Hunting Sidearms

[saber]

So friend of mine is going deer hunting in Alaska and asked me about what I thought about whether he should pack a sidearm in case they have any run ins with bears while hunting.

My initial answer was some type of heavy revolver like a 44 mag or bigger but I then thought more about it.

In reality would you really have time to draw a revolver or would you be better off using your rifle.

For those of you that have hunted in those types of environments, have you packed a sidearm and if so which one?


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[Quiet]

I've never gone hunting in brown bear country.
However, my friend that has, carries a .44Magnum S&W Model 629 (4" barrel).
He said he chose it, because all the hunting guides, his meet in Alaska & Montana, carry some flavor of .44Magnum revolver for protection against brown bears.

[3fcattle]

44 mag and up for side. Co pilot or guide gun as rifle. Just my 2 cents. I prefer bigger than 44 but historically most of those are all 5 cylinder. Some can only run 4 like FA with no transfer bar

[Mustard]

https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1525469

Bears aren't people and for that matter neither is any quarry, but damn if it doesn't make me curious. "So you're telling me that .44 mag vs 9mm is meaningless? Shot placement is more important? All I need for serious damage is 2200 fps?"

Nah, there's gotta be other mechanics at work that haven't been explored. Otherwise why would 22LR be useful for small critters?

[OCEquestrian]

So friend of mine is going deer hunting in Alaska and asked me about what I thought about whether he should pack a sidearm in case they have any run ins with bears while hunting.

My initial answer was some type of heavy revolver like a 44 mag or bigger but I then thought more about it.

In reality would you really have time to draw a revolver or would you be better off using your rifle.

For those of you that have hunted in those types of environments, have you packed a sidearm and if so which one?


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Save the last round for yourself....

[KrisDSA]

Well in my younger years n I was guide helper n I always had a G20 on me. My buddy runs a small outfit in Alaska n they all carry a G20G4. Last time (2014) I was there the local FFL said the big bore revolvers where a thing of the past. Only old timers n New transplants where still buying them. They only stocked a dozen or so of the big bore revolvers vs 20 diff 10mm handguns. Best sellers were 10mm/357M/45acp.

[Mystery_Milk]

Never hunted in Alaska, so this is theoretical.

But if your friend has a rifle with him already, shouldn't a revolver be more useful in case the animal is already on him and he can't use his long gun? Revolvers don't jam when pressed against something and being pressed against something doesn't stop the revolver from firing off subsequent rounds.

[digelectric]

[Shumba]

Glock 20 10mm

[rmnc3r]

Important Announcement:

In light of the rising frequency of human - grizzly bear conflicts, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is advising hikers, hunters, and fishermen to take extra precautions and keep alert of bears while in the field.

They advise that outdoorsmen wear noisy little bells on their clothing so as not to startle bears that aren't expecting them.

They also advise outdoorsmen to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a bear.
It is also a good idea to watch out for fresh signs of bear activity. Outdoorsmen should recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear dung.

Black bear dung is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly bear dung has little bells in it and smells like pepper."

[ECG_88]

Yes carry a sidearm in grizzly country.

Check out Steven Rinella's meateater podcast where the group of 4 or 5 of them were charged by a grizzly while they were packing up an elk.

They don't always come for you when you have your rifle in your hands. Maybe you set it down to get a bite to eat.

Also, don't keep it on your pack. Make sure it is easily accessible on your person. Either on your belt or a chest rig.

A lot of times that people get mauled by grizz are when they left the handgun in their pack and didn't have time to dig it out.

[NapalmCheese]

I hunt in grizzly country (not in Alaska, in Wyoming). The only time I carry a pistol is if I think I'm going to be field dressing and/or dragging my game by myself.

When I'm field dressing the animal the rifle is not on me and not all that easily accessible. A pistol is both. When I'm dragging game I usually have the rifle slung across my back and it is not easy to get to, my pistol is.

