Guessing I’d need to first be sure I’m accurate with both the firearm and the specific ammunition being carried.
I don’t have a 10mm or .357. Our family does have a 9mm and a .38 special. I was looking at the Buffalo Bore ammunition Co., and was surprised of all the write ups they posted on bear defense, one example linked below.
They sell some ammunition in both 9mm and .38 spcl, which supposedly is extra powerful, that they believe would be advantageous in such a Bear emergency. I tested out the .38, but at next range date, will try the 9 out.
I see some spoke of Brown Bear, but any comments on Black Bear defense?
I realize wer’e speaking of hand-guns, not lon-guns, big distinction for the readers/group.
I will testify that given ANY FIREARM to use against a charging bear with lethal intentions would undoubtedly no contest absolutely be a PUMP 12 gauge,NOT semiauto, loaded with the 1st 3 rounds of OO or OOO Buckshot to blind/sway the animal, then remaining rounds of 500 grain slugs.
No bullshit guys…I have been run at in a high rate of speed…rifle, handgun NOOOO. Zero time for accuracy and followup. SHOTGUN guys…take care
The version of that joke that I have heard was with black bears and brown bears/grizzly bears. The punchline is the same:)
I’m sure most here know, but some readers may not, that grizzly bears and brown bears are the same species. The ones found in the lower 48 tend to be called grizzly bears while the ones in AK are called brown bears. Many of the ones in AK are larger than those found to the south but I have seen some plenty big ones in WY. I wouldn’t want to have a close run in with any of them of any size.
The closest I have been to a brown bear was maybe about 75 yards. Back when I was doing wildlife research I had a lot of much closer encounters with black bears. Some of them had been supplementing their diets with bird seed and garbage and were bigger than many of the brown bears I have seen. Also interestingly, in CA and some other areas, a lot of the black bears come in various brownish colors and could be easily mistaken for brown bears if you didn’t know what differences to look for.
I live in Cody wy. Our grizzlies are overpopulated. Most people carry 10mm, some 460, some 500. 9mm has killed the most bears statistically though. But more penetration gives you an advantage. In our area, legally speaking you have to spray the bear prior to shooting it. Look up Todd Orr’s bear attack. Or the hundred other times where bear spray was not effective. Definitely carry.
When I am in bear country - except when hunting, which I no longer do - I use a bear bell on top of a 6’ fiberglass pole attached to my backpack. Does a great job (better than bear spray, IMHO) of keeping the bears away. I have had to sacrifice a couple of steelhead over the year, however, when the bell didn’t work.
Whatever you can dump accurately because if a BIG bear is charging you will need every shot out of whatever you are carrying to land where it needs to. Misses means you are becoming bear scat in a few days.
Years ago I saw a video of Sheriff Jim Wilson first double tapping and then shooting all five chambers out of a .500 S&W with a 2.75" non-ported barrel which the factory used to sell in a nice thick plastic case with some other “survival” gear. The target market was Alaskan bush pilots.
He shot all five rounds in double action into his target in a tight group with literally just enough time for the gun to come down from recoil from the previous shot. Now THAT is a shooter!!! I managed to do very accurate double taps with my ported 4" but really never shot it enough to truly master a full cylinder well enough to give me complete confidence, and where I lived it didn’t matter, I did do well enough for Minute of bear and a big Oak stump on my property took a LOT of rounds from that gun while I was playing at emulating the Sheriff.
Anyway I sold that gun and nowadays it’s either my S&W Mountain gun loaded with 18ogr JSP Remington factory ammo or my 10mm DW Razorback with a magazine full of 200 gr hard casts. No hollow points, I want PENETRATION!!!
While we are at it, and for the Love of GOD!!! If you are camping in bear territory or anywhere for that matter…
DO NOT EVER zip up your sleeping bag!!! If you need to get your hands out and start shooting in a hurry being rolled up like a burrito is highly counter productive.
Was taught that lesson a long time ago and it stuck, like all other good common sense advice.
One of my bears. I have video of him running across the field but I can’t seem to get it to work. I have pictures of another smaller one down next to our camp ground and quite a few other instances where ive found tracks. I don’t particularly worry about them. I’m pretty sure I’ve spooked the smaller one in the woods before and it hauled ass like I was coming to steal his picnic basket. I usually just have my 48mos on me. It’s loaded with 124g +p gold dots, so I think I can get my point across if needed
