Posted on 05/28/2024 4:48:20 AM PDT by marktwain
Many readers are interested in how various handgun calibers have performed in defense against bears. This is a complicated subject. Sometimes, any caliber will do. Sometimes a level of power may be required. Sometimes, a level of accuracy or speed may be required. Many permutations exist.
These updates include all the incidents we have been able to document to the date of the update, after several years of intense searches. We have always asked for examples of failures. We appreciate readers who help us document more cases.
Here are all the cases that have been documented where 9mm handguns were fired in defense against bears. 9mm is expected to be the common 9x19mm cartridge. These cases do not include incidents where handguns were used with other lethal means or a mix of handgun calibers were used. The incident is included if more than one handgun of the same caliber was used. There are 11 incidents in which 9mm handguns were fired in defense against bears (six black, five brown). They were all successful. The incidents are listed chronologically.
But then the bear turned, looked up at Brenner and lunged, said Lewis, who interviewed the three men Saturday.
Brenner fired twice at the center of the hulking shape closing to four or five feet away. The sow, estimated at 400 to 450 pounds, went down. Brenner then put three more bullets into her head.
He used a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol. Lewis said such a low-caliber gun ordinarily doesn’t pack enough punch
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
Multiple shots of 9 mm work.
WHat if the situation allowed only one shot to be delivered on the bear?
Very different story then.
THe proper single shot dispatch of a bear requires a 12 gauge shot gun slug or a 44 magnum cal Ruger Superblack hawk minimum.Or a Casull 454.
Anything else is tempting fate.
A 44 magnum would be the pistol to have when confronted with a bear but for most of the incidents that were reviewed, it would seem that a 9mm "packs enough punch".
I wonder if they will do a .380?
I don’t think anyone would suggest that a 9mm is better than a .44 magnum. They’re suggesting that it’s better than nothing.
9mm ball is famous for over-penetration. It is very capable of getting through a bears skull. Aim well.
These 11 incidents are all the documented cases where a 9mm pistol has been fired in defense against bears.
They are not a subset. They are all the cases, after years of searching.
I would love to add more to the database.
The first rule of gunfighting is to have a gun.
- Col. Jeff Cooper (paraphrased)
We might go salmon fishing someday...
Good to know...You need FMJ 9MM to stop bears, the round needs to penetrate deep enough.
All were successful.
That's what we know about. How many were unsuccessful?
Bear country, I think I'd be gunning up.
Compare it to .45 or .44 magnum
I and several colleagues, have been searching for failures for years. We have found four. Here is an article about three, which involved a .22, a .38, and a .357. The fourth failure was found this year. It was a .44 magnum which was used to fire warning shots. The bear did not leave. Neither the bear nor any person was injured. It was scored a failure because the bear did not stop the aggressive behavior after the shots were fired.
If you have any more failures, we would love to see them.
Those articles are in the works.
The .44 magnum has the most cases, at this point, an appropriate (44) of them.
The article describes three (maybe two) instances where a bear was shot once wit a 9mm round and died.
Only one of these cases said the rounds were Full Metal Jacket.
Please posr when done. Thanks.
A 9mm in the hand is worth two shotguns in the bush.
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