Backcountry Carry

Hey folks, thanks for joining me as we discuss my answer to a question I am increasingly asked. That question is "what pistol should I carry for bear protection"? First off and foremost I'll begin by saying that if you sincerely believe you will be dealing with a bear in a deadly encounter, then you should have a rifle, preferably one with a large bore diameter, or a 12 gauge loaded with slugs. However, while I freely admit that these are better options for defense, I’m simply too lazy, and I end up laying them against a tree or something while in camp, or strapping them to my pack while walking. For me having a good handgun, leaves me far more likely to have the tool accessible when I need it. If your rifle or shotgun is over an arm's length away, it's too far away in my opinion, and likely won't be able to be brought to bear if needed (pun intended :)).

After trying a few different options, ranging from shotguns to wheel guns, I finally settled on the Glock 20 in 10mm Automatic, for my all around backcountry carry piece. This wasn’t an easy decision to make but was based on the outcome of a few different factors. Essentially what I wanted was the ability to accurately and rapidly emplace multiple deep penetrating projectiles. This quickly led me away from the traditional large bore revolvers due to the amount of recoil they generate, which greatly diminishes my ability to keep sights on target. I also came to this conclusion because I’m of the opinion that no matter how big of a hand cannon you carry, it’s not going to have a significantly different impact when dealing with an attacking bear.

There are a few different theories when it comes to stopping a bear attack with a pistol. While there is certainly data to support the theory of hydrostatic shock and its effects, producing pressure waves that impact vital organs, and even the brain, that weren't directly impacted by the projectile, I have a hard time betting my life on it. I have witnessed these effects from high-velocity rifles, but not from a handgun. There are also beliefs that a bear will stop its attack after receiving a hit due to fear or pain. This could very well happen; however, there are too many variables involved with that theory, and once again I'm not willing to bet my life on it. With an average heart rate of 40 to 70 beats per minute, I'm also not confident that a heart shot, only resulting in loss of blood, will provide results fast enough to matter in a no kidding life or death bear encounter. At that rate, the bear could continue to fight, claw, and chew for a couple of minutes. I doubt I could last a couple of minutes with a Brown Bear in a fist fight. In my opinion, a Brown Bear that is set on attacking and destroying you will have to be shut off of broke down. This means penetrating the cranial cavity, inflicting a traumatic brain injury usually resulting in immediate incapacitation, or breaking the spine and or shoulders, resulting in the animals’ inability to pursue you.

For me, the backcountry carry option is a three part puzzle consisting of the weapon, ammunition, and the holster.

As stated previously, my weapon of choice is the Glock 20 in 10mm. My personal G20 is outfitted with an aftermarket 6" slide and barrel from Lone Wolf Distributors and a steel recoil spring rod. This longer barrel and slide combo provides a marginal increase in velocity but a greatly increased sight radius allowing for quicker target acquisition. Another important factor of consideration that led me to choose a Glock as my backcountry carry weapon is because of familiarity. Those who are serious about weapons manipulation understand that simple things like the grip you use when you draw the weapon, and your ability to present the weapon with instant sight alignment are incredibly important. Choosing a Glock was easy for me because I carry other Glock pistols as my everyday carry and use them in competition shooting. While the frame size is slightly larger on the G20 than on my other Glocks, the fundamentals are the same. This would not be true for a revolver. One lesson I learned while carrying a S&W 329 PD in 44 Mag, was that I had to adjust my grip nearly every time between drawing and firing due to the difference between its grip and the grip I had trained in constant repetition throughout my life. This leads to an issue when considering a weapon that you intend to carry for possible defense against a bear. In the moment of facing down what is possibly the largest land mammal predator on Earth, when adrenaline surges through your body, and you lose fine motor skills, is not the time to change something that has been ingrained in your muscle memory. If you often carry a revolver for work or everyday protection, then a large frame revolver may be ideal for you, but my observances made on many shooting ranges is that the vast majority of people who carry a concealed weapon or are armed professionals most often carry a semi automatic.

