454 Casull
 

Been thinking about this quite a bit lately....not only for bear protection up here while in the tent, but you can shoot the 45 Colt through it for lots of all day fun as well. I like the Ruger "Alaskan", but not too fond of the 2.8" barrel.
Does anybody here have one....what make?
Thanks....

AK4dave- HI. Been thinking about a Ruger Alaskan, even though it's a short barrel the reviews are good. I shoot .45 colt in my cowboy action Vaqueros and my 94 Winchester. The darned Alaskan is so pricy, I've seen a couple of used ones for $600, new ones for $760.:D

Bear protection, huh? Why settle for less? Get the S&W 500 Magnum .50 cal pistol. I have one. It's awesome. Also a great brush gun is the Winchester model 94 AE in .444 Marlin. I got one of them too. Winchester's quote....."it will drop anything that walks on the Earth." You better believe it. A .45 caliber pretty much anything will just piss a grizzly off. Of course the Winchesters......now you're talkin about expense. You can't touch a new one for under 2K now. I got mine several yaeras ago for a hair over 300. I think it was like 307 or some ridiculous crap.

colt is a great choice! you can always take a few steps up from that and get a rocket launcher. that will scare the hair right off the bear! :rotflmao2::rotflmao2:

Some good info here, with some from some folks in Alaska:

w.w.w.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=349126

Redneck....READ MY POST AGAIN.....I said 454 for bear protection "IN THE TENT".... 45 Colt for shootin' all day....same gun..... Can you shoot a different lighter, cheaper, bullet from the 500 all day?

As far as the Marlin.....nothin' against them, but I'd have to say it's a whole lot easier to swing a revolver in a tent than an rifle....

And do me a favor.......don't try tellin me what will, or won't, kill an animal.....I guided for moose, caribou, sheep and.......oh, I forgot.....BROWN BEAR in Alaska for 8 years....

Thanks....

I gotta say....I think anybody that complains about how the 500 shoots either hasn't a lot of firearms experience, or has never shot one. Mine is more tame to shoot than my all STOCK .44 Magnum Ruger Super Blackhawk. In fact, I have a Rossi .357 Magnum that kicks harder than my .500. :thinking: I don't get it.

I wasn't tellin you, Dave. I was just quotin Winchester, that's all.

Sorry guy....but that pretty much sounded like you were tellin' me.......no?

Anyway.....no big deal Bud, just wanted you to know that I do have "some" experience with guns and bears. And like I said, the MAIN reason for the 454 would be because of the ability to have fun shooting the 45 Colt all day long fairly enexpensively. I enjoyed my S&W 629 in 44mag, but I just didn't shoot it that much, and it's gone now. But I do like to shoot.....figured the 45 would be a lot of fun, but would still have some massive firepower there if, or when, I needed it. Doesn't that sound resonable?
Ok.....yack at ya later....

Yep.....they are spendy. I wonder why Ruger just went with the 2.8" barrel only? It must have been just for the idea of bear protection and the ability to be quick with it. I would have much preferred at least a 4" barrel and have more accuracy to actually be able to hunt with the thing if a guy wanted to. I guess they just figured if a guy wanted that, then he would go get the 7.5" barrel. But to me that's way too long. What's up with the Taurus Raging Bull? I like the looks of them, in the 6.5" barrel, and don't even mind the blued 5". But they don't seem to be too popular.....why?...not very good quality? problems? Just curious because I just haven't heard much about them.
Oh and btw......I was looking at the Vaqueros in 45 Colt. Sure looks like a fun piece. I bet it's a sweet shooter.:thumbsup: I'll never forget my buddy's 357 Colt Python....nickle plated even. That was one of the nicest revolvers I've ever had the pleasure to shoot.

No Dave....I was makin fun of all the large calibers. I'll just stay out of the gun forums I reckon.

Ok, but have you ever successfully hunted....


in the Crazy Horse?



And thanks for the 454 info regarding the fact they can shoot 45 colts. I usually ignore the bigger calibers because I don't have a use for them and they are very spendy to shoot. Now, the 454 looks like it may have a place in my cabinet :)

BTW AK4Dave, I'm curious as to if you've ever shot a bear with a pistol? I'm not trying to start anything, just wondering is all.

Sorry guy, but I guess you'll have to elaborate as far as the......"hunted in the Crazy Horse?".....cause I don't have the foggiest as to what you're gettin' at....lol:thinking:

As to shooting one with a pistol....nope, never have. I've had them all around me, coming through, or next to camp, in my yard, and sows with cubs above me on the hill when fishing. But I've been lucky so far. I've had to backup a couple of my hunters with my rifle when they took down brownies that weren't finished. Never have relished the idea of having to get close enough to have to use a pistol....and hope I never have to.

I tell ya tho........one of the CLEANEST and QUIETEST kills I've ever seen was with one arrow through the lungs on a 10'+ brownie. Usually with bullet kills the critters are bawlin' screamin' bitin at themelves, and trying to tear up anything in site. But with this arrow.......the big boar acted like a moquito bit him, shrugged it off, swam across a stream, wobbled a couple times and fell over dead. Not a sound...... Was one of the most amazing kills I've ever seen.

Awe com'on Red..........don't let me run ya off. :sad2: I ain't pissed at ya, and sorry if ya thought I was. I'm sure ya didn't mean anything, and neither did I.....ok? This darn internet makes it hard.......when ya can't see a man's face or hear it in his voice, well.........sometimes It's hard to know exactly what a man's sayin'....no? I know you're a good ol' boy, and so am I, so let's don't worry about it.....
Have a good'n.....