What is the best weapon to have if you wan't to take down a moose or grizzly bear?

Question

just wondering the best personal weapon to have for protection against pisse d off large animals?

Answer 1

You imply that you will have this weapon for defense as opposed to actually hunting with it. For personal defense it's hard to beat a 12 gauge shotgun loaded with heavy shot.  

Answer 2

use a .50 bmg  jk  i use a 30-06 or a 12 guage with heavy slugs

Answer 3

I am a long time Alaskan hunter and trapper.

People who are actively hunting moose and brown bear will normally use a 338 Win Mag or similar big punch rifle.

People who are camping, hiking, atv'ing working in the field etc and not hunting for bear  - but wanting something light weight and very powerful for bear or other big animal protection - 12 ga pump shotgun with sabot slugs and a standard 18 barrel.  Most people who end up shooting a bear are very close - so close a scope is near totally useless.  This is where the 12ga really is nice to have.  And a 12ga with a standard barrel is about half what a rifle would cost.

A pistol is not good - although my wife and I carry 480 Rugers while in the woods - the 12ga is never far from reach.  Problem is sometimes you do put the shotgun down - or get separated from the gunman for a few minutes - and a big pistol is better than nothing.  And nothing say's 'get the heck over here and shoot this bear off me - like hearing you wife's or husband's big pistol go off a few times.

Hope this helps.  

Answer 4

HI..... I personaly feel a 12 gauge shotgun would be best.... Yes there are several folks that feel a rifle would be best. In the first article below, Chuck Hawks states a rifle would be better. I somewhat agree with him. In this article he states buckshot would be a bad idea.... That I agree with him... but on the other hand he feels slugs may not have enough energy to stop a pissed off charging big animal.... I say maybe....... I happen to be quite comfortable with a shotgun.... All year round I practice shooting slugs with a smoothbore and rifled barrel shotgun...At the risk of sounding like a nut case I fire around 1000 rounds of slugs and 250 rounds of buckshot every year... And now I'm going to brag a bit... I easily hit 12 inch steel plates at 100 yards with my corrective lenses (eye glasses) off..... So for me I dont care whats charging me its going down... Now understand I am very aware how fast wild animals can be when pissed but so am I.....

This leads me to point out something very important for you... NO MATTER WHAT FIREARM YOU HAVE IT IS USELESS UNLESS YOU KNOW HOW TO USE IT!!!!

Yeah Chuck Hawks thinks you should have a pretty powerful rifle but its worthless if you cant hit anything with it... No matter what you buy you must take it out on a regular basis and target practice with it...... All it takes is a few seconds for a charging bear to get to you. Now imagine your fumbling around with the safety for 5 seconds - yer dead!!

http://www.chuckhawks.com/shotguns_prote...

http://www.chuckhawks.com/rifles_protect...

Whether you decide on a rifle or a shotgun you must know your weapon!!!  --- Then you will be safe...

Answer 5

the A-bolt in 30-06

Answer 6

A .458 Winchester Magnum would not be unreasonable.

H

Sweet of you to be concerned about Alice, Shimmie but she'll be okay.  All she has to do is load slugs in her 12 gauge or alternate buckshot/slugs like the guy with the .500 NE suggested.

H

Answer 7

7 mm mag

Answer 8

Buddy of mine works for the Department of Fish and Wildlife here in Ky. They sent him up in Canada for some kinda workshop. He stayed 2 weeks in polar bear country in a camp. The camp had razor wire round it. When they went out of the camp in a group there was a man in front and back with Mossberg riot guns loaded with alternating slug and 00 buck for polar bears.  

Answer 9

If your not hunting them than a 44 mag. pistol will do. Its easy to carry and you can put sevral rounds in them.  

Answer 10

Poor old AliceRN the Bear will get her for sure!*

Answer 11

I have never hunted Grizzly Bear so I must apply Cape Buffalo logic here.  I would say the .500 Nitro Express should solve any issues with an angry Grizzly.  This rifle is designed for taking down large African Game.

As for the Moose, I have hunted them like Elk.  My Savage Arms 7mm Remington Magnum dispatched the Moose very nicely.

Now if you are defending a camp site in these areas, the do what I do and have your 12 Gauge Mossberg loaded with 3 Inch Magnums 00 Buck and Breneke Slugs alternately.  The Buck is just to get his attention, the Breneke's are to drive your point home and finish the job.  Two legged varmints don't like those either.

Answer 12

IMO, a heavy loaded .45-70 Gov't, using ammo similar to Garrett's 540 gr. Hammerhead load, or a Winchester Model 70 in .375 H&H, with a Model 70 in .338 WinMag being third choice.

Doc

Answer 13

For protection from large animals while hiking or around a camp, I'd take a page from the old mountain men/trappers and use a 12 gauge shotgun firing heavy slugs. However if you're hunting large game like that a high power rifle would probably be better. You could get by with a .30-06 class round, but for dangerous game maybe something larger like a .338 Federal Magnum or a .45-70 would be a better choice.

Answer 14

G'day mate i would use  A.A gun and put it on yr roof,the b******s wont even walk past yr front gates. cheers mate.

Answer 15

If you are talking hunting, I'd say a 338 winchester magnum

if you are talking defense, I'd say a shotgun, 18.5 inch to 22 inch barrel with rifle sights or possibly ghost rings loaded with the nastiest 3 inch magnum slugs you can find, something like Remington Buckhammer or brenneke Black Magic or Federal Powershock 3inchers

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that will take care of the grizz.  Personally, I'd choose this boomstick, given that it has a nice all weather finish, and rifle sights but fairly small ones

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/produ...

Answer 16

To hunt them I still love my old reliable 375 HH magnum,for protection while hiking I stick with my Smith&Wesson 500,all though a 454 cassul 480 ruger may work why should I chance it