Study Says Bear Spray More Effective Than Guns

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Friday, March 28. 2008

Study Says Bear Spray More Effective Than Guns

Conversation I had with a buddy of mine when I returned from a trip to Alaska last summer:
Him: "If I went hiking in Alaska, I'd take a pistol."
Me: "They say if you have a small-caliber gun and a grizzly charges you, the only thing it'll be good for is if you want to shoot yourself."
Him: "Well, I'd take a big pistol."
Me: "What, like Dirty Harry's? That ought to be comfortable when you're hiking. You should just take bear spray."

Enter this study by BYU biologist Tom Smith, reported in the Salt Lake Tribune. Bear spray: 90 percent effective. Guns: 33 percent effective.

"The probability is the bear spray will outperform a firearm and it's easy to see why. The spray is easy to deploy. The rifle is just difficult to use," Smith said. Stopping a charging bear with bullets required, on average, four hits.

Counter Assault Bear Spray: 11 ounces
.44 Magnum: Rougly 2.5 pounds

Thank you, science.

Posted by Runout in Backpacking, Hiking, Wildlife at 01:02 | Comment (1) | Trackbacks (0)
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I can't beleive that someone whould rather carry spray then a gun especially a 44 I have 4 and that 2.5 poulds is not that bad and in a survial situation haveing a gun is a lot better then a can of mace if your out of food you can't kill a deer with pepper sprayunless you throw it hard enough and if you use hand loads you can even more power by using a 325gr bullet with a heavy load the noise it makes will scare away a bear grizzly or black I know I've had sevral incounters with both kinds around in the air has scared each one away and if you control your fear you'll befine with agun as long as it is a 44 or bigger

#1 NO NAME on 2008-05-24 10:25 (Reply)

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