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Alaska Bear Gun???

aron82 said:
Don't shoot cast lead out of a glock with the polygonal rifling, the barrel will lead up and cause overpressure.
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I hear that a lot but find the opposite to be true in practice

only 10mm that's been through my 20 has been HOT loaded lead, some jacketed .40's been through it
my 19 has had a huge amount through it too, though the throat and headspace is extremely tight on it, any lead shaved off the bullet on seating or too long a seating depth and it doesn't go fully into battery

haven't had any leading on them, wierd because I'm used to conventional rifled barrels leading up pretty bad
 
I think my Ruger Alaskan in .44 shoots beautifully. The massive grip and substantial weight takes most of the hit out of it. My wife can shoot it with magnums, but only likes shooting 44 special through it. I would really think it would be worth having her try one if you can find one to rent. I wouldn’t consider the pistol grip shotgun at all. I think they’d be very hard to be accurate with, and they take a substantial amount of strength.
 
I've been carrying either a 45-70, or .44 mag for remote fishing trips to SE AK. The 45-70 is not very handy when it's slung on your back while hiking trails with rods in your hand. The .44 ends up on the hip for hiking and the 45-70 stays in the boat, or cabin. Recently added a 10mm with KKM barrel and hard cast rounds with a chest rig for the hiking duties. I figure I'd rather have 15+1 instead of 6 and can put more rounds on target faster with a semi auto. So far, all our bear encounters resulted in the bear walking, or running away.
 
I carried a .454 Ruger around the woods in AK.

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It really isn't bad to shoot. The big rubber grip helps a lot.

A friend of mine had a .44 magnum S&W that sucked to shoot. It had hard wood grips.

Other friends of mine carried 10mm glocks, which shoot like glocks.
 
Lee said:
I get the desire for a revolver, but you can fit a lot more rounds in a modern-ish double stack 9mm. After reading about the Alaskan guide dropping a charging grizzly with some Buffalo Bore +P 9mm a couple years back, I believe I'd rather have as many rounds as I could, rather than a fewer more powerful rounds. I'm a terrible shot with a pistol to begin with, add adrenaline and fear of a cranky bear to the mix, I need all the shots I can get.

.
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I was kinda wondering how much the "you need a giant round to even phase a bear" shit is just bs. Your story is a good example.

Trying to kill a grizzly in one shot is a lot different than stopping it when it's charging you. I'm not much of a hunter or gun guy, but I do know that bears are known for running a ways after they're shot. I'd imagine that to stop it from charging, you're going to need to hit something vital like the spine or eye socket unless you got something huge like a 10g or big riffle. Like you mentioned ~15 rounds of 9mm does sound better than 5 or 6 off 44mag unless you're a really good shot. Even then, I'd imagine a grizzly charging at you would rattle even most combat vets.

I also agree that a pistol grip only shotgun is about useless past 10-20 feet. I put one on mine for home defense, shot it once and took it off.

Not that I'm saying to give her a 22, but my buddy bought his wife a 357 lcr :laughing: she shot it once and sprained her wrist, said no fucking way. So he kept it for him and bought her a 22 mag lcr. She is laser accurate with it (for what it is) and very comfortable. He said would you rather be shot 6-7 times with a 22 mag or have a 357 fly past your ear?
 
I have a snub nose Taurus 454 casull, it is more pleasant to shoot than my 4" model 29. The weight and the rubber grip really helps. Pretty much a copy of that ruger Alaskan.
 
I have a 4" 629 that's not bad, other than that maybe a 4" redhawk with rubber grips. You might try her with some 200gr lead wadcutters, that will lower the recoil but still have good penetration. I have alaskan 454, but my favorite woods carry piece is still my 2" taurus tracker .44 mag, but it's pretty brutal. The little guns are nice to carry, but suck to shoot. With some instruction she should be able to handle a 629 weight gun with 200gr slugs and a good grip. Stance and grip are key with the magnums.
 
I’m a 10mm guy so 10mm. Recoil is not a big deal. My glock is lighter than my steel framed guns. I don’t feel a recoils difference in 10mm and 45acp to speak of.
 
What about trying some lighter loads in the 44 mag or a hot loaded 357? Or go for broke and give one of these a try in 45-70. https://www.magnumresearch.com/bfr-big-frame-revolver/ Personally when I finally make it to Alaska I'm bringing my 44 and my 45-70 guide gun, unless I aquire a 454 by then, but something she's comfortable with and accurate with is far more important than power in my opinion. You don't like it and it will probably stay on the shelf where it won't do any good at all.
 
A Black Hawk 41 mag with buffalo bore hard cast 265 grain 1350 fps ME 1072 ft.lbs. Flatter trajectory, less recoil than a full house 44mag.
 
I would get a Glock 20sf. Buffalo bore makes hardcast bear loads in 10mm. Make sure the gun is well broken in and consider polishing the feed ramp. Test fire the buffalo bore in it with all magazines you will use.
 
Keltec KS7, ditch space force handle/ sight for a KSG rail. Add Sig Romeo5, light and cheek pad. LOW RECOIL BUCK/SLUG/BUCK/SLUG/BUCK/SLUG/BUCK.

I like my G20, wouldn't feel naked anyway. If I was EDC for bear, I'd think about a aftermarket barrel with comp and RDS.

Either way, practice, practice, practice.
 
Huh. I'm a nobody, and I suck at hunting, but I live up here...