Just as important as the weapon, if not more significant, is the selected ammunition. For the purposes being discussed here, I want maximum penetration that will accomplish the preferred methods mentioned previously of taking out the brain or breaking major bones. For this task, I have settled on the Buffalo Bore 220gr Hardcast loading. This load is capable of providing 20” of penetration in ballistic gelatin and with a hard cast bullet that will maintain its shape and help bust through those solid bones. This choice of bullet often brings up theories of bullets deflecting off of hard bone, but these are usually attributed to the stories of the Mountain Men, who often claimed their patched muzzle loader balls had performed in that manner. It's important to note that the balls fired by the Mountain Men were made of much softer lead that could deform when fired, unlike the more modern hard cast bullets provided by Buffalo Bore. Another important factor when considering ammunition is the propellant used. The Buffalo Bore 220gr load utilizes a flash suppressed powder. This is important because your vision won’t be materially affected in the event you have to fire in low light conditions. Anyone who’s operated a firearm professionally in low or limited light conditions can attest that using propellants that ignite in a large fireball during low light conditions will almost certainly leave you temporarily blinded after the first shot. This leads to an inability to accurately place subsequent shots which may be fatal when dealing with a bear that is likely inside of 20-30 feet away and closing.

The third piece of the Backcountry carry system is the holster chosen. I have seen many different practices used for carrying a pistol in the backcountry, from belt holsters to holsters attached to a pack frame, and even the occasional shoulder holster. In my experience belt holsters lend themselves to muscle memory as it is a standard method of carry; however it is incredibly uncomfortable to wear with a pack. Usually, when I'm in the backcountry, I have a pack of some sort on, with a waist belt. Attaching the holster directly to the waist belt on the pack provides more comfort but places the pistol in a possible position to become dangerously obstructed. While carrying a heavy load over long distances, I often stop and exercise a "rucksack flop" to rest. If wearing a pistol on the hip or attached to the waist belt, one might run a high chance of accidentally plugging the barrel with mud, and not even know it. This could prove to be very dangerous, if gone unnoticed, and then attempted to be fired, potentially leaving the shooter seriously injured.

For me, the "chest is best". Running a chest holster allows me to wear my pack comfortably while still maintaining my pistol in a safe location that can be instantly accessed. I can even wear the holster under my binocular case and still access the pistol. There are many chest holsters out there but the one's that have worked best for me, and I highly recommend, are made of Kydex material, like the Kenai Rig from Gunfighter INC. I prefer this holster because it is compact, not adding much size to the weapon itself, it secures the weapon through retention and not with an additional strap that would slow the rate of draw. I have not had one issue of retention using this holster. I also prefer the Kydex material because I have not found it to be affected by weather or temperature, unlike leather that has to be maintained and gets stiff in the cold. In an example of practical application, this past summer while scouting for sheep I found myself hiking through the low alders with a full pack on my pack, 10mm secured in its chest holster with a bino case on top while trekking poles were in my hands with straps around my wrist. As we moved through the brush unable to see more than a few feet in front of us, we came into contact with a bear. The first thing seen was the snot that erupted from the brush followed by the unmistakable woof. Even while wearing all my equipment, and with trekking poles dangling from my wrist, I was able to produce my G20 in a matter of a couple of seconds. Luckily that encounter ended up like most do, and we all went our separate ways, but if it hadn't I was certainly capable of providing a decent attempt at defense.

This summarizes what I currently consider to be the best backcountry carry pistol system. It is important to note that simply owning these items and carrying them doesn't in itself provide an adequate defense. Once obtained, it should be followed by as many rounds as possible fired in training. While I understand that the cost of ammunition, especially for a 10mm is expensive, and that "practice ammunition" will likely be used to save money, please ensure that you run at least a magazine or two of your actual carry ammo to ensure that it functions properly in your pistol. During an encounter isn't the time to find out that your barrel's chamber doesn't quite like the heavier than normal projectiles recommended here. Adequate training will result in better accuracy. With a little training, the 10mm Glock also makes a handy trail gun, easily popping the head off a grouse for the pot.

Most important to all of this is your ability to stay mentally calm. There are times when lethal force against a bear is justified and necessary, but I would submit that these times are few and far between. I’ve personally had more close encounters with Brown Bear than I would like, and have yet to shoot one in defense. I have drawn my weapon on multiple occasions, but every time was able to deescalate the situation without firing. For the most part they don’t want to mess with you anymore than you want to be messed with. The ground you’re standing on is theirs, if they want to walk through it give them room to do so. Often simply talking to them and allowing them to get your scent will do the trick. While shooting a bear in defense is legal is most places, it is one that carries many implications and shouldn’t be taken lightly.