What is the best to carry a bear gun for camping in the mountains?

The last time I bought a Remington 870, it was priced at $249.
I've never spent less on a new rifle other than a 10/22. $249 might be a lot to a KLR rider I guess...

If you are going to carry a firearm for bear defense just make sure it has enough knock down power to kill a grizzly. You'll be worse off if you shoot a bear with a weapon not strong enough to kill it.

I'd say go with bear spray. Much easier to use effectively. Unless you are already a proficient shooter you will probably be doing yourself more harm than good. Just because the weapon you carry can take down a bear doesn't mean you can take down a bear with that weapon.

Take into consideration that if you ever need to use that weapon it will be close quarters, happening very quickly and everything will be instinct. No time to think. If you can't shoot proficiently than your chances of taking down a grizzly before he gets to you are slim. You may be able to hit him but can you hit him where it counts? I know you certainly don't want to be waiting until the bear is in point black range. Then your chances of killing the bear before he gets a swipe with his paw are slim.

A firearm is a tool that must be used properly. Used improperly or without proper training can makes things worse. I would suggest the bear spray because I don't think its hard to miss with that. Bear spray immediately disables the bear once he has been hit with it. No need to make sure you hit the bear in a spot that is sure to take him down.

Just my .02.

If you are just buying the cheapest thing you can find then it isn't about the best is it?

No benefits to a shotgun over a rifle?

Accuracy? A shotgun is accurate enough at the ranges one would use it in self defense against a bear. We are not hunting bear at 100+ yard ranges and a 12g slug fired at defensive ranges is plenty powerful and like I said, accurate enough. If you can't hold "minute of bear" at this type range {well under 50 yards most of the time} you don't need to be carrying a firearm. Maybe a bear bell might do.

A shotgun big and heavy? My pump is around is around 38 inches long, stock extended. Stock folded it's around 28 inches long. Additionally it takes down easily {10 seconds} to two pieces, the longest 25 inches long. So, around two feet long and that will fit in many panniers. A Maverick M88 weighs less than 7lbs. Fully loaded,,, maybe 8lbs. Compare that to a rifle, most bolt actions are alot longer {nearly twice that}. Most rifles that are powerful enough to be used as bear protection don't have the option of a folding stock. Even one of the best rifles for this application, the Marlin 1895 in 45-70,,, is around 40 inches and about the same weight [7-8lbs}. Most rifles can't be broken down easily to around 2 feet long either.

Expensive? Are you serious???? A Mossberg 500 can be had under 300$, a Maverick 88 200$ or so. Used and beat up they can be found for less than half of that. My "Alaska pump" was nearly free and the folding stock cost something like 50-75$. In comparison, something like a Marlin 1895 in 45-70 {best rifle for this application IMO} will set you back over 500$. Yea, you could buy a cheapy bolt gun but it's not near as good a "tool" in this application.:huh

Additionally, there are other "predators" to worry about when out camping and something like #4Buck is perfect for that particular problem. When you are back at home, a pump shotgun can be used for hunting everything from dove to turkey, to deer with the change of a barrel. You can even have fun on the sheet/trap range. A pump shotgun really is just about the most versatile firearm you can have and it really is the best "tool" for this job considering the application and limitations those being portability, power and the need to easily get the firearm into Canada.

So really, the way I see it,,,, there are no real advantages to a rifle over a shotgun in this particular application. Matter of fact,,,, there are absolutely no benefits of a rifle over a pump shotgun in "this" application.

My "Alaska gun"-

Ready for action it's about 38 inches long, bout 7lbs loaded.


Folded but still ready if needed, around 28 inches long.


Broken down for carry on the panniers or dry bag, bout 25 inches. Takes all of 10 seconds to break down or more importantly, to reassemble.


Folded up and nestled away in it's molle scabbard which would be attached to my DL650's engine guard if touring. In the states it would be loaded without a trigger lock depending on the state. Have not taken it this way to Canada {did bring it in once broken down in the panniers} but after a few calls I got the OK to do so as long as it's unloaded, has a trigger lock and is in some way locked to the bike {my solution is a simple cable lock and that was OKed}.

I got the gun used and it had been used as a camp, truck gun so it was in rough looking shape but function perfectly fine. Like I said, it was rusty and beat up so I bead blasted the barrel and receiver. Painted the barrel with Rustoleum HD textured paint and the action with Rustoleum crinkle paint. Added the folding stock which was something like 50-75$ {can't remember exactly} and the molle scabbard was around 30$. Not bad for a gun who's actual cost to me was around 100$ for everything ehh? Terrible, I say terribly expensive right.

