Black Bear Attack Stopped with .38 Caliber Handgun

AmmoLand ^ | August 28, 2023 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

On August 25, 2023, near Kingston, Massachusetts, a bear attack was stopped with a pistol.  The bear started by attacking a goat. Bear attacks against animals that depend on people for their protection are much more common than direct attacks against people. From Kingston Police on Facebook:

Shortly before 3pm this afternoon KPD responded to Hawthorne Road for a report of a black bear attacking a resident’s livestock (goat). Initial investigation appears to reveal the following:

Upon the bear attacking the resident’s goat, the resident attempted to scare the bear away, the bear postured up towards the resident and the resident reported he was in fear of being attacked. The resident then shot the bear with his lawfully owned firearm.

At that time, the bear fled into the wood line. Upon police arriving, we were unable to locate the bear. KPD contacted the Massachusetts Environmental Police who are conducting an investigation and have been unable to locate the bear as of this time.

This correspondent made contact with the Kingston Police PIO, who communicated the firearm used was a .38 caliber handgun. In an update, NBC Boston reported the man had fired warning shots in an attempt to scare the bear away from the goat. The bear became threatening instead of fleeing, and he shot the bear. From nbcboston.com:

The man said he was afraid of being attacked so he shot the bear in the leg and it fled into the woods.

Wildlife officials say the injury is minor and local police say the resident does own the gun lawfully.

Kingston police and Massachusetts Environmental police have been looking for the bear since this incident yesterday afternoon but they haven’t been able to find it.

[rivercat]

Shouldn’t that be African-Ursa? Saying Black is sooo racis! /sarc

[Georgia Girl 2]

We are lousy with bears in Georgia but if you kill one its like the end of the world. I don’t get it.

[metmom]

Sounds reasonable to me.

Only gun grabbers would not see it that way.

[muir_redwoods]

“the Massachusetts Environmental Police.”
Wow....I’ll bet you those are some real hairy dudes... :) “

I know one of those. They call themselves the “squirrel cops”

Jack is a Marine vet and a third dan black belt.

[Disambiguator]

.41 Magnum for the revolver inclined is ballistically very similar to 10mm.

[NorthMountain]

"Environmental Police" and similar idiotic terms are woketardspeak for "game warden".

And even in a craphole State like Massachusetts, I wouldn't mess with them.

[unread]

"I know one of those. They call themselves the “squirrel cops. Jack is a Marine vet and a third dan black belt."

Well, I guess if I was a squirrel I would be rightfully worried. :)

[NorthMountain]

The cappucino is for “before range time”.

The bourbon is for “after range time”.

[ought-six]

“I’ve got a few options but my SW 38 is my preferred go to when I am out and about.”

The .38 Special is an old cartridge, much maligned. But it does its job.

[ought-six]

“A .38 shot just leaves a wounded pissed off Bear.”

I wonder what the bear that was killed with a .22LR would’ve said about that, if it could speak, and had it lived.

[LouAvul]

Wadcutter is a target bullet. Leaves a nice round hole but the configuration prevents deep penetration.

Semi wadcutter, hard cast, at +p velocities, is what you'd want.

Personally, I'd just go ahead and carry a 357 mag. I own both and there's not a nickel's difference in weight or length between the two.

For example, one of my carry pieces is a 2.5 inch barreled Ruger SP101 in 357 mag. It weighs 26 ounces. Ruger also makes a SP101 in 38 Special. It also weighs 26 ounces.

[Big Red Badger]

My logic also.
The Semiautomatic Jams and you’ve
Got more problems.
Wheelguns require just another
Pull of the Trigger!
Capacity?
Six is good
Just have a Philly Reload

[LouAvul]

if you kill one its like the end of the world

What does that mean? You get arrested? Bears are protected?

[Big Red Badger]

9mm is a .38 short!

[Big Red Badger]

Patron Saint Bella Twin dropped a
Bear with a .22 LONG.
A record bear in the 1950’s.

[sarge83]

I have lots of big black bears in my area and I carry a .44 Magnum Virginian Dragoon on my tractor. If not on my tractor I carry a Ruger GP100 .357 magnum with hunting loads or a Glock 29 10mm.

[LouAvul]

Very difficult cartridge to find. 41 mag was Bill Jordan's recommendation for law enforcement but it never really took off.

Back in the day, I went the direction of 44 mag. But the Ruger Super Blackhawk was the only Ruger chambered for it, and it had a non fluted cylinder. I much prefer a fluted cylinder for esthetic reasons.

The Ruger Blackhawk in 41 mag is fluted and looks much better. I reload so ammo availability isn't that big of a deal. But in retrospect, I should have built a collection surrounding the 41.

Smith and Wesson made some revolvers in 41 mag and the model 58 was geared to the LEO crowd but, it just never caught on. Nice gun, though.

[LouAvul]

I wouldn't mess with MA anyway. I've been there. I've been in the hills in Tennessee and Kentucky, too. And I've never, ever, seen so many inbred, toothless, hillbilly, illiterate, redneck, single digit IQ morons as I did in Boston.

What a dump.

[cowboyusa]

Great. Now the Black Bears Marter protestors will be outing force.