For those of us who live in bear country

[Bill in Oregon]

Here is an interesting drill.

https://pistoldrillqrc.wordpress.com/wp ... fts_v5.pdf

[samsi]

I've done a variation on that with 3 targets placed at 25, 15 and 3 yards. Use progressively shorter target stands from far to near. 3 seconds is pretty fast - if I pull it off in 3 it generally means I missed the far target.

It's a bit easier with a levergun than a revolver, but it's fun to try either way.

[Bill in Oregon]

I need to shoot the drill several times with a .22 before stepping up to an adequate CF pistol round.

[jeepnik]

Not just those that live in bear country, but any who venture into bear country.

It's interesting to note that growing up in town, the only predators we had of descent size were red foxes. These are the cute little ones you see in nature videos, they run about the size of a coyote. A very small population living on the upper reservation of the local army fort. The lived on rabbits, possums and raccoons. They were controlled by either disease or if their numbers got too large the army trapped them.

About 15 years ago coyotes started to show up. This coincided with a bunch of greenies coming into existence. So, there was no more tapping of foxes and coyotes. There numbers have grow exponentially, and they now threaten adults, children and pets.

More recently, we have had numerous sightings of mountain lions. The first I recall was about ten years ago, and the animal control / wildlife folks still deny their existence even in the face of photos, videos and physical evidence.

Just a short time ago a black bear was spotted. The wildlife folks are again denying their existence. And so it goes.

[AJMD429]

Not just those that live in bear country, but any who venture into bear country.

Actually, the drill wouldn't be a bad idea for folks living where there any 2-legged predators, either.

I need to shoot the drill several times with a .22 before stepping up to an adequate CF pistol round.

I tend to do that with almost all 'drills'. That way I may be frustrated that I didn't do well, but at least I can pat myself on the back for not spending too much ammo-money doing poorly. My son and I sometimes 'run our gongs' (double-tapping all the 50 yard gongs from a 25 yard barricade, then all the 75 and 100 yard ones from a 50 yard barricade, with interruptions by the shot-timer who could call out 'bad guy on the right[/left]' and the shooter had to pause and double tap a gong off in the weeds to the side - fortunately we have a range with three safe sides because it is in a small ravine). We did this last winter, and FIRST we used Ruger Mk-3 pistols and Ruger 10/22's, THEN we moved to AR-15's and 9mm's. Then we did the drills at night with lights on the guns. We also loaded each-other's magazines with the centerfire guns, so you never knew how many rounds a given magazine had in it, AND we'd slip in a few empty cartridge cases too, so there were not only gongs to hit, but a constant need to un-jam, and/or decide to swap magazines, and/or switch from long gun to hand gun.

The MOST fun though (for me, at least) was using our 22 LR pistols (we did keep with the semiautos though) and his Henry 22LR levergun and my Ruger 96/22 levergun (I put a 25 round magazine in it for that purpose). We also ran the gongs with Ruger Speed-Six revolvers and Marlin 1894's in 357 Magnum. even at night with gun-lights on. THAT was cool.

[Lastmohecken]

I haven't tried that drill. I just had an idea, however. It wouldn't be very hard to set up a cable or rope with a target that charges towards you, at a downward slope. I have shot that particular moving target in tradition archery competition. It's fun and a bit challenging.

[Lastmohecken]

I have never been charged by a bear, but once on a hog hunt, I was nearly run over by a large boar, along with a bunch of other hogs, when they came down off of a steep hill, and I was in their way, at the bottom of the hill. I had left my iron sighted 348 Model 71 in camp and chose my Browning BLR in .308 win with a 2 x 7 Leupold scope on it for that morning, expecting a different kind of shooting situation. I wished that I had taken a shot, but I was afraid of wounding a hog and I would have had to of paid for it anyway, so I tried to find the right opportunity for a shot, but they ran over me, in only a couple of seconds or so, and I never pulled the trigger. I was kind of lucky just to of not gotten hooked or trampled. But if I had been carrying my 71 with irons that morning, I would have dropped that boar.

But it was a good lesson for me, anyway. And now, I can easily see how a hunter with a long gun, could get totally overpowered by a bear, if surprised at close range. Which is one reason, in the future, when hunting in bear country, I will be carrying a big bore revolver in a chest holster, or something similar, because if it actually happened, more than likely you will end up on the ground, and that long gun won't do you much good.

