Why Use a Handgun for Bear Defense — Because They Work

AmmoLand ^ | October 27, 2025 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

One of the significant advantages of using handguns to defend against bear attacks is that defense with a handgun is far more likely to result in a dead bear. This is a highly desirable result. Bears that attack humans should be killed. Killing aggressive bears is a way to condition the bear population to avoid humans.

The false premise implicit in the argument for non-lethal defenses against bears is that there are such small numbers of bears that killing a bear removes a valuable resource from the bear genetic pool. This view had some legitimacy about 1975-1980, when the population of grizzly bears in the lower 48 states was at its lowest level. This is no longer true.

Bear populations are on the rise all over the world. None of the three bears that live in North America has ever been endangered. Even the populations of grizzly bears that lived in the lower 48 states were only listed as “threatened”, not endangered. Today, we have at least three times as many grizzly bears in the lower 48 as in 1977. The grizzly bear population in the lower 48 is increasing at a significant rate. It is well over 2,000 bears and is probably approaching 3,000 grizzly bears.

When grizzly bears were not protected in the United States, only those bears that learned to avoid humans survived. By 1900, grizzly bears had become wary of humans and even dogs. Once bears were given artificial protection from humans, they started to lose their fear of humans. The grizzly bears in the lower 48 states kill humans at 30 times the rate per bear of grizzly bears in Alaska. The small population of grizzly bears in the lower 48 states is responsible for more human fatalities than the larger population of grizzly bears in Alaska.

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TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: attack; banglist; bear; bearrepublic; bearsrepeating; defense; righttoarmbears; thingsiworryabout; unbearable

[Surrounded_too]

** Should be lower 48 states, not lower 49... **

Is that you, Borax?

[Dr. Franklin]

I still like .357

I don't live in bear country, but would want the largest caliber hand gun I could get. A .45 has more stopping power per bullet. So, if I may only get one shot, bigger is better. With an automatic, more shots are possible. That appears to be the trade off.

[GMThrust]

Maybe he has Bearnoia. :p

[marktwain]

Do you hate bears? You keep posting articles about killing bears.

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It kinda grew. It turns out lots of people are fascinated with large wild creatures who want to kill and/or eat you.

[Big Red Badger]

Hate is a Strong word.

[Big Red Badger]

By the Way IT’S SELFDEFENSE!

[dznutz]

What, no grizzlies in Hawaii?

You would think at least they would get the occasional stray polar bear who floated there on an iceberg caused by global warming….

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

.357 has a ton of penetration and high speed.

I’ve had a couple of .45 and can attest shooting at anything over 30 feet you have to factor in bullet drop.

The bullets are big but they are pretty slow.

[Dr. Franklin]

I’ve had a couple of .45 and can attest shooting at anything over 30 feet you have to factor in bullet drop.

The larger caliber is needed exactly within 30 feet for a charging bear. Beyond that a rifle would be more accurate. A shotgun with slugs work, but in case of surprise may not be handy.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

A .357 will penetrate much deeper. A .45 is designed for humans not bears. .357 muzzle energy is almost double what a .45 is.

Look at the ballistics. .44, 10mm and .357 magnum are tops for muzzle velocity. Muzzle velocity trumps bullet weight for muzzle energy.

[Dr. Franklin]

Look at the ballistics. .44, 10mm and .357 magnum are tops for muzzle velocity. Muzzle velocity trumps bullet weight for muzzle energy.

Basic physics is that Force=Mass x acceleration. A bullet with less mass requires less energy to reach a higher acceleration, but at the same velocity as a bullet with more mass has less force. A .22 would have a higher muzzle velocity than the larger bullets you reference, but hits with less force. The force is what is important, not the velocity. If I need to stop a charging bear, I want to hit it with maximum force, not a bullet with the highest velocity.

[cowboyusa]

Pooh Bear is well straped. He keeps a cap gun with him.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Sorry, but KE = 0.5 × m × v^2

Kenetic Energy = Mass * Velocity squared. Velocity wins.

[Disambiguator]

.41 Magnum is a better cartridge for bears, but 10mm provides more capacity.

I don’t think a load like this is out there for 10mm.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=90

[Dr. Franklin]

Sorry, but KE = 0.5 × m × v^2 Kenetic Energy = Mass * Velocity squared. Velocity wins.

For stopping power?
"The kinetic energy of an object is equal to the work, or force (F) in the direction of motion times its displacement (s), needed to accelerate the object from rest to its given speed."
Kinetic Energy
So it requires more kinetic energy to accelerate a larger mass. Thus, it requires more energy to get an 18 wheeler to go 55 MPH than a motorcycle, but once it reaches that velocity it acquires more force if it collides with another object than the motorcycle. If the 18 wheeler collides with another object at 55 MPH it will do far more damage than the motorcycle. It's the same with the bullets. The larger mass bullet travelling at the same velocity as a lesser mass bullet will hit with more force and do more damage to the target. It's just physics.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

You square speed in the calculation. Mass is secondary.

Kenetic Energy is what it’s all about.

[riverrunner]

Yes no and maybe.

Comparing firearm projectiles to vehicles makes no sense.

Two different means of injury.

A bigger bullet doesn’t always mean more injury. Bullet design has a lot to do with it.

[Dr. Franklin]

A bigger bullet doesn’t always mean more injury. Bullet design has a lot to do with it.

If I have to shot a bear, I prefer to shoot it with .45 bullet than a BB. Some designs are better than others for that purpose, but the force does matter.

[riverrunner]

Just because one kills something doesn’t mean one hates the thing he kills.

There are plenty of reasons to kill a animal besides hate.

Food is a main one, self preservation is another. money is another.

I find bears to be interesting but I also find them good to eat.

I am sure not going to let one harm me.

Hate has nothing to do with it.

[Dr. Franklin]

Mass is secondary.

So get yourself a BB gun and see how many bears you can kill with that. Let us know how it went.