Bear Defense gun

I'll be going to Alaska in August and will be in the bush. I want to buy a bear defense gun and have read a fair bit about what caliber to use and have spoken to two friends who live there. I've pretty much decided to go with a .44 magnum. I'm not convinced that I can be effective with the .454 Casull, the Smith .460, or the Smith .500. So it comes down to the Ruger Alaskan (2.5 inch barrel) or the Redhawk (2.75 inch). I'm well aware that higher calibers and longer barrels are better, but I have to consider what I will carry, how easily I can draw it, how well I can shoot it, and how fast a recovery time between shots. So aside from telling me to go bigger, what would the consensus be on the Redhawk vs. the Alaskan in the .44 magnum?

RedHawk and super RedHawks have a little different feel. Either one will handle stout loads, although the Super is a little stronger, they are both very durable. See which one you like the feel of the most.

I like the Alaskan in .45 Colt/.454 Casull.

You can load up some really heavy .45 Colt 300+ gr. if the .454 is too harsh on recoil.
The large rubber grip really makes it a nice shooter.

What do you think of the Cor-Bon 305 gr. Penetrators for bear defense? Also, would the Redhawk handle the hard cast 300+ gr. that is shown in the pic above?

Rem. 870 12 ga. Or if a handgun, the biggest you can handle and practice,practice,practice.

This is a proper bear gun in 44 Mag. 355 grain bullet at 1221 fps average.

5.5 inch Redhawk with Pachmayr Presentation grips. Of your two choices I would go with the Alaskan because of the rubber grips. That round butt Redhawk is going to be painful with the wooden grips and I don't think the rubber grips will fit it. It can be difficult to find the right grips with a Redhawk.

If you don't reload, then buffalobore ammo is the way to go https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=54
It's expensive, which is why most of us reload.

I have to consider what I will carry, how easily I can draw it, how well I can shoot it, and how fast a recovery time between shots.

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Just my opinion but this is nonsense. Once you get above 40 ounces weight, they are all heavy. Heavy bear loads are easier to shoot in heavy guns. Longer barrels are easier to shoot than 2.5 inch barrels. I have no problems drawing a 5.5 inch gun from a holster. Get a good holster (simply rugged) and a good belt and you'll be fine.

You'll also find plenty of good used 44 Redhawks with 5.5 inch barrels on gunbroker at reasonable prices.

SteelBlue, don't know what you've got for a holster for that cannon, but I'd suggest you contact the folks at Diamond D. They might be able to fix you up by the time you leave, or maybe you could pick it up at their store in Wasilla, AK. The Chest rig is very popular from what I hear. I have one of their IWBs, and it is an extremely well made holster.

https://www.diamonddcustomleather.com/products/guides-choice-chest-holster

Well then if you can handle a 5.5 inch barrel might as well go up a notch to .45-70!

Well, you guys have given me some excellent thoughts to ponder for sure. I'm not too worried about the wood grips of the Redhawk because if I use this gun for self-defense on bear, I won't be concerned with a sore hand. But it does reinforce to me that not going larger than a .44 magnum is the right thing for me. I'm leaning towards the Redhawk 2.75 (wishfully referred to as the Kodiak). Thankfully, I won't be encountering any Kodiak Brown Bears, but I will likely see some Alaskan Browns. I just listened to the audio of that bear friendly guy who was eaten by a Grizzly in Alaska, it is horrible.

I like my grip options better with the Super than the standard Redhawk. Either will handle any .44 load you can stuff in it. The .44Mag is more than capable, with the right bullet.

Four bear, if I were you I would go with a 400 grain Flatnose jacketed bullets or maybe a 435 grain jacketed Flatnose bullet in 500 Linebaugh. A far superior cartridge than the 500 Smith and Wesson and a true big game cartridge at that, for it is low pressure like big game cartridges, and it has locomotive like Kinetic energy. That would be the ultimate back up cartridge.

For a primary rifle I would use Garrett cartridges in a 45-70 or my custom 50 Alaskan 1895-America's true born, big bore, big game rifle cartridge. We're talking about true bear slamming power there. That's some Big Noise for bears.

John Linebaugh exhibited pure genius and true innovation while looking at the 348 Winchester and coming up with the 500 Linebaugh. Same goes for Fuller and Johnson who came up with the 50 Alaskan back in the 1950s working with 50 BMG bullets/barrels and the 348.

If those were not available I would use the Ruger super Redhawk in 454. I would use a lower pressure loads and have your bullets.

I visited Alaska several times, and took a 4.2 inch barreled Redhawk in .44 magnum, and I carried it in a Simply Rugged holster, and an Uncle Mike's vertical shoulder holster. I carried it with WW white box 240 gr JSP the first two times, and 300 gr. over 2400 the last 2 times. It was never drawn. I bicycled all over Anchorage, carrying the Redhawk in the shoulder holster. When hiking, I carried the Redhawk in the Simply Rugged. The major problem in Anchorage was MOOSE. The only bear I saw was in the Anchorage Zoo. The Ruger Redhawk was an excellent talisman. Good luck.
gramps

