AK4Dave

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....

TINMAN080

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.

RedneckJeep

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.

Offroadme

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!

Ivanko

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

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

USAF_GroundRat

Ivanko gave you a great resource with that firing line link. I have had both of them and the .454 used to be the most powerful handgun in production (1800 foot pounds of energy) until the mighty .500 was born (2800 FPE). One thing I find interesting about the .500 vs the .454 is that the .500's recoil is straight back as opposed to up like the .454. I really like the Cassul, however and it will do you fine in defense of bears. The ability to shoot the long colts is a nice addition to and I think you could not go wrong with that choice. The .500 is bad-ass and all, but damn... it is like catching a sledge hammer in your hand everytime you shoot it. I say get the .454 and enjoy the shit out of it. Good luck and be safe!

AK4Dave

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....

RedneckJeep

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. I don't get it.

RedneckJeep

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

AK4Dave

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....