454 Casull and a BIG bear

[454PB]

I received this via e-mail, and have no clue as to it's authenticity.

Still, it's interesting and included some good pictures.

Quote:



Friends,

Have I got a story for you guys!
King season is over, and since I had a day off before silvers start, I
Thought I would go for a walk! This occurred at 11:16 am this morning
(Sunday), just 2/10 of a mile from my house, ON OUR ROAD while walking
My dogs (trying to get in shape for hunting season, ironically!) for the
Record, this is in a residential area-not back in the woods, no
Bow hunting, no stealth occurring...

I heard a twig snap, and looked back...full on charge-a huge brownie,
Ears back, head low and motorin' full speed! Came with zero warning; no
Woof, no popping of the teeth, no standing up, nothing like what you
Think or see on TV! It charged from less than 20 yards and was on me in
About one-second! Totally surreal-I just started shooting in the general
Direction, and praise God that my second shot (or was it my third?)
Rolled him at 5 feet and he skidded to a stop 10 feet BEYOND where I was
Shooting from-I actually sidestepped him and fell over backwards on the
Last shot, and his momentum carried him to a stop past where I fired my
First shot!

It was a prehistoric old boar-no teeth, no fat-weighed between 900-1000
Lbs and took five men to DRAG it onto a tilt-bed trailer! Big bear-its
Paw measured out at about a 9 1/2 footer!

Never-ever-thought "it" would happen to me! It’s always some other smuck, Right?
Well, no bull- I am still high on adrenaline, with my gut in a Knot.

Feels like I did 10000 crunches without stopping! Almost puked for
An hour after, had the burps and couldn't even stand up as the troopers
Conducted their investigation! Totally wiped me out-cant even put that
Feeling into words, by far the most emotion I have ever felt at once!

No doubt that God was with me, as I brought my Ruger .454 Casull (and
Some "hot" 350 grain solids) just for the heck of it, and managed to
Draw and snap shoot (pointed, never even aimed!) from the hip! Total
Luck shot!

All I can say is Praise God for my safety and for choosing to leave the
Wife and kids at home on this walk! Got a charter tomorrow, so gonna TRY
To get some sleep now!

Talk to ya soon, -Greg

Greg & Sherri

Soldotna , AK 99669

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/4007/beartg.jpg


http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/512/bear2p.jpg

[ole 5 hole group]

I've read this story on other sites and I think it was reported in a local paper. I personally think there's a lot more to this story, as a full out charge from 20 yards when your caught flatfooted like he insinuates - the bruin would make contact with you in less than a second. I doubt his reflexes would allow him to do what he claims and the bear never made contact, so I have a hard time with the "facts" as presented.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

Well I think this could have happened, meaning the 454 is certainly up to the job. However what kind of guy carries a 454 to walk his dogs in a residential area? (Well I probable would carry a 454 for if I thought bears where around.) Also what kind of hunting dogs allow a bear of that size to get that close with out any warning?

That said I do believe that this story did happen, however I think it was cleaned/touched up a little bit before being smeared across the internet.

[Bullshop]

Cant say bout the details but I can see that bear was starving and that made him very dangerous.
Bout the gun, if ya live amongst them kinda bears ya learn ta carry. He may be near a river and if the fish are in you dont never go without a gun big enough to do the job.
When BS Mom and I lived at Rowen Bay we always had bears near by but most minded thier own business. When you got one like this one that cant fend for his self for what ever reason you got trouble. BTW when we went out at camp we each carried our own Marlin 94 in 44 mag. I loaded the 310gn Lee to 1700 fps and the Marlin holds 10 of um.
That is clout!
BIC/BS

[freedom475]

35MPH comes to 51.3 Fps...Scarrry!!

"Shoot-from-the-Hip" instinct???,,, I would certainly raise the pistol to a straight arm position...just cause that is my insinct from doing it 10's of 1000's of times.. And I think you will only try the trick once with a 454 or 475 and learn why never to do that again![smilie=1:

Carrying the gun while out for a walk??...well lets just say I am headed out the door right now to feed my Hound... and I WILL be grabbing the 10MM as I go out the door..:castmine:

[462]

There's no doubt that the bear was under nourished and that it's dead. We may never know the truth of how it all went down, though.

[StarMetal]

I just watched a special show on satellite about the bear problem in Anchorage. When they have an incident such as this, or an attack, or an attack and killing they do an CSI type of investigation including DNA of the bear to find out exactly what on. I bet the authorities where that bear was shot know what really happened. Maybe

Joe

[targetshootr]

It'd be funny if it turns out it died because that fly gave it something like malaria.

