One of my favorite outdoor writers when I was a kid in the 50s was Russel Annabel. He was an old Alaskan Sourdough.
He once told of bringing a mule train of supplies up the middle of a frozen creek. A female wold and her four yearling pups caught smell of the mules and began a circling attack.
Annabell was carrying a Colt Woodsman with a 6 inch barrel. He sat against a tree trunk and using his knees as rest, proceeded to shoot and kill all five of them. He said every time one was hit they would bite at where the bullet went in. I can’t recall if he had to shoot more than once each but he eliminated the whole pack with a .22LR pistol
At the end of the tale, he said they ought to make a monument to the .22LR.