Rifle or pistol for outdoor camping/hiking

[Lon Moer]

For camping in CA, including in known black bear areas, I'd agree on the revolver recommendation. Pay more attention to keeping a VERY clean camp, keep food locked in a vehicle............

This is a bad idea, in fact you don't want ANY food in your vehicle. Maybe even use some Lysol/Fabreeze type product in your vehicle.
Bears can smell any food you have/had in your vehicle, and they will tear the doors off your vehicle to get inside.

You don't need a shotgun or huge lever gun for bears in CA.

The guys at my work that hunt, use 12ga shotguns w/slugs when they go for bear.

[GuyW]

....you could get a hefty hiking stick, Cold Steel Bushman, and do a little whittling...

That's what I have, a knife on the belt is fairly innocuous, an unknowing viewers can't add 2+2...

[GuyW]

....Alaska, or other really wild & remote places = Rifle. Lever guns are nice because they're lighter than other long arms. Canada should let you in with a Rifle IF you're "hunting" and have all the appropriate permits/licenses. International hunting is Canada is common and most outfitters will know what you need to have/do....

Maybe I oughta start another thread, but...any ideas on a driving trip from the US, through Canada, to Alaska? I was thinking a 12 ga pump would be acceptable to Canadians, but still be useable on a griz...

[GuyW]

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/issues/be...incidents.html

"Siskiyou County, August 1991 – While archery hunting for deer in the Marble Mountain Wilderness, a black bear attacked and mauled an adult male...."

Why would DFG issue an archery hunting license to a black bear??

Are they Animal Rightists who push the Right to Arm Bears??

If so, life just got more serious...

[glockman19]

Depending where I'm going I'll carry a S&W 686 .357 Mag or S&W 629 .44 Mag. with a Marlin 1894SS or 1894C.

[M. Sage]

I think the rifle, if equipped properly on a pack, would be just as fast to get to and it would be much easier to get on target.

If it's on your pack, it's not properly equipped. Take a look at the three-point slings that the tacticool guys love. Heck, someone I was hiking with didn't think to bring a sling for his Uberti Saddle Gun (.357 lever gun), and my friend tossed him a single-point sling he had in his truck. Worked great hooked to the D ring on the side of the saddle gun receiver. Carrying it 30 miles overland would have been a lot less fun without a sling...

[Diabolus]

Sorry for bring the thread back to life but I have some updates.

This picture is the Kifaru gun bearer:

https://www.kifaru.net

I purchased one, but I am having a heck of a time trying to figure out how to attach it. When I get my rifle back I'll test it out.

BTW, I bought one of these:



I'm sending it to Brockman's Gun Shop to have it cut down to 20", extend the tube, new furniture, and some other goodies.

[scootergmc]

Any reason you went with the XLR over the GS? Other than the stock?

As for options on other custom work-----> http://www.wildwestguns.com/

[Diabolus]

Any reason you went with the XLR over the GS? Other than the stock?

As for options on other custom work-----> http://www.wildwestguns.com/

I liked the stock on the XLR, fluted bolt, and that I could cut it to 20". The Wild West Guns is nice, but I have heard fantastic things about the custom work at Brockmans.

[scootergmc]

I liked the stock on the XLR, fluted bolt, and that I could cut it to 20". The Wild West Guns is nice, but I have heard fantastic things about the custom work at Brockmans.

Cool! Have fun with it!

[Patriot]

This thread reminded me of a bookmarked page I have:

This rifle is ULTRALIGHT. 7wsm, Rem Titanium short action, McM Edge Tech carbon fiber mtn. stock, and Lilja light contour 20" barrel. We added a Jewel trigger, titanium firing pin with lightweight aluminum bolt shroud and skeletonized the bolt handle and trigger guard. Weighs in at 4lbs, 10oz.

The load I'm using, in an effort to keep recoil to a minimum and to fully burn all the powder in the short 20" tube, is 57gr Varget behind 120gr Barnes TSX.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/1755751/page/9