Hand guns for Bear Insurance

So, thanks to my good buddy Sean / Piscean....I've been reading about the bear dangers in Alaska. As soon as I get settled in Ketchikan, I'd really like to find some good stream fishing spots for native trout. My concern are the bears that do some stream fishing as well 

Jeff sent me a link on the judge....anyone familiar with this particular gun? Any other thoughts for a dependable side arm....I'm hoping for a gun that does not jam when I need "insurance" the most

 

you should look into the Judge, my boss owns one, even though its not legal in california its pretty sweet.

It shoots .410 shotgun shells and .45 colt cartridge and is a handgun. Good for close range surprises and still have the long range shots as well

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurus_Judge

Shooting a bear with a .410 is a great way to get yourself killed.

Shooting a bear with a .410 is a great way to get yourself killed.

I don't know much about guns...care to explain?

id go with the .45 or .50cal

Smith & Wesson Model 500 .50-Cal. Magnum Is The King Of Handguns
http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/sports/1277336.html

yeah i have a .410 shot gun and thats a low end varmint round.... squirells and stuff....

.410 is a small shot gun shell.... we used to blast birds with those when we were kids, black birds...

The .410 ammo is expensive too....

id go with the .45 or .50cal

Smith & Wesson Model 500 .50-Cal. Magnum Is The King Of Handguns
http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/sports/1277336.html

yeah i have a .410 shot gun and thats a low end varmint round.... squirells and stuff....

That barrel looks long....I kinda like the compact feature of the judge. But what do I know

I second the Smith & Wesson Model 500 .50-Cal. Magnum. 
Your life may be on the line, might as well pack as much punch as possible.  You could also probably find a .44 mag with a shorter barrel.
Whatever you decide on, practice, practice, practice.  The fight or flight syndrome will take over and you want to make sure you shoot the bear and not your buddy.

yeah that gun is HUGE, i was only kidding.. that thing is a tank..

Look into the SW 329 44Mag. Revolver. 4" barrel, nice weight to it too...

yup, lots of range time, youll be surprised how different hand guns shoot...

Whatever you decide on, practice, practice, practice.

I'll definitely take a safety course and educate my self even more before I even think of making a purchase.

Thanks for the tips - keep 'em coming

I would prefer a short barrel folding stock shotgun 

Load her up with 00. Not going to take one at range but 00 will tear just about anything up at close range and you have a better chance of hitting while under pressure.

-Brian G

If you'd asked this in Alaska the thread would already be 20 pages long . There's a joke that guys move to Alaska so that they can talk about guns and bears.

My only real world experience with folks up there went like this:

One guy carried a hot loaded S&W .44 magnum (it may have been a .357). That was at Eklutna lake, where the guy was a camp maintenance worker who lived in a little cabin out there.

All the others who I knew that truly lived & worked in bear country & had experiences with bears carried 12 gauge pumps, usually with a 5-6 round magazine. The first couple of rounds were shot (for noise & general deterrent, shooting over the bears head or at the ground to warn them off) and the last 3-4 were rifled slugs.

Myself, I fished & camped on the Kenai peninsula, never saw a bear except for one black. Same thing on Admiralty island, never saw a single bear, even though we went looking for them. I saw plenty of black bear on the Prince William Sound, but they never bothered any of my kayak campsites.

my 2cents.

except of course the old saying about a woman's dating chances in the state: Alaska, where the odds are good, but the goods are odd!

Something to note too. Spent a lot of time in Montana with lots of bears. Most of the attacks we heard of were because people had accidentally snuck up on the bears and scared them, making these attacks a surprise for both parties. In Glacier national park they would offer bells to the tourists that came to hike, they would tie them on there shoes. of course you don't need bells, but a little noisie goes a long way when tooling around in the brush.

If you'd asked this in Alaska the thread would already be 20 pages long . There's a joke that guys move to Alaska so that they can talk about guns and bears.

My only real world experience with folks up there went like this:

One guy carried a hot loaded S&W .44 magnum (it may have been a .357). That was at Eklutna lake, where the guy was a camp maintenance worker who lived in a little cabin out there.

All the others who I knew that truly lived & worked in bear country & had experiences with bears carried 12 gauge pumps, usually with a 5-6 round magazine. The first couple of rounds were shot (for noise & general deterrent, shooting over the bears head or at the ground to warn them off) and the last 3-4 were rifled slugs.

Myself, I fished & camped on the Kenai peninsula, never saw a bear except for one black. Same thing on Admiralty island, never saw a single bear, even though we went looking for them. I saw plenty of black bear on the Prince William Sound, but they never bothered any of my kayak campsites.

my 2cents.

except of course the old saying about a woman's dating chances in the state: Alaska, where the odds are good, but the goods are odd!

I've never lived/worked in Alaska, but co-workers in the Forest Service, and guys I used to guide backpacking with have said the same thing about shotguns. If you're serious about stopping a bear that is intent on killing you then a shotgun with slugs is the least expensive and most effective means of protecting yourself. The first couple loads are shot, the rest are slugs.

You can buy a decent shotgun for $500, but most decent pistols that will drop a bear will cost significantly more. If you're not wanting a gun for anything more than bear protection, then I would lean toward the shotgun w/a sling.