Bear Sidearm

[Straight Arrow]

I hear a 10/22 carbine is the best PD weapon out there.

Yes, that PD would really Piss D bear off!

 

[ccc23454]

We had a guy locally kill a griz with a .22 think 2 years ago. Came into his camp and shot at it to scare it off and it died...lol. he lied to g&f about story and they charged him, pretty heavy fine but he got lucky it happened before went back on endangered list of fine would of been way higher. So .22 do kill bears! but not recommended unless hunting with buddy, then shot him in leg when your running away.

 

[runningmt]

This one is going sideways.
To the OP, I have had black bears steal elk quarters I've left overnight. My bad for leaving them on the ground. Hang them! Every black bear I've been that close to has swapped ends. Of course here in Idaho we shoot the snot out of them so they have respect. I don't know about Colorado.
My advice is pretend you are bear hunting. You won't see any bears.

 

[EWpres]

Both pistols and bear sprays have their pros and cons. To me, it's whatever makes you feel safest when you're trying to walk quietly by yourself at 4 am. I keep my 45 on my hip when it's archery season. But, I'm also usually hunting alone or with an unarmed partner, several miles from a trailhead. If I break my leg and have to spend the night on the mountain by myself I would much rather have a pistol than bear spray to fend off a lion (which are pretty common in CO, though unlikely to attack you). If something tries to get into your tent and you use spray then you're going to blind yourself as well. Basically, I think it never hurts to have something with you that goes bang when you're in the woods.

 

[BearFoot]

it's whatever makes you feel safest when you're trying to walk quietly by yourself

I've packed 357 for years. Just purchased 10mm and practicing.

 

[220yotekiller]

Being in CO l wouldn't worry about it. That being said, when l moved to WY l started carrying my 357 Mag. but l'm not in grizzly country ether. l own a 1911 in 45 acp but l don't have much faith in the penetration of that round.

 

[Steve Petersen]

My kids each carry a can of spray when out hunting with me or checking bait site. I carry .40 with custom 320g loads if all I’m doing is checking bait or theirs I have my rifle.

You will be in CO on a ML hunt so no chance of a grizz encounter. Take a can of spray if it makes you feel warm and fuzzy. That’s why my kids carry it as it makes the wife less edgy. I have more fear from a Mt lion attack than a black bear.

 

[chav0_12]

So, In that 3 seconds you will draw your BS, take the safety catch off, discharge a massive plum of offending spray and stop the charging Grizz cold as it ingests the spray which will register immediately
to the bears senses, make it stop in it's tracks as opposed to running you over and ripping some portion of your anatomy apart. All with the wind at your back.....

I carry both during archery. If things get hairy I’ll have bear spray in one hand and the gun in the other. Either way, if it’s a situation where there’s less than 3 seconds to react you’re screwed with either option because that’s a pretty short amount of time. I think either is a wash, it’s just good to be prepared with both and know how to use them efficiently and effectively.

 

[YoungGun]

I carry both during archery. If things get hairy I’ll have bear spray in one bad and the gun in the other. Either way, if it’s a situation where there’s less than 3 seconds to react you’re screwed with either option because that’s a pretty short amount of time. I think either is a wash, it’s just good to be prepared with both and know how to use them efficiently and effectively.

Agreed. I can use bear spray on a bluffing bear or a bear that won’t leave my camp and not have to explain myself to USFWS. Meanwhile, having a sidearm let’s me sleep better in my soft shell taco of a sleeping bag at night. I think there’s a misconception among us that a pistol is going to stop a bear attack in it’s tracks. MOST pistol calibers, all you’re doing is punching sub-half-inch holes in the animal until it succumbs to circulatory collapse. That can take a while for a person, let alone a bear that can be twice as large.

 

[buffybr]

Being in CO l wouldn't worry about it. That being said, when l moved to WY l started carrying my 357 Mag. but l'm not in grizzly country ether. l own a 1911 in 45 acp but l don't have much faith in the penetration of that round.

I've lived, worked, and hunted in grizzly country since 1975. Last fall an archery hunter videoed a grizzly on a neighbor's property about 1/4 mile from my house, then a week later my next door neighbor found grizzly tracks in the snow on the hill about 300 yards above our houses.

I've had at least one .357 Mag revolver since 1970, and for many years while elk hunting I carried either a 7 1/2" Ruger SBH .44 Mag or a 1911 .45 acp. Like I posted earlier in this tread, I killed black bears with that Ruger and 1911, each with a single cast lead bullet. There was absolutely no problem with the penetration of my .45 acp bullet, and I'm sure a .357 would also work fine.

My favorite carry gun in the woods now is a stainless 4" S&W Model 629 with hard cast lead bullets.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

Counter Assault or UDAP if you are concerned about creating distance from any mammals. As for grizzlies in CO, here’s the story of the last grizzly and it was killed with a broadhead used in a frenetic stabbing motion:

Meet the man who killed Colorado’s last grizzly | OutThere Colorado

The mystery of the lone grizzly.

www.outtherecolorado.com