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.38 Special Effective Against Wyoming Grizzly Bear
AmmoLand ^ | February 18, 2022 | Dean Weingarten

Posted on 02/23/2022 4:02:27 AM PST by marktwain

This article is part of a continuing series of defensive bear shootings discovered through a Freedom of Information Act request by AmmoLand. It appears these events were not reported in other media.

On September 13, 2011, two bowhunters were hunting for elk in a wild part of Wyoming, on the boundary of the Shoshone National Forest and the Bridger Teton National Forest. The location was on the Continental Divide between the Salt Creek and the South Fork of the Fish Creek drainages, about an hour north of DuNoir Junction, southwest of Dubois, Wyoming, near the boundary of Fremont County and Sublette County, at an elevation of about 9442 feet, according to the map contour lines. It is in the middle of the west edge of Wyoming.

The weather was cool in the morning and warm and dry in the afternoon. Temperatures varied from 35 to 70 degrees F in nearby Big Piney-Mableton at about 6,000-foot elevation.

Two hunters were involved. Their identity is deleted in the FOIA document. They will be referred to as Hunter One and Hunter Two. Hunter One had a holstered .38 Special revolver as well as his archery equipment.

At about 10:00 a.m., the two hunters were crossing a large area of downed timber, with numerous blowdowns. This type of terrain is very difficult to traverse, because you are constantly climbing up, over, and down large tree trunks. The pictures give an indication of the complexity. It is not a walk in the park.

Hunter One was “about to cross a big piece of downed timber” when he saw a large bear jump up and toward him. He ran up a downed tree, and the bear was “spooked” and ran north into the timber. Hunter One waited until the bear was out of sight;

(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; US: Wyoming
KEYWORDS: 38special; banglist; bearattack; wy
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To: marktwain

Just because this worked doesn’t mean you wouldn’t be better off with a .44 magnum or one of the big .45s or .50s


21 posted on 02/23/2022 5:58:42 AM PST by Vaquero (Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you. )
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To: marktwain

Hunter #1 was either very lucky or a skilled shooter, maybe both.


22 posted on 02/23/2022 6:11:35 AM PST by Brooklyn Attitude (I went to bed on November 3rd 2020 and woke up in 1984.)
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To: ought-six

I’m with you on that. The 38 is a hell of a round. It’s really a victim of its own success. So widespread for 75 years that it is simply not cool and trendy. For man or beast it is just fine. And wide variety of loads for the task. Inherently accurate too.


23 posted on 02/23/2022 6:13:43 AM PST by DesertRhino (Dogs are called man's best friend. Moslems hate dogs. Add it up....)
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To: DesertRhino

“Inherently accurate too.”

It is that.


24 posted on 02/23/2022 6:21:58 AM PST by ought-six (Multiculturalism is national suicide, and political correctness is the cyanide capsule. )
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To: marktwain

https://revolverguy.com/all-about-the-38-special-p-and-38-special-p/

plus p
saint louis police load


25 posted on 02/23/2022 6:23:59 AM PST by rolling_stone
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To: marktwain

In many states, going afield for big-game archery season while armed with a handgun is a violation of wildlife/hunting laws/regulations. This applies even if you are a licensed handgun carrier. These regs make no sense, especially in bear country, IMO.


26 posted on 02/23/2022 6:24:59 AM PST by T-Bird45 (It feels like the seventies, and it shouldn't. )
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To: marktwain

A very interesting article for a change. Muchly appreciated.


27 posted on 02/23/2022 6:50:40 AM PST by Rannug (When you're dead, you're dead. Until then fight with everything you have.l)
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To: marktwain

Thanks for posting. I hunt in Montana and live in griz management area. I never fail to read these and learn something every time.


28 posted on 02/23/2022 6:53:07 AM PST by StAntKnee (Add your own danged sarc tag)
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To: ought-six
The venerable old .38 Special has been getting a bad rap for about fifty years, and its disparagement is undeserved. It was the official police caliber for about 75 years, before the auto-loaders became popular. Maybe I’m an anachronism (well, I AM in my 70s!), but I like the tried-and-true wheel guns of yore.

I just turned 80 and I too like the 38 snubby as my go to, every day, won't leave home with out hand gun.

I also have a 357 Magnum in my vehicle and carry a 9MM semi-auto on occasion, but I feel very comfortable with my 38 never fail wheel gun.

I understand the younger folks liking a semi-auto because of the high capacity and the ability to rapid fire heavy cover shooting but I feel more at ease with my wheel guns {I do carry speed loaders}.

