Bear spray works. Just remember to rotate your stock yearly.

I had a cousin die about a year ago, and was a BIG gun nut. My dad is actually in posession of 2 of his .44 pistols. The snub-nose (3" barrel) actually has a bigger kick than the 6" (Dirty Harry!) pistol. Suprisingly, we found in the duffel bag of ammo 2 different rounds. There certainly are "low kick" rounds available that, at 10 yards, I'm hitting 3" circles. Not great, but not bad for the first time shooting it.

That being said, for my Alaska trip I'm contemplating bringing a Winchester 94, in 30-30. Not sure if I need it, but I'll certainly grab some bear spray from REI and send it on over. I wonder though, if 30-30 is big enough, and if a 12ga. in 00 Buck (with some slugs thrown in) would be a better choice!

Here's a interesting and very expensive option, it's a last resort and whether it will stop a full charging grizzly is questionable, but as a last resort it may be an option if you don't have a shotgun with slugs. A .50 cal snub nose revolver.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/s...tegory_rn=15707

Model 500ES - Emergency Survival Tool Kit contains:

* Smith & Wesson Model 500, 2 3/4" Barrel with Bright Orange Hogue® recoil reducing grip
* Waterproof Storm® Case
* Blast Match™ Firestarter and WetFire tender
* Saber Cut™ Saw with fabric sheath
* Jet Scream™ whistle
* Star Flash™ signal mirror
* Polaris® compass
* Two MPI Mylar Space® Emergency Blankets
* Smith & Wesson Extreme Ops Liner Lock Folding Knife with Black Sheath
* "Bear Attacks of the Century - True Stories of Courage and Survival" book by Larry Mueller and Marguerite Reiss




Model: 500
Caliber: .500
Capacity: 5 Rounds
Barrel Length: 2 3/4"
Front Sight: Red Ramp
Rear Sight: Adjustable
Grip: Rubber
Frame: Extra Large
Finish: Satin Stainless
Overall Length: 9"
Material: Stainless Steel
Weight Empty: 54.8 oz.

If you choose to carry a long gun, there is NOTHING wrong with a good 12Ga. shotgun. If I was going to be allowed only one firearm it would be a Remington 870 with a rifled slug barrel. Even if it requires you to purchase one, it is worth every dollar. The express line in a 3" chamber is all you need.

Had a can of bear spray explode on me once and it completely shut me down for a good forty minutes. I've seen video of it turning bears as well, and as previously noted when using an aerosol you've got to keep wind direction in mind - kinda difficult to do if a bear's charging you. There is also the factor that if you accidentally spray yourself along with a bear, the bear is going to recover first. Also recognize that aerosols are fragile mechanisms and won't stand up very well to daily abuse in the field for extended periods of time. Trust me on that one. And completely forget about bear spray if you're traveling by aircraft - an uncontained accidental discharge is going to bring the ship down.

I've spent the better part of five years living/working in bush Alaska and Desperado's absolutely correct - Remington 870 with slugs would be my first option. Actually, I'd want two people with 870's watching over me while I work, but logistics normally require that we work alone. I'd also not be able to do my job with a longarm, and if needed I promise that it'd be leaning up against my pack. I'd never recommend a sidearm for bear defense, but anything on you is better than not having it all. Life's a compromise, right?

With that in mind, I know a guy who "deterred an attack" from (shot off him) an adolescent grizzly with a .41 magnum - a meager bear gun at best, but it saved his life since it was on him and not with his pack 20 meters away. He's also extremely lucky to be alive since the bear had almost certainly never seen a human being before and didn't know what to expect - it was being cautious and on being shot, the bear ran.

MDinana: Bears normally don't come out of hibernation until late April or May up there...the qualifier being "normally." I'd be very surprised if you ran into one during March, but the possibility exists. PM me a mailing address and I'll pass you a copy of "Staying Safe in Bear Country." It's been mentioned in several threads (including this one) and it's solid information.

Required reading for people in bear country: Herrero's "Bear Attacks - Their Causes and Avoidance."

Of course a snub nose will kick much harder. A long barrel might make recoil a bit more manageable but it might still be too much for a lot of people. A weaker load would help even more but at the cost of reduced stopping power.

I don't know about 30-30, it's generally considered inadequate. I've actually heard of a guy who killed a small bear with an AK in self-defense (multiple hits to torso at short range). Most hunters I know swear by a bolt action rifle in a decent caliber (at least .308).

You know how they say to tell the difference between black bear and Grizzly scat?

Black bear scat is filled with the remants (seeds etc) of berrys, due to their diet

Grizzly scat has small bells in it, and smells like pepper spray, again, due to THEIR diet

Buckshot is not sufficient to stop a bear. Just go with slugs.

Check these links they seem to have some interesting info. They show bear spray is quite effective but not perfect

http://alaskanalpinetreks.com/ramblings/2008/03/27/bear-spray-effectiveness/


http://www.jacksonholenews.com/Archives/Environmental/2004/040922-enviro.html

http://www.absc.usgs.gov/research/brownbears/pepperspray/pepperspray.htm

Toward the bottom of the last link is a chart showing that a firearm is also not not a perfect solution.

Marcy

+1 Marcy!

I liked your third link the best. I could put up a wall of text explaining why, but I won't.