I agree 100% but there have also been times when bear spray didn't stop an attack from a bear. Better odds than a gun for sure but not perfect either. Best thing, have both because like I said, there are predators out there other than bear.

Better yet, procure and carry your own thermonuclear detonator like me. If I get attacked, everything dies in a .5 mile radius. Mutually Assured Destruction {M.A.D.} baby!!!!!!:eek1

All this talk reminds me of my old seargent in basic training. He said "no mater what you saw in the movies, never throw a hand grenade at a tank, it just ticks off the driver and makes his ears ring." The same thing could be said about a badly placed pistol shot at a grizzly, it'll just tick him off.

Pump shotguns are reliable, allow fast follow up shots, and are proven effective. Both hands are used to fire and operate the actions-misfires are cleared quickly. Try that with a bolt, or a semi-too much hand motion to clear jams, and too slow in a bear encounter. The military uses Remington 870s, because they are reliable, simple effective and cheap.

Older, beat up looking shotguns work fine, so long as they work. Mine has been carried a lot, and shows it, but it works perfectly. Buying one can be very inexpensive-cost does not matter-function does.

Bear encounters happen at 50 yards or less. You don't need long range, and short range is important for safety around other people. At short ranges a shotgun firing slugs is as accurate a rifle for practical purposes. I can make 3 inch groups at 100 yards with only a bead sight., using shotgun slugs. I would not shoot a bear that far away in a defensive situation anyway.

Anyone who shoots a bear claiming self defense at long range is out of line, and will often be prosecuted.

We got bear spray - two unfrozen cans no less. We got 500 S&W pistols. We got shotguns with slugs ready at the twitch of a finger. I am not sure this is going to be adequate. I want a grenade launcher or at the least a 500 express elephant gunOne guy says something about his shotgun and sharks, now that is a topic, cause I often wonder what will happen when I catch too large a shark while kayaking offshore in California. Yes, my wife and I do catch sharks in a 12'-6" plastic cork of a kayak and one can't help but wonder what will happen if you reel in a 10' shark. I thought of bringing my Kimber and just filling it with lead, but how would I explain that when I toe the beast in!

I do love AdvRider. One gets a very good world view of life! Hey, I am all for killing, maiming, spraying and general chaos as long as it does not get too out of hand.

Somewhere between 300 & 800# coming at you at 30 mph or better. Your shot placement goes where? Is it a bluff charge? Need time to think or aim?

A little BEDTIME STORY to help you sleep.

Bear Attack Discusssion Inevitable Degradation Score: 6 out of 10, and rising<!--[if !mso]> <style> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <wunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <wontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]-->


Happens every time. the voice of reason disappears in the breeze

It was never present.

That bear will have to wipe his eyes well before getting me as I would shit all over him!

All joking about shatting and thermonuclear detonators aside,,,, I think too many here are maybe taking a firearms ability to kill a bear too lightly. Yes, it will take a cool head and an accurate shot/shots but it does happen and has happened alot. Just remember, it's not just 800-1000lb grizzlies that one would have to worry about, they do come in smaller sizes too. In addition, plenty of people have been mauled or killed by black bears, more so I believe simply because there are more black bears and they are in areas that are more often frequented by us. In any event, there have been a shitload of grizzly bears have been killed by firearms, all the way down to a .22 rimfire. Would I want to face a charging bear with a .22? Hell no but I reckon it better than nothing. Just recently a hiker killed a grizzly in Alaska with a Glock M21 {.45ACP}. If I remember right, a home owner killed grizzly with a 40S&W {foggy on those details, coulda been a black bear} and also not too long ago a guy in Alaska stopped a charge from a grizzly with a single shot from a 40S&W. Didn't kill it but it did it job and stopped the charge.

I was watching a show in the Discovery Channel, NatGeo or something like that and it was showing people working in a polar region that were constantly having to deal with polar bear attacks. Guess what? They carried firearms in addition to bear spray. I think polar bears are even larger than the garden variety 700-900lb grizzly and I think they are known to be even more aggressive. If a rifle or shotgun can kill a charging polar bear, I think it can work on a grizzly. I would have to imagine that they now better than many of the people who are full of sarcasm in this thread.

Like I said, I personally would have a can of bear spray on my side and I would be armed with a 12g pump, possibly a large caliber pistol if I had no need to go through Canada. And like I said, I think you have more to worry from two legged predators than you will ever have to worry about bears but thankfully a 12g and bear spray works on both.

