[Red Badger]

It all depends on the placement of the shot.................

[marktwain]

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.

[Dutch Boy]

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.

[David Chase]

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.

[marktwain]

This case was the World Record Grizzly Bear in 1953, killed with a .22 long (not Long Rifle) from a single shot rifle (a Cooey Ace #1).

Notice the location of the eye sockets. The side view does not show it well, but the brain is between the eyes, and does not extend out to the side behind the eyes.

Consider the slope of the bone between the eyes. Now put a couple of inches of muscle, fat, and hide above the bone.