Favorite Bear Gun and why? (caliber and model)

[Lil Joes BigGame hounds]

I like a .32 winchester special, model 94. does a pretty good job and since it is a trappers carbine its small enough that I carry it on a pack frame in a scabard. really works pretty slick. Here is a pic of a bear we shot last year and me packing it out.

I also like to carry a .44 mag. its killed several bears and you dont have to worry about a long gun.

[dsodstiks]

Marlin Lever Action .35 rem.

[three rivers catahoulas]

I to like my Marlin 1895G guide gun Chambered in 45-70 Govt, My wife shoots a Marlin 444, that we had cut down to an 18 1/2 " barrel and had it ported. For the 45-70 I load a few differant bullets 500gr Speer semi jacketed flatnose and the Hornady FTX in 325gr aswell as the Hornady XTP 350gr JHP. For the 444 I load the FTX and the XTP, the FTX is 265gr and the XTP is a 300gr. Those two put the lights out on anything you point it at a squez the trigger on. I also like the 35 Rem in a Marlin Model 336.

[gkckak]

I actually hate seeing a bear get killed. All i do is for people with out dogs let my dogs tree them and leave. Than when my dogs hunt I just let them tree and I dont kill.

[bearcat]

marlin guide gun, stainless, 45/70. Short, light, comfortable to shoot and plenty of punch. And if you don't load the loads to hot you don't have to worry to much about it exiting and hitting a dog on the other side. When your shooting 405 or 500 grain chunks of lead they don't have to be going all that fast to pack a wallop. And when things get hairy I want a rifle in my hands not a pistol. Even if I have to lean back to get room for the gun barrel between me and the bears head (has happened a couple times) I would rather have a rifle, at close range I'm 100% confident with a rifle, any farther away than touching it with the gun barrel I'm not that confident with a pistol on a moving target.

[lepcur]

10-4 on the guide gun, mines the early ported model in 444, nice and short and gets the job done. Mike

[blackandtan79]

its all on the shot placement. ive had to finish bear before that had been shot with a 450 marlin with my model 94 winchester 30 -30. if you aint sure about the shot dont take it. its better to let it go than to get your dogs hurt.

[TKC]

Taurus ultra-light 44 mag.
Ruger alaskan in 375 RUGER.
Haven't killed a bear yet but I should be ready if I ever decide to.......

[Outlaw 3]

Always open sights!
30-06 is my gun of choice it is plenty of power without going to the extreme.
I hunted with a 30-30 for years I liked how light and compact it was but did not think it killed quick enough to suit me.

I don't like taking guys hunting with 270s or 44s the 270 and guns of that type go through the game and that is very dangerous when hunting with hounds. I love my 270 but it is a deer rifle for me. The 44s I've seen where not enough gun. Scopes can also be a problem in thick brush. Many people are not used to having to choose there shots based on the hounds and it is easy to get tunnel vision with a scope. It is also easy to knock a scope off when crawling into a bay up.

[Arkansas Frog]

I have a friend on the Klamath River in Calif.[hopi Rev] told me he has killed 289 bears in his life time [that was in 96] and the most was killed with a Luger with wad cutters.

I went up there every year for 15 years straight and seen him kill a bear, this one was a big bear on the ground ,he ran up close [bear stand up] shot him in the throat seen his head jump up looks like 2 inches. dead before he hit he ground.

ever year he would say bring me some 9-mm wad cutter when you come back.

[blackandtan79]

you can killem with a .22 if you put the bullet in the right spot but i like my 94 win. 30-30. it seems to work pretty good as long as you choose your shots and not shoot like a wild man.

[B.B.BD]

I love my short 45-70 Marlin Guide gun but tend to use my 44 Ruger Sup. Blackhawk more..

[PLOTTMAN55]

444 marlin lever action cause for my opinion its a good all around biggame gun

[michigan_bearhunter06]

12 gauge 3 inch slug, great in the thick brush and it really pounds em.

[rooster]

i just carry a picture of my neighbors wife... the sight of that broad could kill anything.