.41 Mag Bear Loads - Brown Bear

[Jeffm004]

I may go to Alaska salmon fishing next year. They guide says, the more guys with a gun the better, you will see bears, they will leave you alone if you leave them alone, but if you are ok carrying a gun, you should. The largest I have is a .41 Mag Redhawk. I'm not buying the trip AND another gun. I'll take the scope off for a red dot/ RMR but .41 will have to do. I can read a reloading book but I see a lot of .44 work, a lot less .41. Anyone have any old articles, development data science type stuff that discusses the .41? up until now, it was over kill for anything I was doing. I might now find myself under gunned, with is funny actually. I could sling a 45-70 as plan B but I'm going too fish.

[JeffreyDeGraff]

I haven’t looked up any old articles, but a hard cast WFN bullet in the 250-265gr range should be the perfect medicine. I know cast performance and Oregon trail have this type of bullet, and I’m sure there are other manufacturers out there too. This style of bullet would be my choice in any caliber if I were going into bear country.


JTD

[rumaco]

I lived in Alaska for many years and fished most of the inlets and rivers including the copper and never had the need to worry about bears. They are after the same thing you are and do not want to waste time taking you on for no reason. The absolute best thing to carry is a marine flare that you strike in any weather and burns for about 15 minutes, they DO NOT like those. Shoot a bear with a handgun and you have two problems, one...the proving to the Fish and Game it was attacking you and, two...hitting it in a vital spot before it tears your ass up.

[Jeffm004]

Good to know on the bear and flare. I bet checking one would be worse than the .41