And that is why if you are trying to stop a bear with a handgun you are going to need to hit the brain.
Which is why a 44 is better than a 9. It's .062" bigger!
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
And that is why if you are trying to stop a bear with a handgun you are going to need to hit the brain.
I recall reading how after the bear was killed and skinned and dressed out they saw that all the shots went right into the heart area in group the size of a fist. That bear really was "dead" after the first shot.
As a hunter I aways avoid the heart shot if at all possible.. I like a double lung shot high so shock is also transfered to the spine.
Animals usially drop like a stone with this shot. Heart shot animals can run much farther in my experience. Far enough to have them disappear in the bush.
I have a concealed weapons permit for many decades and have taken plenty of classes and had field shooting courses taught by instructors held in high regard by the shooting community because of thier law enforcemnet bakground.
In one class my instuctor was offereing examples of how people shot reacted.
I one case a female police offered took a shot right in her heart with a 357. She move around the vehicle, returned fire, kiiled the bad guy then collapsed. The paramedics had just arrived, gave her oxygen,,,took her to a hospital and she recieved a heart transplant.
People or bears can be dead on thier feet with a heart shot and still be deadly.
The idea that so many in favor of using a pistol or even a rifle as bear defence, have is that they can kill a bear instanly with a brain or spine shot.
Under the pressure of the momnent,,,having this level of skill is pretty much fantasy.
Some years ago I had a choice,,,come back to camp via a canyon where I saw fresh tracks of a sow grizz and her cub in mud, or go way up and around,,,an extra hour and get bak to camp way after dark.
I re-examimed the tracks,,,The intermediate pads were very straight. the toe pattern also was. The toes were fat with little space between them, I could see the webbing between the toes and the claws were long and straight,,,,grizz for sure.
I had aleady done all the research on the how effcetive bear spray was..I shouldered my 30-06, kept my bear spray right in my hands and made noise as i walked back to camp using the same trail as the grizz did.
I read in Alaska Bear Tales about head shot's on Grizzly. Unless very close, not such a good idea as the slope of the fore head is said to make the bullet rick-o-shay off and not penetrate. It was claimed that even a 20 ga slug will bounce off the head but that a 12ga slug will usually penetrate the head. Place we used to fish up there, river south of Anchourage, we'd see lot's of bear sign, some huge tracks. Carried a 308 loaded with 200gr bullet's in there but never had occasion the use it. I would not carry a handgun into bear country, I'd take a rifle. be a different story if I was trapping in there and then, bare min would be a 44 mag. Problem is I cannot shoot one with anything other than slower cast bullet's. Bear spray may be just the thing but I have never ever seen it in a store anywhere. I think also the failure's with the rifle's were due to bad shot's! Read an article several years ago about a woman from Anchorage that stopped one with a 9mm. I would not want to try that but if a 9mm is all you have it's better than nothing.Ding ding! All of the rifle shots quoted in the original post were not “good” shots. The only shot that stops a charge guaranteed is a brain stem shot. A little 3-4” triangle target……doesn’t matter how much “energy” (which is a horrible number to base lethality on) was dumped into an animal.
In firearms season I only hunt with handguns…….but I also carry bear spray….it also works good to spice up the backpacking meals.
Could you provide a link to this study? Thanks!The best ever study about using firearms, rifles too, for defense versus grizzlies, was done a few years ago.
40% of the time the shooter gets serious hurt and the bear gets injured almost a 100% of the time.
With bear spray 98% of the time with all factors considered, even wind, the person comes away unhurt.
Which Ken???-
99% of the time when April, Ken, Ben make a post I have to ask for clarification, especially when they talk about "ancient" history, the 60.s and 70's ( In Aprils case the 50's )
But I got this one and agree. And his choice of mates is not all bad either Very good hunter, he must drive a muscle car
Do you work for Counter Assault?In “Big Game Animals of North America” Jack O’Connor describes a showdown between a bad coastal brown bear a guide and an Alaska Game Warden. One had 30-06 with over 3000 ft. pounds of energy and the other a 300 win mag with just under 4000 pounds.
The bear attacked. Both fired, 7,000 pounds. The bear got up. Two more shots. Now 14,000 pounds.
The bear got up, one more shot with the 300WM ended the bear,18,000 pounds of energy. All shots were good.
Inland grizzlies are about half the size but are loaded with lots more fight chemistry.
A 10mm is little more powerful than a 357. Over 600 ft. pounds. A 44 mag gets close to 1000 pounds, half the power of 30-30.
The best ever study about using firearms, rifles too, for defense versus grizzlies, was done a few years ago.
40% of the time the shooter gets serious hurt and the bear gets injured almost a 100% of the time.
With bear spray 98% of the time with all factors considered, even wind, the person comes away unhurt.
Talking about using little pistols on big bears is like 15 year old boys bragging about how they would handle the Playboy Playmate of the year.
Nothing wrong with gun as backup. But wake up and smell the bear spray, it really works.
For many years I was a biology and chemistry high school teacher is rural school district surrounded by National Forest. I began once a month Saturday field trips into the forest, typically talking 6 to 8 teen age science students with me. This was unpaid and on my own time. It became a very popular program for kids and adults. Always there were parents who came along and near always some local member of the County Sheriff Dept, or State police, or fire department that attended too. They carried a concealed firearm. I did too,,,along with bear spray.Do you work for Counter Assault?
A 10mm has about 650 ft. pounds of energy,,,equal to 1/3 the energy of a 30-30,,,and weighs about 1/2 of what can of bear spray does. Delusions are unlimited.killed a mt. grizz in the Yukon on 1975, cover of outdoor life with a ,270 charging. 7 shots. i say bear spray. buddy is doing a bow moose hunt alaske next week, full of grizz. 10mm for him, told him to file the front sight down so it doesnt hurt when the bear shoves it up his arse.
meant to say weighs 2x as much as a can of bear sprayA 10mm has about 650 ft. pounds of energy,,,equal to 1/3 the energy of a 30-30,,,and weighs about 1/2 of what can of bear spray does. Delusions are unlimited.
I recall reading how after the bear was killed and skinned and dressed out they saw that all the shots went right into the heart area in group the size of a fist. That bear really was "dead" after the first shot.
Also how TF can two people dump 5 rounds into the HEART of a charging grizzly with a .30-06 and a .300. I call BS.