Will your deer rifle help you in a pinch in case a bear attacks you?

[AlongCameJones]

Let's say you are out hunting deer in Montana or Idaho one November morning during gun season and all you happen to have for a weapon is a bolt-action rifle in .270 Win. or a Savage Model 99 in .250-3000 Savage. Then all the sudden, a big grizzly bear starts charging out of the woods toward you at 50 yards away. Are you adequately armed with your deer gun in case you have to shoot the bear to save your own life?

 

[FrankenMauser]

If not, then no shoulder-fired weapon on this planet will be adequate.

 

[Sarge]

Yes, but I don't have any centerfires smaller than a 30-06. I was hunting that country it'd be loaded with heavily constructed 180 grain bullets. I'd have a 44 mag as well.

 

[AlongCameJones]

When I think of a classic American woods gun,

I think of the time-honored lever action. My favorite is the venerable Savage Model 99/1899. My grandfather owned one in .300 Savage only for deer hunting. It was sadly lost in 1999 during a home burglary and never recovered but I digress.

I think of bear mostly inhabiting North America in forests. A woods gun seems fitting in the woods for hunting deer, elk, moose, etc. The lever action cycles fast in a hurry and is easy to carry in thick cover. Most lever jobs have no scope but just iron sights. Iron sights will get you on target much quicker than a scope. I don't even think a scope with low magnification is as quick as iron sights. I prefer a peep sight on such rifle as I was an army soldier once and young who qualified Expert with his M16. I just find that rear aperture so user-friendly. Some might argue that an open rear sight is faster than a peep but a peep allows for more precise shot placement. The American military swapped open rear sights for peeps along time ago on issue rifles for apparently some good reason. When Big Brown Smokey really gets in your face like an angry army drill sergeant complete with pumpkin badge and round-brown Smokey Bear hat, the front sight post alone should be sufficient for good aim to take him down anyway.

I would not myself feel weakly-armed should Ol' Smokey go barreling out of the woods toward me within 50 yards should I be carrying an iron-sighted Savage 99 lever job with a chambering of .308 or .300 Savage which holds up to 5 shots.

Some say you should prudently have a handgun as a sidearm in bear country to back up your "antlered-species" rifle. The gun that comes to mind is a Smith & Wesson Model 629, .44 Mag, 6" barrel loaded with the proper Buffalo Bore hard-cast ammo.

Now about how to carry that wheel gun while hunting with a rifle. Does this look like a good chest holster for such a hog leg as Mr. Gun Blue 490 is sporting in this following video?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH8DS6mIsUU

 

[Scorch]

I guess it depends on which rifle I use. I can choose from some pretty heavy hitters (375 H&H, 416 Rem, 444 Marlin), any one of which would make me feel very comfortable in big bear country. Most people don't get deep enough into bear country while deer hunting to really worry about it, elk hunters do though. My usual deer rifle is a 7X57, so while it may not be ideal it would be adeuate for the task at hand if a bear should decide to get frisky. And if it's not adequate, I will be spread out in little piles across some pretty country!

As far as a handgun, even a really powerful handgun is not as powerful as a almost any rifle capable of taking deer.

 

[Don Fischer]

I guess it depends on which rifle I use. I can choose from some pretty heavy hitters (375 H&H, 416 Rem, 444 Marlin), any one of which would make me feel very comfortable in big bear country. Most people don't get deep enough into bear country while deer hunting to really worry about it, elk hunters do though. My usual deer rifle is a 7X57, so while it may not be ideal it would be adeuate for the task at hand if a bear should decide to get frisky. And if it's not adequate, I will be spread out in little piles across some pretty country!

As far as a handgun, even a really powerful handgun is not as powerful as a almost any rifle capable of taking deer.

Right on about the handgun. Always amazed me that someone carrying say a 30-06 in bear country would also carry a handgun for bear protection. I am amazed as it sounds like it they are attacked by a bear they are going to throw down their rifle and pull their six shooter out! Absolutely amazing!

 

[AlongCameJones]

Scorch, might a moose hunter possibly

run into a bear? I might have the same beloved iron-sighted Savage 99, as normally used for deer, in a .30-something caliber in Alaskan timber after a Bullwinkle where a Kodiak or some other Big Brown could possibly jump me. I don't own such rifle yet but I'm now on the market for one in very good if not mint shape.

I made this thread to be very interesting. Over in Africa, the most dangerous animals and the hardest ones to gun down are: the cape buffalo, the elephant, the charging lion in thick savanna bush and the rhino. I would say the mighty tiger is King of Bad Beasts for Asia.

In North America, the most dangerous wild animals (man and Bigfoot excluded) are the buffalo and the bear, especially the brown or polar varieties. Wolves and cougar are not too hard to fend off with virtually any gun. I would have to say the Grizz is the King of North American wild animals. I would compare a Grizz for danger and toughness to kill along with a cape buffalo or a bull tusker.

There has probably been no more controversy and debate in the lore of the Great North American Outdoors than how to stop a charging bear. There are probably 100's of old wives tales about how it is done. Big Bad Bear stories make for the most exciting and chilling campfire stories at night.