That being said, if I will not be alone I don't bother with the extra weight and snagginess of a pistol.

The idea of dropping a rifle to unholster, aim, and fire a pistol at a bear is ridiculous. If you're holding a rifle and are attacked by a bear, use the rifle.

If your friend is all that worried about it have him carry bear spray, use it as an offensive stand off weapon for bears that are too close and who won't move away. If there's an attack switch to the rifle/pistol.

When I do carry I carry a 10mm with hard cast lead, my wife carries a .357 with hard cast lead.

Have your friend keep in mind, if you shoot a bear in the heart or lungs it is going to die. However, big bear hearts are big, and big bear lungs are big, and big bears have a lot of oxygen in their blood. It takes a while for a lung or heart shot bear to know it's dead which gives the bear plenty of time to attack you. The only way to stop a bear RIGHT NOW is to shoot it in the CNS or break both shoulders. The chances of breaking both shoulders of an attacking bear with a pistol (or a rifle for that matter, it's not a shot that's presented) is minuscule. The CNS on an attacking bear is roughly from ear to ear across the eyes, and from the nose up the head and into the hump in the shoulders (bears attack with their heads down protecting their throat exposing a short section of spine between the shoulders). If he can't draw, aim, and hit a moving target in half a second he'd be better off avoiding bear confrontations altogether (see: standoff weapon) by being 'bear aware'. If a bear tries to claim his kill, let the bear take it. If the bear wants the gut pile, let the bear take it. If he's hunting in an area known for hunting and bears, bears will be drawn to the sound of the rifle shot and the smell of the gut pile.

edit to add: On a side note, of the people I've met in Wyoming bear country, the only hunters I've met carrying pistols were all from California. One rancher I've met there was from California and carried a .44 while riding his quad. The other ranchers I know one carried a 10mm, the others .45s, 9mms, or nothing at all. Take that for what it's worth.

[jyo]

I did some hunting in Alaska with locals who were friends---many years ago---early 90s---yes you do carry a rifle (338 Win Mag in my case), but there are times you're doing chores around camp, hanging with the guys, etc. when your rifle might be a little distance from you and we wanted to be armed at all times thus the sidearm. Most everybody had a 44 Mag revolver or a 44 Mag Desert Eagle---10mm Glocks were not invented yet. I had recently fallen in love with the Freedom Arms Model 83 in 454 Casull---the 454 is a stout single-action built of stainless steel and the power was WAY beyond the 44 Mag in every way. Yes, there was a learning curve to shooting one of these powerful revolvers, but I thought it was well worth it. FWIW, there were also short-barreled 12 gauge pump shotguns stationed around the campsite loaded with slugs and when the horses that were tied on long lines so the could wander a bit and eat would let us know when bears were about, the shotguns were the first choice of the locals. Understand, there was lots of thick brush in Alaska---the bears can move thru it without making noise and could get close and you would never know it... Personally, if I was up in Alaska again, I would still pack my 454 because I trust it and I'm one of those old farts that still like a heavy revolver... That's my two cents worth...
Oh, and I remember the advice of a park ranger when the wife and I were exploring some wilderness parks---I asked her if I should take my gun while hiking the trails---she said: "You would be foolish not to take your gun!" She was packing a S&W 44 Mag herself...

[tanks]

Here is an example of my Alaska handgun Can bring it around much much faster than drawing a handgun.

.50 caliber pushing a 450 grain brass hollow point at 2,285 ft/s out of an 18" barrel.

Will stop any bear in its tracks. (has stopped lions and cape buffalo in Africa with that bullet and elephants with the 500 grain solid at 2,165 ft/s).

[NATEWA]

Pepper spray on hip and glock 20 in a chest rig. Don’t take it off. Not sure if you heard about the guide that was killed because he took off his rig to clean the animal.

Disclaimer - I’ve never hunted in AK and I’m not a hunting guide, so I’d probably ask those folks up there what works.