Remember: even the biggest and most powerful bear defense guns are not guaranteed to stop a charging bear if you don't make a good shot. Keep reading to learn ... This is particularly true if you're most concerned about defending yourself from a black (instead of grizzly or brown) bear. read more
Designed to be a practical and easy-to-carry gun for self-defense against large predators, the Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan is a great choice as a bear defense gun. Available in .44 Magnum, .454 Casull, and .480 Ruger, the Super Redhawk Alaskan packs a lot of power into a small package. read more
Best Grizzly Guns: 9 Great Guns for Brown Bear Hunting and Backcountry Defense People have killed grizzley bears with large-caliber handguns; .44 Magnum and above.. These are large, powerful handguns and require quite a bit of training and dedication to be used effectively. read more
A correspondent who has been a big game guide in the far north for 30 years and who has far more experience with bears than I wrote to inform me that a 12 gauge shotgun with slugs is an effective weapon for protection against bears, popular with both guides and fish and wildlife officers. read more