Sidearm caliber

[AK Troutbum]

Are any of you guys back pack hunters? If so how do you deal with the weight of some of these rigs?

Diamond D Guides Choice chest holster.

 

[Alaskanopolis]

For black bear: a loud voice, being taller than 5', and an aggressive demeanor.

 

[jdmaxwell]

Ultralight 44 Mag

 

[ElkArcher918]

I run an XDM 10 MM with Underwood 200/220 grs. hardcast bullets. Carried in a MR neoprene thumbreak holster attached to my Exo hipbelt.

 

[RumLover]

Ruger Redhawk in 44 mag. While I typically prefer an auto for plinking or personal defense in town. I Prefer a revolver when in bear country. No issues with it getting knocked out of battery from gear or brush.

 

[skierhs]

S&W M329pd - 31oz loaded. And no, revolvers are not more reliable than autos - but autos don't chamber anything in the league of the 44mag in a 31oz package (G20 is 39oz loaded).

This is spot on. I hunt in griz country in the spring and fall, and with how light weight the revolver is there is not much reason to go any smaller.

 

[finnbarr145]

10mm

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[Will_m]

In black bear country I’m comfortable with my Ruger Bearcat .22. Spent a couple decades with that set up and it works just fine.
If I’m in real bear (grizzly or Brown) country I want something with more penetration, 38spl/9mm and up

First time I've seen someone advocate the .22 as a self-defense cartridge.

 

[mcseal2]

I just don't shoot the light 44's as well as I do a 357 or 10mm so until I do I'm sticking to the smaller ones. I bought a 4" S&W 69 that feels a lot like my S&W 386XL Hunter 357. It kicks hard enough to make me flinch with hotter loads, even the Buffalo Bore 255gr Reduced Recoil ammo. I shoot the 386 or my 10mm's better with full power ammo. When I put Magtech 240gr JSP ammo in the 44 at 750ft/lbs of energy the recoil is within my current tolerance levels. Until I find a different 44 ammo or just start shooting it better I'm sticking with the 10mm for grizzly country and the 357 or 10mm in black bear country.

 

[TREE ‘EM]

First time I've seen someone advocate the .22 as a self-defense cartridge.

Lots of folks knock a .22LR but I bet those same folks wouldn’t volunteer to stand in front of one to prove their point.
I’ve seen a boxcar load of black bear and deer killed with it too.

 

[Will_m]

Lots of folks knock a .22LR but I bet those same folks wouldn’t volunteer to stand in front of one to prove their point.
I’ve seen a boxcar load of black bear and deer killed with it too.

There's no way you have seen a boxcar of black bears killed with a .22. While I won't dispute it's effectiveness from a point blank, dispatch type delivery, no prudent person would intentionally hunt a black bear with a .22. Without even considering the fact that the best you can do for a .22 bullet is a solid, soft lead projectile, but the momentum carried by that bullet would hardly be sufficient for any penetration, especially outside grabbing distance.

A human being and bear are two totally different mediums. I wouldn't stand in front of bird shot. Does that make it sufficient?

Absent close-range and very precise delivery to the brain pan or central nervous system, a .22 faces long odds for delivering anything even remotely close to a mortal wound on an adult black bear.

You would do far better to carry spray.

 

[Ph&s3]

Looks like I'm kind of the odd duck out every guide I have talked to talks about somebody lugging an heavy gun around for days on end not needing it. The second they relax and set it down is the minute they need it so I carry a Smith & Wesson 329 PD it is not fun to shoot but it's light enough that you almost forget you're carrying it. I may be completely wrong but I figured if I need it that bad I'm not really going to be worried about the recoil. And it's a blast to carry just running around in the south you can choose 44 specials and snake loads during the summer.

 

[Ph&s3]

Whoops I skipped past dla post so I guess I am not alone.

 

[TREE ‘EM]

There's no way you have seen a boxcar of black bears killed with a .22. While I won't dispute it's effectiveness from a point blank, dispatch type delivery, no prudent person would intentionally hunt a black bear with a .22. Without even considering the fact that the best you can do for a .22 bullet is a solid, soft lead projectile, but the momentum carried by that bullet would hardly be sufficient for any penetration, especially outside grabbing distance.

A human being and bear are two totally different mediums. I wouldn't stand in front of bird shot. Does that make it sufficient?

Absent close-range and very precise delivery to the brain pan or central nervous system, a .22 faces long odds for delivering anything even remotely close to a mortal wound on an adult black bear.

You would do far better to carry spray.

It’s your prerogative to doubt what I tell you, but I’ve seen it with my own two eyes.

A 40 gr round nose 22 LR leaving the muzzle at around 1100 to 1200 ft./s has a lot more penetration than you would imagine.

I saw a lot of bear killed over bait, dogs and trapped in Maine with a 22.
The two biggest bear poaching rings in US history shot all of their bears with a 22. Call between the poachers and the legal hunters the number is in excess of 200 bears. Plenty enough evidence to convince me.

I own and operate an animal damage control company and have personally killed several hundred deer with a 22. Some were head shots, some were lung shot. The furthest distance was 156 yards but the vast majority were between 25 and 75 yards.

Again, if I’m in black bear country I’m perfectly comfortable caring my little Ruger Bearcat as I’ve done for the past 30 years. If I am in grizzly/brown bear country I absolutely want more gun than that.

 

[Hpchacrx]

10mm with buffalo bore 445 supermag with short barrel

 

[Hoghead]

I just don't shoot the light 44's as well as I do a 357 or 10mm so until I do I'm sticking to the smaller ones. I bought a 4" S&W 69 that feels a lot like my S&W 386XL Hunter 357. It kicks hard enough to make me flinch with hotter loads, even the Buffalo Bore 255gr Reduced Recoil ammo. I shoot the 386 or my 10mm's better with full power ammo. When I put Magtech 240gr JSP ammo in the 44 at 750ft/lbs of energy the recoil is within my current tolerance levels. Until I find a different 44 ammo or just start shooting it better I'm sticking with the 10mm for grizzly country and the 357 or 10mm in black bear country.

Put the S&W X frame grips on your 69 it worked for me. I love that pistol and I also have the diamond D chest holster. that's my go to mountain rig.

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[Backpack Hunter]

Glock 19 works fine for me.

 

[Clarktar]

Diamond D Guides Choice chest holster.

Northwest retention systems! Awesome chest rig, solo guy operation so he personally makes each one and his quality control is great!

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[isu22andy]

Ruger Redhawk in 44 mag. While I typically prefer an auto for plinking or personal defense in town. I Prefer a revolver when in bear country. No issues with it getting knocked out of battery from gear or brush.

Knocked out of battery ? The only way I can think of this happening is if something is behind the slide when you fire.

 

[LK2HNT]

Here In Alaska I just carry my 10mm Glock with 200gr Hard cast. I feel fast and confident with this particular gun which in most cases is more important than caliber selection.