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Hence, as a backup, the handgun for the headshot is the only option, whereby I would actually prefer pepper spray: Some game department has done stats on the effectiveness of guns versus pepper spray in stopping charges: The pepper spray won by 75 % versus 30 % for the guns (in turning a charge).

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I don't agree with the above.

Living in Griz country for the past 20 plus year and having had numerous encounters with either species (griz or black) when either with friends or myself, I will take my chances with my .44 mag and 300 gr Cast bullets over pepper spray.

Where I live, it is more often than not there is a pretty good breeze blowing. What happens when you are being charged on the downwind side of the charge? Have a really good client that had that happen to him about 3 years ago while walking his dogs..black bear come at him, he hit the spray which he himself took in the face..he dropped to the ground unable to see or breath..said the bear blew right by him and kept going...

I also don't buy the study put forth as legit..have seen that study as well. One concern I have with the game departments suggesting pepper spray is that their views are often tainted heavily by their political views versus actual performance in the field. Have been to numerous meetings by the local Fish and Game dept where they propose the same thing---overwhelmingly, at the meetings I have gone too, the vast majority of locals stick with a gun.

Bears are an animal that die just like any other living organism. You hit them correctly on the onset and they typically die quickly, period. I have two friends that have shot, between the two of them, 5 brown bears and or grizzlies..all shot with a 7 MM Rem. Mag..most with one shot..

I shot one several years ago, fairly large as well, squared slightly over 9ft..one shot dropped him with the .375 second shot as he got back up heading to cover--we went in the next morning and found him dead..

Not stating any of this to start an argument or whatever...but....

There used to be an old joke around here..about tourists who hiked using pepper spray and bear bells...all the bear spray did was season the human to make him more palatable to the bear..and the bells made it easier to identify it was a human in the bear scat..

Ripp

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