Hope this has not been hashed over before and if so, my apologies (at work so extesive searches are not in my best interest :rolleyes:). Anyway, Been mulling over a revolver to carry while I'm fishing for salmon in Alaska but also to have a ball using here in Hawaii for killing paper and steel silouettes. Since I'm on a budget I've been giving Taurus Trakkers a look. I don't want a 44mag but have been looking at the 41 and 357mag in either a 4 or 6" barrel. I'm leaning towards the 357 (there's one available here that's reasonable) but wonder if it would be "enough" in case a bear decides it wants me or my fish (don't think running is an option:eek:). I usually carry a 45-70 Marlin with me but it gets heay and bulky as the day drifts on. Another option I've been playing with is a 454 or Ruger vaquero (prior to the new model that came out a couple of years ago) and hot rod it up. Anyway, any info, insight or opinions you can provide would be deeply appreciated.:D

If you are thinking of stopping a bear that is intent on taking you apart, don't even start thinking until you reach the .44 with 320 gr boolits. Better yet, get a .475 Linebaugh or a .50. What do you want to do? Sting them hoping they will leave?
If the gun is too heavy, stay home! :rolleyes:
An older .45 Vaquaro that can take heavy 335 gr boolit loads is OK but new ones are too small. The .454 starts to get good at 335 gr's too.
A .357 for big bears???? Not for me anyway. I won't even shoot deer with the thing.

I definitely wouldn't mess with anything less than a .44 mag for bear protection. I think a .45 Colt would be even better as you can load it with even heavier bullets than the .44 without having to drive it too hard to be effective.

I will second that however, if you cant shoot it and hit your target its not gonna matter anyway. So no matter what you decide shoot it as much as possiable.

Also why no 44mag but you mention .454?

Hmmmm excellent points. Dont know why but for some reason I can't shoot the 44 mag accurately. I've tried different guns and fodder but not very accurate with me behind the gun. However (this is where it gets weird) I'm dead on with the .357, 454 .41 mag or +P+ 45LC in the older Vaquero. Therefore the reason for my caliber choices. Agree with the 357. Ok for a man-stopper but not much else but I'm always looking for new ideas so to speak. I'm actually leaning towards the 454 since I can shoot hot 45LC's if I so desire. What brand of pistol do you recommend? Remember I'm on a budget and dont really care if it's a single or double action hog leg. Thanks in advance..:o

Here's what I carry in Idaho now. It's a 4 inch Taurus stainless Tracker in 41 mag. It weighs 34 ounces and is light enough to pack in a belt holster. We have grizzly here along with lots of black bears and wolves. I don't feel uncomfortable with it in the woods, but sure would explore every option I have besides shooting. I shoot a 210 grain hardcast in it.

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q172/faucettb/Preditor%20masters/TaurusTracker41magnum.jpg

During the five years I spent in Alaska I carried a 6.5 inch 44 mag Smith 29. It killed one Grizzly there that was eating a friend of mine whom was fishing with me. In Idaho the 44 magnum killed 19 black bear from 20 yards to 200 yards and more deer than I can count. I use a 255 grain Kieth style hardcast for all of this.

Any revolver in 454 or 44 magnum will work for what your talking about. You can load them down for plinking and hot for bear protection. If I were going to Alaska the 44 magnum would be the smallest I would consider and I'd certainly carry a 454 if I were going to purchase a new gun for your stated purposes. Here's a couple of recommendations. If you reload you can always load the 454 down for plinking or if you don't shoot cowboy 45 Colt loads thru it.

The 5.5 inch stainless Redhawk. Compact, but like the Smith 29 you need to carry it in a shoulder holster to carry comfortably.

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q172/faucettb/Preditor%20masters/redhawk5.jpg

The 7.5 inch Super Redhawk in the caliber of your choice. This one has an Aimpoint red dot sight on it.

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q172/faucettb/Preditor%20masters/RugerSRH.jpg

The best gun to carry in Alaska for big bears is a 375 H&H rifle or a 12 gauge pump shotgun loaded with good slugs. See James Gates slugs. I've been in a situation where I had to use a handgun on a Grizzly bear and believe me no handgun seems big enough when your in that place.

