As backpacking season is just around the corner, I was curious as to what types of handguns and loads forum folks prefer to carry in bear country. I’ve never carried anything beyond a .45 auto or a .357 (and, fortunately, have never had occasion to fire either one), but as I get older and slower I’m thinking about getting something a tad beefier. I’m all ears.
Living in Ohio, I carry for the two-legged threat. I carry my P2000 V2 LEM with 165 gr SGDHPs.
Well a friend has 4 acers in Maine. At his camp you had to walk to use the outhouse. I took my Golt 1911 45. One never know if you may run into a Bear. Now that would be my HK45 with 230 Gold Dots. Plus take extra mags with you.
In Colorado I carry a 1911 Compact 45acp loaded with 230 gr Gold Dots, if the black bears are out or I expect other large critters might be around I carry a 1911 10mm loaded up with either Double Tap 200 grain FMJ or XTP, I’ve carried .44’s and .357’s in the past, but find the 1911’s much more comfortable to carry and quicker and more accurate to shoot…not to mention a reload.
If there was a possibility of larger bears, such as the kind you have in Montana, and we’re not supposed to have in Colorado, I’d seriously consider .44 Mag to be minimum, as much as I prefer 1911’s for a number of reasons, I’d go with either a 4-5" Smith or 4 5/8" Blackhawk loaded with heavy hard cast loads, Buffalo Bore has several you can purchase online.
A good .357 can be loaded with heavy hard cast (see Buffalo bore) and would be a better then nothing compromise.
The main thing about a “woods gun” is to have it on your hip at all times. I think a mag full of .45acp in the head/face area of even a bear, especially the eye socket, has at least some chance of getting it to change it’s mind.
Of course a small lever action carbine in a good caliber is a better option but adds more “gear” to your kit and it will usually not be there when you need most…
In 35 + years of wandering the Rockies, including calling in predators, I’ve only been attacked once by wild animals, 3 Bighorn Sheep, of all things. They were dropping lambs and I happened into the wrong place at the wrong time. The largest Ram (huge) got within 10 feet, prepped to charge and instead of drawing the 10mm, I threw a snowball at him…it would have sucked getting whacked by a huge, protective Ram, but I didn’t want to have to explain my actions to a possible animal rights activist court…so I took a chance and fortunately for both me and the Ram it worked out. I couple of snowballs and I was able to quickly back pedal out of there.
I think the odds are better of running into unsavory two legged varmints.
That’s my two cents anyway.
Ruger gp100, 6" stainless, full power loads.
you guys got GRIZ up there in montana… you’d probably want some kind of magnum. probably the only situation where i’d rather have a revolver than an auto.
here in oregon, all we have is black bear, and small ones at that. i’m actually more concerned about cougar than bear, as the only bear attacks we ever get are hungry blackies that attack sanitation workers at the dumps they live off in the southern part of the state. cougar, on the other hand, are a bit of a problem in recent years. they’ve been reclassed from varmint to “game,” about 10, 12 years ago… cant hound-hunt 'em anymore. and since cougar is way too hard to hunt without dogs, nobody cougar hunts… so they’re way over populated. hikers get attacked fairly regularly, and we’ve even had school kids get attacked on their way to school in some of the less urban towns. people’s pets and small livestock get eaten regularly in the Eugene-Springfield area.
aside from the fact that i basically always have a carbine with me, especially when hiking/backpacking… since cougar is hard to hit as it’s padding up the trail at you at 30mph, i’m most comfortable with a glock 17 with extra magazines at the ready. i generally carry FMJs in all my non-game guns, feeling penetration is more important BHP benefits. but if my concern was for a significantly larger, thicker, tougher predator, i’d probably go to a .44 mag with a 270gr BSP. griz are quick, but they’re so damn big it’s hard to miss… i think the magnum is probably the way to go.
I would buy a S&W Mountain Gun in .44 Mag to carry in Montana if it were me. Carry at least three speed loaders as well (for the two-legged varmints).
glock 19 and a spare mag.
more concerned about two legged threats and mountain lions than i am bears. i’d like to get a ruger alaskan though, but budgetary issues prevent it at the moment 
i’ve considered a glock 29 as well, but i think i need a 44 mag revolver in my arsenal. 
G26 or S&W 340 M&P with 125 grain JHP .357
I just saw a 5" Stainless 629 at the local gunshop, it was sweet looking as well as pricey if I remember correctly.
Right now, I have to say I’m leaning towards the S&W 629 “Mountain Gun” or a Ruger Redhawk. If my wife wants to get it for my B-day, I’ll probably shoot for the stainless 629.
Dave
I hauled a 7+ inch 629 with the full lug around for several years here in Colorado, it was a very nice gun, but not really suitable for all day hip carry.
My next .44 will have a 5" or less barrel and more of a LW profile. And I’m giving serious consideration to a 4 5/8" Blackhawk, especially since I’ve seen them under $500.
S&W has quite a few desirable models, I’ve always wanted a Mountain Gun and would snatch one up in a minute if I could afford it.
I ran a cylinder of factory 240 grain loads through one of their 4" featherweights and it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as I thought, the price is more punishing then the recoil.
The big bears make the woods much more interesting don’t they?
I have a video of a lion we unexpectedly called in while predator hunting here in Colorado a couple of months ago, I didn’t even know we called it in until the following Monday morning when my buddy put it on his wide screen TV. I haven’t figured out Youtube yet, so if anyone wants to see it PM your email and I’ll email a link to it, it runs on Windows Media Player.
For serious backpacking, weight is critical. I carry a S&W J frame scandium .357 (I think the model is 340). If I were in serious bear country I might purchase one of the S&W scandium frame 4" 44 magnums. However, I do not like to carry around a full size steel revolver, due to its weight, even deer hunting, never mind backpacking. OK, I admit to being a wimp.
My biggest wildlife concerns in the backcountry are two-legged, not four. While upsetting a territorial four-legged is always a possibility, I’m more worried about happening upon a tweaker cooking meth.
This is my concern as well. I carry the same gun I carry daily (Glock 19 or M&p9c). I might add an extra spare magazine, but that’s about it.
S&W 44. magnum
Ruger in .45Colt. very versatile… it can be loaded to be hotter than .44 Mag.
or can be loaded with low power plinking loads or snakeshot.
Have a S&W 629 pre-lock. 6 1/2" though, so thinking of having it rebarreled to 4".
Glock 20 (10mm) would be a good choice
I spend alot of time in the woods here in East Texas, where hogs and snakes are the biggest concern. I do however do some backpacking up North Utah, Montana, Wyoming, ect… I generally carry a Colt Delta Elite 10mm. I have found the 10 to be very effective on very large hogs. I have never shot a griz with it…knock on wood…and hopefully never will. I have a Glock 20, but I just feel more comfortable with the Colt.