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NOPE!
Posted by Michael Strahan on Jan 19 2006
AK-
As was mentioned, this subject has been covered in great detail here. But I still think it's a topic worthy of our best efforts. Here's a quick overview to consider.
1. Pepper spray. Next to useless, and you can't take it on a commercial flight anywhere. Don't bother.
2. Large-caliber handguns (.44, .357 in particular). Ah... er... uh... well, better than nothing. I guess.
3. Big-Bore handguns (.454, .500, etc.) Great calibers, but you'll only get one "well-aimed shot" before it catapults out of your hand into the stratosphere. You'll need plastic surgery from that front ramp sight scar on your forehead too.
4. 12-gauge (how come nobody asks about the lowly 20 gauge or even the 410?). Excellent choice for fishing trips (no, you don't shoot the fish with it! Sheesh!). But unless you bring one specifically for a camp gun you probably won't have one along on a hunting trip. By the way, the best "bear spray" is the 00 buckshot that comes out of a 12-bore. I like 'em because they're BIG and LOUD. But that's just me.
5. Wimpy rifles (.270, et al). You MIGHT pull it off, but rifles like that are best left quivering in the corner of the gun cabinet when the REAL GUNS come out to play with bears. When was the last time you saw a brown bear guide with a .270? Timothy Treadwell could have gone into the field with one and nobody would have accused him of having a weapon in camp.
6. Big-bore rifles (.338, .300, ,375, etc.). These rifles are excellent choices. That's why guides carry them.
POINTS TO CONSIDER
1. There's no difference between a gun intended for bear HUNTING and one intended for bear PROTECTION. If the goal is to kill the critter, best get something that will do the job consistently and with great enthusiasm.
2. Ultra-light is for fishing and small airplanes; not bear guns.
3. The bear doesn't care if a .44 was the biggest gun you could afford. His "slack-cutter" is usually broken, so don't expect him to give you a break when he's in a bad mood.
4. Buy a copy of Robert Ruark's gun book and READ IT. But in case you're pressed for time, at least memorize the title and repeat it to yourself over and over as you shop for a bear weapon, "USE ENOUGH GUN".
5. ALL weapons are useless if they force you to operate on the fringes of your competence level. That's college language for "if you can't shoot straight, stay on the couch". Obviously some people shoot one caliber more effectively than another. But if you're best with your Ruger 10/22 and can't hit a barn wall from the inside with your .300, that doesn't mean you should bring the .22. That would be a good time to stay home and watch football instead.
6. Practice.
No disrespect intended toward the fans of the .44, Mr. Treadwell, or other fans of the low-impact method.
:-))
-Mike
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