R.J. Schneider, post: 450028, member: 409 wrote:
First you do it, then you say it!
I just picked up a ruger Blackhawk this past weekend. 357, 6.5" .... fun gun to shoot. After I sold my Glock 23 to pick up a Ruger Mark IV I felt lacking in the home defense world. The .357 is a great round, and a local guy is reloading at 0.28/round. At 13.99 for 50 rounds it's affordable, too.
Shawn Billings, post: 450228, member: 6521 wrote: It's a Ruger Redhawk. It sets the standard for heavy loads. Have shot the Super Redhawk with 7.5" bbl quite a few times. Never anything as stout as a 210gr bullet at 1680 fps. That's a good one. I like using lead in my reloads too. You get a lot more velocity out of lead opposed to jacketed. I load for 357 and use AA#9 which is very similar to 2400. My favorite load for it is 158 grain LSWC over 12 grains of #9. I get about 1200fps out of my 6" GP100. It's not as hot as the GP100 will go, but it's a true 357 load that is easy to load and fun to shoot.
Apparently shooting lead fast or shooting lead without fouling takes a little effort.
Everybody that I know that routinely shoots lead, also casts their own.
I have not had the time to dive into that aspect.
158 grain/ 1200 FPS seems to be a good ceiling for the .357
I have shot a decent amount of loads like that out of my S&W 686 6" and the screw on the cylinder release, as well as the screws on the sight base worked themselves loose. I actually prefer heavy .38+P loads for plinking.
Bear Bait, post: 450151, member: 4459 wrote: Having surveyed 30+ years in the remote areas of Alaska, I have only seen a survey crew carry a gun a couple times and it was invariably because they were some government crew with more time than work on their hands. - or they were working in town. Simply too much to carry in the field along with all the other equipment. I have chased many bear away with my chainsaw though.
Isn't there a well known story from awhile ago of a 3 person survey crew in AK getting attacked by a bear? the first two were killed (one being a women) the guy at the end of the line had the shotgun and killed the bear when going to their aid. Apparently they were walking in and were stretched out over a large distance?
I'm a very amateur reloader. I haven't jumped into the world of casting yet and may never. I do know that it's important to match the bullet hardness to the velocity. A bullet that is too hard and runs too slow will cause not have enough pressure to properly expand in the barrel and fill the grooves of the rifling. The result is bullet erosion that causing leading. So slow, low pressure loads need a softer bullet. High pressure loads with soft bullets will also lead to leading.
I recently made some loads with MP300 powder using lead bullets with gas checks. Gas checks are small plates of copper that sit under the lead bullet and absorb the heat and pressure from the burning powder. This is the best of both worlds. The lead has good expansion in the chamber and the gas check protects the bullet base like a jacket. These 158 grain lead HPSWC bullets should be running close to 1500 fps out of the GP100, but I have not put them over a chronograph to see for sure.
Those 1200 fps loads are good for general purpose at 500 ft lbs of energy. Those 1500 fps loads will be a handful of fury at almost 800 ft lbs of energy.
James Vianna, post: 450298, member: 120 wrote: Isn't there a well known story from awhile ago of a 3 person survey crew in AK getting attacked by a bear? the first two were killed (one being a women) the guy at the end of the line had the shotgun and killed the bear when going to their aid. Apparently they were walking in and were stretched out over a large distance?
while looking for the old article on the above found this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America
and this youtube video [MEDIA=youtube]6XrZQK2fXp0[/MEDIA]
Shawn Billings, post: 450300, member: 6521 wrote: I'm a very amateur reloader. I haven't jumped into the world of casting yet and may never. I do know that it's important to match the bullet hardness to the velocity. A bullet that is too hard and runs too slow will cause not have enough pressure to properly expand in the barrel and fill the grooves of the rifling. The result is bullet erosion that causing leading. So slow, low pressure loads need a softer bullet. High pressure loads with soft bullets will also lead to leading.
I recently made some loads with MP300 powder using lead bullets with gas checks. Gas checks are small plates of copper that sit under the lead bullet and absorb the heat and pressure from the burning powder. This is the best of both worlds. The lead has good expansion in the chamber and the gas check protects the bullet base like a jacket. These 158 grain lead HPSWC bullets should be running close to 1500 fps out of the GP100, but I have not put them over a chronograph to see for sure.
Those 1200 fps loads are good for general purpose at 500 ft lbs of energy. Those 1500 fps loads will be a handful of fury at almost 800 ft lbs of energy.
