Grizzly Bear Defense

[GJM]

Definitely. There's no amount of situational awareness and skill that makes up for another tuned up person watching your back. Applying a tourniquet if necessary. Just being able to call for help.

I can jog pretty good with a chest rig but I would be puffing too hard at the top of that trail to really be paying attention to a rustling in the bushes. Especially that time of year. Been a big humpy year, surprised all the bears aren't down fattening up.

Soon after arriving in Alaska, I decided that running there made me look like prey while significantly impairing my ability to be situationally aware. You probably recall that teacher that was killed by wolves while running down on the AK Peninsula.

I only run in AK for a good reason — like a few summers ago when my wife sent me out to run off a bull moose eating all the fireweed in our yard. It went after me and I ran for my life around the 4Runner in the driveway getting back in the house!

[41magfan]

The Black variety is believed to be the culprit:

https://wlos.com/news/local/backpack...ins-euthanized

[OlongJohnson]

Now that George @GJM has a BARDBM (feel free to pronounce that phonetically), is that going to be the new hotness for grizzlies?

Seems like 10 rounds of bonded or monometal .308 would be even mo betta than .45 Super.

[Bigghoss]

West side of Colorado Springs near the base of the mountains.

[dogcaller]

My typical carry is a G19, concealed. Remote camping, it’s often a G34 in a belt or paddle holster.

How much practical benefit would you say there would be to stepping up to a 10mm (Glock) while camping in case of bears?

Sure, more power is more better makes sense, but I’m wondering if anyone has a sense of how much better...?

FWIW, I generally have a 12ga hanging on a tree during daylight hours while in camp, but the utility of the pistol is its omnipresence.

[fatdog]

How much practical benefit would you say there would be to stepping up to a 10mm (Glock) while camping in case of bears?
.

Not the voice of experience here, just giving you one man's rationalization as somebody who loves to vacation in rocky mtn. bear country. I rank accuracy and penetration way above caliber. Once I started practicing shooting bear targets with my USP 45 and 45 super ammo I found I was probably firing more warning shots at 15 yards than CNS hits that would be effective (that circle around nose and eyes). I switched back to the 9mm version of that ammo and found I could indeed keep my rounds in the 6" circle all the time at speed at that distance and that became my chosen combo.

I have no doubts that the +P+ 115gr Lehigh Penetrator as loaded by Underwood will punch any bear's noggin in the lower 48. Probably the same is true for a number of 9mm hardcast, and I know my hit probability goes way up with those in a Glock over 45 supers in my USP.

Not sayin don't get a G20 and proper ammo and all that, but just sharing that once I had gunned up to get the thing we know is probably Alaska grade "bear worthy" I found I was probably better served by something I already had for the critical tasks of bullets placed into a bear's brain pan fast.

I don't regret investing in the USP 45 LEM however, it is a great gun and I shoot it often. So maybe you want a G20 anyway.

[GJM]

737 hit a brown bear in Yakatat:

https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/avia...officials-say/

[Clusterfrack]

737 hit a brown bear in Yakatat:

https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/avia...officials-say/

That must have been quite an exciting landing for passengers and crew.

[MickAK]

That must have been quite an exciting landing for passengers and crew.

Yakutat isn't so bad because they run a combination cargo/passenger jet on that route but you get pretty used to bumpy landings in small Alaska airports. I doubt anyone noticed anything.

[AKDoug]

Yakutat isn't so bad because they run a combination cargo/passenger jet on that route but you get pretty used to bumpy landings in small Alaska airports. I doubt anyone noticed anything.

Oh they noticed.. a buddy of mine was on the plane. He texted me right after it. Put a decent dent in the engine cowl.