20nickels 21 Posted July 25, 2011 Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 Hot on the heals of the recent bear attack thread..... Is the Saiga 12 (or 20 with slugs) the ultimate Alaskan Guide gun? I belive it to be more versitile and reliable than the 45-70 lever guns that are carried by many guides. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
corbin 621 Posted July 25, 2011 Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 Would probably do the trick. Might be a little heavier than a lever gun though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black3 16 Posted July 25, 2011 Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 (edited) If you've worked your Saiga so that it is ABSOLUTELY reliable, it is the gun of choice. First, I don't like rifles or handguns as bear guns; the handguns big enough to be useful kick too hard and you have to be a better shot than I am with a hip shoot while you're scared shitless. Oh, and anybody who says s/he ain't scared shitless when face to face with a griz or a brown is either a liar or certifiably insane. I carry a Mossberg 500 in marine finish anytime I'm out of town; it is like a second skin if I'm anywhere that there are no streetlights. When I get more familiar and comfortable with my Saiga, it will be my "companion" gun but not yet. I'm just not as familiar with the Saiga and I'm not confident enough that it will always go boom when I pull the trigger. I've killed one brown bear and either shot or scared off another in almost forty years in Alaska. I was raised a country kid with a gun in my hand and I've shot all kinds of things. The only thing I can compare to a bear attack is a rattlesnake's rattle if you're from the rattlesnake parts of the Country where you're conditioned to it. There's the kind of fear that comes from a thunk in the night or from the guy at the bar threatening you and you're not sure you can handle him but both of those are kind of an intellectual exercise as you weigh the odds and options. The fear of a bear attack is absolutely primal and strikes you in the base of your spine. I have no clear memory of either bear encounter. I carried an 870 back then and all I remember is seeing that damned bear closing on me and trying to hit him squarely as fast as I could rack it. The one I killed I saw at about 40 - 50 feet and he dropped about eight feet from me with three pretty solid hits with 00; he wasn't dead but he was down. I put a slug in and shot him in the head point blank and then I sat down and shook awhile. If anything else had been required of me, I couldn't have done it; I just sat there shaking. Maybe a combat veteran has enough experience with fear of stuff that can kill you to just take it in stride; not me. I've survived two brown bear attacks and am unscathed from them, but I sure ain't saying I was cool, calm, and collected. I have (had anyway) good reflexes and enough familiarity with the weapon that I could react, but I'll be the first to admit I was scared shitless! Edited July 25, 2011 by Black3 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thebuns1 4,323 Posted July 25, 2011 Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 .450 marlin or a .500 S&W should work good too. didnt a guy up there kill a brown bear with a .45 that was charging his girlfriend in some state park up there? i heard about it a while back. when they just recently passed the law for carry in the parks. not sure though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
20nickels 21 Posted July 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 .450 marlin or a .500 S&W should work good too. didnt a guy up there kill a brown bear with a .45 that was charging his girlfriend in some state park up there? i heard about it a while back. when they just recently passed the law for carry in the parks. not sure though. I forgot about the .450 Marlin, but that shouldn't change the question any. Yes, I heard about the .45 bear kill. It does happen, I saw video of a park ranger headshot and kill a grizzly intent on making him bear poop with a .357 mag. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Arik 565 Posted July 25, 2011 Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 45/70 in a single shot, long barrel rifle (unless they make long barrel lever guns), with the proper bullet will go through a bison long ways so its plenty for a bear but its one shot. Better be good! However I would not feel under gunned with a good 12g slug Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thebuns1 4,323 Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 i have two lever guns and never had any problems with either. one is a mossberg 30-30 model 464 and other is a marlin .450 both good guns in my book. i had more problems out of my 94 winchester than i have the other two. id rather have a lever gun than a bolt gun. but your s 12 should do fine. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TonyRumore 1,332 Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 I have sold a shit load of Tromix S-12's to guys in Alaska. Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Splat 28 Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 M134 mini gun for grizz in Alaska...lol Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dirtyb762 0 Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 i just purchased a saiga 12 and after i do some work to it'll be my bear defense gun of choice. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Arik 565 Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 M134 mini gun for grizz in Alaska...lol Lol what no 40mm automatic grenade launcher? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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