Alaskan Bear Gun Revolver?

Question

Right now when I go hunting/backpacking I usually carry a Benelli Nova H20 as my primary bear gun but I am also looking for a sidearm to accompany it that can also stop an alaskan grizzly in very close proximity with very few rounds. I have been looking at the S&W super mag .460s and .500s with the 4-5" barrels as well as the taurus .500S&W and .454 Casull which is as small as a bullet as I would like to go. If you guys have any comments or suggestions for other revolvers that would be awesome.

Answer 1

S & W .500 Magnum - One of the Performance Center guns with a 6.5 or 7.5in barrel.

It would seem to me to make a lot more sense to carry one effective rifle* rather than two guns that stand little chance of stopping a charging brownie. >Just my 2 cents

*340Wby Mag at a minimum

Answer 2

First off, I am a lifelong Alaskan. I have hiked, camped and hunted throughout the wilds in Alaska and am familiar with many types of game.

Now on to your question, that is a fine .12 ga. shotgun you have there. If you are set on getting a sidearm, you need to consider the recoil versus the recovery time in deciding a proper caliber. The larger the caliber, the longer it takes to recover & fire another shot. If you are using this as an emergency only firearm (close quarters) You would unlikely get off more than one round with any revolver larger than a.41 magnum.

Acurracy is one of the most important components, familiarity of the firearm also (and then the caliber). Practise is the only way to attain that. You have to be able to fire your revolver without thinking about what to do. It has to be second nature.
Shooting a .454, .460 or .500 caliber revolver is unpleasant after 6 to 12 rounds and anyone who states otherwise has not fired them regularly or has arms like an ape.

If you are unwilling to shoot a couple of boxes of ammo (100 or 200 rounds minimum) through the big revolver, you have wasted your time and the revolver is nothing more than a paperweight in your backpack or on your side - false security.

In an emergency, such as a bear attack, your shotgun will have an 18" or 20" line of sight axis versus a 4" or 6" line of sight for a revolver. That is 3 to 5 times shorter than a shotgun/rifle. Imagine the increase of amount in aiming error during a life or death situation, you won't get a second chance.

If your set on the .500 S&W revolver, the barrel on the 4" model is actually 3-3/4" I don't know why they claim 4" as the rifling (actual barrel) stops at 3 -3/4".

For ammunition, solid copper would work best, I don't know if you can get that for pistols anymore. The next best choice would be a HEAVY copper jacketed bullet, bonded to the lead core, in soft point, or flat point. Do not use hollow point, these have poor penetration in animals such as a big bear.

Regular relvover ammunition has jacketing material that is TOO THIN for big game and just peels off, then the bullet usually fragments into many pieces, no good for putting down bear.

A shotgun is still the best choice for bear protection, a side arm should only be used as a secondary choice, (as what looks like you are planning on doing).

See if you can shoot any or all of these calibers you mentioned at a rental shooting range if possible. There is nothing like experiencing what a big bore handgun does in your own hand and you will be only out of a $20 or two instead of a $1000 big ones to find out that particular revolver isn't for you.

Answer 3

Go with the S&W get it in 460 I have one but it has the 8 inch barell before I bougt it I didnt know what to get the 500 or the 460 after doing some asking around I decided to get the 460.
Ruger also makes a great bear gun in 454.I think you should get a S&W or Ruger.Don't get a Tarus unless you get a deal you can't pass up.Tarus's are ok if you can settle for second best.

Answer 4

Nice shotgun, hopefully you are using maximum solids in that?

The biggest and most powerful you can shoot. At close range getting on target in time might be an issue but then you are probably going to be hoping it dies before it can eat enough of you to make a difference.

I think you are right with the short barreled 500S&W, but they come in 4" and 6.5", I wonder how much power you sacrifice with the 4". I wonder if the 6.5" would give more chance of getting more rounds on target? I'd load it with the hottest solids I could get, penetrating enough for a quick kill is going to be hard enough without using a bullet designed to stop short of exiting lighter game.

You sure as hell don't want a single shot pistol, no matter what it is chambered for. I have a 308 Encore, but a 308 isn't a short range one shot brown bear stopper.

You choose good gear, have fun and try not to get eaten ;-)

Answer 5

Primary bear gun??? You don't hunt a lot, do you? At least not bear.

You're throwing around a lot of big revolver calibers but with a 4 to 5" barrel??? Have you ever fired any of these?

If you're going to be in Alaska in bear country, do yourself a favor. Get at least a Glock Model 20 .10mm. Pay the extra bucks for the longer 6" barrel from Glock or get the old tried and true .44 Magnum with at least a 6" barrel.

H

Answer 6

T.C. with a .45-70 barrel! That is very few rounds.... :)
You could club the bear if one round didn't do the trick.

Just teasing. I'd probably go with the .454 like you said.

Answer 7

hunting/backpacking revolvers are the way to go, they don't jam, and jarring them won't make 'em misfire. also they'll shoot even if dirty. why not just go with the raging bull? but might want to get a sluglancher for a primary at the very least but I'd really advise a large caliber rifle so you can AT&T the critter.

Answer 8

In all reality a nice little Beretta stainless 22 auto would work just fine for you. Being stainless it won't rust and you can drop it in a shirt pocket. If you are in the bear's dinner menu area one shot to the temple solves your immediate problem.

Answer 9

I'm repeating someone else's answer from a few days back, so here goes.

You need a .38 S&W. Why? Because at this point in a bear attack, the bullet you will need is for you.

Answer 10

REALITY CHECK *****Sorry.I have no idea what you are up to , but I'm not buying your question,story or explanation for a minute.ALASKAN BEAR GUN REVOLVER ???? No one in their right mind carries a Benelli Nova Semi-Auto Shotgun let alone an H20 as a "primary" Bear gun.... Let alone using one to defend themselves against an "Alaskan *Grizzley in close proximity." Please don't insult our intelligence here. You are showing a TOTAL lack of knowledge and lack of any "REAL" experience...You'll get a lot further if you are honest here.