best gun for 14 yr old to carry fishing in bear/wolf country
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re: best gun for 14 yr old to carry fishing in bear/wolf cou
Teach him how to shoot a Glock 23...40 S&W. It is lightweight, accurate, excellent capacity and will have excellent stopping power. It also carries well. I have trained 14 years olds for years on Glocks....especially 23's. They love to shoot them.
Teach him how to shoot a Glock 23...40 S&W. It is lightweight, accurate, excellent capacity and will have excellent stopping power. It also carries well. I have trained 14 years olds for years on Glocks....especially 23's. They love to shoot them.
re: best gun for 14 yr old to carry fishing in bear/wolf cou
Well the M85 in 38 spl is out. Tried it with 1000 fps 158 gr SWC and the boy (and I) couldn't hold the gun very well, even in a 2 handed grip. Load down to 850 fps and it was very pleasant to shoot.
We are going to look at a .41 mag compensated with a 4" barrel (Taurus 425). When I told him he could hunt with the .41 he opted for hunting over carry weight.
Anyone have an experience with any .41 mags?
Well the M85 in 38 spl is out. Tried it with 1000 fps 158 gr SWC and the boy (and I) couldn't hold the gun very well, even in a 2 handed grip. Load down to 850 fps and it was very pleasant to shoot.
We are going to look at a .41 mag compensated with a 4" barrel (Taurus 425). When I told him he could hunt with the .41 he opted for hunting over carry weight.
Anyone have an experience with any .41 mags?
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re: best gun for 14 yr old to carry fishing in bear/wolf cou
I own a Taurus Tracker in .41 mag and really like it. The ported barrel is loud but tames it well. If you reload don't use AA#5 as it proved to be very dirty and actually locked mine up. Switched to Blue Dot and have no troubles. Taurus recommends not to shoot loads over 1300 fps I believe.
I own a Taurus Tracker in .41 mag and really like it. The ported barrel is loud but tames it well. If you reload don't use AA#5 as it proved to be very dirty and actually locked mine up. Switched to Blue Dot and have no troubles. Taurus recommends not to shoot loads over 1300 fps I believe.
re: best gun for 14 yr old to carry fishing in bear/wolf cou
Well, the boy has been shooting his grandfather's .357 and we have loaded everything from 125 gr to 180 gr loads. I think he is taking to the .357. He keeps telling me the .41 only has 2 bullet weights from Sierra whereas the .38/.357 has 8 bullet weights to chose from Sierra. (We use Sierra because we live next to the mfr plant and buy 2nds).
He has been shooting a Colt Python 6" bbl and doing well with it...it is a bit heavy though.
He thinks he would like to buy a Titanium Taurus now in .357 with a ported 4" bbl.
Anyone have any experience with this gun?
Well, the boy has been shooting his grandfather's .357 and we have loaded everything from 125 gr to 180 gr loads. I think he is taking to the .357. He keeps telling me the .41 only has 2 bullet weights from Sierra whereas the .38/.357 has 8 bullet weights to chose from Sierra. (We use Sierra because we live next to the mfr plant and buy 2nds).
He has been shooting a Colt Python 6" bbl and doing well with it...it is a bit heavy though.
He thinks he would like to buy a Titanium Taurus now in .357 with a ported 4" bbl.
Anyone have any experience with this gun?
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re: best gun for 14 yr old to carry fishing in bear/wolf cou
An article in the latest "American Hunter" on bear behavior and bear attacks recommended a pepper spray intended for bear use rather than a handgun. It's a larger canister, more pepper, and a stronger, longer stream than anti-human pepper spray.
Cabela's carries it in a 7 oz hip holster and a 9 oz chest holster model, and it's the brand recommended in the article.
An article in the latest "American Hunter" on bear behavior and bear attacks recommended a pepper spray intended for bear use rather than a handgun. It's a larger canister, more pepper, and a stronger, longer stream than anti-human pepper spray.
Cabela's carries it in a 7 oz hip holster and a 9 oz chest holster model, and it's the brand recommended in the article.
re: best gun for 14 yr old to carry fishing in bear/wolf cou
I live in Alaska, where Brown Bears are fairly common, especially around streams with lots of fish.
The standard pistol for bears up here is a 44 mag, which is really too light for an animal that big and tough.
Older guys will advise that you file the front sight off, so it doesn't hurt so bad when the bear stuffs it up your a**
I have my son carry a metal can with lures in it. Bears instinctively avoid the metal-metal sound, and it's way safer than having a kid try to shoot it out with a bear.
I live in Alaska, where Brown Bears are fairly common, especially around streams with lots of fish.
The standard pistol for bears up here is a 44 mag, which is really too light for an animal that big and tough.
Older guys will advise that you file the front sight off, so it doesn't hurt so bad when the bear stuffs it up your a**
I have my son carry a metal can with lures in it. Bears instinctively avoid the metal-metal sound, and it's way safer than having a kid try to shoot it out with a bear.
re: best gun for 14 yr old to carry fishing in bear/wolf cou
Pepper spray may be all well and good but if it doesn't turn the bear what do you do. I would rather bet on the .44 mag or larger. It depends on the size of the 14 year old but I would have a large handgun just in case. I would recommend you both have them just in case. Six shoots may not be enough if you're in a a life and death fight with a large bear. I woudn't worry too much about the wolves as most any large cal hand gun should stop him.
