Dan Wesson Classic .357
The odds look pretty good.
Sometimes all you need is a knife and a good dog.
Pretty shocking that a 9mm would take one down. Maybe all that discussion about the “new” 9mm round’s lethal stopping ability really is true after all.
undergoing surgery for the bite, which was so powerful that it broke the leg bone below the knee.
Good grief! That is incredible!
While a rifle or shotgun is a preferable weapon for killing bears, a handgun is certainly better than a knife, or bare hands.
I can tell you one thing, if I am ever attacked by a bear while armed with a handgun, I am certainly not going to toss it aside and tell myself: “Nope, I can’t use this to defend myself because some internet know-it-alls told me it’s useless against a bear”.
It is my understanding that many bear hunters carry some kind of handgun as a back-up in the event an encounter gets up close and personal. 44 magnum and 454 Casull are popular calibers, from what I’ve heard.
I like my Ruger Redhawk 44 mag. Heavy sucker though!
I think it’s 70% gun and 30% individual and 100% accuracy. Don’t panic, don’t pack a 22 LR and depending upon the bear specious, a 9mm might not be enough.
“Pistols for Defense against Bears? Failures are Rare”
From the headline I assumed this was about the NFL and a new defense other teams used against Chicago.
One common factor: you should keep firing until the attack is stopped. Ammo is cheap — life is priceless.
The whole handguns are not good for bear defense is a concerted effort by the anti-firearms and anti hunting crowd.
If one does not need a firearm for hunting or defense then one does not need a firearm at all.
Bear spray is always good for the bear not always good for the spray user.
Not to mention the #1 item to bring with you when the possibility of meeting a bear in bear country is increased:
A CLEAN PAIR OF SHORTS!
(Or, would that be the #2 item?)
;-)
Surprisingly, plain ol' 9mm fmj, not any exotic newfangled expanding bullet has been effective at least once or twice... who decided to put that to the test? I'm glad it worked out well for him but geez, "I think if I get charged by a bear today I'll be the first guy in known history to stop him with a 9mm" is not the way I would be thinking if I had a choice.
.45 ball, maybe not so much... it took that one guy 9 rounds to take his bear down.
.357 seems to be adequate, if that's what one has... is it true that some people refer to the Ruger SP101 as the "Alaska Derringer"?
But really the standard still seems to be anything in .44 magnum or bigger.
I've also read of a recent case you might have missed where a guy in Alaska shot a charging bear with a 10mm Glock, with effect...
Please check your mail, thanks...
It seems to me that the biggest problem is that you are dealing with a head on target with a thick skull bobbing up and down as it charged. I would want a round capable of doing damage no matter where I hit the bear.
I don’t even go bow hunting without packing a pistol. Never know when or if you’ll run into a rabid four or two legged critter.
Dan Wesson Classic .357
Also, .41 cal Revolver in Cody, WY in 2009.
Emaciated sow w 3 cubs attacked a guy from behind, knocking him down and ran passed him.
He fired 3 times on second charge and killed the sow.
I was up there 3 days later and heard and read the story several times.
I lived in Alaska for four years, was an assistant guide for a while and guided fishermen and a few hunters. I carried a .44 most of the time until two Alaska game wardens showed up at Tommy Ray’s taxidermy shop with a brown bear killed in a self-defense shooting. that bear’s face, but particularly his chest, looked like he’d been in close proximity to a grenade blast. When I asked them, “What the hell did the guy shoot him with?”, they responded, “A shotgun” and proceeded to tell me that a shotgun, at close range is a great defense against bears. I added a stainless Remington 870 Marine to my arsenal and carried it religiously after that.
As an interesting aside, although I saw more than my fair share of browns while guiding or fishing in Alaska, I never had what I would call a dangerous encounter. I can’t, however, say the same thing about black bears. They tended to be very, very curious and got way too close on too many occasions.
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On my visits to Alaska I carry a 9mm and figure it will do just fine. Seems to be a pretty typical practice. Besides, I don’t want to be carrying a heavy caliber rifle for hikes. No one in my family has ever had a problem since moving to Alaska in the 70s.
One thing I got from this is that bears are *tough.*
"By then my gun had jammed," Greg says.
I'd like to know more about how a revolver "jammed".