Handgun, min 44 Mag with 300 gr hard cast
Long gun, I like the 45-70 Marlin Guides Rifle, 400 gr or a 12 ga pump with 1 1/8th Brenneke slugs.:)
Bring home some good fish and stories.:cool:

Fishing sidearm? One of those Ruger Alaskan SRH models with the really short barrel.

Would be pretty challenging to use on sihouettes, though.

Hope this has not been hashed over before and if so, my apologies (at work so extesive searches are not in my best interest :rolleyes:). Anyway, Been mulling over a revolver to carry while I'm fishing for salmon in Alaska but also to have a ball using here in Hawaii for killing paper and steel silouettes. Since I'm on a budget I've been giving Taurus Trakkers a look. I don't want a 44mag but have been looking at the 41 and 357mag in either a 4 or 6" barrel. I'm leaning towards the 357 (there's one available here that's reasonable) but wonder if it would be "enough" in case a bear decides it wants me or my fish (don't think running is an option:eek:). I usually carry a 45-70 Marlin with me but it gets heay and bulky as the day drifts on. Another option I've been playing with is a 454 or Ruger vaquero (prior to the new model that came out a couple of years ago) and hot rod it up. Anyway, any info, insight or opinions you can provide would be deeply appreciated.:D

You did a pretty good job of describing the problem. What is "enough" one day is not "enough" the next. Your 45-70 will always be a lot better than a handgun... if it is 100% instantly available 100% of the time. It won't be and puts us back to handguns.

Though I have never had to face any big bears down, my suggestion is the 5 1/2" Redhawk in 44 mag. You can make or buy some great big bear loads for it. The 300-355gr bullet choices are great. You can just as easily load it down for paper. Your overall skill with the gun will pay off on the days when a lousy shot could get you killed. If recoil is a big issue, I found the 7 1/2" Redhawk profoundly cut back on perceived recoil with the big loads if you don't mind a bulkier package. I think that being very good and very fast with an effective cartridge outweighs the difference between a 41, 44, 45, 454 or 500. To me at least, the 44 mag offers the "most for the least". I feel the same way about the Redhawk as a platform.

Good luck in picking. You really do have a lot of good choices to pick from.

Since I'm on a budget I've been giving Taurus Trakkers a look. I don't want a 44mag but have been looking at the 41 and 357mag in either a 4 or 6" barrel. I'm leaning towards the 357 (there's one available here that's reasonable) but wonder if it would be "enough" in case a bear decides it wants me or my fish (don't think running is an option:eek:).

Of the two cartridges you mention for the situation one is obvious to me. And I would tend to "lean" the other way.

Wonder why you have trouble shooting the .429 magnum? They shoot well IME. There are lots of very good loads avalible too! If someone loaded one up and "told you that it was a 45", would you shoot it better? Perhaps the metric system of cartridge designation is throwing you off?
357 is handy to carry, but not enough for confidence against a bear encounter from this "armchair outdoorsman" in Iowa.

I can report that "quality trumps cheap" everytime in my experience. I hope there is some wisdom in that.

Cheezywan

just a word from somebody who never expects to see a grizzily in the wood.. i don t have any experience withum as you don t..id have the biggest i could shoot sidearm ,money don t even factor in..then if i had to pay an carrier to carry it.. id have the deadlyist long gun i could shoot..man we talkin livin or bein a bear munchie..hardest shooting gun i ever had was an light mossburg with magnum slugs... knocked the fool outa me but i wouldn t call it good enuff for a big griz..i done seen one in a museum in ,YORK COUNTY S.C.taller than 2 men,killed in the early 20th century..his offspring still upthere somewhere,cause he woulda had his choice of the ladies.. good luck now..
thats impressive credentials Bob .. i ll look up some of your old post..

If you can find one, Taurus and Ruger are/were both offering 2" and 4" guns for this very purpose. If it was me, I'd go with .454 Casull or higher. Smith offers their .500 S&W and .460 S&W mags in some shortish guns, too, and those would certainly be good for anti-grizzly work. If you can't find the Smiths alone, you might look for their gun-containing survival kits.

