The best grizzly guns picks on this page are four books, not firearms, because this site covers saws and cutting tools and its firearm advice stays general. Two are Gunsmith Western stories, one is a firearms reference and one is a cowboy action shooting guide. It also helps to read Best Coyote Guns: A Budget Buyer’s Guide.
Killer Grizzly (The Gunsmith Book 24) is the first pick for readers who want a bear-hunt story set in the Old West. It follows a grizzly with a bounty on its head, so it suits a reader who wants a story rather than gun facts.
The other three cover a firearms reference, a second bear story with a conservation angle, and the sport of cowboy action shooting. Each one answers a different reader, so pick the one that matches what you want from a book.
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How we picked: from products sold on Amazon for this need, compared by what their makers state and what buyers report in their reviews.
The Picks at a Glance
Product | Best for | Print length | Publication date | Publisher | Buyer rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Killer Grizzly (Gunsmith Book 24) | Western fiction fans who like a bear hunt | 153 pages | December 8, 2013 | Speaking Volumes | 4.4 of 5 (54 reviews) | |
The Complete Illustrated Guide to Guns | readers who want a firearms reference | 500 pages | January 1, 2012 | Hermes House | 5.0 of 5 (3 reviews) | |
Grizzly Hunt (Gunsmith Book 411) | readers who like a bear plot with a conservation angle | 181 pages | April 28, 2025 | Speaking Volumes | 4.2 of 5 (8 reviews) | |
The Gun Digest Book of Cowboy Action Shooting | beginners in cowboy action shooting | — | January 1, 1755 | Gun Digest Books | 3.9 of 5 (27 reviews) |
Buyer ratings as shown on Amazon on October 13, 2026; they change.
Killer Grizzly (Gunsmith Book 24): Best for Western fiction fans who like a bear hunt
Killer Grizzly (The Gunsmith Book 24) is the first pick for Western fiction fans who want a bear hunt told as a story. It is a short novel with a bounty on a grizzly and a hunter who joins the chase for the reward.
The maker describes “Ol’ Three-Paw,” a killer grizzly with a price on his head bigger than most outlaws. For a reader, that sets up the story: the bear is the villain and the hunt is the plot, so you get action without any real-world gear decisions.
Clint Adams, the Gunsmith, joins the hunt for the reward money. Before he can catch the bear, he has to deal with Lacy Blake, a dark-haired lady who will hunt anyone or anything for the right price and thinks she is a match for any man. That second hunter adds a rival to the chase, so the book reads more like a Western with a bounty plot than a field story.
Pros
A quick read at 153 pages, so you can finish it in a few evenings.
Clear bounty-hunt plot with a bear as the target.
Part of a long series, so you can keep reading the Gunsmith books.
Cons
It is fiction, so it teaches nothing about choosing a firearm.
If you want a practical firearms reference or advice on bear country, look at the other picks in this list instead.
The Complete Illustrated Guide to Guns: Best for readers who want a firearms reference
The Complete Illustrated Guide to Guns is a firearms reference for readers who want to look up gun types, ammunition and specifications rather than read a story. It is a two-book set covering pistols, revolvers and machine guns, and it suits a reader who wants facts about firearms in general. It is not a pick for bear-country choices. Learn more in Best Guns for Hog Hunting: Five Air Rifles to Consider.
The maker describes the set as one of the most complete catalogs of firearms available. For you, that means a long reference you can open to a specific type when you want to compare how one handgun or revolver is built against another.
The maker also says the set covers gun types and ammunition types, with specifications it calls thorough and accurate. The book runs 500 pages across two volumes and weighs 7.8 pounds. Expect a heavy book that works best on a desk or table, not a quick read in bed.
Pros
Covers pistols, revolvers and machine guns in one set
Lists ammunition types alongside each gun
Buyers say it is informative and educational
Cons
It covers gun types broadly, so it gives no grizzly or bear-defense guidance
If you want a bear-hunt story instead, Killer Grizzly (The Gunsmith Book 24) is the first pick for that.
