Being that I'm in Canada (read Granny State, as far as hand guns go) it has to be a long gun or shotgun. I do a lot of hiking and biking in bear country. I don't hunt. I would only shoot anything to avoid being eaten! What do all you gun savvy Yanks recommend for a defensive bear gun? I know if I was hunting bear, I'd use something along the lines of a .300 WSM with a big old scope, but what's best if the bear is hunting ME? Lyle
Marlin 45-70 1895 guide gun. It's what I have for my bear gun. It's a freak'n cannon, easy(isn) to shoot well and fast, plus compact for easy carry. I love mine, even if I'm Canadian.
Poor quality vid of the 45-70 in action at the range: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/z4ekdCgiS2w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Sans scope b/c any encounter,where you need to shoot to protect your self, will likely be at close range and it is a lot easier to aquire the target at close range with open sights.
The Guide Gun is a good choice, and pretty cool. OTOH, a pump or semi-auto 12 gauge shotgun loaded with slugs or alternating slugs and 00 Buck would be equally effective as bear protection, maybe even better. Since you're not going to be hunting you're not overly concerned about long-range performance.
Yup, what he said. No scope, just iron sites. Four in the tube and one in the kitchen. Hammer at half cock and even if you don't hit your target, anything downwind of the business end of this thing will be bleeding out of at least of a couple of orifices.
I'm just a little person and I carry a Marlin .45-70 guide version too. It is easy to shoot and very acurate. I love that gun. Sometimes however, a rifle is not the most appropriate gun for my work. I work in the mountains in the Alaska Range. In this case, the terrain is very steep and hands are sometimes needed to climb. Bears can climb amazingngly fast. Ususally I carry a .454 Casul. It's another cannon. Mine is ported to decrease the kick (especailly with bear loads). Since my hands are small, I have changed the grip so my fingers can easily reach the trigger. It is really important to practice shooting and to understand bear behaviors. Bear spray is not my favorite tool. One of my geologists just sprayed herself in the face with the stuff. Her partner had to haze a bear and then go to her rescue. Pretty silly.
Had a friend who used to guide in Alaska, he carried a Remington 870 12 ga slug gun with rifle sights as a camp gun.
Here's my 870 as short as we're allowed here in Canada. It's also a great bear stopper. As you can see its shorter than my 45-70. If you wanted to pack a gun down side webbing of a back pack, I'd go with the shorty 870. If I was going to carry a slung gun for quick response, I'd carry the 45-70. I find it easier to shoot quickly, something that I figure is important during a bear charge.
I would not have thought of the .45-70 but that is a hell of a cartridge and not to hard to come by. I have that rifle in .30-30 and actually keep it handy for the local browns, it's reliable in it's lever action, and I like the hammer design. I think if it were me in your shoes, I'd use a 12 ga with 3" magnums, alternate 00/slugs maybe if I felt really brave, #7.5 in the chamber for a warning shot. Get the short barrel 870 or similar so it's easy to swing - I guess a sling goes without saying. I have never had that close an encounter, our local brown is a fraidy cat and won't stand a harsh word! When I was in Alaska, I saw surprisingly few bears and in two months we only had one in-campground experience that we knew about. Being as we drove thru Canada, we had bear spray and no firearms.
If money is a non-issue and portability is, look at the Copilot version of the Marlin Guide Gun. http://wildwestguns.com/copilot.html I gotta wimpy Marlin lever gun in 45 Colt.
12ga with slugs or the heaviest buckshot is the way to go. You can practice skeet shooting with a short barrel pump and get very proficient. Find a range that won't get upset if you don't mount the gun before firing. You will become good at mounting the gun, sighting and firing in one smooth action. Speed and ease of handling are your best friends if a bear gets close enough to be a threat. No need for a barrel with sights for what you want to do. Cylinder bore (or a slight choke) with a front bead is adequate. Winchester pump shotguns have a rotary bolt head and are very fast to operate. Go with the minimum legal barrel length. A gunshop can modify a long barrel to suit your needs at minimal cost. Rifle cartridges are overkill for short distance self preservation work and are more expensive if you practice enough to be a good shot.
I was looking at a Sako 85 in .375 H&H, too slow. A Marlin lever in .357. Too light. Good old fashioned pump 12 looks the way to go. Love the 45-70 though. Any thoughts to the first one being non-lethal? And if so, what? Lyle
>"Had a friend who used to guide in Alaska, he carried a Remington 870 12 ga slug gun with rifle sights as a camp gun. " Bingo. 12 ga shotgun with slugs. Could also carry a Mossberg... that one is pretty cheap.
Here's my 45/70, I threw on some xs ghost rings, xs rail with a leupold scout scope, Limbsaver recoil pad Awesome setup but fairly heavy to be hiking around all day, since you live in Canada I would be looking at a grizzly or dominion arms pump with an 8.5" barrel : https://www.canadaammo.com/product/detail/173/dominion-arms-grizzly-shotgun-8-5/
What about one of them red dot sight things on a 45/70....or better (faster) with bare (bear?) iron sights? Lyle
X2 on wierdo ,s post. Shoot with what you feel confortable with. Instant target acquisition is most important up close. It is not self defense if the bear is a hundred yards away and walking away. Do your research on buck shot effectivness. Traditional thinking in a shot gun is slug then buck shot. I disagree. Two inches of fur and hide then one to five inchs or more of fat then there is bone , it has lost its effectiveness. No. 7 1/2 shot for warning. Save those for home use. Slugs all the way for me. Practise at the range and know your firearm and how it handles and swings. And yes I have only shot one black bear in my tent. You have no time to think or react when bears happen.
Do you want to have to turn on the sight (red dot) before pulling the trigger? 'course you could just carry a pocket full of cr2032 batteries and leave the sight on all the time... I'm a proponent of bear spray, but it seems pretty ineffective when the wind is blowing. Maybe carry both kinds of bear repellant: unleaded (spray) and leaded (12 guage slug)
