# bear deterent



## caribukiller (Oct 30, 2006)

*best gun to fend off a polar bear*​
.375h&h1147.83%pump 12 ga.1147.83%.303 britsh14.35%


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## caribukiller (Oct 30, 2006)

in your opinon whats the bust gun to stop a polar bear from attacking you

post other ideas


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## Invector (Jan 13, 2006)

A 12 gage with OO, OOO, or slugs might do it they just lack the stoping power that might be needed. If your looking for a gun to use while the animal is chargeing a 375 H&H with open sights would bring it down quickly. A 303 just does not have to impact power the 375 does. A lever action 45-70 or a 450 might do ok also. But out of those 3 a 375 would stop a charging bear almost instently.


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## clampdaddy (Aug 9, 2006)

I don't think a 12ga. slug would take a back seat to any of those cartridges. A 437 grain (1 oz.) .72 caliber slug should put the smash on any bear pretty quickly. Plus, with a pump or auto you could slam that bear two or three times before you'd get a second shot with a 375 bolt gun. A lever in 45-70 or 450 marlin would be my second choice.


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## Alaskan Brown Bear Killer (Feb 22, 2005)

caribukiller said:


> in your opinon whats the bust gun to stop a polar bear from attacking you
> 
> post other ideas


If the Polar bear is allready attacking you, no gun can save you unless it's fired by someone else  .
In that case I would hope that the other person shooting the bear that was attaking me was a really really good shot and quick too :wink: a S&W 500 mag would be a very nice choice if I had a choice :beer:

I know of only one person alive that survied a polar bear attack and he was very lucky that the bear was a young 400 pounder and someone else came and shot the bear while he was being attacked (with a 12 gauge) and a BP choper was in the area to transport him to Anchorage where he almost died (from lose of blood). The guy that got attacked lived but he lost his sight in one eye and his face looks like hammered dog crap.


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## Alaskan Brown Bear Killer (Feb 22, 2005)

There's been more than one survivor, here's another:
*Warning* if your a wussy you may not want to view these pictures, they are a little gross.
http://www.bowsite.com/BOWSITE/features ... otgood.cfm


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## Jiffy (Apr 22, 2005)

ABBK,

Did he kill the bear?? I am assuming he did but it doesn't specifically state that. That's one lucky dude!! Even though he basically got scalped and his back looked like a pincushion. OUCH!!! Talk about having a bad hair day.......ok, that was a bad joke. :lol:


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## Alaskan Brown Bear Killer (Feb 22, 2005)

Jiffy said:


> ABBK,
> 
> Did he kill the bear?? I am assuming he did but it doesn't specifically state that. That's one lucky dude!! Even though he basically got scalped and his back looked like a pincushion. OUCH!!! Talk about having a bad hair day.......ok, that was a bad joke. :lol:


Here's what snopes.com has on the story:

http://www.snopes.com/photos/gruesome/polarbear.asp


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## caribukiller (Oct 30, 2006)

i know 2 guys that live through an attack. there's one arm john(guess what happened) and the other guy, sonny was his name, he was dragged by his head down the street untill the bear was shot by the good ol 303. a lady i know shot a bear that was on her deck. she shot at it through he front door and killed it on the spot with a 303. i shot one in the driveway to my cabin with a 303. don't underestamate the 303 it's got plenty of power


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## Jiffy (Apr 22, 2005)

Are polar bears worse than grizzles?? I would have to say yes. I HATE all bears. The give me the willies!! :-? I'm glad I don't have to worry about shooting one in my driveway. If I find a polar bear in my driveway I'm moving to Florida!!


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## canadianmoose (Jul 30, 2006)

polar bears are worse then grizzlies.

i will stick with my 30.06 for bear pertection. there is not an animal in north america that i wouldnt trust my 30.06 to stop.
also a 12 guage slug would do the job.

but i also grew up around bears and not worried to much about them (black bears). i ussually just carry a .22 or a knife.


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## Alaskan Brown Bear Killer (Feb 22, 2005)

The guy attacked in the story above was a Native Guide he was probally around bears all his life too! 
Bears are like moody women...... sometimes they are very unpredictable and just because you "never seen one do that before" doesn't mean they wont do it now or in the future :wink:


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## canadianmoose (Jul 30, 2006)

i,d take my chances with the bear over the moody woman, at least i know the bear will kill me where the woman will only perlong the suffering :wink:


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## Danimal (Sep 9, 2005)

If and when I venture into bear country, I plan on going with someone who runs slower than I do! :lol:

I'd think either the 12 gauge with good slugs or the .375 H&H SHOULD work.... But shot placement and penetration are key with either.