Bigdog101
Pepper spray may be all well and good but if it doesn't turn the bear what do you do. I would rather bet on the .44 mag or larger. It depends on the size of the 14 year old but I would have a large handgun just in case. I would recommend you both have them just in case. Six shoots may not be enough if you're in a a life and death fight with a large bear. I woudn't worry too much about the wolves as most any large cal hand gun should stop him.
Bigdog101
re: best gun for 14 yr old to carry fishing in bear/wolf cou
your best line of defense in my opinion is:
1. don't fish alone and make enough noise to alert bears (metal can with lures)
2. pepper spray
3. .454 or bigger. however, anything smaller will be highly effective on the fleas and ticks on the bear.
a fourteen year old can handle a .454 or anything else when a grizzly is coming for dinner.
your best line of defense in my opinion is:
1. don't fish alone and make enough noise to alert bears (metal can with lures)
2. pepper spray
3. .454 or bigger. however, anything smaller will be highly effective on the fleas and ticks on the bear.
a fourteen year old can handle a .454 or anything else when a grizzly is coming for dinner.
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re: best gun for 14 yr old to carry fishing in bear/wolf cou
Well friend, I don't know where you are from or if you have been in Wyoming very long, but where you are going your fears are a little over stated. If you run into a black bear or a wolf you will probably be looking at the south end of a north bound critter. I was born and raised, hunted and fished in Wyoming for 60 years and I have seen exactly three bears and one wolf. Having said that I have always carried a sidearm when fishing (and hunting) and so has my son.
I started him on a .357 when he was 14, a .22 before that. He now carries a .44 mag as I do. His choice is a Ruger Redhawk and I carry a Ruger Super Blackhawk. I carry a sidearm to feel comfortable, but my concerns are more for the two-legged critters than four-legged.
Sorry if I sound a little critical of your needs, don't mean to. A lot of people have ideas about "what's out there". Most of the time the problem is other people. If you decide to wander the mountains northwest of Dubois, west of Meeteetse and Cody, and/or south of Yellowstone, then the critters are bigger and meaner. A bigger gun is always better. Enjoy the time with your son.
Well friend, I don't know where you are from or if you have been in Wyoming very long, but where you are going your fears are a little over stated. If you run into a black bear or a wolf you will probably be looking at the south end of a north bound critter. I was born and raised, hunted and fished in Wyoming for 60 years and I have seen exactly three bears and one wolf. Having said that I have always carried a sidearm when fishing (and hunting) and so has my son.
I started him on a .357 when he was 14, a .22 before that. He now carries a .44 mag as I do. His choice is a Ruger Redhawk and I carry a Ruger Super Blackhawk. I carry a sidearm to feel comfortable, but my concerns are more for the two-legged critters than four-legged.
Sorry if I sound a little critical of your needs, don't mean to. A lot of people have ideas about "what's out there". Most of the time the problem is other people. If you decide to wander the mountains northwest of Dubois, west of Meeteetse and Cody, and/or south of Yellowstone, then the critters are bigger and meaner. A bigger gun is always better. Enjoy the time with your son.
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Re: re: best gun for 14 yr old to carry fishing in bear/wolf
More people are attacked/killed by black bears than by brownies.wwb said:
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Re: re: best gun for 14 yr old to carry fishing in bear/wolf
http://www.udap.com/
This ain't your regular pepper spray.wwb said:
http://www.udap.com/
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re: best gun for 14 yr old to carry fishing in bear/wolf cou
Black bears will stalk, attack and kill humans at times and they don't adhere to the play dead rule!
Black bears will stalk, attack and kill humans at times and they don't adhere to the play dead rule!
re: best gun for 14 yr old to carry fishing in bear/wolf cou
Um, why is a 14 year old doing wandering around unsupervised in bear/wolf country in the first place? I know kids grow up fast these days, but imagine a scared kid with a loaded pistol. A scared adult with a pistol is scary enough... LOL (':lol:')
Um, why is a 14 year old doing wandering around unsupervised in bear/wolf country in the first place? I know kids grow up fast these days, but imagine a scared kid with a loaded pistol. A scared adult with a pistol is scary enough... LOL (':lol:')
re: best gun for 14 yr old to carry fishing in bear/wolf cou
Keep it simple, a 357 mag revolver will be fine. Enough stopping power, easy to operate and if the barel is 4" or less it will be loud as hell. So even if he misses the animal the noise will be shocked and run away. Your looking to stop the average bear or wolf not the mith animal.
Truly few attacks but all the same better to be safe than sorry. I gave my son a Rossi stainless steel 357 with a 4 inch barrel when he was 16 to take hiking. It was inexpensive, easy to care for and easy to use. Five years latter he still has that pistol, hates how loud it is but every time he goes camping, fgishing or hunting it is with him.
Keep it simple, a 357 mag revolver will be fine. Enough stopping power, easy to operate and if the barel is 4" or less it will be loud as hell. So even if he misses the animal the noise will be shocked and run away. Your looking to stop the average bear or wolf not the mith animal.
Truly few attacks but all the same better to be safe than sorry. I gave my son a Rossi stainless steel 357 with a 4 inch barrel when he was 16 to take hiking. It was inexpensive, easy to care for and easy to use. Five years latter he still has that pistol, hates how loud it is but every time he goes camping, fgishing or hunting it is with him.
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