I'd also keep another couple of cylinder-fulls available, because I was told that that when dealing with grizzlies, you shoot them until they drop and then shoot them some more to make them stay dropped.

I have never hunted or been attacked by a grizz, but from what I understand from those in the know, you won't get more than one shot off if it decides to come for you. So, the first shot is absolutely critical. You can pick up a Ruger Alaskan for reasonable money and if it is in .454 Casull, you don't have to load it to debilitating (to the shooter) levels for it to be effective. JMHO.

+1, Whitworth

Thanks for all the great advice. I has the opportunity to shoot a friends Taurus M454 5" Raging Bull yesterday afternoon and was quite accruate with it (range @ 25 and 50 yards) shooting both hot 45LC's and normal 454 fodder. Even with the hot 45LC loads, the porting tamed the recoil but increased the noise. It's like shooting a 1911A1 230gr FMJ. The 454 was definately stout but not uncomfortable (think my limit would be 25 rounds per session though:rolleyes:) . The Taurus is no Ruger or S&W but the lockup was tight and nicely timed, double and single action trigger was pretty smooth and the fit and finish looked pretty good. Think I'll pick one of these up as they seem to be a nice value for the money (this gun has about 500 rounds of 454's thru it and it still is real tight). I like the 5" barrel and the ability to shoot the 45LC sold me on it. Both my Old Model Vaqueros are 45LC and I suspect the cowboy action loads should be fun to shoot in this gun as well. What do ya think?:)

I'm really no fan of the Raging Bull or other Taurus products to be perfectly honest. I don't like porting, and I really dislike the dual latches to unlock the cylinder. It's just awkward to me. I would go with an SRH if I had to choose between the two. It'll swallow fullhouse fodder with no ill effects at all...... Just a personal preference.

Well guys the ded is done! I went in a totally different direction than planned (and good reason too)....
I bought a slightly used Taurus RB in 454, 6.5" barrel stainless. I came with the Taurus rib mount and a Leupold 2-4 power (I think) handgun scope. The package comes with 4 boxes of ammo, carry case and left handed holster (I'm a lefty). The reason this guy was selling it is he's losing his eyesight and does not shoot anymore. The gun is a little over a year old with less than 25 rounds thru it. I had my gunsmith look at it and he said it's in superb condition and tight as a drum. The whole package out the door was $675. Couldn't pass it up. Only thing I don't like is the finish is almost like chrome. My smith said he'll fix that for $30.00. Will get the paperwork done on Monday (I live in the Peoples Republik of Hawaii) and after a 2 week waiting period (:o:mad::(:(:eek:) it'll come home. What a relief!:D

I would say that is a wise choice progun.

I can only relate my own experience with one of my fishing trips to Alaska. My Brother & I stopped at one of the many thousands of small lakes in the interior. This time we were near Lake Louise & were having fair success fishing for Arctic Grayling. I brought up my Stainless 357 Blackhawk as a sidearm.
Having played out this small lake in front of us I started to feel a little adventurous & decided to hike over to another small lake in the distance. About half way over there I started to see the bleached bones of various unfortunate critters. This prompted me to contemplate my sidearm at the time & even though I felt fairly proficient with my 357 I decided that any griz that I might happen to encounter would pretty much just shrug off the 158gr hollow points that I might be able to throw his way.
I decided the first lake I was fishing wasn't so bad after all.

I have had that same weapon for some time now(4+years IIRC). Mine is brushed stainless though(no "bling" here).It has served me well. I have shot only handloads thru it. They are some of the hottest loads out there, from 265's to 360's all goin' max fast. All are hardcast also,which is what I would reccommend for deep penetration on the bigger animals.

My weapon is still very tight and locks up perfectly. The grips are great for reduceing felt recoil,but the very best thing about the weapon is it's expansion chamber. It works like a champ to reduce recoil. My 300gr loads outta my Super Blackhawk "sting" mo betta than the Taurus.

You will enjoy the weapon and it will make life easier in bear country. -----pruhdlr

Expansion what?? Please explain.......

