north country gal

Been a while since I gave my bear guns a check to see if they are in working order, so grabbed some bear loads and headed to the range to check the sights to see if they were still on.

I call these two Rugers, bear guns, because, in fact, I do carry them/would carry them for protection against these big furry guys with teeth and, we really do have bears, here. In truth, though, the bear gun thing is an excuse. I just love shooting magnum revolvers with heavy loads, as some of you know. Makes no sense for an old granny like me to shoot these things, but there you have it. Crazy me.


First up is my SP101 4.2" in 357 mag, wearing Hogue finger grips which are a big help when shooting heavy 357 mag loads. Not as concealable as the factory grips, but the Hogues improve accuracy and help manage recoil, better.


No problem with the SP sights. Right where I left them last time I was shooting these 180 hard cast flat point 357 mags. Yes, there is some recoil in this small revolver, but that's what makes it fun. Not enough to affect accuracy, though.




Next up, a terrific DA revolver in my favorite cartridge, the 44 mag. It's my Ruger Redhawk with 4.2" barrel. This one is an all afternoon shooter for me, even with heavy loads. A dainty S&W it is not. This thing will shoot 44 mag loads that would lockup Smith with one shot. In fact, this is one of the guns that inspired the term "Ruger, only" load.


Accuracy is there.


This gun seems to have a strong preference for hard cast bullets, too.


Why a Redhawk? My favorite guns for DA shooting, that's why. I shoot Redhawks in DA nearly as well as in SA. Here's 6 I poured into the target, quickly, in DA mode.



Not my only bear guns, so more another time. A girl can't have too many bear guns, right?

moakes58

NCG, you are an amazing shot & for Halloween, I would not wear a Smokey Bear or Yogi costume in your woods.

Thanks for posting.

gunjunkie

Very good shootin! Especially your steadiness in DA.

RidgeRunner

Fine shooting. And at 23 yards, that's amazing.

Terry_P

If you see any bears just show them the targets they will hi-tail it to Canada. Good shooting.

tx gun runner

Great shooting NCG .... ..Back in the 70's and 80's when I hunted in bear country my sidearm was a 44 Redhawk 5.5 barrel . It was a super accurate gun and could handle the hottest loads . I love the RH because with my small hands it was the only 44 mag I could shoot DA . After doing the Cowboy Action stuff over 18 yrs I would carry my 44-40 with level 3 loads . I can shoot my SA guns faster and get better accuracy then I can get with a DA gun . If you can't stop bear in 6 shots you with NEVER get a chance to reload a charging bear anyway either SA or DA . If you need more rds a 15 shot 10MM Glock is for you ...

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44s Rock

She can nail them up along here walking trail!

Great shooting!!

Machinist

Awesome shooting, Ma'am.

bearcatter

Bear gun check? I just checked, and none of the bears around here have guns. They never heard of the right to arm bears, I guess....


You're only as old as you think. If the big guns keep you sassy, go for it!

north country gal

Thanks, guys. As I said, it's more about my love of shooting the big bores than actual practical self-defense, but, still, it is comforting to know I have the guns to do the job, if and when.

Awareness in the woods is my first line of defense against an animal attack, then bear spray, then a gun. Have done a lot of mountain biking in some very remote and isolated areas over the summer and have seen bears and lots of bear sign and some wolf sign, too. Riding a bike has caused me to rethink a carry gun. Great example of how you need to tailor what and how you carry to your activity.

Like you, TGR, I think I am faster and more accurate with a single action, but only if I have two hands available to operate the gun - am way too slow operating SA revolvers with one hand because I struggle to reach the hammer. This is an issue when riding a bike. When astride a bike, any attack from the side or the rear would make using two hands impossible, hence the DA revolvers. Also, bike riding makes carrying on the hip or IWB impossible, so the revolver gets carried in my front handlebar bag which is actually easier for me to access than any body carry when riding.

Tried carrying a semi-auto, but given how much bouncing and jostling goes on when riding in the backcountry on a mountain bike, just didn't trust a cocked and locked semi-auto. Probably okay, but made me nervous, all the same. (For those of you who haven't done hardcore mountain biking, trust me, it can be brutal. Think motocross in the motorcycle world.)

bearcatter, that was awful. Loved it.

bearcatter

I hope that was taken as intended!

One of my grandmothers would often up and decide she was "too old for this", whatever "this" was at the time. Then she'd stop doing it. By the time she was sixty, she had stopped doing about everything but breathing. She "thought" herself old before her time.

To read your posts, and look at your photo, you're no "granny", just a "gun-totin' mama".........

north country gal

It was, not to worry.

Yup, I'm an outdoor girl, always have been, always will be. Really don't slow down much until things get down to twenty below or so and, even then, I do venture out. Not to sound too macabre, but don't want to die in bed. Hope I'm outdoors doing something I love.

Terry_P

My great grandmother said to me one day when I get to be an old lady......... She was 80 at the time. You have to keep moving until you get your ticket punched. If you slow down they punch it sooner.

RidgeRunner

Like Jimmy Buffet sang...."I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead."

gunjunkie

I've never seen any testing done, but I always wondered if the sound of a magnum being fired would run a bear off better than shootin it, and making it self defensive. Of course, that would leave one less round available.

tx gun runner

When I did serous trail riding on my motorcycle I carried a 1911 or my 1911 Detonic cock and locked in the hills as a defense gun since I would be miles from any roads or houses and would be out there over night sometime . Today I would carry my Glock 23C since I feel it is the safest gun you can carry loaded even over a revolver . They drop a Glock from a helicopter over 1000 feet high and then tied it to jeep and drove 5 mile down a rocky road and untied it and pulled the trigger and fired it . Can't find the video I saw over 10 yrs ago ...

RetiredSeabee

Looks like I almost missed a great conversation, purty handguns, and some awesome shooting. NCG as always your skill amazes me.

north country gal

Given I would shoot a bear or animal as a last resort, I would probably try a shooting the air, first. bears are hunted, up here, and they do understand what gunfire means.

Oh, I'm sure a semi auto would be safe enough to carry, but big heavy magnum 44 or 45 loads are pretty much revolver, only, territory, anyway.

44s Rock

For big bears, gunfire usually means an easy lunch!

north country gal

Does with grizzlies, for sure. Not sure about black bears.