[Three44s]

................... reload gun ..............

........... empty underwear ..............

........... cooperate with authorities ...............

......... PRAISE GOD ...............

Three 44s

[StarMetal]

It'd be funny if it turns out it died because that fly gave it something like malaria.

I hope not, malaria is some pretty bad stuff. Besides I thought it was only the mosquito that carried the germ.

Joe

[9.3X62AL]

I'm glad the guy is all right, and that the bear is gone. An animal like that near a residential area is nothing but trouble, and a killing or mauling waiting to happen.

I hope the authorities were fair and reasonable with the guy. I once declined to put down a bear that should have been put out its misery after being hit on Sherwin Grade by a semi-truck. To this day, I feel badly about that--but I also know that Buckshot and I would have been questioned at length by CHP, Cal-DFG, and who knows who else in Bishop before being allowed to go on our way. Things get kinda weird in CA when you shoot a bear out of season......saw that movie at work previously, and I wasn't about to get a microscope shoved into every orifice.

It's a preposterous circumstance when doing the right thing and doing the legal thing aren't the same thing--but that is what happens when you grow a government so large that it doesn't have enough to do.

[Dogg]

They interviewed this guy on GunTalk radio with Tom Gretchen a month or so back. What was not said here that was said on the radio was that after his last shot that brought the bear down the bullet in the next chamber had walked out and jammed the cylynder, so the guy was pretty lucky. Apparently the bear was very old, crippled and starving and you can guess who was next on its menue.
The guy also said bears where a real problem in the area and that now he never leaves the house with out a gun.

[bigdog454]

He's more man then me, to fire a hot 454 load one handed! I tried it once, and will never do it again. That said; ya do what ya got to to survive.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Al,I can't say if you did the right thing or not but you bet you did the smart thing. I know this guy who lives in a county area in north Glendora. The cayotes are a big problem. He saw one trying to carry off his cat, he grabs his shotgun and lets fly . This caused the cayote to drop the cat and take off. He figures, mission accomplished. No way. Right soon the county mounties were in his drive wanting to know if he had fired a gun. When he told them what had transpired they slapped on the cuffs , put him in the back seat of the squad car. They take him to the local lockup, call in an off duty head shrink. He is hand cuffed to a chair when she comes into the room. She asked him one question,did you fire a gun in your backyard? He said sure I did, I wouldn't lie to you. Head shrink tells sheriff, he is irrational and unpredictable. Eventionaly they cut him loose but not before writing him a nice citation. Long story short, he has to go to court and pay a hefty fine. I don' know if he found the busy body that called the cops or not. It does make you wonder if it had been a child the critter was stealing, would they have followed the same guild lines? Food for thought.

[Blammer]

Gopher Slayer, his first and only word should have been LAWYER, especially after being "cuffed" and probably Miranda'ed too.

Why when anyone ever tells a bear story, immediately they are "liars" or "that's not what happened". Unless YOU were there, you can't dispute the man's story.

I'll bet anyone, that is properly motivated, can draw and shoot in less than one second. I know I could, especially when it's not "concealed". It's not like he was carrying concealed and had to reach under his shirt or in his pants, he probably had it on his hip READY to draw.

[Frozone]

He's more man then me, to fire a hot 454 load one handed! I tried it once, and will never do it again. That said; ya do what ya got to to survive.

But did you just point it at a paper target or were you a few seconds from being a bear turd? I'd bet He just barely felt the recoil!

This is a true story and all to common in this area of Alaska. Soldatna is on the Kenia Peninsula, just a few hours drive from Los Anchorage. The Kenia River is one of the best salmon fishing rivers you can drive to from the urban area. It is also a Major Bear spot. Over the years, having so many people around have 'acclimatized' the bears in the area, They have little fear of humans. This is the same area were that fruit loop nature boy from California tried to kiss a brown (a very similar bear too ) a couple of years ago and got both himself and his girlfriend converted to fertilizer.

As to the dipsh!t who said this bear was to close to a residential area - BS!!! It's the the other way around! People come up here and build in the pretty wilderness then wounder why they have bears in the back yard. [smilie=b:

[MakeMineA10mm]

I'm glad the guy is all right, and that the bear is gone. An animal like that near a residential area is nothing but trouble, and a killing or mauling waiting to happen.

