Handguns in Defense Against Bears by Caliber | 9mm, 11 incidents

AmmoLand ^ | May 23, 2024 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

One of the surprising results of the study of the effectiveness of handguns fired in defense against bears was the 9mm. After years of searching, 11 cases have been documented. All were successful.

[Candor7]

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.

[JesusIsLord]

Lewis said such a low-caliber gun ordinarily doesn’t pack enough punch.

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".

[crusty old prospector]

I wonder if they will do a .380?

[Campion]

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.

[DesertRhino]

9mm ball is famous for over-penetration. It is very capable of getting through a bears skull. Aim well.

[marktwain]

for most of the incidents that were reviewed

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.

[Disambiguator]

The first rule of gunfighting is to have a gun.

- Col. Jeff Cooper (paraphrased)

[Magnum44]

[OKSooner]

Thanks for researching and documenting this subject and edifying those of us who don't live in bear country.

We might go salmon fishing someday...

[Ikeon]

Good to know...You need FMJ 9MM to stop bears, the round needs to penetrate deep enough.

[Lee N. Field]

All were successful.

That's what we know about. How many were unsuccessful?

Bear country, I think I'd be gunning up.

[ZULU]

Compare it to .45 or .44 magnum

[marktwain]

That's what we know about. How many were unsuccessful?

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.

[marktwain]

Compare it to .45 or .44 magnum

Those articles are in the works.

The .44 magnum has the most cases, at this point, an appropriate (44) of them.

[gitmo]

The article describes three (maybe two) instances where a bear was shot once wit a 9mm round and died.

[gitmo]

Only one of these cases said the rounds were Full Metal Jacket.

[ZULU]

https://youtu.be/7gtTEEm1-1A?si=QizONJgxzy4tRlUO

[ZULU]

Please posr when done. Thanks.

[UnwashedPeasant]

A 9mm in the hand is worth two shotguns in the bush.