I have a big pile of 158 grain lead bullets with gas checks but they will not chamber properly (apparently due to the case crimp).
It was suggested that I try a tapered crimp die because there is no groove in the casting. It's either that or they need swaged.
Per the hardness aspect, these bulk lead bullets are pretty hard. They have somewhat of a beveled base. I definitely think they are not expanding.
I think I took them up to 1000 FPS, which I think exceeded the manufacturer's recommendation. I may also have a tight cylinder bore.
James Vianna, post: 450298, member: 120 wrote: Isn't there a well known story from awhile ago of a 3 person survey crew in AK getting attacked by a bear? the first two were killed (one being a women) the guy at the end of the line had the shotgun and killed the bear when going to their aid. Apparently they were walking in and were stretched out over a large distance?
Okay i found it. I stand corrected all survived. Note running a chainsaw didnt help them
http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1985/Bear-Attack-Recalled/id-3411486e05ec1e78e7d00f498a8ce54c
Unfortunately, my employer prohibits carry. But my EDC off-work is a Ruger SP101, 3" .357 Magnum. I suppose if I were heading into the woods I'd either carry: 1) my Super Redhawk .44 Magnum loaded with Nosler 240-grain hollow core bullets, propelled with either IMR 4227, H110, 2400, or Accurate No. 9 ; or 2) my GP100 .357 Magnum using Nosler 158-grain hollow core bullets, same powders as above except '4227.
Yes, I'm a reloader and I LOVE it!!
James Vianna, post: 450397, member: 120 wrote: Okay i found it. I stand corrected all survived. Note running a chainsaw didnt help them
http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1985/Bear-Attack-Recalled/id-3411486e05ec1e78e7d00f498a8ce54c
Was that 3 shots with a slug gun?
Spent 8 years surveying in bear country (logging roads, mostly) in the Pacific Northwest and SE Alaska and never felt the need for firearms protection. Saw plenty of bears and they usually were spotted heading in the other direction or ignoring us. *Except* on the Kenai Peninsula where the USFS required carry on remote site surveys (10 day campouts, 4 days off), personal sidearms (.357 minimum) and one gov'mint issue Model 70 .375 H&H Magnum bush rifle per crew. They had a training session on the rifle where paper plates were propped up on a log at 30 feet and you had two shots to hit your signed paper plate once. We all passed except, curiously, the Alaskan party chief failed. Turns out he wasn't allowed to carry the rifle, which was an enormous added burden. Smart, huh?
I thought it was silly until one day, hiking to the jobsite from camp along the Resurrection River, a big Brownie popped out of the brush on the other side of the river, ambled downstream for a while, then jolted to a stop, sat down and sniffed at bit, turned and looked directly at us. One crew commented "there's no way he can ford the river" (it was a whitewater raging torrent) while the party chief grabbed the rifle from the designated gun bearer for the day and yelled at everybody to remain standing and no shooting of sidearms. The bear let out a roar, bounded through the river in three leaps, and ran straight at us! When he was about 50 feet away he sat down again, slobbering and growling. Then he calmed down, wandered downstream 50 yards and disappeared into the brush. Brownies make black bears look like kiddie toys. More than one crewmember wet his pants during this encounter.
From that day on, I religiously carried my sidearm even when wandering out of camp to dig a cathole. The party chief opined that handguns were useless, would piss a bear off more than stop him. He also said we were in such a remote area that there were only wild bears, more curious than dangerous, unlike garbage bears who viewed humans as food caterers. He said he'd had 3 similar encounters and the bear charge was always a bluff, and he didn't want some buffoon who can barely hit a pie plate try to empty a .375 bolt action with accurate shot placements on a charging Brownie.
So Alaskan Brown bear country, yes, I'm now an advocate of carrying a high power rifle for protection, assuming you are proficient in its use, know *where* to hit a bear that will disable him long enough for followup shots, and have nerves of steel. Or have someone on the crew who does.
Awhile back I ran into a mountain lion at close range.
I was not scared, but it did hesitate and consider if it wanted to retreat or not.
Given the muscles, claws, and instinct - I'm kind of glad now that it decided to retreat.
I suspected it may have had a den nearby given the time of year.
I did have a .45 but never took it out of the holster.
James Vianna, post: 450397, member: 120 wrote: Okay i found it. I stand corrected all survived. Note running a chainsaw didnt help them
http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1985/Bear-Attack-Recalled/id-3411486e05ec1e78e7d00f498a8ce54c
I met John Pex when I spent my summer there with the BLM. He taught the bear safety class, of course!