Grizzly Hunt (Gunsmith Book 411): Best for readers who like a bear plot with a conservation angle
Grizzly Hunt is the pick for readers who like a bear plot with a conservation angle. It is a Gunsmith novel, so the story centers on the bear and the people hunting it, not on gun facts.
The story opens with a grizzly that kills two cowboys. Their boss, the rancher Jack Slade, wants the bear hunted down and slaughtered. For you, that puts the bear in danger from the first pages and sets up the conflict the rest of the book follows.
Clint Adams is offered the hunt, but he turns it down to help Charlotte, a conservationist who wants to protect the grizzly. He has hunted bears before, so his choice carries weight. Matt Kraven and his gang then track both Clint and the bear, and Kraven isn’t bothered who he kills first. The stakes are clear: both the animal and the people are at risk.
It was published on April 28, 2025. At 181 pages, it is longer than Killer Grizzly’s 153 pages.
Pros
The refusal to hunt the bear gives the book a conservation angle.
Screen reader support suits readers with low vision.
Cons
It is fiction, so it gives no advice on firearm choice.
Readers who want facts about guns should look at The Complete Illustrated Guide to Guns instead.
The Gun Digest Book of Cowboy Action Shooting: Best for beginners in cowboy action shooting
The Gun Digest Book of Cowboy Action Shooting is the pick for beginners who want to learn the sport itself. It covers guns, gear and tactics for cowboy action shooting, and its beginner chapters are what make it fit readers new to the sport.
The maker says the book comes from top experts and personalities in the field, and that its chapters on getting started and on dressing the part and choosing an alias are meant to help beginners. For a new shooter, that means the basics of the sport are in one place, including what to wear and what name to use on the range.
The feature articles cover shooting techniques, how to choose a gun, and stage setup. Read those before your first match, so you know which gun fits the sport and how a stage is laid out. The back of the book lists equipment and suppliers and reviews the rules of both main organizations, SASS and the National Congress of Old West Shootists.
Pros
Beginner chapters on getting started and dressing the part
Guidance on shooting techniques, gun choice and stage setup
A catalog of equipment and suppliers in the back
Rules for both main organizations, SASS and the National Congress of Old West Shootists
Cons
It covers cowboy action shooting only, not hunting or bear defense
If you want a bear-hunt story instead, Killer Grizzly (The Gunsmith Book 24) is the better fit.
How should you choose a gun for bear country?
Start by deciding whether you want to read about bears and guns or buy a firearm. A reference book can teach you how guns work, but buying a gun means choosing one for a specific job, such as carrying on a hike.
If you are choosing a bear defense handgun, the Smith & Wesson 629 comes up most often. Outdoor Life calls it hard to beat for big bear defense handguns [1]. The 629 is a six-shot .44 Magnum revolver, and Handguns magazine describes it as a popular and dependable defense tool [2]. For you, that means a large revolver that you should practice with before you carry it.
Other handguns named for bear defense include the .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum revolvers, and the 10mm Auto and .45 ACP pistols [3]. A revolver holds its cartridges in a rotating cylinder, while a pistol uses a magazine. If you prefer a pistol, the 10mm Auto and .45 ACP are the options to compare.
Before you buy or carry any of these, check your state and local firearm laws. Those rules apply where you live and where you hike, so look them up before you head into bear country.
Which choice should you make first?
Killer Grizzly (The Gunsmith Book 24) is the first pick if you want a bear-hunt story. In it, the Gunsmith joins the hunt for the reward money on a killer grizzly called “Ol’ Three-Paw”. That makes it a good Western to read, not a guide to choosing a firearm.
The one thing to settle first is whether you want to read about bears and guns or buy a firearm. Those are two different decisions, and a reader who wants a story should not start with a gun purchase. Pick up the book first if a bear hunt is what you are after, and come back to firearm choices once you know what you need.