compact heavy firepower for wilderness helicopter travel

Ooooops....missed your bear spray comment......

I would consider a Glock 20 pistol and a Glock 20 receiver with a Mech Tech upper.

What about a 44 mag lever gun? Combine that with a 44 on the hip and that’s a lot of hurt to lay down.

I'll echo MachIVshooter , ar-10 pistol in 308 loaded with high quality partitions. Idk if you'd need 25 rounds, but a 10 round mag would probably be sufficient and more compact/less weight and still get the job done. Could always keep a second 25 round mag on you aswell.

Than your 629 with hardcast on your hip so there is always something with you.

Edit to add:
Does it need to be an AR pistol? I see youre willing to do a take down rifle for the helicopter trip, so what's to stop you from using the take down pins on the AR and breaking it down quick for the flight? That way you don't need to compromise on barrel length or stock options as much.

My choice would be, and is, a 454 casull in a chest rig.

My 450 Bushmaster in a discreet case would be an excellent choice, 300gr XTP mags at 1750-1800fps. It's a 14.5" with pinned and welded tanker style break and very lightweight.

I can only imagine that even a BAZOOKA in my hands would seem pretty tiny if a pissed-off bear was charging at me. The stainless BLR would seem to be the best choice as far as compact/breakdown-able AND chambered in an adequate caliber.

In addition though, I would also carry either a Glock 20 or a 4.5” Springfield XD(M); always on my hip, 16 rounds of 200+ gr. hard casts from Double-Tap or Buffalo Bore, with an additional 15 round mag (or 2) handy.

In a worst-case scenario with a bear charging me from close by, it’s very likely going to be a spray & pray situation and bringing a rifle to ready may be unfeasible. If the smell of the poop in my pants doesn’t turn the bear away, hopefully I can calm down just enough, after the 1st 7 or 8 rounds get sent all over the place, to take aimed shots, before (hopefully) making a quick & successful magazine change. Add in the remote but possible situation of a pack of wolves looking at me & thinking “That’s the biggest pig we’ve ever seen!”, I would (minus the bear snafu) then have the 31-46 rounds of 10mm ready-at-hand.

The larger caliber handguns would certainly be more powerful & to some extent, more comforting, but will be hampered by limited round capacity, slower follow-up shots, and much slower reloads unless you’re the legendary Jerry Miculek.

Sam

If you're a forester going to that neck of the woods, my guess is that you're doing some manner of inventory plots.

Along with all the other crap you have strapped to you, carrying a long arm (even by sling) is difficult when you're crashing through thick brush, especially if you're taking tree diameter.

The best option is the one you already have - pistol, in as large of a caliber as you can shoot well and fast.

SHOOT1SAM said:

after the 1st 7 or 8 rounds get sent all over the place, to take aimed shots, before (hopefully) making a quick & successful magazine change

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Bears are extremely fast on the sprint and are fully capable of running down deer and elk.

7 or 8 shots first, then aimed shots, and a magazine change? Probably not going to happen. 1-3 shots is probably all a person will get in.

bluejeans said:

I had forgotten to mention the browning blr which is available as a takedown and in stainless steel. Another advantage over other lever guns is that it is mag fed so I wouldn’t have to empty the tube every time.

Added it to the poll

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This would seem to meet your requirements very well. In .30-06 or .358 Win. should be sufficient, magnum calibers are also available. Extra Magazines can also be carried.

I spent 5 years living and working in remote parts of Alaska in similar conditions to what you describe. I carried a .45 Colt Ruger Redhawk, and occasionally a Blaser R8 in 9.3x62 Mauser. I chose the Blaser because the barrel can be removed easily for storage and it is fairly easy to change calibers. It is also easy to switch back and forth between a scope or open sights without changing zero. Most of the time the rifle was unnecessary.

Keep carrying the 44 (personally I would carry a G20 in a serpa on my side), AND get a long gun. Could you sling the rifle across your chest in the helo? I like the idea of the stainless guide gun. Otherwise some type of shotgun with the nastiest rounds available, like a Mossberg 930 riot gun.

