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NO WHERE did I ever "Dismiss" a 450 pound bear as any thing other then dangerous or less dangerous! Your looking for things in my posts that don't exist and then taking issue with them! Yes, a .30/06 would work just fine, but with in a very narrow set of limits, NOT within what the O.P Posted of 50 yards which with ANY PREDATOR, IS DANGER CLOSE!
Typical Savage 111, scoped for long range hunting, thus a very poor choice! Note the lack of good Fast Iron sights!
4112
Just how fast do you think you could run the gun and get off all 4 shots and put any of them in the vitals, and remember, thats 50 yards and closing fast!
Bears are not like any other Predators, Bears only respond to pain or convincing them that it's not going to end well if they charge! And once a Bear in in attack mode, the only way to stop one is to put it down, or cause intense and debilitating pain!
To put what the O.P. is talking about in perspective, watch this video!
 
Just reading along.
I think OP should use extreme caution when considering exposure of his children to a predator's habitat until he is better prepared for predator encounters. I get it that he is asking the right questions, but until the bases are better covered - take heed of the risks involved.
 
When it comes to wild life its always better to be over prepared rather than under. I go into the woods or out in my yard to mow the lawn I am carrying and its enough to take care of what situation is to arise.

Each person needs to evaluate there personal situation and be prepared to deal with it in there own way.
 
When it comes to wild life its always better to be over prepared rather than under. I go into the woods or out in my yard to mow the lawn I am carrying and its enough to take care of what situation is to arise.

Each person needs to evaluate there personal situation and be prepared to deal with it in there own way.
Along with that is the honest assessment of personal skill sets.
 
If I had a limited budget ( Don't we all) A good lever action would be my first choice, though good ones are getting spendy!
Another option would be any of the Mauser copies, Controlled Round Feeding for unfailingly reliable quick action when things get sporty

Believe it or not, That's what I use most of the time in predator country! Can still find a good mid 50's and later Sporter Mauser 98 and variants, especially the best of all, the 1903 Springfield! Just make sure the Mag selector is switched to ON! A good sporter can be found in the $300 and up range for a good running Mauser!
IMG_0157.JPG
 
Wouldn't want to be limited to two shots.
That's why I deleted my post: Insufficient firepower...

Bears can move so fast , and we rarely think we'll ever come-up against one. They have the drop on us; we're an easy victory with what God gave to them versus what He gave to us. Yes, we have guns. But do we always have one with us? Usually not. A bear always has his teeth, his jaws, his weight and his claws on him, and they're always ready to be used for eating or for the animal's survival. Living where bears cavort is a decision a man takes knowing the things are out there. He has to be ready to kill on two second's notice if Mr. Ursus Arctos Horriblis gets too close to wife or kids...
 
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That video was scary. The man took a shot, and I figgered the bear either had his ticket punched, or he'd run away. I was shocked when the thing staggered a bit, then got his sea legs back and came after the man. I figgered the man was in deep schumer. I hope the man got out of the situation in OK shape...
 
Your Dad's 30-06 is fine for black bears. I'd load it with Remington Core-Lokt 150gr. - 180gr. 150gr. will work AOK but I believe that bigger is better when defended me and mine.

I like a Remington 870 because these can be very effective at close range using slugs or double-ought ammo. The shotgun can be multi-purpose and used as a home/personal defense weapon too.

I'd also be talking with my neighbors and the local US Forest Service Enforcement officer to learn the rules of engagement and ask for their opinions.
 
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I also am a fan of the 45-70 lever gun or if bears are a problem the Wild West Co-Pilot in .457 Wild West. I carry a Co-Pilot on the tractor with me and when walking around at the farm near Delta Junction, AK. AK Fish and Game recommend 12Ga Benicki Slugs for bears.
Bear information from AK.

_Bear_Shot_Placement_big_one-510x630.jpg

457 WW.JPG
 
OMG I'm gonna need that .45-70 shown here....That's the cats meow right there.

That one is chambered in .457 WildWest, it shoots 45-70s for shorts. It took me a long time to save for that as a Gov employee. It only got the red dot and flashlight after a trip up the Tanner River by jet boat with two teenagers a friend should not have brought and a visit from a Grizzly at 0200 hrs into the camp.
Co-Pilot
 
Hello,

I 've bought 150 acres of land in Southern Vermont. As my wife and I were unloading the car a bear came out of the wood. It looked at us for a few seconds then started to trot toward us. The kids were playing on the second floor of an old original barn, which is the only building on the land. As soon as I saw that thing running toward us I locked the car and we both run into the barn. I closed the door and we joined the kids upstairs.
From the window we saw that animal destroy the driver's door to get to the food that was in the car. As soon as he was done eating our food or the whole weekend it left. It took two hours. We no cell coverage I couldn't call anybody. I was furious that the camera was in the car. The animal was shot by a local a couple days later. 460 pounds.

