Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Bear protection: 9mm, 40 S&W, 45 ACP?

On some of these threads I am pretty sure the posters had a LOT more recent experience with beers than bears.

I carry a Ruger Security Six 357 loaded with 180 gr LBT style bullets

I won't say its impossible, but in a realistic situation, to become aware of the threat, draw the weapon and fire 6 rounds into a small target at 7 yards or there abouts all in under 3 seconds, I think one would have to be beyond well practiced..

I don't recall my old IDPA times draw and fire, but thinking even shooting 1-2 times a month I was no where near that fast...

But if you could, you should be well protected.

...Lesson: soft points don't work in the forehead. A solid would have penetrated the skull. On another bear same circumstances,I shot it in the face with a 12 gauge with bb s at 12 yds. The bear was dead instantly with the whole head caved in. Lesson: shot guns really work. Next one will be with 357 solids. Report to follow.

Well, yes and no. I've had analytical dealings with GSW's on human skulls more often than bear skulls, so you can take my advice with a grain of salt if you like. But the problem with punching through the skull is most of the time not so much due to the caliber or shape or construction of the bullet, but the angle at which the bullet strikes the skull.

I've seen (and treated) guys walking and talking who've been shot in the head at close range with 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP and because the bullets hit the skull at too much of an angle, the bullets failed to penetrate the bone and simply tunneled around under the scalp. One guy survived 4 hits from police 180 gr .40 caliber GDHP's, but was conscious and talking to me in the ER. If you think about it, this makes sense: our skulls (and those of our relatives in the animal kingdom) evolved as rounded/pointed shapes because these shapes reflect blows/missiles more effectively than square shapes.

A .22LR soft lead bullet will punch through the skull at close range if it strikes the skull at close to 90 degrees. Now, I'm sure you increase your wiggle room in terms of angle if you ramp up the velocity or use a sharp-shouldered WFN bullet, but even then you can't underestimate the design features of mammalian skulls.

As Phil pointed out--and I will not comment on the number of bears, or beers, he has under his belt--a 9mm 147 gr bullet has more than enough punch to drill a hole thru the skull and into the medulla of any bruin walking this earth. But you'd best place that shot at an angle as close to perpendicular as you can manage, just to be sure.

I know on the first hand that a 100# black bear can/did take 8 124 grn gold dots and stand and look at me at 15 ft. (I have some of the slugs I will post pictures if I can find them. ) The bear stood on all fours looking at me and took 6 like he was being stung by bees no reaction of pain or so on. He slowly turned and walked away and took two more. 5 minutes later about 40 yards away he let out a death moan. You can pack what you want but I recommend 357 10mm 45acp and up.




This is a pic of the two that were in the lungs.
And yes bear on the coast of wa all bear are shot at any size as they eat a good number of fawns and elk calves.

ou ought to see how ineffective pepper spray or the much more powerful MACE products are on bad guys. Any bear is far stronger and tougher than any human.

Well, you can't compare apples to oranges nor can you compare bears to people without some qualifiers.

Pepper spray has a pretty good record on both bears and people the first time or two they get sprayed. But a mean man who's been sprayed before can learn to fight through it, especially if he's numbed up on booze and/or drugs. I have some direct experience in that line of research.

An OC-naïve bear will usually respond as desired the first time you spray him, if you hit him right, and that should be the end of it... but if he comes back again you're unlikely to stop him with spray.

.40 has been proven to have better intermediate barrier penetration than 9mm or .45 so its safe to assume it would out penetrate the other two on wild animals (if using identical bullets in all three calibers).

I saw Iraqis shot 5-6 times with FMJ 9mms

I saw Iraqis shot 5-6 times with FMJ 9mms before they were no longer a threat...this is an apples to Buick comparison, but it left me with zero confidence in the 9mm.

Better bullets and non-opium fueled bears changes the equation, but I still have zero confidence in the gangsta` 9.

Just my opinion on the matter.