29 posted on 02/23/2022 6:55:09 AM PST by USS Alaska (NUKE ALL MOOSELIMB TERRORISTS, NOW.)
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To: Psalm 73

It is kinda of a David-Goliath story. In that the woman knew the anatomy of the enemy and limits of her weapon so well that she placed the bullet in the small (maybe 2-inch circle) where a .22 could kill such a massive bear (giant). Was not a “lucky shot” but a deliberate kill.


30 posted on 02/23/2022 6:58:08 AM PST by StAntKnee (Add your own danged sarc tag)
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To: StAntKnee
Was not a “lucky shot” but a deliberate kill.

Precisely correct.

In addition, she was very close and expert in using a weapon she had many, many years experience with, in killing large numbers of creatures.

She chose the time and place of the encounter, was prepared, and had the element of surprise.

31 posted on 02/23/2022 7:08:11 AM PST by marktwain (Amazing people can read a persons entire personality and character from one photograph.)
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To: marktwain

Bingo.

At close range, <10 feet, a 22 right in the snout will stop anything. Probably won’t kill. But, even an enraged bear will back up a bit to wonder why it is no longer breathing — at least thru its nose.

OTOHand, the same right into either eye will immediately kill.

I am amazed, tho, that a 38P thru the side will do that much damage. Damn! I thought only a rifle would penetrate that much.


32 posted on 02/23/2022 7:35:53 AM PST by bobbo666 (Baizuo)
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To: bobbo666

If they are close enough a 38P+ has a ton of velocity. 50 yards out…not so much.

I would hate to have to test my theory.


33 posted on 02/23/2022 7:38:20 AM PST by Vermont Lt
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To: bobbo666
OTOHand, the same right into either eye will immediately kill.

Eye shots are not so clearly lethal, because of the peculiar geometry of bear skulls.

The angle has to be correct for a shot to the eye to enter the brain.

Here is an article on the subject.

34 posted on 02/23/2022 8:26:19 AM PST by marktwain (Amazing people can read a persons entire personality and character from one photograph.)
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To: marktwain

We hunted this country for Mulies back around ‘76 and had dropped a couple. We were miles back in and we drove our jeep with our kill in the back to the nearby river to wash up. We were out washing up. We saw fresh tracks in the mud. They were about the size of dinner plates with claws as long as your fingers. Then we heard a grizzly in the nearby thick brush. I was the only one armed at the time and my .270 felt more like a pea shooter than a rifle at that short range. I was carrying a .38 revolver but didn’t even consider it for a second. Needless to say, we got the h3ll out of there in a hurry you wouldn’t believe. No doubt the blood smell had gotten his attention.


35 posted on 02/23/2022 8:29:43 AM PST by Gritty (Follow the money in politics, you find the criminals. Is it now true in the medical profession?)
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To: Does so

Bear scat may have little bells in it, but I’ll bet they can’t pass a 8-inch 454 Casull.


36 posted on 02/23/2022 8:58:43 AM PST by Scrambler Bob (My /s is more true than your /science (or you might mean /seance))
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To: marktwain
They will be referred to as Hunter One and Hunter Two.

Certain laptops? It's always political.

37 posted on 02/23/2022 9:08:58 AM PST by Libloather (Why do climate change hoax deniers live in mansions on the beach?)
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To: ought-six; marktwain

I would be interested to know if the cartridge was .38 Special or .38 Special +P. A jacketed +P is a step up from the old lead round nose loads.


38 posted on 02/23/2022 10:04:49 AM PST by MileHi ((Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks.)
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To: marktwain

Live in Alaska bear country 50+ years. Killed my share of bears including one that broke into my house. Nearly always have the .44 in reach and wouldn’t hesitate to use it on a small to medium black bear. Black bears scare easily and I have a 97% chance of chasing them away by throwing rocks and making noise.

Brown bears on the other hand are scary big (some over 1000 pounds) territorial, and very unpredictable. Short barrel .375 H+H in high risk brown bear country. The only good a handgun will be in a big bear encounter is to use it on yourself as the bear is tearing you apart. Be sure to bring a can of bear spray so you are seasoned properly!

The Alaska department of fish and game has a bear protection course where they have a bear sized target that is attached to a pulley system to make it “run” at you at bear speed. You shoot with a variety ove weapons to see if you can hit the target. The poorest performance by far was with a handgun with less than half the participants in my class were even able to hit the thing. Best was with shotguns. So much depends on experience!


39 posted on 02/23/2022 10:30:20 AM PST by Species8472 (People must know!)
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To: Species8472
Real life experience is far different than the Alaskan F & G test.

In real life, pistols of a large variety of calibers are 97% effective in defense against bears.

40 posted on 02/23/2022 11:31:01 AM PST by marktwain (Amazing people can read a persons entire personality and character from one photograph.)
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