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## Jiffy (Apr 22, 2005)

Danimal,

I doesn't matter if the guy is faster than me or not. Just as long as I start out in the front because he will be slip'en on my crap!! :lol:


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## Danimal (Sep 9, 2005)

Ok Jiffy,... I'll agree with you on THAT point!

(my hunting parter is a former SEAL and he and I were talking about sharks and scuba diving.... he said he was never scared of sharks. BECAUSE he always had a knife handy and swam close enough to someone else. Close enough to stab them in the leg and swim away!!!) Ok, maybe there where a few adult beverages present when we were talking about that)..


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## Jiffy (Apr 22, 2005)

Geesh....I'd hate to be his swim buddy!!


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## caribukiller (Oct 30, 2006)

12 ga bird shot has been known it stop a bear. my dad shot at a charging bear at like 6 ft that bear turned right around and was found dead on the other side of the lake


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## Horsager (Aug 31, 2006)

I have a 375 H&H and several 12 ga shotguns, I'd rather have the H&H until the bear is inside 15yds, then give me a pump shotgun, and I don't care what it's loaded with, although my preference would be lots of big buckshot. I've hunted elk in griz country and never felt undergunned with the H&H.


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## Gohon (Feb 14, 2005)

caribukiller said:


> 12 ga bird shot has been known it stop a bear. my dad shot at a charging bear at like 6 ft that bear turned right around and was found dead on the other side of the lake


With all due respect that bird shot didn't really stop the bear now did it. Your Dad was very fortunate the bear decided to leave as the bear certainly had enough time to complete a mauling before dying. I think if I were to choose a shotgun, I would load it with slugs.


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## Alaskan Brown Bear Killer (Feb 22, 2005)

A bear skull is thick like a concret block, he was very lucky that the 12 gauge wasn't sticking out of shooters butt at the end of that ordeal


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## caribukiller (Oct 30, 2006)

by stoped i mean the bear was stop from coming into the cabin. and even the most motavated bear won't want to "play" anymore after getting hit with a 12 ga.


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## Chestnut (Aug 9, 2006)

I'm going to assume it was a black bear that was shot, stopped, and killed with a birdshot round, and I won't argue with that. But I have serious doubts about birdshot killing a brown/grizzly/polar bear.

It's kind of like saying "I killed a bobcat with a pellet gun, so it'll kill cougars too"


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## caribukiller (Oct 30, 2006)

it doesn't matter what animal it was a 12 ga loaded with anything will stop anything at the right range


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## Remington 7400 (Dec 14, 2005)

If I had to choose from what I own right now...

First choice would be my Marlin 1895G loaded with the hottest handloads I could load without blowing the gun up, I'd either use 500 grain Barnes solids or 500 grain hard cast gas check bullets, AIM FOR THE HEAD!

Second choice would be my Mossberg 590 with 9 round mag extension, loaded with 3 inch magnum Remington Buckhammers.

Third choice would be my S&W bodyguard so I can shoot my buddy in the leg and run!  :lol: :eyeroll:

If I could have any gun in existance to stop ol mister griz I'll take this one.

http://www.weatherby.com/products/ammo.asp?prd_id=13

Weatherby Mark V chambered for .460 WBY MAG.


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## SLG (Oct 26, 2006)

definitly a daisy pump b.b. gun. at least 4 pumps should work on black or grizzlys bears. let us know how it works? :sniper:


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## Alaskan Brown Bear Killer (Feb 22, 2005)

> If I could have any gun in existance to stop ol mister griz I'll take this one.
> 
> http://www.weatherby.com/products/ammo.asp?prd_id=13
> 
> Weatherby Mark V chambered for .460 WBY MAG.


I'm with you on that one :beer: No such thing of too much power when your about to be lunch for some critter


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## Gohon (Feb 14, 2005)

Killing a bear with bird shot is a fluke and at best a lucky chance. It's nice to have faith in something but to say bird shot from a 12 gauge will stop anything just means someone doesn't understand ballistics. Within just a few inches from the barrel the shot has already started to string out horizontal. In less than 2 feet the horizontal string has increased and the lead pellets are moving vertical. Each pellet contains energy but you have already started to lose total mass energy by the outward moving pellets. It is not like a slug or even buckshot. It's already been established that the bear did not die but traveled a great distance to the other side of the lake before dying, probable from loss of blood. Just that alone tells you the bear was not stopped but simply broke off the attack if that was what it was. The noise alone may have frightened him off. He could have just as easily have pressed on. The only thing in a shotgun that is going to be a effective defense against bears are slugs that are capable of penetrating deep enough to hit the brain or spine. Anything less and you stand a good chance of becoming bear crap.


