I grew up with guns. My family hunted and I continue to, and have expanded into competitive trap shooting. I actually hunt more than my father ever did and own more firearms than he ever has. I have a wide assortment of types. Alaska does not require a concealed carry permit, but I dont bother with carrying a pistol unless I am in the woods. I do keep a pistol in a dresser drawer, unloaded but with a loaded clip next to it. I am not concerned about burglars but bears.

Is killing a bear with a pistol easy?

Not if your pistol is one of these:



That's a .50 cal; a hand-cannon. I don't own one, but I've shot one. The only word that comes to mind is "damn"...

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Obama's New "57 State Patriotic Pin":

Well Ive never done it, so I dont know for sure.
It is something that any Alaskan who spends time in the woods has to concern themselves with. Really though, it is a matter of bullet placement. I like to think that if it came down to it, Im a good enough shot and a cool character where I could if I needed to. I have had a few run-ins with bears but nothing where it was necessary to fire my pistol.

Many people carry large bore revolvers. I carry a glock model 21.
Which is .45ACP and holds 13 rounds. I have had many conversations on the topic. Personally I would rather have more rounds to shoot. Plus the 45acp is something I feel very comfortable with. I know plenty of people who carry a
.44 mag and are deathly afraid of actually shooting it. So my thinking is this, if a bear is charging you, a head shot is critical. A 45 will penetrate into a bear skull as well as anything. I would rather have a managable recoil with plenty of rounds for follow up.

Ultimately what it boils down to though, is being smart about bears. I hope that when I die an old man of natural causes I will be able to say I didnt have a run-in with a bear that required me to fire a shot in my own defense.

the importance of citizens owning guns is that a population of armed citizens is infinitely harder to oppress than a disarmed populace.

and this in fact was once reason stated by the founding fathers for the right to be acknowledged ( not granted , as it existed even without the constitution or the USs existence )

The word that comes to mind for me is "OUCH!"

Those things are hard on your wrists...

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In case you were wondering, yes, there really ARE more idiots these days....technology has made natural selection obsolete.

Oh, come on, now, be honest. How many people do you know who actually own a .44 mag?

Edit: That .50 revolver looks like it should be great for terminally damaging your hearing. And your wrists. And your elbows.

I know a couple. Of course I know more than a few collectors and more than a few enthusiasts.

I won a 45 Colt, a shotgun and a winchester carbine. The carbine is .44 mag and it kicks like like a friggin mule. Makes my 12 gage seem like a .22.

Still, even though it kicks way harder than my 12 gauge, I love to shoot the Winchester. I guess the lever action is just burned into my brain from watching the Rifleman.

As to the OP, my father also owned firearms, always kept them loaded and accessible and I would not have touched one of them for a million dollars when I was a kid.

I grew up with guns too. My family still hunts & the area where I live, it is a real passion. On our ranch, I have ample opportunities to shoot. I own & reload just about every caliber, both handguns & rifles. One of my favorites is the McMillan 50 caliber sniper rifle. Nothing like hitting a feral hog at 1000+ yds!!!

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My dad owns a .44 magnum revolver. I carried it a few times hunting deer, it’s great for pushing thru brush. The recoil is stout, but with an 8-1/2 inch barrel, it’s hardly unmanageable. That .500 S&W magnum though, that’s a different story. Those things generate 3 times the energy of a .44 magnum, about as much as the old .45-70 buffalo cartridge in the West. (Incidentally, the Magnum Research single-action BFR ( Big F...ing Revolver) actually is chambered for the old .45-70; also the 30/30, .444 marlin and .450 marlin to name the more potent calibers.)

I’ve seen the S&W .500 at gun shows already, the cylinder is massive. You can’t really tell from the picture, but it looks like it's about 3 inches long. The reviews I’ve read about have said the recoil is manageable; holding a 5 pound gun steady at arms-length for any length of time is the hard part. They said the recoil from the short barreled titanium framed S&W .357 magnum is more punishing.

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Election 2008 – Addicted to Placebos

N-I-C-E !

Norrin, I thought you might enjoy seeing the McMillan in action. Pay close attention to the beginning of the video. A Taliban is laying on top of the peak in front of you... when you hear the shot fired.... watch what happens. The sniper is also about a half mile away... or more. A Canadian sniper in Afghanistan has been confirmed as hitting an enemy soldier at a range of 2,310 meters (about 7,579 feet), the longest recorded and confirmed sniper shot in history. The previous record of 2,250 meters was set by US Marine sniper Carlos Hathcock in Vietnam in 1967. The Canadian sniper was at an altitude of 8,500 feet and the target, across a valley, was at 9,000 feet. The record lasted only one day, until a second Canadian sniper hit an enemy soldier at 2,400 meters.

Expert Sniper Video

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Like Chassis:

My parents have never owned guns, I own some.

So far it looks like about half grew up in houses with them and decided to own when they were of age. Or OLDER at least. I didn't get any until I was in my late twenties after taking a college course in rifle marksmanship.

The video wouldn't load for me. Thanks for trying though.

I have always wanted to shoot a .50 caliber, someday I am sure I will get my chance. The rifles are just a little out of my current price range.

Just bought my first gun (long gun) about four months ago. I was not raised in a 'gun-house'.

I bought it only because I bought a fairly large tract of wilderness property and I've always been attracted to target shooting.