backup rifle for bear hunting

[pupper]

what type, if any gun should i be considering for a back up rifle when im in the woods hunting for bear?

im thinking lever action, am i right ? or should i just tough it out with the bow and if a bear attacks me just use my knife?

[hoochie]

in my humble opinion, I would suggest a short (18 1/2) barrel 12 guage.
I bought a mossberg for that very reason many years ago, and it still goes with me almost everytime out. its light, compact and easy to pack around.
you can get a new mossberg for roughly $300.
I altenate slug and buck shot.
keep an eye out for cougars too.

Kent outdoors ( in aggazis) and Wanstalls ( Maple ridge) have um for $269

[Kirby]

When chasing bears with my bow, I usually pack my 12 gauge 870, 18.5" barrel, and either pistol grip, or full stock, depending on whats on it at the time. Unlike hoochie, I go full slugs, figure he will be close enough I ain't missing, and buckshot doesn't have the punch behind it for me.

Kirby

[BlacktailStalker]

Yup nothin like a pistol grip defender although when I have a friend with me he usually is close behind, watching through the scope on my .300 wsm. 3 years ago I was going up a slash after one, with my bow and I guess he was in a little dip I couldnt see with the naked eye, I was trying to navigate through the waist high slash as quietly as possible and as I went up this steep incline, the bear was stalking down towards me, waiting at the top. I heard the bullet whiz by, and then the report of the rifle. He shot him in the head 15 yards above me. I thought I had at least another 50 yards to go and couldnt see him. Maybe dangerous but he said he meant buisiness. My friend was watching from a side angle directly in line with the bear, perpendicular to me from the timber about 100 yards away. Nice shot.

[Thunderstix]

I would personally go with the Mossberg 590 (think that's the model) with the 14 inch barrel and full stock. A full stock is a much better choice for accuracy on the first shot and follow ups. This gun fits nicely into a "papoose" style back carrier. I bought one from Back Country or what ever it's called in Ft.St John, but have since sold it as I ended up with nothing to put in it.

[Fred]

While prospecting alone I always carry my Winchester Model 12 with an 18.5 in bbl and it is in cylinder bore so it cannot be misconstrued as a hunting shotgun. I also load my own shells for it and those cannot be mistaken for hunting rounds either. Fred

[youngfellla]

Another popular choice is the Marlin Model 1895 Guide lever action in 45/70, 18.5" barrel. Russell's sports carries them for just over $600. That's my kind of bear spray.

[Tarp Man]

Would the kick froma 45/70 compare to a 12 gauge shotgun with slugs? I have always wondered, and I don't know anyone who owns a 45/70.
-Tarp Man

[todbartell]

I'd try a Marlin 1895G in 45/70

[ruger#1]

python 44 magnum, all the way!

[Bow Walker]

:mrgreen: Lipstick........usually in Peach, or Persimmon, or Pomegranate. Apply liberally to lips, pucker up, and bend over and kiss your ass goodbye !! :mrgreen: :shock:

[Onesock]

444 Marlin, 265 gr. Will stop a train!

[Steeleco]

I've got both a lever and a shottie, I'd prefer the lever, but which ever you can shoot well under pressure. Many a theory abound about stopping angry bears but if you panic and are unsure of your ability it would'nt matter if you were packing an uzi, your toast, at which time the lipstick plan kicks in.:eek::eek:

For me a well placed 170grn round nose from a marlin 336 in 30-30 is the plan.

[youngfellla]

I find the 45/70 recoil very manageable, especially with a nice recoil pad on it. Besides, if it's time to pull out the backup gun, recoil is the last thing I worry about. Except for the recoil when you crap in your pants.

[pupper]

when I go grizz hunting this fall I am going to carry a 12g defender shotgun loaded with 400gr. sabot slugs of the winchester supreme variety. What type of holster/pack type thing should I have to carry it as I am bowhunting?

[ryanb]

If you're hunting Grizzly, with a bow especially, you'd be well advised to go with a partner who can carry the back-up shotgun/rifle.

[pupper]

oh yah, my hunting partner will be backing me up with a 300wby magnum, we also have access to a 458 win mag but I want something for protection as well.

