Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Would a 9mm

Just in standard production handgun calibers, 454 Casull, 460 S&W Mag, and 500 S&W Mag will all beat it, and, with some loads, by quite a bit.

I may take my 460 S&W, it’s just so dam yum heavy.

Well a 30-30 WCF is okay, but it wouldn’t benefit you over a 360 gr Casull loading or a 480 Ruger or 475 linebaugh w/ 410 gr. HC in close quarters. Trouble is most can’t handle what it takes to accurately shoot them in a stressful situation. They do however have plenty of power to make a stop due to their ability to penetrate well beyond what a 30-30 will do.

Gonna guess if you can't, with a 9, then you can't with a 10 or a 45 or a 44 or one of the stupid big rounds either...

17 rounds would certainly give you something to keep your mind occupied while the bear charged and tore into you.

All of those super powerful handguns are fine. But it's a rare man that can bring one on target as quick and shoot it as accurately as they can a rifle.

Putting shots on target rapidly and accurately is a rifle's forte.

Few would argue that well placed rounds from rifle would be most effective. If the rifle is in hand and ready to fire by a well practiced shooter. Many hunters carry their rifle w/ an empty chamber and set it down or sling it during the course of a day in the mountains.

With my Marlin Guide Gun carried w/ a chambered round at low ready I can barely get off 2 accurate rounds of 430 gr ammo in 3 seconds due to the muzzle lift on recoil. From my HPG kit bag I can draw and accurately fire 6 rounds of 147 gr BBore ammo in less time. The difference is that my pistol is on my person at all times and will fire 18 times w/out a reload.

YMMV


mike r

So if you manage to get a round or two off and hit the beast there will be no apparent difference being hit by a 124 grain .355 dia. at 1,100 fps vs. a 410 grain HC .470 dia. at 1,300 fps. One may just slow him down a bit more affording the next shot. Only one mans opinion.

No doubt a properly loaded rifle is better. But you don't always have a properly loaded rifle in your hand. A properly loaded handgun is more likely to be on your person and can be used with one hand. And I'd just as soon carry a short barreled rifle as some of the huge magnum revolvers out there such as the 454's and 500's. I've seen enough incidents where people have used common handgun calibers such as 45, 40S&W, 10mm and even 9mm to successfully stop bear to feel comfortable with one. Assuming proper loads.

I've been using a G20 loaded with 200gr DoubleTap hardcast ammo at a chronographed 1300 fps from my gun when hiking and camping in bear country for years. Normally black bear in the 200-300lb range are common in areas where I live. But I chose to carry the Glock on 2 camping trips to Yellowstone and left the 44 mag at home. I slept just as well with the Glock as any other handgun and a rifle just wasn't practical in that situation.

There is a certain amount of luck involved to hit an area that will stop an attack. But penetration is the key. Those 10mm loads have proven to give penetration measured in FEET, not inches. And I figure the Glock gives me 16 chances to get lucky vs only 6 from a magnum revolver.

If forced to use a 9mm a lightweight 124 gr bullet designed to give 10-12" of penetration in humans wouldn't be my choice. But Shoemaker has proven that the 147 gr hardcast bullets give impressive penetration on even the big bear. After reading the article, and reading the comments he added when posting here I'd not hesitate to use the Buffalo Bore loads he used on local black bear. I know he killed a pretty big bear with the 9mm. And if a 9mm is all I had, I'd load it with that ammo and hope for the best. But I still feel better about the hotter 10mm loads as a minimum.

Can't argue with that.

Did you forget where you're at?

147 hard cast Buffalo Bore. They are what I buy my kids for their carry guns and also use in the 9 I have.

Where do your kids live?

Can’t fathom B.B. in an ordinary personal defense situation.

I consider myself an excellent skilled marksman with many weapons. All I would need would be one shot to connect with the 460 and bang lights out, shutdown the system game is over. I’ve owned many 44’s, and casuals over the years and have no issues shooting either. The 460 is not as bad as the freedom arms casull on recoil.

I think I'd be more of a spray and pray shooter if a griz was charging my ass.


19 rounds of 9mm.

FMJ followed by a hollow point. Repeat.


Shock and awe.....

LOL..

You can't miss fast enough to win..

Make one helluva racket!

NO HPs, Sammy. Please.

If it HAD to be a pistol round, I'd want this.