cody.rowe15
New member
Revolvers? Striker/hammer fired? 10mm? 44mag? Your bare fists?
I have a 8inch Colt Anaconda gifted to me from my dad.
I have a 8inch Colt Anaconda gifted to me from my dad.
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What’s your backcountry bear defense carry?
- Thread starter cody.rowe15
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Jake wade
Active member
When I go back packing, I’ve typically carried my Glock 20 in a drop leg holster. Lower on the leg so it doesn’t interfere with the belly band on my backpack and get caught on something.
I can carry 60 rounds pretty easily (4 mags total, 3 spare). I like that it’s lighter than most other options for this category. It’s a Glock so if it gets beat up.. then whatever. It’s a Glock. I added some night sights and a flashlight.
Glad I had it a few different times - on a trip in 2018, a bear went through our campsite two different times and destroyed a couple tents, the final time was pretty late at night, and we decided enough was enough. Packed up and hiked out in the middle of the night. One of my friends went to go “get better pictures” and started pursuing it… real smart. We stumbled across a father/daughter in the same area and that bear got into their camp and destroyed it too. Caravanned it out of the Rockies. Thankful we didn’t get lost.
I can carry 60 rounds pretty easily (4 mags total, 3 spare). I like that it’s lighter than most other options for this category. It’s a Glock so if it gets beat up.. then whatever. It’s a Glock. I added some night sights and a flashlight.
Glad I had it a few different times - on a trip in 2018, a bear went through our campsite two different times and destroyed a couple tents, the final time was pretty late at night, and we decided enough was enough. Packed up and hiked out in the middle of the night. One of my friends went to go “get better pictures” and started pursuing it… real smart. We stumbled across a father/daughter in the same area and that bear got into their camp and destroyed it too. Caravanned it out of the Rockies. Thankful we didn’t get lost.
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Rjohnson.307
Well-known member
Glock 40 10mm in a Gunfighters Kenai holster loaded with Buffalo Bore 220gr hard cast
I had this run in with a big Grizz while carrying my EDC Glock 19, I decided 9mm felt like a BB gun and 10mm would make me feel better.
I had this run in with a big Grizz while carrying my EDC Glock 19, I decided 9mm felt like a BB gun and 10mm would make me feel better.
I always lean toward revolvers. There are a handful that are my go-to options: S&W 4” Model 69, S&W 329PD, S&W 3.5” 460 Performance Center, Taurus 444 Ultralite. I know there are a lot of arguments for a higher capacity 10mm but I just really like the simplicity of a revolver for high stress situations.
cody.rowe15
New member
Nice bull. Also, that second photo is chilling.
Chiro1989
Active member
.300 Win Mag if appropriate, otherwise 4” Redhawk in .44 mag or the Glock 20, if more kids are with then there are GP 100-SP101-S&W 66 with loaded with hard cast along, if the wife is along then there is a Single-Six in .22 mag so she can shoot one of us in the leg if it gets dicey with a bear
Rjohnson.307
Well-known member
I live and hunt in the heart of Grizz country. Over the last 20 years I've gone through several ideations of bear pistols.
I started with thinking bigger was better and carried a Freedom Arms 83 454 Casull in a leather chest rig. I quickly figured out it was just too heavy of a gun and I would leave it at home plus it was single action which is a no go for proper bear defense.
Then I bought a Taurus Titanium 2" 44mag, super light but pretty large and not fun to shoot. I've never been a Taurus fan so I ended up trading it for a S&W Titanium 329PD 44mag. Again super light to carry but not fun to shoot. I finished off a bull elk I'd shot one handed loaded with Buffalo Bore hard cast. I thought I broke my wrist, I struggled to quarter the elk and load my pack horse, I couldn't even hold the reins of my horse on the ride out. So that taught me a valuable lesson of I wont be able to hit shit, if shit hits the fan and I need to stop a charging grizz. So sold that one too.
I then just carried my EDC 9mm loaded with HST's, light, easy to shoot, 16rds on target as fast as you can pull the trigger. I shot a wounded charging black bear with it through the front shoulders which dumped him in his tracks at about 5yds. So I was sold thinking it will be fine. Then I was tracked by the grizzly (pic in above post). He tracked me to 9yds and I had the 9mm drawn on him and I felt like I was holding a Red Ryder in that moment. Which led me into what I carry now, 10mm.
The Glock 10mm is some serious fire power loaded with full power cast bullets i.e; Buffalo Bore. I can put 16rds on target as fast as I can pull the trigger and all shots in the A-zone at defensive distance. I then have the ability to immediately load another 15rds in split seconds if needed. Familiarity of the weapon system is the same as my G19 EDC so no need to master another weapon system.
Regardless of what you choose to carry. it's imperative that you put hundreds of rounds or more downrange so the gun becomes an extension of your body so you don't need to "Think" about how it operates. Unfamiliarity will get you killed!
I started with thinking bigger was better and carried a Freedom Arms 83 454 Casull in a leather chest rig. I quickly figured out it was just too heavy of a gun and I would leave it at home plus it was single action which is a no go for proper bear defense.
Then I bought a Taurus Titanium 2" 44mag, super light but pretty large and not fun to shoot. I've never been a Taurus fan so I ended up trading it for a S&W Titanium 329PD 44mag. Again super light to carry but not fun to shoot. I finished off a bull elk I'd shot one handed loaded with Buffalo Bore hard cast. I thought I broke my wrist, I struggled to quarter the elk and load my pack horse, I couldn't even hold the reins of my horse on the ride out. So that taught me a valuable lesson of I wont be able to hit shit, if shit hits the fan and I need to stop a charging grizz. So sold that one too.
I then just carried my EDC 9mm loaded with HST's, light, easy to shoot, 16rds on target as fast as you can pull the trigger. I shot a wounded charging black bear with it through the front shoulders which dumped him in his tracks at about 5yds. So I was sold thinking it will be fine. Then I was tracked by the grizzly (pic in above post). He tracked me to 9yds and I had the 9mm drawn on him and I felt like I was holding a Red Ryder in that moment. Which led me into what I carry now, 10mm.
The Glock 10mm is some serious fire power loaded with full power cast bullets i.e; Buffalo Bore. I can put 16rds on target as fast as I can pull the trigger and all shots in the A-zone at defensive distance. I then have the ability to immediately load another 15rds in split seconds if needed. Familiarity of the weapon system is the same as my G19 EDC so no need to master another weapon system.
Regardless of what you choose to carry. it's imperative that you put hundreds of rounds or more downrange so the gun becomes an extension of your body so you don't need to "Think" about how it operates. Unfamiliarity will get you killed!
![IMG_7012[4734].jpeg](https://society.fieldethos.com/data/attachments/2/2244-c3d7f3192fa2451b575f6bd6604453e4.jpg?hash=eVlWvowECf "IMG_7012[4734].jpeg")
I don't disagree - most of the time in the backcountry here in Montana (Lee met calf wilderness right next to Yellowstone NP) I carry a Wild West Co Pilot in 45-70 or a short barreled 9.3 Blaser R8 over any handgun, but on the rare times when I only carry a handgun it is usually a Springfield XD-c in 10mm
Iron_Sights
Member
FN 510 with Buffalo Bore ammo in a chest holster and an extra mag for me. Way overkill for the bears I encounter but why the hell not