When I talk to people about defensive handguns, people often discuss the power of their handgun instead of their ability to use it. I find that the same thing happens with discussions of bear defense. I always remind people that only hits count, and that an adequate firearm that you can control is better than a stronger one that you can't control very well.

So my question to the OP is, how comfortable are you shooting your 44 magnum? If you need to make quick accurate hits, are you thinking, this is pretty easy, and I could really handle more gun? I would only consider stronger guns if you are already quite comfortable running the 44 fast. If the 44 is not so easy, then practice with it may have the biggest payoff.

Also, keep in mind the tradeoff between weight and controllability. With some guns, a 460 magnum is not that much harder to control than a 44, but that is because the gun is much larger and heavier. If the guns were of similar weight, the 460 would be much harder to control. And the airweight S&W model 329 44 magnum is an absolute beast in my experience. The light weight makes the recoil of 44 magnum feel quite extreme.

So overall, I believe the S&W 629 is a good balance for lots of people. If you tell us more about your experience with your current revolver, we may be able to offer additional suggestions.

Other thing to consider if it is indeed becomes too much to carry a long arm and all your gear. What about a Ruger toklat?

You can run 45 colt +P's and still have more oomph than any round you can stuff into that Smith 629. While keeping recoil down and control up over say the 454. But than there is always the option to run 454's if you so choose. And it's much less bulky than an xframe in 460. Just a thought.

It might not be a pretty gun. But it is sure better looking than a big fat bear chewing on your leg ,LOL.

Maybe I don't have the right idea what a Forester does on a day to day. But I would think a carbine would be leaning on a tree for a good amount of time during the day as I'm doing my work, and that does little good when a Grizzly comes crashing through brush at spitting distance. One doesn't always hear a bear before they are at reactionary distances, leaving little time to prepare oneself. I would think whatever my defensive gun it would be on a chest rig. But only you can answer the question as to whether the carbine will always be ready at moments notice.

I guess one could rely on bear spray for immediate reaction and get to the carbine leaning against the tree?

Me, as I said I would want my protection on my body at all times in remote areas of Alaska, I don't like the feeling that I'm no more than a drumstick to Kodiaks.

He can't bring bear spray in the whirlybird....

entropy said:

He can't bring bear spray in the whirlybird....

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Why not? Don't they have outside luggage baskets for things such as this?

KA-BOOM! Read the original post....

entropy said:

KA-BOOM! Read the original post....

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I believe aircraft regulations are for such containers to be outside the aircraft, hence why I said in an outside luggage basket. Regardless, it seems their transport company seems to forbid it or don't have outside cargo so it's a non issue.

bluejeans said:

I’ve spent quite a few years with s&w double action revolvers and put a lot of rounds through them. Successfully used twice under stress against cougar and black bear so I’d say I’m pretty comfortable shooting the 44. I’ve always shot magnum pistols so the recoil doesn’t bother me. My hesitation with th 460/500 recoil is more that the muzzle flip will take me off target thus slowing down follow up shots.

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That's why I thought you might want to consider the .480 Ruger in a Super Redhawk. My understanding is that it's a lower pressure .475 Linebaugh. I don't know what this info is worth to you, but here's somewhat of a review I just stumbled onto:

http://mikestexashunt-fish.com/hang-on-tight-shooting-the-480-ruger/

I think a 45-70 levergun is ideal for big bears. Lots of power with fast follow-up shots. Stick a ammo carrier on the stock for additional rounds. The kicker with a long gun is you have to be disciplined enough to keep it available at all times. That's where a pistol shines - not ideal power or accuracy, but it's always on your hip. I like 10mm over a revolver for higher capacity and lower weight.

I voted ar pistol. I built one for this job (granted, Montana backcountry not Alaska) in 458 socom, and single point slung it is about as obtrusive as my 44 mag Redhawk. Nice having the mag change option over the revolver sometimes.