.

It is best to be educated and trained in what to do, CONFIDENT in what you can do, but above all, be able to contain and control your FEAR. It is real hard to do the right thing if pee is running down your leg and the bear/moose is whomping your butt at the same time. It is also VERY recommended by me that you use the weapon of your choice a LOT and KNOW what IT can do and YOU will know YOUR ability.

Several years ago, an Anchorage Daily News reporter that thought he was hot stuff had a Casull .454 and thought it wasa fantastic weapon until he needed it to fight for his life. The handloads he used were not crimped in very well and he fired TWO shots, but it was enough to cause the bullets in the unfired rounds to slip forward and caused the cylinder to jam. He survived, and lived to tell the tale, but he has a few scars to keep him more aware now too. His name is Craig Medred.

Pepper spray has been proven to season the flavor of human flesh and some bears like it, just as we sometimes order extra jalapenos on a Subway sandwich. You would also be quite surprised at just how hard it is to unlatch, aim and spray pepper spray, as there are not many "pepper spray shooting ranges" to practice on.

Luck to all who are mulling over the ideas on this thread.

Well either way, bear turd or lucky, there is alway a chance that a round will find it's mark. If nothing else the sidearm is like a security blankie against the monsters. The noise might scare them or might not, but I will at least add a little weight to the bear. Plan on carrying my "wubbie" in the form of a colt 10 mm and a can of seasoning to cover up the smell of excrement, hope it chokes on the can.

It's an older story but a good one..... http://www.rd.com/advice/parenting/...-save-son/

If I could add an opinion, I would never use an auto for backup. Too much risk of a jam. Try a Taurus 44 mag Tracker. can get a 4' or 6" barrel. Is only a 5 shot for they are reasonably light.