My FIL's best friend was killed by a bear defending its' kill. This was only a few miles outside town, on a popular hiking trail. https://www.akfatal.net/Trent 07-01-95.htm

I'm not sure how many people in this thread said "A pipsqueak she can shoot is better than a cannon she can't.", but I think that's BS. For humans, sure, but we get killed with kitchen knives regularly. Remember the scale, and that these things can run 300 feet in 2.9 seconds- with a heart shot. You think any amount of perfectly placed .380 is going to be more than annoying?

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And yes, there are lucky shots on bear- I've "heard tell" of Natives taking a grizzly with a .22. But I also hear of men smoking 3 packs a day and dying at 97. Not something to bet your life on.

I carry a Ruger .44 with Buffalo Bore slugs (and feel that it's minimal), or a 590 with 3" slugs, depending on where, what I'm climbing through, etc.

I feel that she should stick to spray, rather than the false confidence of a small caliber. Same as people who carry a .25 for humans.

Again- not a guide, not much of a hunter, just my opinion.
 
YotaAtieToo said:
Not that I'm saying to give her a 22, but my buddy bought his wife a 357 lcr :laughing: she shot it once and sprained her wrist, said no fucking way. So he kept it for him and bought her a 22 mag lcr. She is laser accurate with it (for what it is) and very comfortable. He said would you rather be shot 6-7 times with a 22 mag or have a 357 fly past your ear?
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I'd rather have the 357 fly by. :grinpimp:
 
subybaja said:
Huh. I'm a nobody, and I suck at hunting, but I live up here...

My FIL's best friend was killed by a bear defending its' kill. This was only a few miles outside town, on a popular hiking trail. https://www.akfatal.net/Trent 07-01-95.htm

I'm not sure how many people in this thread said "A pipsqueak she can shoot is better than a cannon she can't.", but I think that's BS. For humans, sure, but we get killed with kitchen knives regularly. Remember the scale, and that these things can run 300 feet in 2.9 seconds- with a heart shot. You think any amount of perfectly placed .380 is going to be more than annoying?



And yes, there are lucky shots on bear- I've "heard tell" of Natives taking a grizzly with a .22. But I also hear of men smoking 3 packs a day and dying at 97. Not something to bet your life on.

I carry a Ruger .44 with Buffalo Bore slugs (and feel that it's minimal), or a 590 with 3" slugs, depending on where, what I'm climbing through, etc.

I feel that she should stick to spray, rather than the false confidence of a small caliber. Same as people who carry a .25 for humans.

Again- not a guide, not much of a hunter, just my opinion.
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thanks for the info and real world info.

facts are, she returned to Alaska after Christmas without a new Bear Gun. She determined two things.
1: she was not ready for the size and punch of a real Bear handgun
2: She didn’t have the budget needed to purchase and train with a real Bear Handgun to overcome #1 above
3: Lighter is not better for her intended purpose. Being a new shooter, she was truly only thinking about less weight to carry
4: Right before returning to Ky, she converted her Drivers license to an Alaska License, making the purchase in Ky much more difficult. 🤦‍♂️

Cliff
 
You know the Steve McQueen Mares Leg was a 44 Magnum and a 45/70 Mares Leg is not a off the shelf gun but if it were to exist IRL it would be a custom made gun that would cost in excess of 3500 or so, ehhh..

[486 said:
;n280234]The true canadian advice:
she needs a mare's leg
in .45-70
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McQueen wore 45/70 cartridges on his belt to make it look badass but the gun only fired the 44 mag, next time you watch the show check the feed port, its smaller than a 45/70 would feed into.
 
PAE said:
You know the Steve McQueen Mares Leg was a 44 Magnum and a 45/70 Mares Leg is not a off the shelf gun but if it were to exist IRL it would be a custom made gun that would cost in excess of 3500 or so, ehhh..
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Buck the stock off, buck the barrel off. If you wanna pay me $3500 to do that, sure.
 
PAE said:
McQueen wore 45/70 cartridges on his belt to make it look badass but the gun only fired the 44 mag, next time you watch the show check the feed port, its smaller than a 45/70 would feed into.
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44-40, not 44 mag.
 
You enablers have me looking to sell my G20 for a G21 and a .460 Rowland conversion.

No there aren't any Griz here...:lmao:
 
[486 said:
;n282568]

just get a long slide and barrel for .45 on your existing g20 frame
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I end up with a 10mm and a .460 that I never shoot, for more money. :eek:

Blue label G21, and barrel. Done.

Ok, maybe get it cut for a dot, add a light, possibly a comp, couple holsters... :evil:

Almost forgot, I gotta fawk with the trigger too...

What's wrong with me?:laughing:
 
VG SERE said:
Ok, maybe get it cut for a dot
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try a red dot on a pistol before you go cutting your slide
they're way slow to acquire for me, and with the amount of welding and grinding I do I can't really carry it as the glass would get pitted bad
 
PAE said:
You know the Steve McQueen Mares Leg was a 44 Magnum and a 45/70 Mares Leg is not a off the shelf gun but if it were to exist IRL it would be a custom made gun that would cost in excess of 3500 or so, ehhh..
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I already posted the answer to this dilemma. 45-70 revolver. Factory made, easy to carry and around 1500 ish from what I've seen.
 
Not really a issue to me but the mares leg design could be easier for someone to handle than a 45-70 revolver.

A two handed gun is always better bean a one handed gun.

I would take the mares leg over a revolver every day.

Didnt see your suggestion in this thread or elsewhere.

Keep in mind this firearm is for the OP's niece, did you realise this when you offered a 45/70 revolver ?



Tell_Sackett said:
I already posted the answer to this dilemma. 45-70 revolver. Factory made, easy to carry and around 1500 ish from what I've seen.
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