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

Yessir, pure 100% nanny state bullchit! if I cant go parking armed, I wont be parking there.

Handgun not effective!!?? Scared the do-do outta the bear.

If these so-called "experts" would actually tell the truth, people would quickly find out that most of them are of little value to humanity.

Most of the issues that anti-gunners Fudds and dinosaurs use to preach against the use of handguns is that in the past, poor ammo availability and selection was probably the main reason for pistol defense against bears going south. Even today, I have to school dumbass L48ers and even home grown non-gun dumbasses that ammo type and bullet construction matters.

I've had to go crawling around on the alders plenty of times looking for and investigating DLP'd bears and never felt undergunned with a fully-powered .45 Colt strapped across my chest. I also sleep pretty well fully buttoned up in a sleeping bag with it next to my hip.




Bear spray is only an option under calm conditions.

I used a pair of "cheap" Cabela's Pine Ridge binoculars. And all my luck for some time to come. They bounced riglht off her at 3 yards, so don't worry about "overpenetration".

No animals were injured during the CF.....

Nothing around the US that a .41 magnum won’t kill if hit properly.

I think an advantage of handguns over long guns is that, in most cases, you can get it into action faster. If the bear doesn't stop, repeat shots are also faster. With most rifles you need two hands to chamber a round. The avantage is especially important if the bear has got you down. As for bear spray, the problem is that nobody is really going to practice repeat shots enough to get familiar with it, especially during windy conditions. I think the best use of bear spray is if you expect an attack by antifa or someone. Fewer legal complications.

Herrera?

A trusty glock 9mm with 19 rounds will get your ass out of bind quick.

I have run into a black bear or two while out in the bush, no big deal. Nothing really to fear from a black bear...

However, when out in Griz country, I do carry bear spray and a 300 mag...

My standard first line of defense when I see a Griz is to sh$t my pants.... if that retched stench is not enough of a deterrent… the 300 is my next go to...

The can of bear spray is just an ornament I wear to keep the Fish and Game personnel happy.

Where have you used that, and what ammo?

147 gr Speer gold dots, 19 rounds, I feel confident.

Clue me on how you get 19 rounds? I can only stuff 17 in G17 mags and one more in the chamber leaves me one short. But the G19 is still my choce.


mike r

Trim the damn spring and follower.

Deal with blackies pretty regularly when upstate at my dads camp. Only one that scared me enough to draw a weapon was in the dark while hiking in to my stand in archery season. Musta got between her and cubs and she was about 50 ft away busting saplings and popping her jaws until the cubs joined her and they all ran off. Was carrying my Glock 30s with 10+1 230 grainers so sure i could have put a hurting on her if the need was there. In my experience with hunting them, black bears arent real hard to kill. Have seen a youth kill an almost 400lb one quick with one shot from a 243 partition. That being said I Always carry while in the woods, usually either my Glock 30s 45, or 19. Concern is just as high for 2 legged predators so my usual load is Federal Hst in the chamber, and first round in mag, followed by remainder of mag with FMJ-FN, or hard cast.
The only time i spent any real time in Griz country I had my Ruger Redhawk 44 with Buffalo bore 305 gr hard cast in a chest holster and my Marlin 444 within arms reach most of the time and wife had a Glock 19 with the Buffalo Bore 147 gr hard cast aka the Phil Shoemaker special load, as at the time that was the biggest handgun round she could comfortably handle.

Well, at least you’re confident.

Personally, I’ll not use HP for any bear.

One friend told me his 10mm might not stop a charging grizzly but it would work just fine if he stuck it in the bear's ear while it chewed on his leg. This is the thing, at some point during a bear attack, one might be able to save his own life.
The big advantage to the handgun is that it can always be with you. You might lean the rifle up against a tree whilst fishing but your pistol will be with you. GD

Have you used it on bears?

If one is truly being attacked by a bear, any adult bear.....you are not likely to get off 19 rounds. If it’s a large bear, a bunch of “Gold Dot’s” will help motivate an already aggressive bear into a ......very aggressive bear! Hollowpoint, handgun defense ammunition is “NOT” designed for penetration, in fact .....just the opposite! memtb

ironbender;
Good day to you my cyber friend, I hope all is well with you and your fine family this morning and that the fires have calmed down up in your part of the world as well.

We're having a relatively cool and slow fire season, which is a blessing after the last couple of summers.

Way back in my memory banks I know I've read the after action report of a Conservation Officer who got worked over while releasing a young grizzly from a culvert trap.

If memory serves this morning ironbender - and it may well not - but should it, then the bear dragged the CO off the trailer and began to chew on him with enthusiasm.

He had shoved his left arm into the bear's mouth, then pulled out his duty arm - some sort of .357 Mag loaded with 158gr HP - and shot the bear 4 times in the face. The bear then released him and number 5 missed the bear and number 6 hit the open mouth as it was coming in to bite him again.

An autopsy revealed that the first 4 hadn't really penetrated whatsoever, but had traveled under the hide and were back in the neck muscle. It was the 6th shot which went through the roof of the bear's mouth and penetrated into the brain which killed it.

Please note that as a Canuck I cannot be trusted with any sidearms when in the bush and any knowledge of pistol/revolver bullet performance is at very least 2nd hand.

IF however, I was able to carry a sidearm for defense against recalcitrant ursine interlopers, it would be filled with either wheel weight solids or perhaps full metal jacket silhouette type bullets.

Lastly, our chosen "shoo bear" load is the Gualandi 1 1/8oz slug loaded by Challenger in Quebec - but so far we've not had to test any on local bears - so far they've all listened to reason and left without the situation escalating into excessive noise.

All the best to you all this fall hunting season sir.

Dwayne

I have found few things in life as dependable as Glock mags so modifying them is a no go for me. YMMV




mike r