Handgun caliber for bear

[Mr.Glock]

I’d like to know how many you all going where the bears are at?

 

[El Pablo]

We will be taking a trip mid-June of this year to Montana. On the itinerary is travel to Glacier National Park and we will be staying on the Swan River near Bigfork. I have the four options available to me handgun-wise for hiking and other outdoor activities. Which would you choose? Personal bear encounter stories are welcome. I am NOT buying another gun for this trip, so please keep the “you should get a ____” out of any replies.
I also plan to take a Mossberg stuffed with 8-9 slugs for around the rental house, but I’m just mainly curious about ya’lls choice for a sidearm. Let’s hear what you have to say, and yeah, I realize this topic is beat to death already, but it’s fun to vote, right?

my family in Alaska always had the first round be buckshot, the rest slugs. They said shoot it in the face, with buckshot, then the body with slugs if it’s still motivated. I’ve never wanted to find out if this is good advice.

 

[NINEROUND]

I’d like to know how many you all going where the bears are at?

5 minimum, possibly 8 max persons going. So, myself, my wife, 2 teen girls, possibly my oldest and her husband and maybe 2 teen boyfriends. Not saying I’m the best there is, but of the bunch it will fall to me for any protection from bears or humans. As far as I know ALL have fired a gun before and my two oldest daughters have both killed deer with a rifle. Other than that, level of experience is either nil or unknown.

 

[NINEROUND]

my family in Alaska always had the first round be buckshot, the rest slugs. The said shoot it in the face, with buckshot, then the body with slugs if it’s still motivated. I’ve never wanted to find out if this is good advice.

Kind of like that idea. I’d wager that 2 legged animals are more dangerous than the other kind. Makes sense to have a 00 shell in the chamber for either. If that doesn’t end it, then slugs it is.

 

[Gadsden]

I’d like to know how many you all going where the bears are at?

This is from our camping trip a couple years ago in Northern Idaho.

 

[Mr.Glock]

5 minimum, possibly 8 max persons going. So, myself, my wife, 2 teen girls, possibly my oldest and her husband and maybe 2 teen boyfriends. Not saying I’m the best there is, but of the bunch it will fall to me for any protection from bears or humans. As far as I know ALL have fired a gun before and my two oldest daughters have both killed deer with a rifle. Other than that, level of experience is either nil or unknown.

If time allows, train more that are going. One on each hip! And a Rifle on some one.

 

[NINEROUND]

I’ll probably take at least one of the boyfriends to the range before then, hopefully both, but only one lives close enough as it stands. I’m pretty sure that a rifle or shotgun in the national parks is a bad idea, but I could be wrong. I’m not sure what constitutes legal carry in one for sure. I would think that the long gun would make it appear you are “looking for trouble” or “hunting.”

 

[NINEROUND]

As promised, the .357 mag results. Same test medium, 158 Remington jhp. 4” model 66 for the delivery method. Penetration was on par with the 10mm, maybe a touch more. The board exit hole was about the same size as well, probably due to the jhp design.

 

[NINEROUND]

Entry side on the cardboard after the plate and the S&W.

 

[Mr.Glock]

I have friends in Delta Junction and Valdez. Hiking trips mixture 44 and 357 long barrels and someone with a Shotgun and or AR10s. The teens carried sidearms. A gun is a must on the woods anytime. Have fun, don’t make a big deal out of it. It can ruin trips for young ones and even adults. Kids stay between Adults, no straying from group. Have a blast, you most likely will never see one. Every time I go I carry two sidearms and was blessed that the residents I know all are armed.