I used a 10 mm Mag (Glock 20) to kill an adult male black bear. He was pretty fresh out of hibernation and probably weighed between 300 and 350 lbs. I shot him out of the window of my pickup at 15-20 yards with 180-grain CorBons. The calf that he was dragging by the scruff of the neck survived. The first shot put the bear down and I shot him a second time for good measure. The Glock was my winter carry gun down on the ranch for several years.

In warm weather, I carried either a Browning Hi-Power in .40 S&W or an 4-inch S&W Model 66. I used 135-grain CorBons in the Browning and 125-grain CorBons in the 66. Both were used to put down mule deer and pronghorns hit, but not killed, by traffic on the ranch road that ran down the middle of the valley. I also have used both to administer coup de gras to animals when guiding guest hunters.

I would feel comfortable carrying any of those three pistols in bear country, although the Model 66 is the only one that I still own.

Ben

Some days it takes most of the day for me to do practically nothing...