Hunting in Griz Country— handgun or bear spray?

[Lkellogg]

New to hunting in fairly heavy grizz country in WY. Currently only handguns I own is a .38 special and a 9mm….both of which I am fully aware are not enough gun for a griz. That being said, I’m not really able to go spend a $800+ on a handgun this year. From the forums and articles that I’ve read so far it seems to me bear spray is statistically more effective than guns anyways, so do I just take the cheaper route and carry bear spray, or would I be wise to try to find a heavier caliber sidearm before this fall?

 

[Tmac]

Been debated on here to death. Including showing studies that sort of debunk the spray effectiveness. Regardless, a 9mm with the right bullet is more effective than many give it credit for. In your shoes, I up ammo my 9mm and go.

 

[WMag338]

Pistol

 

[LeftyWilbury]

i carry both. there's some good underwood rounds in 9MM that would be better than nothing...

 

[Marble]

Pistol for sure. I don't want to be close enough to spray a bear. I have carried it in the past but I prefer a Pistol .

Keep in mind, it is difficult not to get some of the affects of the spray on yourself. Also test it before you go.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[Lkellogg]

Been debated on here to death. Including showing studies that sort of debunk the spray effectiveness. Regardless, a 9mm with the right bullet is more effective than many give it credit for. In your shoes, I up ammo my 9mm and go.

Ammo recommendations?

 

[6.5x284]

Run what ya brung! I'd just research a quality 9mm bullet and go hunting. As mentioned, I think every attack that I have ever read where they got a bullet into the bear the victim lived. Biggest issue with spray is wind. When I'm hunting I strive to setup the hunts so winds are in my face and it doesn't bode well to spraying down bears. I've watched a buddy spray into the wind. I still laugh thinking about how that unfolded!

I think food management and quickness of game breakdown are probably more important come hunting season as they pack on calories for winter. Now if I was hiking in May-June shed hunting with brand new cubs out and about, and mating season, I would be a little more cautious but then you can also work with wind blowing from behind giving any bears an advanced notice as well.

 

[Mosby]

Wind and spray don't work together. Using spray inside a tent would suck too. Personally, I carry both. spray and pistols. I would look at Underwood ammo for your 9mm. Stay away from hollow points. Look at the hard cast and solid monolithic bullets. In fact, I would probably buy both and alternate in the clip.

Edit: K1 beat me to it while I was typing. Great minds think alike.

 

[Calcoyote]

If all you have is the 9mm that is what I would carry. This would be my choice of ammo:

9mm Luger +P 147gr. Flat Nose Black Cherry Coated Hard Cast Hunting Ammo

Underwood Ammo offers the most comprehensive and innovative Underwood Ammo™ Supersonic Handgun Ammo for personal defense & hunting. Shop now 9mm Luger +P Lead ammo with Hi-Tek Coated Hard Cast.

underwoodammo.com

This bullet in the +P is going 1100 fps. Since the bullet is coated standard barrels can fire it. While the 9mm is on the lite side for Grizz defense in my opinion it really comes down more to how proficient you are with your weapon. I know guys that own 454 Casulls but almost never shoot them and probably could not hit the broad side of a barn with one. Only shots that hit the target objective count in real life situations.

I have a 10mm Glock 20 that I carry when I am hunting/hiking in Idaho or Montana. Here in Oregon I usually just carry a Glock 17 (9mm) with the above mentioned ammo. Oregon has a TON of Black Bear. Last year I had to fire a warning shot about 10 feet to the right of one that had been following me in SW Oregon and would not go away. I was deer hunting and also had my 270 with me and was back in the woods about a half a mile from my truck. We had a LONG stand off, but the roar of the muzzle blast sent him running. He had one of the most beautiful coats I have ever seen and I did NOT have a bear tag. I wont make that mistake again.

 

[Johnny Tyndall]

I don't have a dog in the fight, but here's some research. It does suggest that if you use a pistol you need to be sure to be proficient with it, something I'm sure we can all agree on.

 

[AKBC]

If you are rifle hunting you are all set IMO.

 

[keystone112]

Which handgun do you shoot better with?