I just can't deal with that. As of today I just don't feel secure there. I'm going to have a bunch of people helping me fix the barn, most of them students, and a few kids will be playing around.

I have inherited a 30-06 from my late father. I've shot that gun a lot at the range with him, but I never hunted or killed anything with it. Frankly, I'm not that knowledgeable about guns.

Is this the right gun to kill a bear?
A few precision. I'm not going to try to hunt bears and shoot them from 200 yards. Unfortunately I have a grimmer scenario that could happen. There is only 50 yards from the edge of the wood to the barn. I need a weapon that can kill a bear that will come out of those woods and start walking/trotting, running towards us. Most likely a front shot.
Is that savage 111 30-06 with a four bullet magazine the right gun to kill a bear before he can cover those 50 yards?
If now, what should I get instead?
A friend suggested a mossberg shotgun loaded with what he called brenekke?
Help!

Yes, a 30-06 is stout enough to kill a bear. But it might be better suited for hunting a bear, compared to defending yourself from a bear.

The round your friend suggested (Brenekke) is a shotgun slug.

The right gun depends on your intended use or situation (hunting vs defensive) and your abilities. If you have physical limitations (arthritis, etc) then you might need a muzzle brake on the firearm (I do), and the best cushioned grips/recoil pad you can find.

Here is a link to an article that speaks to your concerns. I believe it was written by the owner of Buffalo Bore.



We live on a farm in northwest Oregon (just west of Salem), and occasionally see black bear(s) on our place. But they're rare. This year, we have 6 mountain lions in our area.

I don't know how likely it will be that you'll always have a long gun within reach. But a 12 gauge semiautomatic loaded with slugs will give you a lot of stopping power, and can be fired rapidly.

But you can carry a handgun with you pretty much all the time. You'll have to decide for yourself which model and caliber to use. I like revolvers, and have one in .357 magnum and one in .44 magnum. But some folks are going to a semiautomatic pistol in 10mm.




Here's a demonstration of the effectiveness of a 12 gauge on a bear:


 
Hello,

I 've bought 150 acres of land in Southern Vermont. As my wife and I were unloading the car a bear came out of the wood. It looked at us for a few seconds then started to trot toward us. The kids were playing on the second floor of an old original barn, which is the only building on the land. As soon as I saw that thing running toward us I locked the car and we both run into the barn. I closed the door and we joined the kids upstairs.
From the window we saw that animal destroy the driver's door to get to the food that was in the car. As soon as he was done eating our food or the whole weekend it left. It took two hours. We no cell coverage I couldn't call anybody. I was furious that the camera was in the car. The animal was shot by a local a couple days later. 460 pounds.

I just can't deal with that. As of today I just don't feel secure there. I'm going to have a bunch of people helping me fix the barn, most of them students, and a few kids will be playing around.

I have inherited a 30-06 from my late father. I've shot that gun a lot at the range with him, but I never hunted or killed anything with it. Frankly, I'm not that knowledgeable about guns.

Is this the right gun to kill a bear?
A few precision. I'm not going to try to hunt bears and shoot them from 200 yards. Unfortunately I have a grimmer scenario that could happen. There is only 50 yards from the edge of the wood to the barn. I need a weapon that can kill a bear that will come out of those woods and start walking/trotting, running towards us. Most likely a front shot.
Is that savage 111 30-06 with a four bullet magazine the right gun to kill a bear before he can cover those 50 yards?
If now, what should I get instead?
A friend suggested a mossberg shotgun loaded with what he called brenekke?
Help!

A rifle of sufficient caliber or 12 gauge shotgun with slugs are good if they are close enough to be useful if you are surprised by a bear. Not everyone is capable of handling a powerful enough handgun caliber to dispatch a bear quickly. If I lived in black bear country I would likely have a 3 inch magnum 12 gauge loaded with slugs in the barn, and a 30-06 rifle in the house. I would have bear spray in all the cars (kids can use it too, just train them) and likely have a 44 mag or better handgun with hardcast bullets in a chest rig for quick access.
 
Me likes me some bear meat. My wife too but she makes me cook it outside because it's aroma can linger like fish in the wall paper.
I agree with some here that the 30-06 would be perfect for hunting but as a farm tool, I like the 45-70 but the shotgun might be better for you to handle fast in close quarters which will be the point. Also may be more useful for other things. Regardless of your choice you still need to be able to aim and hit near where you aim. for shot gun, Practice moving targets (get a clay pigeon thrower) get so you can use full choke with BB or larger for full confidence should you need to use slug for your bear. Confidence you can hit will be one less thing to sweat when the adrenalin flies.
 

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