[The 'Hummer']

Back up rifle?? You decide to hunt with a bow, then do IT, and depend on IT!!
Like the concept of your choice ruger#1 but the Python was not made in 44 Magnum.

[ruger#1]

okay it was 357 sorry,ill take the dan wesson hunter pack in 44 mag then.

[pupper]

well hummer, my pride is not worth my life. If an arrowed grizz turned on me and made 40yds in a blink I dont think I will have the time to nock another arrow. If my shotgun is beside me, loaded, I have a good chance at a charging bear.IMHO.

their hearts only beat 10x a minute. With a blown out heart they still have alot of life in them, enough to kill anyways.

[rrfred]

their hearts only beat 10x a minute. With a blown out heart they still have alot of life in them, enough to kill anyways.[/quote]


during hibernation the bears' heart rate drops, not so when yogi is out.
For those who think a 12 gauge pistol grip shotgun is the way to go give it a try at the range with full house loads and get back to us... a well practiced rifleman can do wonders with a levergun even a 3030, but my vote would be a 444 or 450 4570 etc.

[pupper]

I shot a box of slugs at the range on sunday out of the defender straight from the hip. I hit the target every shot from 25yds although it was tricky. It is more of an instinctive shot and the recoil from those 3" slugs were hard on the wrist.

I agree I might want to use my remmington pump w/ stock instead.

[Bow Walker]

Seriously - I agree whole heartedly with Steelco. Use anything that you can get a whole bunch of BIG shots off when you are under extreme pressure.

Hitting the target at 25 yards at the range on a nice quiet day (with clean drawers) is one thing.

Hitting a charging or just an angry bear when he (or she) is up close and personal is a whole other ball of wax. I would think that if a bear was going to do some damage to you it would most likely try to sneak up on you the same way you would try to sneak up on it. My money goes on the bear in a sneak-up contest.

Possible scenario - You have put the "sneak" on a bear and are within bow shooting range. You draw back, aim and let loose. Just as you do that the bear somehow senses you and moves to get a better smell of what is for lunch. Your arrow hits. The hit is in a pee-poor place. It just makes the bear mad. Now he is seriously looking to mangle whatever it was that stuck him with that sharp stick.

Since you and your intended prize are within spitting distance of each other (so to speak) it takes the bear all of maybe 3 - 4 seconds to spot you, decide to charge and initiate that decision. Bears can cover an amazing amount of ground in an amazingly small amount of time. this is when the lipstick plan comes in.

My question to you and to everyone is this - how in the hell are you going to un-limber a backup gun, chamber a round, and get off a decent shot in under 5 seconds?? All this when the bear is making some serious headway in your direction and, to top it all off, you sphincter has just let go and something warm, wet and smelly is filling up your drawers??:eek:

Good luck. Is bear meat that tasty?:confused:

[Barracuda]

I like my 375 H&H . I does a good job and i am very comfortable with it and how it feels very good to me

[pupper]

for bowwalker question on how to get your gun ready and chamber a round after you shot something. I would have the gun beside me loaded, and as soon as the arrow left the rest, my bow would be on the ground and the shotgun in hand. I would not wait until the bear decided to turn on me before deciding if I should chamber a bullet. It is all done before hand.

and as far as I know grizzly bacon is quite the treat!!!

It is more of a feat/accomplishment nailing a grizz with an arrow than a hunger for the grizz chops. Besides, it can be done responsibly and smart If you have a confident/accurate partner with a 300wby and you yourself have a shotgun loaded beside you if all else fails. I should mention that the bow hunter should feel confident in what they are doing.

[Gateholio]

45-08 Acp ;)

[bruno]

for bowwalker question on how to get your gun ready and chamber a round after you shot something. I would have the gun beside me loaded, and as soon as the arrow left the rest, my bow would be on the ground and the shotgun in hand. I would not wait until the bear decided to turn on me before deciding if I should chamber a bullet. It is all done before hand.

and as far as I know grizzly bacon is quite the treat!!!

It is more of a feat/accomplishment nailing a grizz with an arrow than a hunger for the grizz chops. Besides, it can be done responsibly and smart If you have a confident/accurate partner with a 300wby and you yourself have a shotgun loaded beside you if all else fails. I should mention that the bow hunter should feel confident in what they are doing.

