Bear protection handguns?

Any Blackhawk is expensive these days. I can't believe it. Used New Model 357 are $600 and up. But I know what you mean. I had an itch for a Ruger 22 convertible . Prices were crazy. I bought the Wrangler instead for $190 out the door.
I noticed in the pic I sent it looked like scratches on the Glock slide. It was dog hair. Lol.
Those little Wranglers sure are nice pieces, especially for the price!
 
Took 3 days, but I read it all. I had to look back twice, but this was about black bears in Arkansas. Where ever it is I hate pistol Vs. bear thoughts. I don't shoot anything bigger than a 357 well twice. I have followed previously shot bears into cornfields, cattail swamps, and still leafy prickly ash. I always carry an 870 with 4 Buck in front of 000 buck. These are MN black bears in the 150 to 350 pound range. Even so loaded I am pretty jacked up and nervous every time. I have only had one bear come to fight, in a corn field and the 4 buck absolutely crushed him at 15 feet, however, he was still flopping and bouncing for a very long 45 seconds. While he was in my corn row with a great "walled" shooting lane there was a lot of movement and a black blur. It would have made a very difficult pistol shot, and I was ready and expecting. The best bear pistol is one you can operate very quickly, flawlessly.
 
Like most here; I own representatives of most pistols & rifle designs, semi-auto, double-action, single-action, bolt, lever-action, single shot, etc. My occupational work guns are semi-auto pistols & rifles. My farming & outdoor guns are mostly single-action and bolt action. The handguns are in calibers .22 thru 475 Linebaugh.
I haven't shot any bears so I can't speak from experience there. However, before I eradicated them; I used to nightly go out hunting armadillos because live stock and armadillos are not compatible. I used single-action Super Blackhawks, or Vaqueros, using hot 44 Special, or 44 Mag, loads. The rules of the exercise were: I had to do instinctive/reflexive shooting, flashlight in one hand and revolver in the other, and I had to spook them first so they were a running/dodging target.
The point that applies here is that I never recalled cocking the single-actions after the opening/first shot. The cadence of the shots was easily on par with that of AIMED semi-auto fire. Especially if I was having an off night and failed to connect in the first two rounds. ;- ) When you're talking about rounds that are in the Major Power Factor Class (say .40 caliber bore and up) , recoil rather than the mechanical design group of the pistol, determines how many accurate shots the average person can get off in a timed period.
If there is a possibility you could be included on the "menu du jour": Carry what you have confidence in and shoot well (within reason, no .22s unless it's all you have), AND practice with like it's the only thing that's going to make a difference between whether you eat or get eaten.
As they say on Radio, "just my thoughts, your results may vary."
 
Like most here; I own representatives of most pistols & rifle designs, semi-auto, double-action, single-action, bolt, lever-action, single shot, etc. My occupational work guns are semi-auto pistols & rifles. My farming & outdoor guns are mostly single-action and bolt action. The handguns are in calibers .22 thru 475 Linebaugh.
I haven't shot any bears so I can't speak from experience there. However, before I eradicated them; I used to nightly go out hunting armadillos because live stock and armadillos are not compatible. I used single-action Super Blackhawks, or Vaqueros, using hot 44 Special, or 44 Mag, loads. The rules of the exercise were: I had to do instinctive/reflexive shooting, flashlight in one hand and revolver in the other, and I had to spook them first so they were a running/dodging target.
The point that applies here is that I never recalled cocking the single-actions after the opening/first shot. The cadence of the shots was easily on par with that of AIMED semi-auto fire. Especially if I was having an off night and failed to connect in the first two rounds. ;- ) When you're talking about rounds that are in the Major Power Factor Class (say .40 caliber bore and up) , recoil rather than the mechanical design group of the pistol, determines how many accurate shots the average person can get off in a timed period.
If there is a possibility you could be included on the "menu du jour": Carry what you have confidence in and shoot well (within reason, no .22s unless it's all you have), AND practice with like it's the only thing that's going to make a difference between whether you eat or get eaten.
As they say on Radio, "just my thoughts, your results may vary."
That is excellent advice with very relevant real world experience. Thanks for sharing. I may need to brush up on my reflexive sixgun shooting. 👌
 
Another bear attack in my area:


The article states officials don't know why the bear attacked... Duhhh?

