Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns bear with a 9mm pistol.

Yes that is true as has Phil, but I know of no time that the 357 been used on an attacking bear by either

Interesting. For about twenty years my do-everything woods gun was a 3” Mod 60, first in .38 Special then upgraded to .357 when it came out. Then maybe ten years back I was in a 3 minute standoff with a 300+lb feral boar hog, it eventually gave ground but while it was thinking about what it was gonna do that Mod 60 in my hand with those 5 180grain Hardcasts just seemed to shrink. Rapid-fire with that heavy load in that little revolver just weren’t my forte. Dunno what the ballistics were out of a 3” barrel were either, tho bang and flash sure were loud.

Carried a Glock 29 after that but 10mm ammo was so hard to find, after Mr Shoemaker dropped that griz with a 9mm I figured 15-1 easy to shoot rapid-fire 147gr Hardcasts from a Glock 19 ought work on anything I’d encounter.

Now my son has the 19, my current woods gun is a 9+1 9mm Springfield Armory XDs. I’d still take it over that Mod 60, much as I still admire that versatile little revolver.

I believe I remember reading on here years back that Phil had used the 357 with either hard cast or maybe it was the Hornady tmj. He stated that he trusted it enough that he gave his Smith and Wesson 4 inch to his daughter when she started guiding?

Byron, Phil tested the 357 with his chosen ammo and felt it would work. The bear that I am aware of that Phil used a handgun on in defense is the 9mm

Phil and I had some discussions on these boards about handguns fir bear defense. Phil felt that a handgun wasn't going to stop a bear unless a central nervous system hit and he felt that one needed a pistol with low recoil that could be shot quickly My knee and only bear defense with s pistol was with a 475 Limbaugh and it flattened the bear with a body shot