Amongst the caliber debates, I cannot help but think of the 14 year old Indian girl in northern Canada the killed a world record sized Grizzly Bear with her single shot .22 back around 1952.
Good article. It has been difficult to find .38 Special ammunition in stores this past year.
Are the bullets made with depleted uranium?
And human bears as well...
“Handguns have proven to be 97% effective in defending against attacking bears.”
...said all the survivors...
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.
Hmmm... I can only say that the .38 was found to be somewhat lacking in those days when the Army strayed away from the .45 colt.. A determined “Moro” warrior with a machete was apparently more than a match for the Army’s new .38cal. Hence the birth of the 1911 .45ACP.
But, with when your back is against the wall, a big stick is better than nothing... :)
Gotta believe the .38 Spl was brought to dispatch a wounded elk, and not for bear defense.
Scary, I’ve backpacked for a week in this same backcountry area of Wyoming (twice). Armed, of course. Fortunately we never encountered or noted signs of any bears. They are there...
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
Hunter #1 was either very lucky or a skilled shooter, maybe both.
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.
A very interesting article for a change. Muchly appreciated.
Thanks for posting. I hunt in Montana and live in griz management area. I never fail to read these and learn something every time.
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.
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.
Certain laptops? It's always political.
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!