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## caribukiller (Oct 30, 2006)

it's a small lake


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## Danimal (Sep 9, 2005)

I'm with Gohon on this one. The heaviest slugs, not bird shot. I have an aversion to becoming bear crap!

Many years ago while on vacation on the Outer Banks, NC we met and befriended a Natl Park Srvce Ranger. He spent 6 months in NC and 6 months in Alaska. In AK, they carried 12 ga. shotguns loaded with 00 buck, slug, 00buck, slug, slug, slug.

The reasoning was if a bear started towards the ranger, they were instructed to shoot the 00buck into the ground IN FRONT of the bear. They HOPED that the ricochting buck, gravel and dirt would deter the bear without much harm.

The second shot was a slug incase the bear continued the charge, shoot for the head or chest.

Third shot was 00 buckshot aimed for the face. Hopefully blinding the bear, allowing the ranger to change positions....I.E. run!!!! and move to the side. Then keep putting slugs into the bear to try and stop it.

When all else failed,..then they also had their .38 revolver... Only one shot would be needed....


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## caribukiller (Oct 30, 2006)

i carry a shotgun when i work and this is the way i load it, cracker shell, 3' # 2 bird shot, another bird shot, and 4 slugs. the cracker shell is used to scare the bear away. the two bird shot shells will scare an advancing bear and the slugs are for playing dirty. oh and have any of you shot a bear with bird shot and seen what the bear does


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## omegax (Oct 25, 2006)

caribukiller said:


> don't underestamate the 303 it's got plenty of power


I don't think it would be my first choice, but they say that .303 Brit has killed more ELEPHANTS than any other caliber. Even though I would likely grab another weapon first, the 303 would do a lot more than make a bear mad.


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## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

Anyone ever hear of Bear Spray used on Polar Bears? It works very well on Grizzlies and blacks but have never heard of it tried on Polar Bears. 
Probably not that many Polar Bear/Human encounters but would be interesting to hear if it works.


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## Alaskan Brown Bear Killer (Feb 22, 2005)

I'll pass on the *BEAR SPRAY* of any kind and stick with the 
S&W 500  That bear spray is big $$$ and S&W 500 AMMO is 3 bucks a shot with no re-attacks :wink: .
Let me know if you find someone that wants to spray a polar bear, that would be worth video taping :rollin:


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## Chestnut (Aug 9, 2006)

caribukiller said:


> oh and have any of you shot a bear with bird shot and seen what the bear does


That would be quite illegal in every state, I think. But regardless, what broke off the attack off and eventually killed a 250lb black bear likely would have little effect on a thousand pound monster. Birdshot has practically no penetration, even at close range. It makes a very large, very shallow wound, and if the bear died, it was a fluke. IMHO. People get shot all the time with birdshot without recieving life-threatening wounds.

I mean really, you could kill a bear with a 22 but I wouldn't rely on it.


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## caribukiller (Oct 30, 2006)

shoting a bear with birdshot may be illegal and most states but i don't live in a sate. that bear spray does work on polar bears but a 303 or a 12 ga works better


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## canadianmoose (Jul 30, 2006)

caribukiller said:


> shoting a bear with birdshot may be illegal and most states but i don't live in a sate. that bear spray does work on polar bears but a 303 or a 12 ga works better


also illegal in canada :wink:


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## caribukiller (Oct 30, 2006)

it's legal if the bear is endangering you or your property


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## Chestnut (Aug 9, 2006)

So is your pocket knife, but I wouldn't try it...


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## caribukiller (Oct 30, 2006)

chestnut your saying that if a bear was in your yard and the only gun you had was a 12 ga. loaded with birdshot you wouldn't take a few shots at the bear


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## Horsager (Aug 31, 2006)

Oh yeah.............Well in Star Wars II Jango Fet killed a big three horned critter that was bearing down on him with nothing more than a laser pistol!! One shot, Bang-Flop!!


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## caribukiller (Oct 30, 2006)

i don't know what your talking about (i've never seen a star wars mavie and i'm damn proud of it)


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## Horsager (Aug 31, 2006)

I was just trying to keep up with the childish tone of the thread.


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## Robert A. Langager (Feb 22, 2002)

caribukiller said:


> chestnut your saying that if a bear was in your yard and the only gun you had was a 12 ga. loaded with birdshot you wouldn't take a few shots at the bear


If a bear was in my yard I would let him hang out in my yard. Just because a bear is in my yard is not enough reason for me to shoot, he may like it there.


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