Silly question, Is that considered "Bow Hunting" or "Rifle Hunting"?:p :p

[boxhitch]

45-08 Acp ;)
TRES :cool: .

[The 'Hummer']

well hummer, my pride is not worth my life. If an arrowed grizz turned on me and made 40yds in a blink I dont think I will have the time to nock another arrow. If my shotgun is beside me, loaded, I have a good chance at a charging bear.IMHO.

their hearts only beat 10x a minute. With a blown out heart they still have alot of life in them, enough to kill anyways.

If you want to 'hunt with a bow, hunt with a bow.' If you feel you need added insurance or comfort, take an appropiate firearm. If, while bow hunting grizz, you really want an added 'safety cushion' or security blanket (in addition to a gun) take a frag grenade or stick of TNT. The comfort options are limitless!!

[pupper]

If you want to 'hunt with a bow, hunt with a bow.' If you feel you need added insurance or comfort, take an appropiate firearm. If, while bow hunting grizz, you really want an added 'safety cushion' or security blanket (in addition to a gun) take a frag grenade or stick of TNT. The comfort options are limitless!!

will do hummer, do you know someone who can get me some grenades?
that would be great!!!

have you even shot anything with a bow hummer? Have you watched any movies of bowhunters taking grizz? they always have a guide with a rifle by their side.

and what would you do if you were gutting a kill and all you had was a bow in grizz country, is that responsible? or should you just break down and carry a safety measure when dangerous game is in the area?

[The 'Hummer']

will do hummer, do you know someone who can get me some grenades?
that would be great!!!

have you even shot anything with a bow hummer? Have you watched any movies of bowhunters taking grizz? they always have a guide with a rifle by their side.

and what would you do if you were gutting a kill and all you had was a bow in grizz country, is that responsible? or should you just break down and carry a safety measure when dangerous game is in the area?

Hey, help yourself. Take a poke at a Grizz with your bow. Then pound a 400gr. 45-70 slug through it, hit it with a stick of stumping powder then pull the security blanket right up and drive over it with a logging truck! After you finish taking pictures, you can proudly state, "I got my Grizz with a bow this year". Another option is to hunt & take the animal with something that offers you the level of security & comfort you desire. Jeez!!!

[alremkin]

Hm, well when I go for grizzly I'll use my 416 Remington Mag loaded with 350 gr Barnes XXX bullets @ 2600fps. I applied for a griz permit in region 7-50, small chance of drawing it. And If I encounter one while hunting elk or moose with my 338/378 I'd reload, given time, to 325 gr bonded core tappered jacket wildcat bullets otherwise I'd have to take a shot with the 275 Swift bonded core bulltets. Against griz I wouldn't want to go any lighter than these.

[dirtyharry]

The backup gun is pointless, If the bear charges you wont even get it out. Maybe I am a chicken but I would not bow hunt for Griz without a backup partner who is reliable and can cover me.
And Hummer I don't think that is against the spirit of hunting with a bow, it's just pure common sense. I have a family that counts on me to feed them. The gun is only backup, better to have and not need......

Rob

[brotherjack]

IMHO, the only useful backup is a buddy or a guide with a serious shoulder cannon, who will sit there with the bear in his sights, watching for any sign of a charge. Physics is physics - there is no distance at which you can reasonably hit a bear with an arrow, which that bear cannot cover to reach you before you could ever do a thing about it - unless you had the bear already in the gunsights before you stuck him with tne arrow (and you can't do both at once, can you). It takes two people, and one big gun. Anything else is just fodder to calm your nerves - it won't do much/any real good in the unlikely event of a non-bluff charge..

[gitnadoix]

There are far too many variables for any one to make any assumption on how long it will be after a bear is shot with an arrow or even before he is shot with an arrow that he decides to toss ya around like cat with a ping pong ball. BUT if it does run around a bit first or in to the woods and back out again or-or-or ......any of the other billion options you may have time to get a gun off of yer back and into play. If you dont have one on in one of these events you will have to rely on your bow, skill and luck. If you do have a gun you will still have to rely on your gun, skill and LUCK again.