 

[Jonesan20]

I prefer a pistol. I trust the impact of 9mm over some pepper spray. I bought a holster this last year that fits to my bino harness from Razco. Used to have it on my pack but I found myself taking it off occasionally where the bino harness never comes off. Would highly recommend it.

 

[Reddish]

Spray is not very intuitive to use unless you practice with it frequently. And let’s be honest most people don’t think about practicing with spray. Also as Mosby said, the wind can be a real problem. If it’s blowing in your face, you’ll be the one disabled.

I’d practice a lot with drawing that 9mm from however you’ll be carrying it while hunting.

 

[camelcluch]

I have never heard of a bullet being blown backwards. I’m a gun guy for bears. Glock 10mm can be found for $500 or so. However, you should take whatever you are most comfortable with and practice it. Good luck!

 

[Vaquero 45]

Depends where I'am @ I carry a S&W mdl 69 2 3/4 " combat 44 magnum 5 shot . Or my Croatian XDM 13 shot 45 ACP . Not in BC of course .

 

[jimh406]

Another both. Underwood ammo with penetrators is a good choice. Obviously, more power is always better assuming you can shoot it accurately. However, attacks aren't common.

You'd also be wise to spend a lot of effort on how to hunt in Grizzly country. Avoiding a situation is your best first defense.

 

[Viper*6]

Handgun. I sometimes carry the Colt Anaconda 44mag with 6" barrel when in big brown bear areas. Other times it's the Colt Python 357Mag or the Colt 38 Super.

 

[Mt Al]

IHMO, handgun at the ready and if you want to carry both, spray in case the wind is perfect, you have plenty of time, you've practiced with a canister, etc.. The whole 9mm/357/10mm/41 Mag/44 Mag single action, double action, semi-auto SuperMagSwingingLogBetweenLegsUltraBlazeMaster has been hashed to death. Your 9mm will work, especially if it has a decent magazine capacity. Pick your poison, practice and head outside, the chances of seeing a griz let alone having an encounter are still crazy low - yes, even though the population is growing and they hide in wait behind every sagebrush.

Welcome to the world of hunting, hope you really enjoy getting outside and share pics!

 

[Westy35]

Wind and spray don't work together. Using spray inside a tent would suck too. Personally, I carry both. spray and pistols. I would look at Underwood ammo for your 9mm. Stay away from hollow points. Look at the hard cast and solid monolithic bullets. In fact, I would probably buy both and alternate in the clip.

Edit: K1 beat me to it while I was typing. Great minds think alike.

This.

I spend a fair bit of time in grizzly country these days, and I carry both. After talking with the Montana grizzly biologist for an hour and a half about this and other grizzly related matters (how to be a responsible hunter in densely populated grizzly areas - mostly boils down to common sense and scent management), I’m pretty set on having both easily accessible and defaulting to spray first. For legal and effectiveness reasons, the spray is first priority. Flick the safety off and push the button while still in the holster or cargo pocket - get the spray in the air. Also, if you have a bear being aggressive and/or bluff charging at mid-ranges (10-30 yards?), with spray, you can get some spray between you and the bear as deterrent. MUCH faster deployment than a pistol and less need for precise aim. Since most grizz attacks are surprise encounters, this extra speed matters. And, if it’s windy, in a tent, ineffectiveness if spray, or other adverse conditions that would prevent effectiveness of spray, I carry a 10mm with BB monolithic copper bullets - I think they call it the dangerous game load.

Ever tried to shoot a pistol very quickly and accurately under stress? Very difficult to do, even for the well trained. And, I do not want to shoot a grizzly unless I absolutely have to. Don’t get me wrong, I would if I thought my life depended on it, but I’m going to default to other options first if I can.

And for what it’s worth, when I get in close proximity of grizzlies (last encounter was bowhunting last fall - bumped a grizz cub at 50 yards on a ridge at 10,000ft with no sow in sight….), I tend to reach for the spray as first option. Even being within 100 yards of them when you’re a long ways from the trailhead gets the blood pumping a little bit. No problems yet, knock on wood. They are cool creatures.

Just my personal thoughts and preferences. Your mileage may vary.

Mark