I hope the authorities were fair and reasonable with the guy. I once declined to put down a bear that should have been put out its misery after being hit on Sherwin Grade by a semi-truck. To this day, I feel badly about that--but I also know that Buckshot and I would have been questioned at length by CHP, Cal-DFG, and who knows who else in Bishop before being allowed to go on our way. Things get kinda weird in CA when you shoot a bear out of season......saw that movie at work previously, and I wasn't about to get a microscope shoved into every orifice.

It's a preposterous circumstance when doing the right thing and doing the legal thing aren't the same thing--but that is what happens when you grow a government so large that it doesn't have enough to do.

Watched a show Thursday about the Alaska State Troopers and it said that there are three guns for every man, woman, and child in Alaska, so the cops there are always aware of/on guard about guns being present. HOWEVER, it also pointed out that Alaskans have a real need for them (see pics in first post LOL), and that most Alaskans are libertarians but not "nuts with guns," so it's not as bad of a problem as it sounds at first. Kind-of a back-handed compliment, but at least it was a compliment... [smilie=f:

[Bullshop]

Maybe he just had the revolver in his hand. I often go for a plinking walkabout with just the gun in hand, no holster.
BIC/BS

[stubshaft]

That sure is one helluva big bear.

[MakeMineA10mm]

Maybe he just had the revolver in his hand. I often go for a plinking walkabout with just the gun in hand, no holster.
BIC/BS

I wondered that at first too, as I read the story, but when I saw the first pic, I thought that black object on the guys' right hip looked like a nylon holster for the revolver. (At least it does to me.)



I see it looks like he hit the bear in the front left leg, but does that look like blood on the bear's lower jaw also? I'm just curious about where he hit it to stop the charge with the reported "snap-shooting"?



I've always wondered, having never skinned out a bear and, after reading lots of stories about inadequate boolits/calibers having the bullets skid around, deflect off of, or stop on the skulls, where is a good place for a head shot to stop a bear to minimize the resistence the skull provides? Eye sockets? Nasal opening? Ear canal?

I have skinned out plenty of humans, and I know where the human skull is thinnest, and I imagine bear skulls vary, depending on region of the skull as well, just never seen any data on it. (If one could aim while in a total panic/adrenaline dump and pooping ones-self, where should it be??)

[9.3X62AL]

As to the dipsh!t who said this bear was to close to a residential area - BS!!! It's the the other way around! People come up here and build in the pretty wilderness then wounder why they have bears in the back yard. [smilie=b:

Save your name-calling for someone who gives a flying fark what you think, Tree Hugger. I won't apologize for favoring human survival over animal rights. As if there ever were any, to begin with.

[leftiye]

Gosh thas hard to get off'n yer shoes! Stanks too!

[Dogg]

During the interview with the shooter on Tom Gretchen's radio broadcast the guy said he had the gun in a holster cause he was out walking his dogs. The shot that stopped the bear hit it in the neck, at least that is the way it was described on the show.

[Frozone]

Save your name-calling for someone who gives a flying fark what you think, Tree Hugger. I won't apologize for favoring human survival over animal rights. As if there ever were any, to begin with.

I'm far from a treehugger, that's a lower 48 thing for the most part. We have them here but mostly they are just californians who came up here for the 'wild' then complain it's in their yard. They usually only last a few years then leave.

That's what you deal with in Alaska - we haven't killed off the bears or fenced them out. You can't really do that any way, bears can go up a 10ft concrete block wall, I've seem them do it.
That is what it's like to live in Alaska, there are bears up here. There are likely more bears than people if you remove Anchorage from the calculation. Anchorage only has a problem on it's outer edges the bears come out of the park and raid a few blocks into town, Moose are far more gregarious you can find them in downtown.

I had a great video of a big bull meandering down a major street in downtown. 3 lanes wide, with the moose headed south in the middle of the south bound one way, traffic just eased around him, there was no honking, no police trying to shoot him, nothing. try that in the lower 48.

Soldatna ( where is incident happened ) is a strange place. It reminds you of Haight-Ashbury in '70,except greyer. A bunch of the hippies moved there and beads and long hair are still popular.

[softpoint]

He's more man then me, to fire a hot 454 load one handed! I tried it once, and will never do it again. That said; ya do what ya got to to survive.

Not too difficult to shoot a .454 with one hand, and accurately, too, BUT, recovery time is normally a lot slower than shooting two handed. I say "normally"because that bear factor and urgency could speed things up a good deal.:p;)