[jkbrea]

I just pack a .22 pistol for bear. One in my hunting partners kneecap and I'm all good! Just can't be the slowest one. No one want to hunt with me anymore....
Seriously...I use either .44 or .357 with Buffalo Bore. I'd like to try 10mm but over the years, I saw lots of stovepipes in semi autos in high stress situations. If you're back pedaling or having to shoot one handed, those chances increase. Revolvers rarely fail and you're probably only getting off a couple shots at best. A semi auto would be great if you're saving another person and can use a full mag.

[Lastmohecken]

I just pack a .22 pistol for bear. One in my hunting partners kneecap and I'm all good! Just can't be the slowest one. No one want to hunt with me anymore....
Seriously...I use either .44 or .357 with Buffalo Bore. I'd like to try 10mm but over the years, I saw lots of stovepipes in semi autos in high stress situations. If you're back pedaling or having to shoot one handed, those chances increase. Revolvers rarely fail and you're probably only getting off a couple shots at best. A semi auto would be great if you're saving another person and can use a full mag.

Yep, those Buffalo Bore are pretty good, in my limited experience using them. I bought a few boxes of 38/55's from Tim, and he said that in the rifle I have, they are capable of 1 inch groups at a hundred yards. I have my rifle at the gunsmiths presently getting a Skinner receiver sight put on it, but before I took it up there, I tested it at 50 yards, and was getting 1" groups, and frankly, I can't see any better than that, with the sights it had on it. So, I know I was not ringing all of the accuracy out of by a long shot.

But anyhow, I thought about getting a 10mm auto, but I trust a Ruger Super Blackhawk or a Smith and Wesson 29 for when the chips are down, and I am on my back in mud and the blood, looking up at a bear, from 1 foot away. Hoping not to ever be in that position, but the chances are never completely zero. We had two bear fatalities in our state last year. Which is very unusual, but sightings are becoming a bit more frequent not that many miles from me, so, I don't venture out into more remote areas without a good handgun, anymore.

[Bill in Oregon]

Brian Pearce makes some really good points in favor of a handgun with a deep penetrator in bear country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r1pqZ_pgEM

[AJMD429]

I just pack a .22 pistol for bear. One in my hunting partners kneecap and I'm all good! Just can't be the slowest one. No one want to hunt with me anymore....
Seriously...I use either .44 or .357 with Buffalo Bore. I'd like to try 10mm but over the years, I saw lots of stovepipes in semi autos in high stress situations. If you're back pedaling or having to shoot one handed, those chances increase. Revolvers rarely fail and you're probably only getting off a couple shots at best. A semi auto would be great if you're saving another person and can use a full mag.

For folks nervous about 'capacity' (I suppose a bear-charge may be one circumstance where 'spray and pray' may be appropriate), I suppose the other option would be an AR-style pistol in 50 Beowulf. I think 30-round-sized magazines hold 11 shots, and the mechanism might be better handling 'bad shooting form' than 10mm pistols. Mine has only been fired about 80 rounds but no jams yet, versus my 45 Colt Redhawk that used to seize up every 10 rounds or so (wouldn't cycle even with no rounds in the cylinder) until Ruger fixed it. An AR pistol would be more awkward though, unless you could convert one of the derivatives that doesn't use a buffer-tube - but even then it's bigger than any 44 Mag or 45 Colt or 454 Casull hogleg. ....but smaller than a 454 levergun carbine...

Maybe a flaregun...

[Paladin]

The only time I have dealt with Brown Bears, I have had either a WW Co-Pilot in .457 WW or an AR-10 in .308. While I was wearing a .44 Mag revolver felt much better with the rifle. I practice with the .44 in a cross draw or chest rig with 2. Secs is about my average. I try not to go for walks or even ATV ot tractor rides without a long gun in Alaska.
Our camp north of the Yukon River on the Tanner River with the two teenage IDOTS (the one in black grew out of it and is in the Navy now) who ate MREs in their tent and introduced me to a Grizzly at 0245, making me change my rifle to this.

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[Bill in Oregon]

One simply cannot argue with experience.