Bear protection handguns?

[wilkup]

Those with a law enforcement background know how ineffective pepper spray can be. They would also know that if there's a chance your going to be in a gunfight, you bring a rifle, and all your friends with their rifles. Handguns are for when you don't think you'll need a gun. For bears, bring the most powerful handgun you can carry and draw quickly. I would personally carry something bigger than a 10mm. Just read a hunting article where a black bear hunter paid to be guided into the wilderness on horseback and he used a 10mm AR style SBR to shoot his black bear broadside at 50 yds. He lost it and didn't recover it. A .30-30 would have been a better choice....IMO

Couldn't agree with you more. Love my custom Marlin 30-30AI with 16" barrel and hardcast handloads. I've almost always got a trapper size levergun in my hand when hiking. More worried about wolves these days than bears, but prefer to have enough power and rounds for both.

 

[WYO300RUM]

Those with a law enforcement background know how ineffective pepper spray can be. They would also know that if there's a chance your going to be in a gunfight, you bring a rifle, and all your friends with their rifles. Handguns are for when you don't think you'll need a gun. For bears, bring the most powerful handgun you can carry and draw quickly. I would personally carry something bigger than a 10mm. Just read a hunting article where a black bear hunter paid to be guided into the wilderness on horseback and he used a 10mm AR style SBR to shoot his black bear broadside at 50 yds. He lost it and didn't recover it. A .30-30 would have been a better choice....IMO

I agree but have never heard of an AR style 10mm ? 9mm I have. I may be out of the loop tho.

 

[wilkup]

I agree but have never heard of an AR style 10mm ? 9mm I have. I may be out of the loop tho.

10mm is the hot flavor. There's even a handful of levergun smiths around the country converting Marlin 1894s from traditional sixgun/levergun rounds to 10mm.
I've got several buddies who've made the transition to a 10mm AR "pistol" for their go to truck gun. Not my first choice for bear protection, but I'd say 33 rounds of 10mm should easily dispatch just about anything else that may require killing.
Just not personally my style, anymore than a Glock is. Life's just too short to own or carry ugly guns

 

[sp6x6]

I never carry extra weight rifle hunting,waist of time,front carry 338nm.I always carry 44 in grizz area,and riding after i almost got thrown and thought about walking out 7 miles deep in griz area.That was after riding round tight switch back into a grizz at few yards.Know several that shot bears or cats from hip with rifle,luck shots .One guy had cat on his back and grazed his own head shooting it with pistol.Anothe friend arrowed cat stocking him at 9 yrds.There quite,Ive turned bears coming in,also put lead right between ones legs at 80 yrds that was really popping teeth,and that didnt turn him,I left that evening trouting out looking over my shoulder.Two different guys I know tomahawked there bows at bears,one climbed tree,till grizz left,the other was running and shooting behind him at bear.That guy didnt hunt much after for quite some time alone in grizz country,which he grew up in,he was also charged another time... My son and i both carry 44 's

 

[VLD Pilot]

Tough way to make a living, robbing restaurants. How many restaurants does one have to rob, to survive over a lifetime?

Evidently not so many, if you also suck as an armed robber. Shoot yourself and die in the process. Or someone else takes you down.

Short-lived career, either way...

Ya nobody ever accused a criminal of being real smart.

 

[tt35]

Holy moly, the amount of pontification on this thread is amazing. Because I love this subject, I tried hard to get through it but I think most of you missed the most important post of the 24 pages. The article Cfrey referenced is an analysis of actual bear encounters when handguns were actually used in self-defense. Successful defense=attackee lived. Caliber, energy, rounds carried, sectional density, blah, blah, blah. When it was all said and done, even the .22lr was effective in thwarting most bear attacks. Really good, informative article. Makes all of the theories and arguments pale. Carry on!

Defense Against Bears with Pistols: 97% Success rate, 37 incidents by Caliber

Using a pistol to defend against bear attacks seems to be a viable option.

www.ammoland.com

 

[WYO300RUM]

Holy moly, the amount of pontification on this thread is amazing. Because I love this subject, I tried hard to get through it but I think most of you missed the most important post of the 24 pages. The article Cfrey referenced is an analysis of actual bear encounters when handguns were actually used in self-defense. Successful defense=attackee lived. Caliber, energy, rounds carried, sectional density, blah, blah, blah. When it was all said and done, even the .22lr was effective in thwarting most bear attacks. Really good, informative article. Makes all of the theories and arguments pale. Carry on!

