Northern Idaho- .357 or .44 Mag?

[GraveTPO]

It is true that the Grizzlies of La Habra and surrounding suburban communities fall quickly with most any firearm.

However, it is convention for most of the real world to use not less than 30-06 when hunting bear and most use larger.

Thanks for the help. I'm just a city boy who doesn't routinely hunt and kill big ol' bears. So, of course I must defer to someone who is clearly an expert in the slaying of the giant Grizzly.

But - just to solidify your credentials - how many Grizzlies or, for that matter, bears of any kind have you killed or even seen killed? ...I think you left that part out.

Just for clarification you understand.

[SloChicken]

Thanks for the help. I'm just a city boy who doesn't routinely hunt and kill big ol' bears. So, of course I must defer to someone who is clearly an expert in the slaying of the giant Grizzly.

But - just to solidify your credentials - how many Grizzlies or, for that matter, bears of any kind have you killed or even seen killed? ...I think you left that part out.

Just for clarification you understand.

I have not killed any myself. Haven't ever set money aside for the tag between my annual combo tag (elk/deer) and my Antelope hunts I just haven't made the decision to set money, or time aside.
Other hunts first.

That said, my childhood buddy was, up to about 2 years ago a guide in AK (He is a PH in Namibia the past couple years).
I have been on many hunts with him in coastal AK and seen a few brown bear (and black bear, and moose) harvested - none with less than 300 Win Mag, and usually a heavier chambering than that. His sidearm is a FA single action 454casull. But he carries a 45-70 lever gun when working.
Growing up, his family and mine hunted the Western Slope of CO for many years together. The family continues (while I spend time trapped in CA for work ... for the moment)
In Montana where my family hails from (Valier, Cut Bank) many have been harvested over the years.

Currently I own a home in Western WY and have been hunting CO, WY, MT my whole life and have had quite a few Grizzly encounters. The
Near (within 5 miles of my place) there are quite a few Grizzly in the area and the local river (gros ventre) I fish is known to have regular Grizzly sightings in the immediate area of which I have had the instance to be part of multiple times.

I didn't add any of this in my prior post as it seems to be unneccesary and patting one on their own back.

But since you asked.

Personally, my rifle of choice is 375 H&H - which I have not taken a bear with, but there are many choices that will do the trick.

Popular loads are 45-70 or 450 Marlin.
Bolt rifles include 338 Win mag, 338 RUM, 35 Whelan 375 H&H, 375 Ruger on up.

Light rounds such as you infer are not used by anybody I know - not even if they are a crack shot.

ME >3000 is the standard, and many like to see a ME 0f >4000

Do as you want.

[Juniork5]

22lr

[Cnynrat]

You may want to think about something like this (12 GA Mossberg Cruiser) -



I've got a friend who just moved to the Yaak in Montana. When he's out hiking he carries one in a soft case that he slings over his shoulder. Could also be a useful backup to a good revolver.

We'll be moving to north Idaho in a couple years also, so I've been going through the same thought process to decide what I want to carry when I'm out and about on the property. We have 20 acres, and I know there are cougar in the area, probably black bears, but not likely grizzly where we are. May be a few gray wolves around as well.

[TripleThreat]

Given the choice I'd take a 44. When I found my S&W 629 wasn't able to handle hot loads I sold it and went with a Gen 4 Glock 10mm with 220gr hard cast bullets (1200ft sec) and a Lone Wolf 5.5" compensated barrel.

Triple

[Exile Machine]

More info on Bear Spray from the US Fish & Wildlife Service:

http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/grizzly/bear%20spray.pdf

They claim that people defending themselves with firearms are injured 50% of the time, whereas those defending themselves with pepper spray escape injury "most of the time."

Not sure if I totally trust the government statistics. Wife and I are planning to retire to Idaho bear country soon. I'm planning to pack a 12ga as well as the bear spray when out in the wilderness.

-Mark

[-hanko]

More info on Bear Spray from the US Fish & Wildlife Service:

http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/grizzly/bear%20spray.pdf

They claim that people defending themselves with firearms are injured 50% of the time, whereas those defending themselves with pepper spray escape injury "most of the time."

Not sure if I totally trust the government statistics. Wife and I are planning to retire to Idaho bear country soon. I'm planning to pack a 12ga as well as the bear spray when out in the wilderness.

-Mark

Not a bad idea either to bring along a dog or 2.

[toby]

OP, talk to people who have lived with or actually hunted the Grizzly, it just may save your life.

[Fjold]

It's not all about energy. My 22.250 using 36 grain Barnes VG at over 4,400 fps develops a lot more energy than my 45.70 with a 405 grain bullet.

If it comes to shooting a bear though, it's not going to be with my 22.250.

[Flying Sig]

I'm a huge fan of the 44 mag, but against an angry Bear? No thanks. Have fun with that.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=276219365889110&story_fbid=342263092618070

The Story-
This is the grizzly bear that attacked me this last week. He was under a tree 8 yards away. He started to run at me when I dropped my bow and unloaded a couple rounds into him wile he chasing me. He finally caught up to me and and put his arms around my legs and mouth around my leg. I then finished off the rest of the bullets into his head and neck with my barrel into buried into his fur. Jordan Larsen put a couple 44 mags in his side to roll him off of me and he got back up and came after us and got a couple more rounds from Jordan and brad flint.

[Intel0116]

AR-10 with standard capacity mags
and glock 20 with standard capacity mags.

[jaymz]

The solution is really easy:

Don't go into bear country with anybody that can run faster than you can.

[John Joseph]

The OP's post indicates that mobility and convenience are issues.
When I was flying in AK, all the Denali pilots carried .44 Mags in shoulder holsters because of the possibility of being trapped in wreckage or suffering a broke arm, making a rifle, well inconvenient.
Highway crews, OTOH always had a guy with a .375 H&H on watch, but they had the room for a rifle and were able-bodied. Shotguns with slugs were also common as was the .45-70 Marlin 1895 Cowboy---a lever action with a generous, full length magazine.
If the OP wants to walk around with a rifle all day, that's one thing but if he need to use both hands for anything, a side arm like a .44 Magnum would at least give him a fighting chance.

[geoint]

40mm gernade launcher.

lol good answer!

[Hunt]

I have been around those Alaska grizzlies, all I can say is yeah a .44 could work but I'll take a slug gun any day if possible. By all means put a .44 in a chest rig but I wouldn't bet my life on it. When I am hiking in Alaska I always have my finger on the trigger of a can of bear spray, I feel much more confident I could get a pepper bomb off in a bears face than I could quick draw a pistol and head shoot a charging bear the size of a car. The pepper spray is light convenient, it works, and I think if held like I hold it, ready to fire while walking in the bush it's faster than any long gun or pistol and ten times easier to hit their face. Remember, there are only two places you can put a bullet to stop a charging grizzly, in the head or bust his shoulders are you that good with a gun under those conditions?