BimmerboyE46
Established Member
Will likely be doing some hiking in grizzly country this summer, and am thinking about picking up a .357 like a 686 or a 10mm like a glock 20. What calibers/guns do you guys prefer for bear country?
Lived in Alaska 27 years, the last several in Southeast Ak where there is an amazing number of brown bears. Killed brown bears and moose while hunting and professionally as a LEO. I agree, I've had more issues with moose than brown bears. All handguns are marginal, but I carried them for convenience and never had an issue putting down moose with a Glock 22. Shot placement is key, go with a reasonable caliber in a frame you shoot well.Some good comments above. 10mm is effective as well as 44mag. I’ve known a few Alaskan guides that went with 45 colt or things like 454, 50AE, etc.
Btw, my experience in Alaska taught me the biggest threat was moose vs bear. The moose are very plentiful much more so than brown bears. Moose are also much less predictable.
This right here’s is what I’d do, in 10mm. This rig looks like the holster is mounted vertically. I would mount it horizontally though. So the draw is to the side rather than up.I carried a 10mm in a chest rig, which ever way you go, you should carry “hard cast” ammo,
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Will likely be doing some hiking in grizzly country this summer, and am thinking about picking up a .357 like a 686 or a 10mm like a glock 20. What calibers/guns do you guys prefer for bear country?
While I lean towards the more rounds the better side of the argument, that article is useless. They literally start off by saying they used the lightest 44 mag revolver known to man and suffered mightily because of it. Then they ended the article by saying the Glock was the best because it was the heaviest. Classic case of comparing apples to oranges. Shame too because I usually like John B. Snow.Bear Gun Shootout: 10mm vs .44 Mag.
We settle the debate over the best bear defense pistol cartridge— 10mm vs 44 Mag. —with this simple, but challenging shooting drill.www.outdoorlife.com