Defense Against Bears with Pistols: 97% Success rate, 37 incidents by Caliber

Using a pistol to defend against bear attacks seems to be a viable option.

www.ammoland.com

It's fun just to chat. At my age I've enjoyed this thread more than most. You meet new friends also. Life is short.

 

[WYO300RUM]

I never carry extra weight rifle hunting,waist of time,front carry 338nm.I always carry 44 in grizz area,and riding after i almost got thrown and thought about walking out 7 miles deep in griz area.That was after riding round tight switch back into a grizz at few yards.Know several that shot bears or cats from hip with rifle,luck shots .One guy had cat on his back and grazed his own head shooting it with pistol.Anothe friend arrowed cat stocking him at 9 yrds.There quite,Ive turned bears coming in,also put lead right between ones legs at 80 yrds that was really popping teeth,and that didnt turn him,I left that evening trouting out looking over my shoulder.Two different guys I know tomahawked there bows at bears,one climbed tree,till grizz left,the other was running and shooting behind him at bear.That guy didnt hunt much after for quite some time alone in grizz country,which he grew up in,he was also charged another time... My son and i both carry 44 's

 

[WYO300RUM]

10mm is the hot flavor. There's even a handful of levergun smiths around the country converting Marlin 1894s from traditional sixgun/levergun rounds to 10mm.
I've got several buddies who've made the transition to a 10mm AR "pistol" for their go to truck gun. Not my first choice for bear protection, but I'd say 33 rounds of 10mm should easily dispatch just about anything else that may require killing.
Just not personally my style, anymore than a Glock is. Life's just too short to own or carry ugly guns

I sell guns. Have never seen an AR in 10mm . Not even an AR pistol but what do I know ?

 

[Pdvdh]

Holy moly, the amount of pontification on this thread is amazing. Because I love this subject, I tried hard to get through it but I think most of you missed the most important post of the 24 pages. The article Cfrey referenced is an analysis of actual bear encounters when handguns were actually used in self-defense. Successful defense=attackee lived. Caliber, energy, rounds carried, sectional density, blah, blah, blah. When it was all said and done, even the .22lr was effective in thwarting most bear attacks. Really good, informative article. Makes all of the theories and arguments pale. Carry on!

Defense Against Bears with Pistols: 97% Success rate, 37 incidents by Caliber

Using a pistol to defend against bear attacks seems to be a viable option.

www.ammoland.com

Those were muskrats!

 

[Ol' Red]

New Frontier

I sell guns. Have never seen an AR in 10mm . Not even an AR pistol but what do I know ?

New Frontier and Moriarti (I think was the name) are selling complete uppers. A couple other companies may be building them too. Not my forte', but for every seat there is an ... well you know, what sits on a seat.

 

[tt35]

And, my bad, the lightest pistols reported were 9mm not .22lr. It had been some time since I read the article. You know that's how internet rumors get started!

 

[WYO300RUM]

Holy moly, the amount of pontification on this thread is amazing. Because I love this subject, I tried hard to get through it but I think most of you missed the most important post of the 24 pages. The article Cfrey referenced is an analysis of actual bear encounters when handguns were actually used in self-defense. Successful defense=attackee lived. Caliber, energy, rounds carried, sectional density, blah, blah, blah. When it was all said and done, even the .22lr was effective in thwarting most bear attacks. Really good, informative article. Makes all of the theories and arguments pale. Carry on!

Defense Against Bears with Pistols: 97% Success rate, 37 incidents by Caliber

Using a pistol to defend against bear attacks seems to be a viable option.

www.ammoland.com

Very interesting ! Pale tho ?

 

[wilkup]

It's fun just to chat. At my age I've enjoyed this thread more than most. You meet new friends also. Life is short.

I rarely engage in these but this one has been enjoyable and I've learned a few things along the way myself.