Bear protection handguns?

I try to attache a short video of a griz and it locks my phone up ? Here's 3 of a griz eating on an elk while fishing.
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skipglo said:
Must be a story to go with these pics?
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A little story maybe...I was deer hunting last Nov. Up North Fork of Shoshone River area. A friend had shot a nice buck 4 mi. up a canyon the weekend before. He packed the head, hind qrtrs. and straps out. Next day he got the rest. I went in a few days later and found griz tracks over his . The tracks were coming out. I was going in. The mud was frozen. I figured they were a couple days old and the bear found his kill site, ate and left. It still gave me the creeps and had me on high alert. I had a rifle and bear spray. I was wishing I had a pistol the whole day. I swore to myself to never go without one again. I sat down about a mile up. Did a little glassing and ate something. Fed and watered dog. I was sitting at the base of the Mtn. with thick pines . I kept thinking a griz would be on me in seconds . It was cold 32° and I'd be in the shade for another couple hrs. I got the creeps and moved down trail in the sun. (I told this story in another thread) I got up and walked about 50 yrds. and the dog locked on something near base of Mtn. in the trees, which was about 25 yds. from me. I unshoulderd rifle. I didn't see anything. Put my binos up and I saw brown hair thru a small opening in trees. I thought ok, here we go😳The dog just stood there staring at it. It wasn't moving. I waited a min. I moved a little left and saw dark hair ? Moved a little more and saw it was a horse and mule tied up inside the trees... My butt unpuckerd😬 There was a truck w/2 horse trailer at the trailhead when I got there in the dark. I even remembered seeing the horse/mule tracks going in. All the way back to truck I said never again without a pistol. If it was a bear and it charged I'd of had one shot with rifle. If it was a bear it wouldn't of stood there while I tried to figure it out. I kept thinking which pistol I'd carry. S&W 460 and Ruger Super Redhawk 454 to big and heavy but good bear cartridge. Super Blackhawk 44 mag. lighter and good round. Single action. Hmmm... Maybe. Dam, I wanted a 10mm. A guy I had just bought an English Lab pup from came in the store with a brand new Glock 20. 3 mags. Holster. I brought it. About a month later a new Springfield XDM 10mm came in store. Following day was my last day there so bought myself a parting gift. Why 2 - 10mm ? I don't know. But I do know I'm going to find out which I shoot best ! One thing about the Glock I don't like is the same thing I don't like about my Glock 21 (which I was thinking of carrying) is the grip is a little big for my liking. My hands aren't small by any means though. I like the grip on XDM better. Maybe the grip safety also. I've always liked the slide lock and grip safeties on my 1911's. That's my story be it long but I'm stickin to it 😉
 
WYO300RUM said:
A little story maybe...I was deer hunting last Nov. Up North Fork of Shoshone River area. A friend had shot a nice buck 4 mi. up a canyon the weekend before. He packed the head, hind qrtrs. and straps out. Next day he got the rest. I went in a few days later and found griz tracks over his . The tracks were coming out. I was going in. The mud was frozen. I figured they were a couple days old and the bear found his kill site, ate and left. It still gave me the creeps and had me on high alert. I had a rifle and bear spray. I was wishing I had a pistol the whole day. I swore to myself to never go without one again. I sat down about a mile up. Did a little glassing and ate something. Fed and watered dog. I was sitting at the base of the Mtn. with thick pines . I kept thinking a griz would be on me in seconds . It was cold 32° and I'd be in the shade for another couple hrs. I got the creeps and moved down trail in the sun. (I told this story in another thread) I got up and walked about 50 yrds. and the dog locked on something near base of Mtn. in the trees, which was about 25 yds. from me. I unshoulderd rifle. I didn't see anything. Put my binos up and I saw brown hair thru a small opening in trees. I thought ok, here we go😳The dog just stood there staring at it. It wasn't moving. I waited a min. I moved a little left and saw dark hair ? Moved a little more and saw it was a horse and mule tied up inside the trees... My butt unpuckerd😬 There was a truck w/2 horse trailer at the trailhead when I got there in the dark. I even remembered seeing the horse/mule tracks going in. All the way back to truck I said never again without a pistol. If it was a bear and it charged I'd of had one shot with rifle. If it was a bear it wouldn't of stood there while I tried to figure it out. I kept thinking which pistol I'd carry. S&W 460 and Ruger Super Redhawk 454 to big and heavy but good bear cartridge. Super Blackhawk 44 mag. lighter and good round. Single action. Hmmm... Maybe. Dam, I wanted a 10mm. A guy I had just bought an English Lab pup from came in the store with a brand new Glock 20. 3 mags. Holster. I brought it. About a month later a new Springfield XDM 10mm came in store. Following day was my last day there so bought myself a parting gift. Why 2 - 10mm ? I don't know. But I do know I'm going to find out which I shoot best ! One thing about the Glock I don't like is the same thing I don't like about my Glock 21 (which I was thinking of carrying) is the grip is a little big for my liking. My hands aren't small by any means though. I like the grip on XDM better. Maybe the grip safety also. I've always liked the slide lock and grip safeties on my 1911's. That's my story be it long but I'm stickin to it 😉
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Now...that's better...great story! Thanks
 
phorwath said:
Dissertation time: This post is about the lack of penetration of a 44 Magnum soft lead factory bullet on the skull of a 130lb black bear.