 

[MarkCO]

Right on about the handgun. Always amazed me that someone carrying say a 30-06 in bear country would also carry a handgun for bear protection. I am amazed as it sounds like it they are attacked by a bear they are going to throw down their rifle and pull their six shooter out! Absolutely amazing!

I always carry some kind of a handgun when hunting with a long gun. I'd of course use the rifle for any type of defense primarily. The handgun is merely a backup for a variety of scenarios that could occur hunting.

 

[FrankenMauser]

In North America, the most dangerous wild animals (man and Bigfoot excluded) are the buffalo and the bear, especially the brown or polar varieties.

Moose ruin more people's days than bison. The only way you're going to get into trouble with bison is by being stupid, getting too close, and provoking the animal(s).
But moose will stomp you just for wearing a t-shirt that they don't like.

 

[MarkCO]

^Yep

 

[AlongCameJones]

One might want to dispatch a wounded game animal with a sidearm. There might be a defensive situation while out hunting where a sidearm is quicker to handle than a long gun.

Ok, what is a good sidearm holster for a hunter with a long gun or archery equipment? A hip holster? A chest holster? Other?

 

[AlongCameJones]

I never thought of moose as a danger to hunters until Frank mentioned it here. Ok, we better have the proper anti-bear/moose weaponry on us and the know-how to use it while in moose and/or bear country.

I just scared up this following Yukon hunting video that's got a scary bear encounter while out moose hunting.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGgWM-GvyYw

 

[jmr40]

It's been done with 9mm, I have no doubt about my 308 or similar rifle working.

https://www.wideopenspaces.com/alaska-man-kills-charging-brown-bear-with-a-9mm-pistol/


In this study of 93 cases of various handguns vs bear the handguns worked 97% of the time. And this study didn't just deal with big bore magnum guns, but many common cartridges including 22, 380, 9mm, 40 S&W and 45 ACP.

https://www.ammoland.com/2020/03/up...r-attack-93-cases-97-effective/#axzz6vvT5MPjN

Chances are good you won't have 50 yards to prepare for the shot. 5 yards is more likely. That is why a handgun may be the better option.

 

[MarkCO]

Ok, what is a good sidearm holster for a hunter with a long gun or archery equipment? A hip holster? A chest holster? Other?

Depends on the handgun, weight, laws in your state, etc. I prefer it to be concealed for obvious reasons.

 

[AlongCameJones]

I am most likely to deer hunt in a CC state like Idaho. Open carry is legal out in the wilderness of many states, I believe, and certainly in Idaho. If I'm out hunting with a long gun, I don't care if other people see my sidearm anyway. They already see the long gun in my hands. The bear-country sidearm I have in mind is none other than a Smith Model 629 .44 Mag. in 6" barrel and filled up with hard-cast loads as from Buffalo Bore. Is a chest or hip holster better?

 

[AlongCameJones]

PS - A long dark rifle (deep blue makes guns look virtually black at first glance) looks scarier to a small child than a shiny stainless revolver which looks more like those fun cap-banging twirling toy cowboy guns.

 

[Geezerbiker]

Any one heard any credible reports about grizzly bears harassing deer hunters?

I've heard unsubstantiated reports that in areas where both bear and elk share habitat, a rifle shot has become a dinner bell for bears. Again that's a very unsubstantiated report... In the unlikely event I was able to hunt deer or elk in grizzly territory, I'd want a rifle that could also bring down a bear.

Around here in western Oregon, I've heard stories of cougar showing up to a deer kill. I figured a .357 on my hip was a good idea in case a cougar showed up while gutting a deer. It's never happened to me but the added weight of a S&W revolver on my hip is hardly noticeable...

Tony

 

[AlongCameJones]

I would think black bear would much more likely be where deer are hunted than grizz. Big brown bear can quite possibly show up in elk or moose territory. Chances are your elk or moose gun and loads will summarily handle a grizz. Certainly any common deer rifle and load can take care of black bear. Heck, blackies are often shot out of a tree with a .243.

 

[HiBC]

There are Grizzlies in Montana and people have been killed by them.

People have also been killed by lightning,falling rocks, "Widowmaker" tree limbs. And cold,wet weather.

I'm not saying to ignore the possibility of a bear. Its kind of like winning the lotto in a bad way. We think of winning the lotto.It does not happen often.

You mentioned a Savage 99 in 250 Savage. If I'm not mistaken,the twist limits you to a 100 gr bullet. A 100 gr expanding game bullet would not give me great confidence against a grizzly,
Its a sweet rifle,but if I was losing sleep dreaming of having my scalp ripped off by a Grizzly.. I think I'd carry at least a 30-06,myself.

The stats say bear spray may be more successful. You can work that out for yourself.

Someplace I read "If you go rabbit hunting in India, be prepared to meet a tiger"

If I was concerned about bears,I would not carry a 250 Savage. But thats just me.

 

[Shenna9220]

Considering Bella Twin took a world record griz in 1953 with a single shot 22 using 22 longs, if you know how to use whichever rifle the OP suggested you will be fine. Considering thousands of hunters venture into the woods in the two states mentioned and only a couple of encounters occur each year, you really don’t have much to worry about until you put an Elk or deer on the ground, then you need to be aware.