I spent 33 years in Alaska and have been from the Alaska Penninsula to Pt Barrow, Alaska, including the brooks range, Kotz, Nome, and a lot of other villages in the bush. For the most part I carried a Ruger Super Blackhawk 5-1/2". I carried that because I've used a Single Action gun for 50 years and they point well for me. Apparently anything you take will be new to you. To correct some misunderstandings. No gun you take will protect you from bears. It's the bullet you use that protects you. A good 305 grain HARD CAST like Buffalo Bore will do very well. I prefer the 305 to the 340 grain hard cast it's easier to handle. I also prefer a gun with a 4" barrel or more, but much longer isn't necessarily better. I know people who have used the Alaskans on bears and been successful with them. They shoot very well. I've got all three. You don't have to use a 454 Round in the 454 Alaskan, use the Buffalo Bore 45 Colt in it. 325 grain Hard cast is a substantial load. Plus the recoil isn't very bad on it and you have plenty of time to get back on target. That is important. To protect your self you need to be able to hit your target and that comes with practice and even then you have a bear that will be moving and you need to plan on firing multiple shots as necessary. I haven't used Corbons but have no reason to doubt their effectiveness along with other brands, but in Alaska Buffalo Bore is very common.
Importance is having a reliable handgun in a reliable Caliber 44 Mag or larger.
Use an appropriate round in your revolver, An empty gun won't help you at all.
Have an adequate holster that means you will carry it everywhere. Diamond D Guide Holster is one of the best. They are in Wasilla and if you let them know you want to buy one from them they will have it ready and adjust it to your body and show you how to use it.
Practise, practice, practice. A miss is very ineffective. Learn to use your gun. If you are right handed and you use a Single Action gun, learn to cock it with the left thumb while your are recovering from the recoil and getting back on target. If you are using a double action, you still need to practice getting back on target. CAN YOU DO THAT??? If not get your self a rifle.

Watch this and see how you do. You don't need to start that fast but these men know how to handle a handgun. IF you can't, use a rifle. Most people can shoot better with a rifle than a handgun. Handguns are handier for sure.

https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2014/7/15/video-the-454-casull-challenge/

Thanks for the link Max.

Edited to add Gramps is right about moose. Several people have been stomped this year by moose. Bears make a bigger head line, but moose are just as dangerous. They have been known to kill people kicking them to death. Wild animals are just that, WILD, and unpredictable. You don't say where you are going, maybe I could give more specifics.

Well, I can use a rifle and a pistol, and like most people, I'm better with a rifle. But I'm not going to carry a rifle everywhere I go in Alaska (fishing & hiking). My buddy who lives in Anchorage says a 12-ga. with slugs and 00 buck shot is the way to go. I'm bringing a pistol.

How far down on the scale would a 41 magnum be vs a 44?

Still usable? or out of the question.?

I would take a 12 gauge for a shoulder arm 41 on the hip.

Just cause I have one..

SteelBlue said:

Well, I can use a rifle and a pistol, and like most people, I'm better with a rifle. But I'm not going to carry a rifle everywhere I go in Alaska (fishing & hiking). My buddy who lives in Anchorage says a 12-ga. with slugs and 00 buck shot is the way to go. I'm bringing a pistol.

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Have you considered a .480? Large diameter heavy bullets and easy to shoot. Something to ponder.

Ugly Hombre said:

How far down on the scale would a 41 magnum be vs a 44?

Still usable? or out of the question.?

I would take a 12 gauge for a shoulder arm 41 on the hip.

Just cause I have one..

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I think, even with a 265gr. bullet, the .41 would be a bit on the light side for a grizz, brown, or moose. All depends on shot placement, and how determined the critter is to stomp you into the ground or rip your head off, of course. :wink:

Food for thought.

https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2016/8/10/alaska-outfitter-defends-fishermen-from-raging-grizzly-with-9mm-pistol/

Hint: it's the Indian, not the arrow.

Over the years I've been dealing with John Linebaugh quite a bit and now fully buy into his philosophy that super heavy bullets at high velocity with massive recoil is just not useful, practical or necessary. Over the years he has backed off the velocity to the point that he now shoots, almost exclusively, mid-range loads. For example, in his personal 500 Linebaugh with a 4.75" barrel, he shoots a 425 grain LBT LFN GC over 16 grains of HS-6, or 23 grains of 2400, both with a nominal velocity of 1050fps. Not his only loads to be sure, but very representative. Based on real world experimentation both on media and game, he finds that penetration does not suffer from the lower velocity. These load are able to shoot through a full grown buffalo end to end. I've just received my 4.75" Ruger Bisley in 500 Linebaugh and have been using the 16 grain HS-6 load with a 450 grain LBT LFN GC (by Montana Bullets). I find the recoil entirely manageable, decidedly more so than either a factory 454 Casull or heavy 44 Mag. Both of those have far more muzzle whip (everything else being the same) than the mid-range 500L, which in my opinion has more of a heavy push. The other advantage to the 500L is obvious when you use the Taylor Knock Out Factor (TKOF) which factors in bullet diameter on top of muzzle energy: TKOF = (MV in fps X Bullet Weight in pounds X Bullet Diameter in inches) divided by 7000.




I also am a fan of the new 480 Ruger and am having John customize my Ruger Super Blackhawk Bisley with a 4.65" barrel in that caliber. Nothing more than a short 475 Linebaugh, it should fill the bill perfectly as a mid-range 475L. The mid-range 475L (and I hope the 480R) has a superb reputation for not only accuracy and ease of control, but also penetration in game and its ability to put game down quickly and humanely.

Keith

I happed to have 2 Super Redhawks, a 7-1/2" and an Alaskan 2-1/2", both in .480.

According to my chronograph the Alaskan produced about 200 fps lower velocity than the 7-1/2 inch gun when shot with the same loads.

With 21.5 grs of 2400, I get 1250ish out of the 7-1/2" and 1050ish out of the Alaskan when shooting a 365 gr. hard cast bullet. Oddly, the Alaskan doesn't seem to produce any more recoil than the longer BBL, probably because of the lower velocity. 8)