Of course that again is just an opion, but based on common sense not conjecture.

[The 'Hummer']

The backup gun is pointless, If the bear charges you wont even get it out. Maybe I am a chicken but I would not bow hunt for Griz without a backup partner who is reliable and can cover me.
And Hummer I don't think that is against the spirit of hunting with a bow, it's just pure common sense. I have a family that counts on me to feed them. The gun is only backup, better to have and not need......

Rob
Rob, while I know where you're coming from, I don't agree. If you take or decide to take the challenge to go for a Grizz with a bow, then do so. A friend went afer Black Bears with a bow. Long story short but another friend ended up chasing it down and finishing it off a short while later, with a .308. All we ever heard was "getting my first bear with a bow'. To me, there is something wrong with that picture, so perhaps you can understand my comments?:?:

[pupper]

Rob, while I know where you're coming from, I don't agree. If you take or decide to take the challenge to go for a Grizz with a bow, then do so. A friend went afer Black Bears with a bow. Long story short but another friend ended up chasing it down and finishing it off a short while later, with a .308. All we ever heard was "getting my first bear with a bow'. To me, there is something wrong with that picture, so perhaps you can understand my comments?:?:

so thats the underlying reason you are so against having a safety measure, cuz a buddy ticked you off.

my opinion is if a bear has a bullet hole in it, it is a rifle bear. An Archery bear just has broadheads through it.

[oldtimer]

Exactly correct Pupper !!! NO BULLETT HOLES !!!!! period. If I shoot a bear with my bow and Chris has to finish him IT IS NOT A BEAR TAKEN WITH A BOW !!!! Mike

[dirtyharry]

Hummer, I agree with you 100% on the principle that if you are hunting with a bow then things only get shot with a bow. I agree that if you need to finish it off with a gun then you just went rifle hunting.

Having to shoot bear with gun would be last resort and I would consider a failure of a bow hunt.

However I would still be alive to bitch about it. Thats why I like hunting for bear with a buddy.

Rob

[The 'Hummer']

pupper
- What ticked me off was the fact my friend arrowed a Bear, then quite quite while later his partner finished it off with a .308. I might add, this wasn't a defense issue. Ticked off? Yes!! Because now any referense to the animal is "his first Black Bear with a bow."
oldtimer
dirtyharry
-We're saying the same thing I believe, except perhaps my comments on this thread, and to my 'friend' were a little less diplomatic.

[dirtyharry]

Tell your buddy he wounded his first bear with a bow. And congratulate the other guy on a good bear hunt, and clean shooting!

Hummer, I'm just being a bit more diplomatic cause it's easier to do on the computer when you can edit what your saying if you don't like how it comes out. Unfortunately we don't have that option in the real world, I would have probably pissed off a lot less people in my lifetime.

Rob

[puppychow]

To Ruger #1. I would love to carry a handgun as backup. But it is illegal and a criminal offense. Can't afford to lose all my hunting gear if caught, not worth the risk. Puppy.

[itsme]

It all boils down -to each their own
Hunt the way you want to- you want to carry a gun carry one - you dont want dont then.
Do what it takes for you to enjoy your hunt- In the end its your hunt not theirs.
there will always be someoen to question the way you hunt
- Got a quade- some willsay walking is the only true way
some will say - hunt with abow- well got to use a a recurve or longbow- not a compound
arrows yo ucan hunt with metal or carbon hasto be wood
point is opinions our like noses everyone has one- you hunt hte way you like and enjoy it

[The 'Hummer']

It all boils down -to each their own
Hunt the way you want to- you want to carry a gun carry one - you dont want dont then.
Do what it takes for you to enjoy your hunt- In the end its your hunt not theirs.
there will always be someoen to question the way you hunt
- Got a quade- some willsay walking is the only true way
some will say - hunt with abow- well got to use a a recurve or longbow- not a compound
arrows yo ucan hunt with metal or carbon hasto be wood
point is opinions our like noses everyone has one- you hunt hte way you like and enjoy it

My point is, "hunt with whatever you want, how ever you want", just don't tell me about "your first Bear with a bow, when it was actually done in by a rifle!!! That is not getting your Bear with a bow!