Posted on 03/31/2023 5:23:01 AM PDT by marktwain
In the summer of 1976, I was working alone on the grizzly bear research and was on a trip in the Scapegoat Wilderness south of the Benchmark Road end on USFS land. I was riding my saddle horse and leading two pack horses with my equipment and camping supplies. I rode into a small grassy opening suitable for horse feed north of Half Moon Peak at about dusk. I unloaded the two pack horses and turned them loose to graze with hobbles and was starting to unsaddle my riding horse.
A very heavy, tall, dark colored grizzly bear appeared walking on the nearby USFS trail about 30 yards away. He made no bad threats and kept walking. I had been out about two weeks and my flashlight batteries were dead. Quickly I threw some stove fuel on dry sticks and got a large fire going for light. I put a double halter rope on my horse so he could not break loose from the tree. I set up my small tent and then I stood outside watching my horses and listening to the bear circle the small clearing breaking sticks. The horses with hobbles were not eating and were pivoting sensing the travel of the bear circling around us.
After about two hours, I knew I had to do something to scare away the very large and aggressive bear. I fired six fast shots with my Colt Python and reloaded quickly. The bear left and I tied up all the horses, ate some supper and went to bed in the tent. The horses were allowed to graze the next morning before we headed back to our pickup and trailer at Benchmark Road.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
I am privileged to own a vintage 4” nickel plated Python. It’s the apex of the revolver. Gorgeous gun and I love shooting it.
L
It’s no better than the S&W 586.
It just has a cult following.
“It’s no better than the S&W 586.”
I own both and you’re wrong.
L
I read the article and immediately started doing a search on 10mm revolvers, using a chest rig.
I’ve fired both.
The 586 did have a trigger job.
It was a superior weapon, and both more accurate than I could shoot. Fit and finish (both blue) were indistinguishable...with the exception of better wood on the Colt.
Less than 1/2 the price for the 586.
To each their own.
L
I’ve watched scores of bear attack vids
Frequently it takes a lot of shots
The 45 failure I mentioned was a hunter and guide with hunters son
One died I think the boy
The 45 was found several lodged just below his scalp in top of skull after hair gristle and skin and fat
The guides 10 mm behind ear killed it after close combat
I cannot find it but wide world of sports had a bear hunt late 60s I recall where 300 mag didn’t stop a charge and guides 375 did at late stage yards away
I saw it maybe 7 grade
My first venture into glacier one of around a dozen was 77 I think at cut bank above east glacier
An attack on two girls one fatal had just happened uptrail to the left where it goes down to the lake about 8 miles in
The old school ranger was going on and warned us Mississippi hippies our 9mm and 45 commander where insufficient
He had Mule team and 45-70 and 44mag and 10 gauge
And three hounds
By himself
Not a hipster eco ranger lol
If I’m camping around bears I’m taking a sure thing or as close to it as possible
Seems high cap 10 although heavy is the ticket although heavy with chest rig
Most ignore you or just pillage for food
But a sow with cubs or a predatory or territorial bear can be gruesome
While closely related it seems grizzly although smaller are more attack prone than Browns
Blacks less aggressive but one killed three folks at a swimming hole in BC with tons of folks around
I think big Browns or grizz are worlds most deadly and capable land mammal
Some are killed with 22 or an arrow in hand or a buck knife
I wouldn’t want to rely on that
I also don’t agree on the noise thing
Don’t worry bear usually knows you’re there already
Spray seems to only work on curious bears
One died I think the boy
I would like to track this down and document it.
What is needed to document it is:
Date: Year, Month, day is preferred, but Year and season is sufficient of there is good other documentation.
Place: Location the event occurred.
Name: Person or persons involved.
An account of what happened, so it can be determined if the incident was a success or a failure.
We come across many cases of successful defenses which we do not include because they have not been documented.
There are also myths that develop about how invulnerable bears are, and they get passed around and around. One common one is the Myth of Old Groaner.
We agree on a lot. Bears are very tough, and can be hard to stop.
But, the number of documented pistol failures remains only 2-3 % of documented pistol successes.
It is not a pistol failure, but it has both 10mm and .45 in it. And there is mention of finding .45 under the skin and in the fat of the bear.
Here is a compilation of bear attacks where a 10mm was used, if you are interested.
They probably got the account from "Bear Attacks of the Century: True Stories of Courage and Survival".
You have just posted a lot of anecdotal data.
No facts.
I have shot bears with rifles, shotguns and handguns.
Handguns have proven very effective against bears in self-defense shootings.
I’m going on the 50-60 videos of bear maulings and survivors
As well as bear hunting vids
I don’t hunt bears
You can use .22 WMR if that suits u
Or a recurve
If I’m camping in big bear country remotely I prefer to be more assured of survival
A look at the rifles professional guides use for brown bears generally starts at the .338 and goes up from there. The .375 Holland and Holland has been relatively standard for many years and the .416s and .458s make up a smaller but significant percentage. One legendary Kodiak guide even used a .500 Nitro Express. But guiding for bears isn’t the same thing as hunting them. Few people shoot a .458 or .375 really well and good shooting tends to eliminate all the drama that a big rifle needs to clean up. While plenty of residents use a .375 for hunting brown bears, a lot more use a .300 or .338 magnum and do just fine. In many cases, it’s the same .300 that they use for everything else so they have a lot of familiarity with it which tilts the balance in their favor.
They have a comments sections you can take it up with them on
Well having hunted bears for 50 plus years.
I don’t have to take it up with.
I don’t hunt bear
Id like to hear what and where you hunt and how and what arms u prefer
As you’ve pointed out I’m ignorant of direct bear hunting
Here in the mid south a lot of folks run with dogs black bear
Some I think bait and stand hunt
Vids I see with browns and grizz the hunters tend to shoot at far greater distance
Only people I know personally who hunt bear hunt blacks with dogs and various .30 cal long guns
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.