calling side arm? 10mm glock or ruger alaskan?

I'd opt fo rthe Glock as well, as stated earlier, twice the ammo cappacity, lighter and easier to carry. The main reason for my choice would be the 2 legged predators you may encounter.
 
thanks for all the input guys. I've decided to just go with the glock for now. I might work my way up to 44mag etc. In a few years i'll be able to step it up when time and money allow

The main reason is the weight , those revolvers will end up in the truck cuz they are too heavy.

The glock for me unfortunantly will only be 10 rounds cuz I live in CA. However i'm moving within about 1 year so I'll surely pick a state where I can get 15 round mags.
 
I've called in bears. If you stand up, wave your arms, yelling and screaming, they hall AZZ.

It is however un=nerving, and if you have a novice with you, he may leave his underwear hanging in a bush.

What ever handgun you get, get something with adjustable sights with a really nice trigger. A Glock 35 in 40 S and W is a nice one.

If you are in bear country, you will see tracks. A shotgun with #4 buck will eat a bear up at close range.

Two legged varmints are what you should worry about.

I suggest that everyone find an IDPA match and shoot every month in practice for self defense.
 
I agree with ackleyman that the 2 legged varmints are the worst and it is helpful to shoot some idpa or uspsa matches to get more skilled in quick handling of your sidearm. I did get into a situation last year calling in a pasture with some bulls that I didn't think was going to end well for me. I only had a .17 Rem bolt gun. After that I started carrying a 1911 .45 acp.
 
yeah I agree 2 legged threats are more likely. I also think a mountain lion attack is more likely. I have seen them a few times myself!

I also agree that waving my arms yelling and maybe a warning shot would probably drive off most black bears in most situations. A bear attack i think would either be upland hunting and my beagle wants to make friends and a bear gets mad. Or I hunt berry thickets alot and I either suprise one or i just run into mother and cubs. I also just got some bear spray and think that should do the trick too.

what i'm really worried about is sleeping in the tent. again bear spray and being bear safe is the best idea. However I will be sleeping better with a gun.

coyote's always come to eat my beagle in the middle of the night I just stick the shotgun out the tent fire and they go away but the handgun would be more convienient. If the dog is being attacked I can shoot the coyote. Also its common for coyote to attack gundogs when upland hunting, hasn't happened yet, but someday it might and bird shot isn't going to help !

I keep a bell on my dog hopefully it will keep predators away from my dog in the field. However I'm sneaking around silently.

Did ya'll know hunters are the most likely to be attacked by predators ? We are always sneaking around , walking into the wind!


I gotta say the SW mountain guns all look great 44 mag would be sweet! that will probably be my next trail gun.
 
I have two Ruger SP101's that I like to pack. They are light and easy to have on the hip with all the other stuff. One hammered and one's not. The hammerless just slips in the pocket. Big hand guns are a pia for me.
 
You would be much better off with the revolver in my opinion. I dont say that lightly since I make my living with a Glock. Not sure how big your bears are but I would think that 10mm ammo capable of producing energy levels sufficient to penetrate heavy hide, thick fat layers and heavy bone might be slim pickings. Not that the 10mm cant be loaded hot but most 10mm defense ammo is around the 400 to 500 foot pounds of energy range. Factory fodder for the .44 mag however is fairly easy to find that will produce 800 plus foot pounds of energy. Some of the Corbon .44 mag ammo will exceed 1200 ft lbs. The Casull can exceed 1800 ft lbs. Bottom line is, if you need to stop something that thinks your food, you need to hit it hard everytime you place a round on target.

Some good advice from Carl as well. You might as well carry a rock if you are not confident and proficient with what you carry.

Since I bow hunt Elk in Grizzly country I always pack a sidearm. My choice was a Taurus Tracker 4 inch stainless chambered in 44 magnum. At 34 ounces its not a heavy weight and the ported barrel makes it very controllable. The only draw back is how loud it is. I figure thats an acceptable risk since my ears are the least of my concern if something decides I might make a tasty snack. The Alaskan is an excellent gun and even in the .454 Casull the recoil is very managable because of the grip design. The Alaskan was just a tad too heavy for me coming in a whole 10 ounces heavier at 44 ounces.
 
Originally Posted By: GRIZZLYONEGet ya a Freedom Arms Premier Grade model 83 6 inch in 454.
And practice. Grizz

Made in Freedom Wyoming and without a doubt the finest crafted and the most accurate revolvers on the planet. But good Lord Grizz, the Premier Grade 83 start at $2100.00 on up.
 
If push comes to shove with a bear, a good revolver in 44 Mag or 45 LC will be your best bet. And as someone stated, if you can use it, don't throw down your rifle.

Some advice if needed: Old Skeeter Skelton provided this advice to a guy years ago who was wanting a sidearm to "protect" himself against Alaskan Brown Bears while salmon fishing. Skeeter told him to get a stout 44 mag load and, "Shoot the bear five times and yourself once..."

Skeeter wrote for Shooting Times magazine back in the 1970's and was a well known hunter and hand gun expert, for use on both 2 and 4 legged critters... He was a former US Border Patrol Agent back when they were fewer and farther between than they are even today.

-BCB
 
Originally Posted By: TripleDeuce660
what i'm really worried about is sleeping in the tent. again bear spray and being bear safe is the best idea. However I will be sleeping better with a gun.

That's what I got my Redhawk 44 mag for. Messing with bear spray while in a tent, in a sleeping bag, esp. if bre'r bear is there trying to eat you, is a bad idea. You're prolly just gonna blind yourself with the spray and get eaten anyway. And thrashing about in a tent trying to get a bear off you in those tight confines doesn't seem the place for a semi-automatic, that if the slide gets knocked while cycling it jams and then you have to worry about both the bear and trying to clear the weapon. A double action big-bore revolver seems the best solution, loaded with hardcast bullets that are going to penetrate. The ideal solution, of course, is to try to stay out of that situation in the first place.
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: HighPlainsDrifterOriginally Posted By: GRIZZLYONEGet ya a Freedom Arms Premier Grade model 83 6 inch in 454.
And practice. Grizz

Made in Freedom Wyoming and without a doubt the finest crafted and the most accurate revolvers on the planet. But good Lord Grizz, the Premier Grade 83 start at $2100.00 on up.
I know...I know...But I likes my Freedom Arms revolvers
smile.gif
Grizz
 
looked at those freedom arms the other day i can't afford that but what a great gun!

Yep its the glock for now and i would only carry the double tap loads flat nose hardcast 200 gr 1300 fps/750 ft lbs.

its the only acceptable load on the market for my purpose hope they don't stop making it. however I could roll my own if i had to.

once i master this glock its for sure the ruger alaskan or sw mountain gun or something in 44mag or 454 casull.

you guys are a big help i appreciate it!
 
Talking abut pepper sprays and if they are effective on bears; the way you can tell Black Bear scat from Grizzly scat is very simple:

Black Bear scat generally has twigs, berries, hair, and a few crushed bones in it...

Grizzly scat has twigs, berries, hair, and a few crushed bones in it, and it smells like pepper spray...

-BCB
 
Originally Posted By: Bayou City Boy"Shoot the bear five times and yourself once..."

-BCB

This.

My scuba dive instructor told us to always carry a dive knife just incase a shark got after you. He said "just stab your dive partner and swim away".

Perhaps that theory could be applied to bear problems hey BCB?
 
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