Because that's what bears do! No surprises here...

I've been to the location of this attack a number of times in years gone by. Good population of both black and brown bear there.

Would have needed more than a first aid kit if I'd been there. For the bear...
 
I used to hunt bear and fish around there, until the Feds created a "wildlife viewing area" and closed a large section of land to hunting and trapping ~20yrs ago.

Which explains why this bear was still alive, marauding a campsite. These bears have been cohabitating with people recreating out there for a long time now. Fairly common to have nuisance bears in the 3 public campgrounds within this wildlife viewing area. I can't remember how many human / bear contact incidents have occured since the area was closed to hunting. But definitely more than the prior 20 years when bears were hunted, and I hunted out there.

Pretty certain this couple viewed more wildlife than desired on this wildlife viewing excursion.
 
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Another bear attack in my area:


The article states officials don't know why the bear attacked... Duhhh?

Because that's what bears do! No surprises here...

I've been to the location of this attack a number of times in years gone by. Good population of both black and brown bear there.

Would have needed more than a first aid kit if I'd been there. For the bear...
That article sounded like it was written by a 15 year old bear hugger. They road their kyack. Lol. Easier to row it. Thanks for article . What kind of bear for you think it was ?
 
Thanks for article . What kind of bear for you think it was???

It's a puzzler why the couple couldn't identify the bear as black or brown, because even at the darkest hour of night, there's still dim light at my latitude. We currently have ~21hours of pretty good daylight. 3hrs of dimmer light, but still sufficient for black/white/gray vision. Enough light at the darkest hour I can navigate thru the woods without poking an eye out.

I'm thinking it wasn't a BIG brown bear. Because they're immense up close, and they could have at least reported HUGE bear. So likely a black bear, or a young/smaller brown bear.

I'm thinking the couple may not have had much prior exposure to bears. That, or they had their eyes pinched shut tightly while screaming at the top of their lungs - "bad bear"!

I don't think their injuries were enough to kill. Usually the reporting includes "severe" mauling, on the bad ones. That, and they had to paddle their kayak for about 1hr to get back to the closest campground/road from the location where the mauling occured. They were able to get themselves out on their own, so hopefully a full recovery is their prognosis.
 
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Kind of speaks for itself.
 

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Hadn't heard of this one yet. Bummer there for sure, and does not sound one bit good! 1:30am is dim lighting. Enough to hike a trail, but minmal light at that hour of the morning.

Hope they find her soon, or she may never be found...

Bear spray 👎 I spray bullets...

A man disappeared during an annual 4th of July Mount Marathon Race, which is a foot race up and back down a mountain near Seward, AK. This was ~5yrs ago. It's a huge event up here that attracts some of the very best Marathon runners in the world. 800 participants expected for this yrs race, which is being postponed until July 7th. But runners of lesser ability can also compete.

Bears on this mountain are a common sight from the City of Seward.

This man was in his 50s, and they had confirmation he'd made it to a check point at the top of the mountain. He never returned back down, and he was never found, in spite of tremendous efforts and hours invested. Searching continued for days, but it's a rugged mountain, bare at its peak, but covered with foilage at lower elevation.

2.1 million odds? Another broken odds estimate.
 
Hadn't heard of this one yet. Bummer there for sure, and does not sound one bit good! 1:30am is dim lighting. Enough to hike a trail, but minmal light at that hour of the morning.

Hope they find her soon, or she may never be found...

Bear spray 👎 I spray bullets...
I hope there will be a better outcome than current information would suggest.

With just this to guide us it suggests a predatory attack. which will not be resolved by spray. These are predatory animals that have been kicked, bit swatted in their search for food, and are mentally prepared to go more than one round.

For the human involved ending it quickly is the best strategy. Spend the rangers time answering questions or waiting for your lawyer.

I remain in the no spray group.
 
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