I feel I got a good deal so no complaints.... Barrel is a little longer than I wanted figure it will help tame the beast. The scope and mount will be coming off though. Just want open sights and the holster that came with it won't work with the scope. Gonna put the scope on my Savage Striker so I can kill two birds with one stone. Can't wait to pick it up and start practicing....;)

DISGUSTED!:mad: Went to pick up the paperwork from the owner and when I got to his house he told me
h decided to give the pistol than sell it to me. Sad part is his son doesn't hunt or shoot for that matter. The guy told me if i want to buy it ask his son if he would be willing to sell. When I asked his kid if he wanted to sell it he said "yeah, give me $900.00. Told him where to stick it. Soooo the deals off! Oh well, gonna start looking again.......:confused::(

Taurus calls their muzzle brake an "expansion chamber". Same thing really. Inside the expansion chamber is no bbl. It's just kinda added to the bbl.

Whatever...it works VERY efficiently. Not alot of hat liftin' blast either. -----pruhdlr

DISGUSTED!:mad: Went to pick up the paperwork from the owner and when I got to his house he told me
h decided to give the pistol than sell it to me. Sad part is his son doesn't hunt or shoot for that matter. The guy told me if i want to buy it ask his son if he would be willing to sell. When I asked his kid if he wanted to sell it he said "yeah, give me $900.00. Told him where to stick it. Soooo the deals off! Oh well, gonna start looking again.......:confused::(

What a jerk.:mad: That really pisses me off when folks play such underhanded games.

GAWD I must have been really pissed when I typed my last....more mispelled words, fragmented sentences and even left some of the text out! hahahahahahaha:D Oh well, paid a visit to my favorite gun shop today and ordered me a Taurus Tracker 44 with a 4" barrel. He gave me a great price (&500.00 out the door). For Hawaii guns are pretty expensive, so I think I got a nice deal. He's paid in full and should be here by the end of the week. Then the silly waiting period and registration fiasco starts.... oh well!:D

I trust the old adage: Carry the largest you can comfortably conceal and shoot well!

GAWD I must have been really pissed when I typed my last....more mispelled words, fragmented sentences and even left some of the text out! hahahahahahaha:D Oh well, paid a visit to my favorite gun shop today and ordered me a Taurus Tracker 44 with a 4" barrel. He gave me a great price (&500.00 out the door). For Hawaii guns are pretty expensive, so I think I got a nice deal. He's paid in full and should be here by the end of the week. Then the silly waiting period and registration fiasco starts.... oh well!:D


How long is the waiting period?

How long is the waiting period?

From a previous progun post:

"will get the paperwork done on Monday (I live in the Peoples Republik of Hawaii) and after a 2 week waiting period (:o:mad::(:(:eek:) it'll come home. What a relief!:D"<!-- / message -->

Thanks DOK!! I overlooked it because it was right in front of me.......:D

Yup, Hawaii is really screwed up when it comes to firearms ownership. It's one of the most restrictive states from what I understand. Here's a little scenario.....
You buy a pistol, take the bill of sale to the police headquarters (there's only one you can go to and it's in the middle of Honolulu and has extrememly limited parking), show them proof you're qualified to own a handgun (either by attending the state sponsored hunter education course (I used to be a volunteer master instructor for 20 years until the program got infested with "politically correct" management) or a certified NRA pistol course that provides 10+ hours of instruction). They have you fill out about 10 forms, pay them a one-time-fee of $30.00 for fingerprints and get a "mug shot". If that's not bad enough, all of the attendents in the firearms registration branch are anti-gun cops who are basically there to harass, act like A--holes and are there because they screwed up! Ok off my soap box (I have no love for HPD. I guess is shows). Anyway, after everything is done you have a 14 days waiting period. They give you the earliest date you can pick up your permit to acquire and it remains good for 72 hours. If you fail to pick it up durng the alloted time, guess what....you get to do the whole process over again, less the $30.00 fingerprint charge. Anyway, you go back to the headquarters, pick up the paperwork, drive to the gun shop or person you purchased the firearm from, fill out the fed forms take the pistol and the paper work BACK to the headquarters to get the registration completed! Oh yeah, IF you fail to bring the pistol in within 48 hours after pickup (it's annotated on the permit to acquire) you become an instant class C felon :eek:! Pretty neat, huh? Welcome to the PRH;)!

