A lot of people are talking about pistol calibers and shotguns, but let’s not forget one important thing, probably even the MOST important thing.
Hunting grizzlies, or and bear, is dangerous and in the Spring or Fall, especially dangerous. Bears are hungry after hibernation and moody. In the Fall the instinct to fatten up makes them voracious.
Take thick brush, rocky ridges and other factors into account, and it is possible a large bear is only feet away when you first encounter each other. A surprised, hungry bear might charge that very second (because surprised prey can get away if given a few seconds hesitation), and you have exactly one second to reach your piece and fire before a half ton of sprung, hard energy is on you. You could easily only have you pistol out half way but when the bear hits you drop it from the impact. If it wants to eat or kill you then, there’s NOTHING you can do to stop it.
Even if you have a shotgun at port arms at the time, the bear could be on you before your finger can pull the trigger.
Grizzly hunting is dangerous. Some die trying.
We only have black bears here in NJ, but we’re warned they can be particularly dangerous in late winter/early spring - when old ones who haven’t eaten enough to hibernate through the whole winter awake early, and are starving to death. Very dangerous!
A few years ago a black bear killed an exchange student in NJ near the NY border; after being warned to avoid the particular trail by American hikers who told them the bear was following them, a group of five students went anyway (to see the bear, I guess). They scattered, and one was killed; very sad...
Good post.
Too often, a rifle will be slung and slow to shoulder, especially if you have a backpack on.
In AK and WA it is often raining and you have to bag your rifle.
You don’t get but a few seconds with a bear.
The fanny pack, worn in front, is convenient and keeps your weapon dry and clean.
I put a key chain on the zipper to make it quick to grab and open.
Cabela’s sells dry bags for fanny packs so you can wade through water.
The magnums tend to have long barrels and are hard to stash and are usually 6 shot revolvers.
My Kimber has a short barrel, very quick to access and enough rounds to fire one or two into the dirt in front of the bear that will at least stop the bear while you dump your pack and take better aim.
I would absolutely avoid killing a bear if possible.
I’ve been charged by a bear and ran him off with a smack to the nose, with my walking stick.
My son was right there with his 1911 if I needed any help. I told him not to shoot. I actually didn’t feel the need to draw my weapon, my son is a better shot.
The key is managing fear, don’t go into bear country if you spook easily.
I grew up around bears in town, Juneau, AK. My Aunt would run them off with her broom and garden hose.
True, but of course, the original hunters were not hunting grizzly bear. They were hunting elk and unfortunately, ran into the wrong bear when improperly equipped.
Determining an appropriate gun for emergency bear situations and determining the appropriate gun for actively hunting grizzly bears are two different questions. If I'm preparing for an unlikely chance encounter in grizzly country, I'd might just go with a pistol, minimum of a .41 magnum. If I'm preparing for a situation where an encounter is more likely, like following a wounded animal or packing out meat, then I'd have a .45-70 carbine or a 12-gauge shotgun with slugs or buckshot. If I'm hunting grizzly bear which means I'm actively seeking out an encounter, then I'm carrying a large magnum rifle which could reach out a couple of hundred yards with lots of power left but could be used in a close-up emergency situation, as well.
I have a line on a Husqvarna 1600 factory chambered in a .358 Norma magnum which is a perfect round for hunting giant bears. I need a plausible-sounding reason to convince Mrs. CommerceComet that I should buy the gun. She just doesn't get the idea that while I don't really have a need for this gun, I want it.