On an elk hunt on Raspberry Island (part of the Kodiak archipelago) several years back, we were being shadowed by a 10' brownie we nicknamed 'Bread Truck'. He mostly kept his distance. Problem is they've learned to associate gun shots with free gut pile buffets so when I finally got my elk we really had to bust out butts getting the meat up a tree where he couldn't get it. When he started getting impatient I ended up having to shoot him with a flare gun to get him to give us some space. A couple flares did the trick, but now we didn't know where he was and that was almost worse. I really do dread surprising them at close quarters, especially sows with cubs or one guarding a kill. Out of a dozen or so close encounters over the years I've never had one get aggressive and charge, but there's always the one that didn't get the memo. I really hope he/she likes the taste of poo, because my britches will be full of it!
I'll probably go the way of bear spray and good sized hand gun, also a second crew member (armed guard) in these "bear" areas with a big shotgun. I usually work solo. The most meaningful posts to me here are the ones from surveyors with actual bear encounter experience. We don't have brown "grizzly" bears here, black bears and cinnamon (black) bears only. My only scary big animal encounter was with a moose with new calf and I was in my truck the whole time, she could have done a lot of damage to the truck but didn't.
So I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope I never report an aggressive encounter with a bear. I never imagined this thread would last this long.
It just "bearly" made it this far!
😉
N
LRDay, post: 450669, member: 571 wrote: I'll probably go the way of bear spray and good sized hand gun, also a second crew member (armed guard) in these "bear" areas with a big shotgun. I usually work solo. The most meaningful posts to me here are the ones from surveyors with actual bear encounter experience. We don't have brown "grizzly" bears here, black bears and cinnamon (black) bears only. My only scary big animal encounter was with a moose with new calf and I was in my truck the whole time, she could have done a lot of damage to the truck but didn't.
So I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope I never report an aggressive encounter with a bear. I never imagined this thread would last this long.
Black bears are pretty cowardly most of the time. My dad has fun by treeing most every black bear he encounters at close range.
Moose I've heard are actually something to be wary of. They seem like goofy animals that like to chase things.
LRDay, post: 450669, member: 571 wrote: I'll probably go the way of bear spray and good sized hand gun, also a second crew member (armed guard) in these "bear" areas with a big shotgun. I usually work solo. The most meaningful posts to me here are the ones from surveyors with actual bear encounter experience. We don't have brown "grizzly" bears here, black bears and cinnamon (black) bears only. My only scary big animal encounter was with a moose with new calf and I was in my truck the whole time, she could have done a lot of damage to the truck but didn't.
So I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope I never report an aggressive encounter with a bear. I never imagined this thread would last this long.
imaudigger, post: 450681, member: 7286 wrote: Black bears are pretty cowardly most of the time. My dad has fun by treeing most every black bear he encounters at close range.
Moose I've heard are actually something to be wary of. They seem like goofy animals that like to chase things.
[MEDIA=youtube]KhODbr1Cp7Q[/MEDIA]
I work all over AK. If I am working in a remote location, I am armed. Usually my S&W ultralight .44 mag. Sometimes my glock 10mm. If it is real heavy brown bear country it's my marlin 45-70 lever action.
I know a few, not many, surveyors in AK who don't carry in the bush (BTW you don't need a license to conceal carry in AK). We had 2 high profile mauling deaths here in AK this summer, both black bear stalking and attack kills. One was near the pogo mine. 2 geologist got stalked and attacked from behind. One had bear spray and that didn't keep the bear from returning and finishing off the injuried girl. If they had had a gun, she would be alive. I would imagine her family is preparing to sue because her employer had a no firearms policy - I know I would.
I have taken predator defense training with a day in the class and 2 on the range.
The risk of getting mauled may be small, but it is there and it is proven that bear spray is ony minimally effective.
If you choose not to carry, that is your choice; I on the other hand will be.
Tuesday we walked a canal bed thst was plain cut up with 5 inch wide black bear tracks. Today I walked up on a doe with a broken neck and leg. One side was ripped open and the lung was just gone. The pine needles were thick and I didnt spend a lot of time looking for tracks. I was too busy listening and watching every place a critter could hide. I walked the extra thousand feet to the next pin so whatever could finish dinner.
A lot of 'survival' here isnt being tough or carrying a big gun. It's recognizing when you have intruded on somebody elses space. For those times you mess up a medium gun will do...