Jeese, and I thought California was bad.........:eek:

You are purdy far from the "main land" to have second amendment laws like that to live under progun. Two choices I see. Vote or move?
I Have two friends that live there. Last line of an e-mail was "Support the NRA". The reply was a question about THE NATIONAL RESTURANT ASSOCIATION. Mostly gave up on them.

Perhaps the recient Supreme Court decision will influence the law there?

Cheezywan

Yup, I know it. Voting here is a joke. You see candidates here appeal to their racial roots. In other words the the Japanese Americans 9 times out of 10 will vote for a candidate whose shares the same racial background. Sure there is a percentage that will vote based on the issues and to **** with race (the way it should be) but when all else fails, they go with race along STRICT party lines, always democrat. GOP candidates are usually voted out of existence and if for some freak reason they actually win, the majority of the reps and state senators will NEVER cooperate with their GOP counterparts and have been know to go out of their way to make life miserable for ANYONE outside of their own party and dogma. Bottom line is 90% of the local people are "sheeple" who keep voing the same old cronies and crooks into office each election cycle. Most of our state reps and senators are anti gun to the max and are the reason for our draconian laws only because we, the people, let them. They think we're all stupid and 50% of the locals here are:p
As for leaving...well I wish I could. i have a great job with the DoD (I'm retired Navy E-8) and have a great job as a GS14 Information Systems Engineer. I do, however have only 3 more years before I can retire from my current job abd I'm planning to move out of here pronto. In the meantime myself and other gun owners need to continue the fight and "keep the faith" but it don't look so good for us, especially if Osama Obama gets into office. God help us and the rest of the nation. Shoot we'll be registering sling shots:eek::rolleyes:! Shoot, better stop I'm beginning to get pissed off:mad::D

When I am fishing in big bear or cat country, I carry an old model Vaquero in .45 LC pushing 345 grains of Beartooth cast. I wouldn't think of carrying a .357 but the .44 Mag. could do the job.

Kudu40

As far as handguns, here are my two carry guns one is a .44 Mag the other a .38 Spl

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t33/JB59901/44%20Magnum/000_0001-1.jpg

The .44 Mag gets carried in a set up like the Bianch Ranger Hush system that I made to also include ammo loops.

Mine which I made, is pretty much like this BIANCHI Ranger HUSH system with the exception that I have added ammo loopes to my set up. This is very quiet and adds no weight to your hips which with a heavy handgun can be a problem towards the end of the day.

Bianchi Ranger HUSH System $75.99 plus shipping
http://images.outdoorinteractive.net/mgen/289833_d.jpg?is=300,300,0xffffff&cvt=jpg
This also can be worn over any jacket or coat etc.
This is my version of materials I had on hand.
1. #18 Sidekick holster fits S&W N frame or Taurus Raging Bull 6" to 6.5" handguns ($12.99)
2. Two 6 round Sidekick ammo loops sown to the webbed adjustable strap ($8.99 each)
3. Added a small webbed adjustable belly belt for securement around stomach. (Had on hand already)
4. Wide woven cotton belt available at any Fabric Store and buckle for about $6.99
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t33/JB59901/44%20Magnum/PIC_0102.jpg http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t33/JB59901/44%20Magnum/PIC_0105.jpg

That's a nice rig, J_B. Is it reasonably priced?

That's a nice rig, J_B. Is it reasonably priced?


Thanks

Well I think mine is as you can see what cost I have involved in making mine.

The Bianchi is $75.99 with some places on sale but out of stock.
Unkle Mikes Bandoliaro Holster is $63.95

Mine with stuff on hand comes to $31.96 plus labor. If one uses two 6 round ammo loops, which one can get by with just one.

Anyone can make these for themselves.

My Bianchi "HUSH" is abit older than JB's. Just as functional though. Is a very comfortable holster for large framed revolvers. Really distributes the weight well and allows one to "shift" that weight as needed to maintain comfort.

I don't achor mine to my waist belt "mostly". Just sling over my shoulder like a golf bag. It goes under a coat just fine. Good holster for my Redhawk 41.

Cheezywan