Posted on 02/24/2018 11:28:19 AM PST by marktwain
On the Internet, and in print, many people claim that pistols lack efficacy in defending against bear attacks. Here is an example that occurred on freerepublic.com:
“Actually, there are legions of people who have been badly mauled after using a handgun on a bear. Even some of the vaunted magnums.”
OK, give us a few examples. As you claim “legions”, it should not be too hard.
I never received a response. I believe the claim was made in good faith. There has been much conjecture about the lack of efficacy of pistols for defense against bears. A little searching will find a plethora of fantasy, fiction, mythology, and electrons sprayed about the supposed lack.
I engaged in a search for instances where pistols were used to defend against bears. I and my associates have found 37 instances that are fairly easily confirmed. The earliest happened in 1987, the latest mere months ago. The incidents are heavily weighted toward the present, as the ability to publish and search for these incidents has increased, along with increases in bear and human populations, and the carry of pistols.
The 37 cases include one that can fairly be described as a “failure”.
The pistol calibers, when known, range from 9 mm to .454 Casull. The most common are .44 magnums. Here are the cases, sorted by caliber:
We have found four cases where 9 mm pistols were used to defend against bears. All were successful.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
Curious, whereabouts in Canada did you hunt?
We hunted around Haliburton, Ontario in the fall and Vermillion Bay, Ontario in the spring...
Rifles chambered for straight walled pistol cartridges are now legal for deer hunting in formerly ‘shotgun only’ zones in many states.
MI,IN,OH,Iowa are some of the new states that are now legal and 44 MAG rifles are flying off the gun store shelves.
As a result of that you can expect to see more 44 mag pistols sold to match the rifles. I love my SS Ruger 77/44 for deer hunting. With Sierra 210 gr hollow points it flat stomps them!
bears with pistols haha
The black bear demands shooting excellence before he will fall to a hunter. Even at these close ranges, a precision shot is essential. Your target is a 4 to 5 inch square (boiler room) area just behind the front shoulder.
The black bear is unlike any other game you have ever hunted. When hit, he will not lie down and bleed out like a deer. But rather, will run until he dies - which could be up to 20 miles. It makes no difference how good a shot you are. Unless you hit exactly in the boiler room, you will get nothing but a wounded animal.
https://www.foggymountain.com/handgun-bear-hunts.shtml
They say laughter is good for the soul...after watching the last episode of "Grand Tour" and reading this joke, I should be good for another month or so.
And laughing at a joke with the Pope in it is probably the only help he'll give me with my soul.
Interesting, thanks. Widely seperated areas.
Did you find the Vermillion Bay area had a more remote wilderness quality to it?
Lots of land and few roads or towns.
Glad to help...I laughed when I read it, and unfortunately, I am from that blue state which made it even funnier to me.
There is so much going on these days, OldSmaj, that sucks the humor out of everything, it is good to take a break!
Sorry my reply took a while...Took the wife out to eat...
Many more dirt roads around Vermillion Bay than Haliburton...
Also more small lakes...We fished quite a bit also...
Muskie and Pike around Vermillion...Walleye at Haliburton...
Oh, and yes...Much more remote than Haliburton....
I think biathletes shoot 22s don’t they?
Bolt action .22LR, 5 round mag (+ 3 rounds for hand loading, if needed).
“Defense Against Bears with Pistols”
Lol.. I have never been up against a bear with a pistol... I wonder if they shoot while on 2 or 4 legs?
;^)
OMG
There was one on NatGEO a few months ago, The bullet bounced off the skull of the bear. The bear died eventually from blood loss but the guy had to wait for hours for the bear to go down. If he hadn’t been able to scramble up the tree quickly he would have died.
Was it from a pistol or a rifle?
Lots of people aim for “between the eyes”. On a bear, if it hits perfect, it hits very strong bone at a very oblique angle. If it hits a little high, it misses the skull altogether. If it hits a bit low, it goes into the brain.
The brain on a bear is quite a bit lower than most people think.
Pistol, the guy had a rifle but it was packed away, he didn’t have the time to get it.
When the bear died, the point where it hit was slightly above the eyes and centered, about halfway between where the eyebrow and the eyes are.
He still has the skull hanging on his front porch.
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