Bear spray.

[Michael Lloyd]

I know of more than one bear killed with one shot at 1016 yards with a .338-300. The bear crumples on impact. So "almost impossible" is a stretch. Have I done it? No... I don't hunt bear. I don't begrudge those that do, it's just not my thing

This is a compilation. The second video is the bear shot. The distance is so far that it's not real graphic. I have one of his rifles and I can tell you 1000 yard shots on a target are pretty easy with the right technique. The 300 gr bullet leaves the barrel at 2,800 fps and at 1,600 yards it carries more energy than a 7mm Rem Mag at 900 yards (my first long range rifle w/ wild hog kills out to a little over 1,000 yards) and the bullet routinely passes through with devastating results.

George you should read the links to the studies I posed a few pages back. The truth is it is almost impossible to 'drop a bear in its tracks' while being charged and that a gun of any size does not make you statistically safer in a bear encounter.

Have you ever shot a bear or any large animal?

[Jac@stafford.net]

Humans violating the bear's territory? I think the bear has more right to kill the human than the other way round.

Steve.

That's why we need to revise the 2nd amendment to: "The right to arm bears"

[Drew Wiley]

An enraged grizz all pumped up with adrenaline, suddenly coming toward you head-on is a completely different scenario from an opportunistic carefully-placed shot at an unaware specimen.

[goamules]

I'm a hunter and long range target rifle shooter (open sights though), but why is this thread being turned into a discussion on bullet stopping power and extreme range game sniping? That has nothing to do with a hiker asking if pepper spray is worth carrying.

Back to the question, yes, I'd carry pepper spray if that was my only option, and if allowed. Especially if I was hiking or riding alone as I used to. When in a crowd of more than 3 people, studies show the chance of being attacked by a bear become almost nil.

[Steve Smith]

That's why we need to revise the 2nd amendment to: "The right to arm bears"

That was my comment on the third page of this thread!

I know of more than one bear killed with one shot at 1016 yards

Why shoot a bear which is so far away?


Steve.

[Eric James]

Why shoot a bear?

[Drew Wiley]

We shoot bears because we have a trigger finger. They can't shoot, so use what they
have - claws and teeth. If the contest was put into the court system rather than
technology versus brute force, only the lawyers would win.

[Michael Lloyd]

Why shoot a bear?

Don't know... because it's bear season? I don't really get it either. It's not my thing.

[Michael Lloyd]

In Grizzly country you are supposed to wear little bells to make noise and warn them of your presence as well as carry pepper spray to scare them off.

You can tell you are in Grizzly territory because the bear poop smells like pepper spray and has little bells in it.

My buddy Dan says the same thing. Timothy Treadwell said "you bad bear" and it worked all but one time...

[Greg Miller]

Grizzlies are intelligent & independent – certainly smarter than black bears, and probably smarter than clever dogs.

That would make grizzlies quite smart. Because black bears are extremely smart. Adirondack bear have figured out how to open bear canisters. In particular a new brand (about 5 years ago) that took me 10 minutes to open after reading the instructions. The bears figured it out in the dark with no instructions. Canisters are required in the High Peaks of the Adirondacks because the black bears have defeated every hanging system tried.