Posted on 10/24/2019 6:11:19 AM PDT by marktwain
Details of .22 Pistol Defense Failure against Polar Bear in Norway; iStock-940461304
U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- While searching for cases where pistols were used to defend against bears, three failures have been found. In the last published results, of 73 cases, that was a 4% failure rate. The very small sample size means a few cases can change the percentages of success or failure significantly. It is useful to know what happened in each case to determine how the failures and successes occurred.
The three failures involved the three species of North American bears. One case involving a polar bear and a .22 pistol in 1995, one case involving a grizzly bear and a .357 magnum in 2010, and one case involving a black bear and a .38 revolver in 2015.
Reasonably detailed accounts of the failures for the 2010 and 2015 attacks have been given in the last update, where 73 cases were examined.
The failure of the .22 pistol defense against a polar bear had little information.
On 1 September, 1995, two male tourists were attacked by an adult male bear on a remote island in eastern Svalbard. The two tourists defended themselves with a .22 calibre pistol which proved ineffective. One man was killed, the other injured. Police later shot the bear.
After considerable research, a more
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
It all depends on the placement of the shot.................
Yes. Most people do not know where a bear’s brain is located in its head. It is much lower than most people think, and much narrower.
If the bear is looking at you, you can shoot it in the eye and miss the brain.
If the bear’s nose is pointing at you, if you shoot between the eyes, you have a 50-50 chance of missing the brain.
If the one guy with the gun shot the other guy in the leg, he could have gotten away uninjured. (line from a very old, very bad joke.)
You are correct about shot placement. There are people that could pull that off. However, an average Joe likely could not have made that shot in an adrenaline filled situation like a polar bear attack.
Where was the outcry from the liberals?
Yes. Most people do not know where a bear’s brain is located in its head. It is much lower than most people think, and much narrower.
If the bear is looking at you, you can shoot it in the eye and miss the brain.
If the bear’s nose is pointing at you, if you shoot between the eyes, you have a 50-50 chance of missing the brain.
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So finish your thought, please.
Assuming you have the time to aim and fire with precision, where should you shoot a bear in the head?
“We do not know how many rounds were expended in warning shots.”
There was probably a moment or two when the shooter wished he had those rounds back.
History fact of the day: The last German soldiers to surrender in WWII were stranded at a clandestine weather station on Svalbard in Sept. of 1945.
i agree on the shot placement in the other guys leg, if you are a selfish bastard... but waiting for the bear to be point blank and firing in the eyes hopefully will hit the brain, but at least render the bear blind...
tough call.
bigger gun definitely if in bear country...
t
Assuming you have the time to aim and fire with precision, where should you shoot a bear in the head?
In the brain!
From inside your truck!
There was no outcry because the bear was white.
I know that a correctly placed shot would kill the bear, but let’s be realistic here. Taking a .22 pistol into polar bear territory is dumb. They would have been better off dropping their pants, waving their Wangs at the bear and hoping it dies laughing.
I agree 100%........however, I’m not sure a .22 would make it through a bear’s thick skull. A heart shot with a .22 might get diverted through all of its mass......muscle and fat.
“If the one guy with the gun shot the other guy in the leg, he could have gotten away uninjured. (line from a very old, very bad joke.)”
Don’t need to be the fastest guy, just faster than the slowest guy.
I have read that even rifle rounds have ricocheted off a bear’s skull.......................
A bear In Your Truck?
Ouch!!
From the front, if the bear’s nose is pointing at you, shoot straight up the nose.
From the side, shoot midway between the eye and the ear opening.
To determine the position of the brain, consider the intersection of two lines from left eye to right ear, and left ear to right eye. That is the place you should be aiming.
A large bear’s brain is roughly the size of a pint jar.
A large bear’s head is about 2 1/2 gallons volume.
I wouldn’t go out in that kind of country without a couple of partners all of us armed with actual weapons, not tin-can target shooters. But I’m just curious about the statement that the brain is located “lower than people think”. Where is that exactly, and if you are stuck with a low-caliber weapon where is the best place to aim?
Thanks. Very interesting.
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