I was with a friend in ~1981, who shot a black bear in the head with a 44 Magnum S&W revolver, from about 20yds. This was a nuisance bear that had been marauding a small house on the Kenai Peninsula, about 35 miles from where I live. The lady that owned the house had moved out until the bear could be dispatched. She called the complaint into Fish & Game multiple times. My friend worked at Fish & Game at this time. Bear season was open. The lady wanted the bear killed. My friend and I went out to kill it.
The homeowner said the bear showed up at 7:30 every morning. We showed up for a 6am hunt. Sure enough, the bear had worn a path down around the house, and claw marks were visible on the siding. One of the windows had been broken, and was covered with plywood. We could tell the bear had gained access into her house at least once. The bear was a regular visitor trying to get back into this house.
We climbed on top of a small shed about 20yd from the house. Like clockwork, the bear showed right on time. When it walked around the corner of the house where we could see it, it saw us and stood on rears and looked at us on the shed roof. My friend shot and the bear dropped. We could hear labored breathing in the tall grass but couldn't see it. Still labored breathing 5 minutes later. I had a 338 Win Mag. We approached the bear and found it unconscious, but alive. Finished it with a 44 round thru the lungs.

The 44 Mag bullet had impacted the frontal area of the skull next to one of the eyes. That's where the bullet was found, against the skull. A soft lead factory round of some sort. 220gr or 240gr as I recall. The bullet flattened out on the skull, never punching into it. Bullet was well expanded. It cracked the skull and caused enough brain trauma, the bear was comatose. I hadn't had much experience with revolvers at that time. Figured that was about normal for a 44 Mag slug on a bear skull.

40yrs later, I know more. A hard cast lead bullet would have been the more appropriate bullet.

This same friend later worked as a policeman for the City of Soldotna. He had the need to dispatch many moose that had been hit by cars on the local roads. When he started, the standard issue firearm was a 45 Auto pistol. He said those 45 bullets commonly required multiple skull shots to kill a moose. Many wouldn't penetrate the skull. Later the standard issue firearm became a 41 Mag revolver. He said no problem braining a moose with one shot from the 41 Magnum. There was also a period when they were issued .357 Mag revolvers. I don't remember him saying anything about the .357 Mag on moose skulls, so they must have penetrated moose skulls, or he would have said something.

I was present 15yrs ago when a City of Kenai policeman finished off a car struck moose. He grabbed a 12ga Rem 870 and put 2 slugs into its skull. Never used his sidearm.

No more moose skull trivia. Other than I can say the 338 Win Mag will clear out the inside of a moose's skull.
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I certainly appreciate the information regarding the 44mag and the affect on the 130lb bear. I believe it to be incredibly important to the point of defense against an animal, as alluded to in my dissertation.

A single data point but a valuable one at that.
 
wilkup said:
What about a Desert Eagle in 44 Mag…? Revolver firepower with semi auto delivery system. Does this solve the issue of wanting to get lots of rounds down range fast, but slinging monster hunks of lead? Or are the overlooked because they're just too massive like the S&W X frames?
I have no dog in the "handgun for bear protection" fight. I pack a custom Marlin Trapper chambered for 30-30AI in hand while hiking in the mountains or hung off my saddle horn when traveling horseback.
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It would work but is pretty heavy. I didn't have too much trouble with a 4" M29 shooting 300 gr CastCores. I think I'd rather go with a 10mm Glock than the Desert Eagle. Really a handgun is a secondary firearm. They're just handy to have all the time. At least in bear country.
 
wilkup said:
Yea, that's quite a little bit larger than the typical black bear common in the central Cascades of Washington. Completely different level of pucker factor I'd imagine.
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Occasionally at the local Bighorn Show in the trophy section there is an opportunity to see side by side the skulls of the different species of bears.

Boone and Crockett minimums (all time) just for reference Black Bear 21", Grizzly 24", Brown Bear 28".

The numbers really don't represent how much difference there is when viewed together.

The last I checked there is no overlap. Never been a Black Bear skull, big enough to make Grizzly minimum etc.
 
HARPERC said:
Occasionally at the local Bighorn Show in the trophy section there is an opportunity to see side by side the skulls of the different species of bears.

Boone and Crockett minimums (all time) just for reference Black Bear 21", Grizzly 24", Brown Bear 28".

The numbers really don't represent how much difference there is when viewed together.

The last I checked there is no overlap. Never been a Black Bear skull, big enough to make Grizzly minimum etc.
Click to expand...
I'd pack a 10mm in my hand if I were just facing down small black bears if I had to, but reading those numbers…
7" difference between Black and Brown!?
HELL NO!
I'd be packing a custom five shot .475 or .500 Linebaugh built from a 4 5/8" Blackhawk with Bisley grip if I were required to pack a pistol and not allowed to carry a trapper size levergun in a place I'd possibly encounter such Goliath's… 28 inches!? No thanks. Not with anything but a big bore, heavy hitting wheel gun and I'd probably duct tape it to my hand 😂
 

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