I actually stumbled upon this little article today while looking for some other info, thought it might be of interest:
Source:
http://individ.blogspot.com/2004/09/bea ... ction.html
Most people seem to prefer a high caliber rifle, or a 12 gauge shotgun. I can understand this, but most of these people have never actually worked in the wild. As someone who has, and who has had to backpack into remote areas and roam around in those areas for 12 hours a day for days on end, working out of a base camp, and carrying various types of gear, etc., I assure you that any rifle or shotgun would be left behind at base camp after the first day, if not sooner. That pretty much leaves handguns, and usually, this means large caliber handguns. I would recommend a .44 magnum at a minimum, or a .454 Casull loaded with the hottest, heaviest loads available. The newer .480's or .50's would also be a good choice. Of course, the probelm with these large bore revolvers is getting use to the recoil, and learning to hit accurately with both the first and follow-up shots. Remember that if you are not good with it on the range, there is little chance you can handle it well in time of stress, with sweaty palms, adrenaline pumping through your veins and abject fear pumping through your brain. There are many advocates of the point shooting method, but I would raise the firearm up to my eye level, and remember "front sight, and good trigger". Then fire for effect (i.e., until a "stop" is achieved). Why all this? well see this article about a successful handgun (.44 Magnum) defense against a grizzly in Alaska:
"A massive male brown bear erupted from the forest less than 20 feet away, claws tearing up hard-packed earth as it charged toward the 57-year-old .
The bear, later estimated at 750 pounds, had apparently been guarding the remains of a moose taken in a Fort Richardson bow hunt in the woods about 75 feet off the gravel track used by hikers, bikers and dog walkers.
"I fired the first shot, and I aimed at its shoulders," Boyd said. "When the first shot didn't faze it, I fired the second time, and it turned into the ditch, and I shot three more times, and it went down."
In Alaska, you cannot have the "normal" suburban "common (non)sense". And the officials in Alaska cannot bring themsleves to act like the imbeciles who rule our surburban and urban landscapes:
"The Alaska Bureau of Wildlife Enforcement trooper said she believed Boyd acted appropriately in defense of his life and was glad he had been armed and had the skill to hit the animal with so little time at such close range."
And for those who still think that cute and cuddly Black bears are not dangerous, even after reading the first link in this article (v.s.) this articles further states: "Four black bears had also been killed in defense of life and property..."
Probably safer in Alaska.