Posted on 09/24/2018 4:31:28 AM PDT by marktwain
Some of the confusion and fog surrounding the fatal bear attack and failure of bear spray in Wyoming has cleared. The investigators have done their job, and much was learned from the evidence on the ground. The attack occurred on Friday afternoon, the 14th of September, in the Teton Wilderness in Wyoming, near Terrace Mountain.
The hunter, Corey Chubon, and Mark Uptain, the guide, had almost finished processing the 4×4 elk. Mark Uptain, the guide, was attacked first, as he was cutting off the elk's head. The 250-pound sow grizzly gave no warning. She was first seen in an all-out charge downhill. As the bear mauled Uptain, Corey Chubon, the client, accessed a pistol at their packs, a few yards uphill from the elk.
The pistol involved did not belong to Chubon, the bowhunter who had shot the 4×4 elk. It belonged to Mark Uptain. Corey accessed the pistol, but could not get it to fire. As he was attacked, he tried to throw the pistol to Mark Uptain.
The pistol never reached Mark. The pistol was a Glock, most likely a Glock 10mm, which is becoming a popular choice for bear protection. From trib.com:
As the bear first hit Uptain, who carried bear spray in a hip-slung holster, Chubon went for a Glock that his guide had left with their gear a few yards uphill. For some reason, he could not get the handgun to fire.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
I sure don’t fault him for trying that. I don’t know, is a Glock 10mm effective against a grizzy? Still seems underpowered...
I’m going to guess that the pistol owner had it in Condition 3, no round in chamber, and in the panic of the moment the other guy didn’t realize he had to rack the slide.
If you’re in bear country, your pistol should be on your belt, not in your backpack up the hill.
10mm is better than nothing, and would put down a griz with a head shot.
Wonder if the owner kept the gun with a loaded magazine and an empty chamber. Not a fan of Glocks but I don’t believe there is a safety. The trigger shoe is a sort of safety. But it is one firearm I have never fired. But from what I’ve read it’s point and shoot. If there is a round it should go bang. Then autoload more rounds.
10mm is a magnum round. Less than .44 magnum but not by much.
Never bring a Glock to a .44 magnum fight.
First I would consider a 10 mm marginal for bear defense. If you want a simiauto a .460 Rowland would be a better choice. Second when I was in bear country my sidearm was always in my holster ready to draw with a round chambered. It was a Ruger 45 Colt revolver loaded with heavy loaded 300 gr hardcast with loads recommended by my buddy John Linebaugh. Fortunately I never had to use it.
In bear country, while they're processing an elk...
Farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish ladies. Farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain.
Any handgun is underpowered for grizzly. But a 10mm loaded hot with 200 grain hardcast is like 41 magnum. And the Glock has 15 rounds. In terms of capacity * power, the Glock 10mm is about the most powerful handgun there is. In the end I suspect that automatic vs revolver was more relevant than caliber in this situation.
They have 2 internal safeties, but yes ultimately your brain and finger are the real safeties. I’ve owned and carried Glocks for years and never had an ND. IMHO the problem is when novices buy Glocks for the “cool factor”, don’t get proper training and even worse don’t drill as often as possible.
To all - be careful what you say about the 10mm.
A proper 10mm round has at least a 170 grain bullet, 1300+fps, and is the functional equivalent of a .41 Mag. Which was what Jeff Cooper intended.
Unfortunately, so much of the 10mm ammo for sale today is so downloaded,that you’re really not carrying much more than a .40 cal.
With a well placed shot and real 10mm ammo, I’d fee pretty safe.
Yup. A .45 loaded to Uber magnum weight and velocity. I have 2 old style vaqueros. Which are Blackhawks with fixed sights. I roll my own rounds. Very powerful. I use nickel plated brass for these rounds. This is purely for identification. I wouldn’t want to put them in my Colt SAA (second generation). Wouldn’t want the top strap and/or half the cylinder imbedded in my head.
I don’t like damned semi-autos. The safeties on them are all different and unless you are familiar with the firearm,
in a high pressure situation like this, this can happen.
If he had a 44 magnum revolver he might be
alive today.
Butchering game in bear country is very dangerous.
That wasn’t my understanding...I have heard from multiple sources there are handguns that are fully capable and not in the least underpowered for the task of self defense against grizzlies but are generally beastly handguns best fired by people with experience (at least that was my impression)
I did some reading, and the Glock 10mm was recommended on at least one site, so that was news for me.
Yes...that is kind of like going down in that spindly shark cage.
I have heard that grizzlies can scent blood from unbelievable distances...I was surprised to hear the sidearm was in the pack.
ELITE NAVAL UNIT.
They probably practise with it everyday.
Give me a revolver anytime.
RIP
I had to look, and on the first site I looked at, the only semiautomatic listed was the Ruger 10mm, so the word is out on that one, for sure.
But as you say...having anything is nearly better than nothing, but...it won’t do you any good in your pack.
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