Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Handguns or Pistols defense against Bear attacks 96% effective

The average non gun person tells gun people things like guns are dangerous and are more likely to get used against you than against the bad guy. LIE
They average non gun person tells gun people that guns are not capable about being used against a bear, and that bear spray is FAR more effective. Even, Fish and Game biologists, will tell you the same thing. LIE

This is well worth the read: https://www.ammoland.com/2019/08/ha...ack-73-cases-96-effective/#axzz5wdJB1jXk

I’ll take a gun over bear spray any ole day of the week and twice on Sunday.

I'd rather have a handgun than nothing at all, bear spray is only good for seasoning.

That was the mythology for the longest time, i.e., no handgun has ever been used effectively against a grizzly bear. Effective defense grizzlies starts with centerfire rifle calibers, we were always told.

Damn straight.

Just another LIE focused on disarming citizens.

Great post. Thanks.

I felt pistols would usually be effective, just not this usually.

That's because the average pistol packer can't shoot.

That's because it does but if all you have is a handgun then you run what you brung.

In spades!!!

I know (of) a guy...
9mm...
Alaskan Bear...

It worked.

Ammo,
Shooter,
Placement.
Luck.

9mm or 505 Gibbs or spray,
There is a requirement for all those factors.

Life Is dangerous,
Nothing is certain,

Except,

No one gets out alive.

An Alaskan guide once told me, "If you are going to use a pistol against a grizzly, file the front sight off of it. That way it won't hurt as much when he shoves it up your ass."

If you read through all of it the bigger the mote effective....if a bear was charging me I would prefer to have a centerfire as most would but sometimes it's just not practical...hard to fly fish with a rifle over your shoulder...

Glock 40 10 mm 15 rounds.

So oooolldd, that's no longer funny. Perhaps it was when first told 100 years ago. Much like the "all ya gotta do is shoot your pard in the knee and outrun him".

No offense intended.

The only bear spray I carry is .44 and .454 , there is only one thing that will stop a bear in a real charge and it's not pepper spray.

Yup. Id rather have almost any rifle over a handgun when the fecal pellets hit the rotary blades. That said, everything is a situation and trade-offs are made based on what one thinks will work best.

First time I seen Fred Bear kill a Grizzly with a bow and arrow on the American Sportsman I figured a modern high powered handgun could do the job.

I have had two up close and personal encounters at bad breath range with black bears. Both were resolved peacefully without me having to kill the bear.
one encounter was in a very heavy oak thicket, i did have a rifle, but not much ability to use it due to the thicket.
two, coming down a mt trail with my wife and two dogs, bear was coughing in the brush about fifteen feet from us, dogs had the hair on their backs standing straight up. he didn't charge and i reconsidered the 9mm i had been packing.
so....... that led to a marlin lever 45. 70, and various big bore revolvers and a 10mm.
i feel a lot better. One thing to see a black bear at a distance, another at just across the room.

which leads to a little story. Had a grandson, the dog, and me up on a point in north central arizona, i.e. bear country. Gave my city boy grandson a glock when we left town, i told him to carry it. He didn't have a belt, so he put it in the glove compartment. On the point he took off with the dog into some heavy cedar, coming back saying something had really been pooping down there. I said did it kind of loook like a baby ruth with berries in it? Well yes, how did you know.
i said i am going to take a look, yep, bear scat. There was a volcanic ridge right behind where we were, bear probably denning in their, plenty of food, and a stock tank about a 100yards down. I told grandson he was lucky as bear had probably been watching him. But i said no big deal. He said how can you say that. Well, i was armed at the truck, you should have been but were not, my dog can out run you so the bear would be busy with you dog okay, I love that dog, and i have four other grandsons, so wouldn't like it, but loosing one i still have four others.
He kind of looked at me funny, but i was making a point.