Backcountry Defense Lede

New for 2025: Hornady Backcountry Defense

Hornady Backcountry Defense is the round you want to have on hand when things get dicey in the field, to make sure you get home alive.

Bear Defense From the Professionals

Venturing into bear country to hunt, camp or work has its risks. Our man went to the Alaska experts to learn the knowledge and skills that'll keep you alive when bears may charge.

8 Great Backcountry Defense Guns

From rifles and shotguns to pistols and revolvers, these eight sidearms will keep you safe when you’re far from help.

How to Build the Ultimate Brown Bear Rifle

The rifle was magnificently ugly. So ugly, in fact, that it was beautiful. Here’s how to (and why you should) build your own.

Shoot Bear Where?

Stopping a bear charge requires quick action and good aim.

8 Best Charge-Stopping Bear Cartridges

Over the decades, several cartridges have proved themselves as worthy against charging bears in North America. Here’s a look at the best bear defense cartridges ever made.

Backcountry Camp Defense: The Tools for the Task

Camping should be memorable, but without forethought about protection it could be memorable for the wrong reason. What follows is a guide for defending one’s site against nature’s top predators.

10mm Auto Pistol Caliber Carbines: The 'Best' Outdoor Option?

Last year we posed the question, "Is the 10mm Auto PCC the next great outdoor carbine?" while taking a look at a few of the models currently in production. Since then, the selection has continued to grow. Are the PCCs chambered for 10mm Auto the most powerful options out there? The answer is yes, and no. It's a matter of context. Let's take a look at what these carbines have to offer compared to those chambered in other handgun calibers.

Sleeping-Bag Sidearm: Ruger Super Blackhawk

Staying overnight in bear country? You need a sidearm that's reliable, accurate and readily available. Here's why contributor Max Prasac opted for the Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 Magnum.

4 Reasons Big-Bore Revolvers are Still Ideal Trail Guns

Although semi-automatic pistols have a place in the trail gun line up, revolvers still have their advantages.

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