Except increased accuracy, better penetration and lower weight. Saying otherwise doesn't make it so. The truth is while a 12g slug is big and may work great close in it is big and slow and loses penetration quickly. It has very poor sectional density which is what you want in a bear gun. Any mods you make to a shotgun, stock etc, can and have been made to a rifle. Your prices are a bit off also a 870 retails for over $400 and a 870 police for over $700 which surprisingly enough was what I just bought my browning .300wsm for. Mossberg's may be a bit cheaper but we are not talking a fraction of the price and it's not the "cheapest" gun but the "Best" that the op was asking about. Mind you I love my Mossberg and thing it's great but against a Griz a rifle is just better.

Interesting how the discussion has transformed over 5 pages. The funny thing is the original thread line was supposed to read "What is the best WAY to carry a bear gun for camping in the mountains". If I could have figured out how to go back in and fix the title line I would have! I just wanted to know to carry it, what kind of scabbards or methods riders were using to carry guns on their bikes? I already had the gun. Great info on bear prevention, but everyone will have their own opinions about "which " gun.

Anyway, thanks for the bear info, now....how about ideas about HOW to carry the gun?

Read a book,

"Killer Bears" by Mike Cramond

A good read that illustrates all levels of bear encounters.

Once again, I know there are many rifles that are more powerful and penetrate deeper than a 12g slug but once again, the right 12g slug {there are many to choose from} has all the power and penetration one needs in this application {self defense under 50 yards}.

I stated you could mount a folding stock on a rifle but for the most part, it's not as easy nor as economical as buying and mounting one on a pump shotgun. Show me a folding stock for 1895 which IMO is one of the best rifles for this application.

Price? No, I was not a bit off. I was directly addressing another poster's assertion that shotguns were expensive as compared to rifles and they are definitely not. Yea, you can go out and find a high dollar pump but you can find high dollar rifles too. Who say you have to buy a 870 much less a 870 police model when a Maverick or Mossberg will do just fine? I was comparing apples and apples, low end shotguns to low end rifles. You can get a 12g M88 for around 200$ or a Mossberg 500 for under 300$ and it will be reliable, portable {size and weight}, powerful and accurate enough for bear defense at 50 yards or less. In comparison, the cheapest rifles are bolt guns {which are not as size efficient, and weigh roughly the same} that start around 400$ for something like a 30-06. If you pay a bit more you can get more powerful bolt guns starting around 500$ and up but hey, you could certainly pick off a charging grizzly at 300yards due to it's better accuracy and power.

I consider the Marlin 1895 in 45-70 to be one of the better rifles for this application {powerful, small and fast/easy follow up shots}, they start at around 500$ and once again, not as size efficient nor are they as versatile. Seriously man,,,, we could go on and on on this issue but the facts remain, the 12g pump is a favorite among people that deal with bear in the wild. There is a reason they are a favorite that being "enough power", "enough accuracy", they are very size efficient in both size and weight, cost and versatility. Are there better firearms out there? Sure, but a 12g pump certainly has alot of virtues that apparently make it a favorite in this application. Once again, keep in mind the specific application.


I do like this debate pretty good, it's sorta like a good bench racing session. Tell ya what, if you still disagree or have specific bones of contention, lets get specific. What's your "pick" for the best bear gun being carried by a motorcyclist who has to abide with Canadian regulations? Throw that out and we can start nit picking the good points and bad points. I've already stated mine, your turn.

People debate ideas and thoughts, that what we do. It's all in fun.

And the info you are asking for? It was posted earlier in the thread. I choose a pump shotgun because it is easy to bring into Canada unlike a pistol, powerful and accurate enough for bear defense and most importantly, it can be fitted with a folding stock and it can be broken down even further for transport. I posted up two ways to carry a gun.

1. Broken down into two pieces {barrel and magazine/reciever/stock assy.} and placed into your panniers or drybag. All it takes to break down a pump shotgun is loosening one bolt at the end of the magazine and it slips apart. Takes all of 10 seconds.

2. Buy a scabbard and attatch it to a convienent spot on your bike. I placed mine on the engine guard of my DL650. I used a molle scabbard. I called the Canadian authorities {forgot the name but I placed a link in one of my posts} and got the OK to carry it this way as long as it was unloaded, had a trigger guard and was sercured to my bike to prevent theft {I specifically got a cable lock OKed}. It's supposed to be "out of sight" but got this OKed because there are not many places you can hide a 30inch object on a bike. I was going to place a cover over the exposed end of the gun while in the scabbard to get it "out of sight}.

There,,,, once again, two ideas on HOW to carry a gun.