.357 mag on Grizz?

Personally I know nothing about shooting grizzly bears, but I do rememebr something relevant...

This topic, like here, used to come up all then time in Guns and Ammo (gotta do something between debating 9mm vs 45 and revolver vs. semi auto..:D )

I remember the editor writing something about how any handgun would be a decent pick so long as you remembered file the front sight off, 'cause it wouldn't hurt as much when the bear shoved it up your a*s...he then recommended a shotgun with slugs.:cool:
 
Freedom Ventures said:
Personally I know nothing about shooting grizzly bears, but I do rememebr something relevant...

This topic, like here, used to come up all then time in Guns and Ammo (gotta do something between debating 9mm vs 45 and revolver vs. semi auto..:D )

I remember the editor writing something about how any handgun would be a decent pick so long as you remembered file the front sight off, 'cause it wouldn't hurt as much when the bear shoved it up your a*s...he then recommended a shotgun with slugs.:cool:
Click to expand...

Was already covered off on page 1 of this thread... :D
 
one of these days someone will shoot a bear with a handgun and we'll all be able to say "that 40s&w was a real game-stopper", or " that idiot should have had a ___________ "<-----insert next bigger gun here.

until then just make sure you can hit what the hell your aiming at, shooting a bear in the back leg may seem like a good idea while he charges at you, but the head/ neck area might be better. it's one of those i hope that never happens to anyone, but it would be nice to know.
 
If we were allowed to carry and if I ever ran into a bear and if he was going to Grizzleman me, It would not matter if it be a 9mm or a 454 the clip or cylinder would be empty,
But what do I know being a Ontario boy. My best guess is you could stop one if needed with jacketed bullets and a 357, but!!?
 
So I understand that you need a bullet with alot of penetration to pierce a scull...
The 9mm jacketed in +P+ has alot of penetration maybe it could work.
Cast lead bullets aren't that great to pierce bones.
Best choice would be the new S&W .460 with those nice pointy bullets :D
 
Now back to me and ready to go, I will still stick with this one
2006_0419Image0004.JPG


The rounds are very heavily loaded with H110, bullet is a 300 grain Speer.

Thanks to Rick at Alberta Tactical for helping me out with everything so fast :D
 
Last edited:
Howzabout' if black bear is the primary concern?

Hi Fellers,

OK, if only black bears are the concern (and I know there are plenty of "killer" black bears these days to be defended against) then how does the "reasonable" choice list of handguns change? Obviously, we should each take the biggest gun we own and can reliably hit with.

In my case, should I opt for 6 shots of heavy loaded .44 Magnums from my 6" Smith 29; or 15+1 rounds (theoretically) of 200 grain hot loaded 10mm from my G20?

I can empty that G20 pretty fast and keep it on a "bear sized" silhouette at close range...

Hmmmmmmmmm.......:rolleyes:

Jeff/1911.
 
OK, if only black bears are the concern (and I know there are plenty of "killer" black bears these days to be defended against) then how does the "reasonable" choice list of handguns change? Obviously, we should each take the biggest gun we own and can reliably hit with.

In my case, should I opt for 6 shots of heavy loaded .44 Magnums from my 6" Smith 29; or 15+1 rounds (theoretically) of 200 grain hot loaded 10mm from my G20?
Click to expand...

I'd go with the 29.
 
I would not at all be comfortable if I had to rely on any handgun to ward off or kill a grizzly. Primary option has always been a 12 ga. with some slugs and some commander shot (not sure what it's call now), but it just has 3 ball bearings in it. Maybe it's a custom roll...

However if I had to resort to a handgun, it would have to be a .44, without a doubt a revolver. After being out in the bush for several days, possibly weeks and adverse weather conditions would want something more reliable than a pistol.

Or, from the movie world, the double barrel 12 ga. hand gun! ;) ... Even if such a thing was legal, at least if you fired both off at the same time you would be lucky enough for the gun to come back and smack you in the head and knock you unconscious! If they don't want to eat you, I hear playing dead works... That gun can help you do it! :rolleyes:
 
Man shoots grizzly at Russian River

The Associated Press

ANCHORAGE (August 18, 6:35 p.m. ADT 2002) - A fisherman shot and killed a sow grizzly as she charged him in the early morning darkness Saturday on the banks of the Russian River. The encounter was the latest of several close calls between people and bears along Southcentral rivers and streams this summer. The Russian is thick with spawned-out sockeye that draw bears.

The grizzly surprised Garen Brenner and two friends about 2:30 a.m. as they packed up their gear at one of the Kenai Peninsula's most
popular fishing spots, said Larry Lewis, an Alaska Department of Fish and Game wildlife technician.

Brenner heard his friend yell "Bear! Bear!" and looked downriver to see the sow a few yards down the bank. The bear lost interest in
Brenner's friend after he backed into the water and threw his shotgun at the animal.

But then the bear turned, looked up at Brenner and lunged, said Lewis, who interviewed the three men Saturday.

Brenner fired twice at the center of the hulking shape closing to four or five feet away. The sow, estimated at 400 to 450 pounds, went
down. Brenner then put three more bullets into her head.

He used a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol. Lewis said such a low-caliber gun ordinarily doesn't pack enough punch to kill a bear. But Brenner
loaded the pistol with full-metal-jacket bullets that penetrated to the bear's vital organs, he said.

The bear most likely was protecting her yearling cub, which waited well behind her above the steep bank, wildlife officials said.

After the shooting, the cub ran up and down the bank near its mother's body, bawling in distress. "It would stop and smell the bear, the
sow, and then it would go into the water a ways, then it would come back," said Bill Shuster, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Forest
Service.

Lewis later tranquilized the cub, tagged and collared it and moved the bear to the south side of Skilak Lake.

Authorities are looking into whether the dead bear is the same sow that attacked a Soldotna mother and son hiking Resurrection Pass Trail on
Friday afternoon about three miles from Cooper Landing.

That bear, also accompanied by a cub, raked the woman's face with her claws and bit the son.
 
Last edited:
Now that's an interesting story.

"The bear lost interest in Brenner's friend after he backed into the water and threw his shotgun at the animal."

The bear must of thought this guy was too dumb to be a threat! :rolleyes:

I know a 9mm loaded with full patch bullets can kill a bear - I am surprised it took the bear off it's feet with a body shot. All I can think is that the spine was hit. Brenner must be a very cool character under stress!
 
The ole' bear gun topic comes up alot here in Alaska. I saved that article years ago to remind people that shot placement matters WAY more than caliber.

Some folks forget that you can be over armed.
 
sauerquint said:
The ole' bear gun topic comes up alot here in Alaska. I saved that article years ago to remind people that shot placement matters WAY more than caliber.

Some folks forget that you can be over armed.
Click to expand...


+1
Thank you sir for pointing out this elusive point. That being said, I'd opt for a long gun first. Anything would be better than nothing in a pinch.

CF
 
Boomer said:
Now that's an interesting story.

"The bear lost interest in Brenner's friend after he backed into the water and threw his shotgun at the animal."

The bear must of thought this guy was too dumb to be a threat! :rolleyes:

I know a 9mm loaded with full patch bullets can kill a bear - I am surprised it took the bear off it's feet with a body shot. All I can think is that the spine was hit. Brenner must be a very cool character under stress!
Click to expand...

I am not surprised it penetrated...I nearly flipped when I seen my 9mm would go right through a 7 inch white poplar at 10 yards.(loaded with FMJ of course). The 9mm pentrates very well indeed but it would be my LAST choice as a bear gun but BETTER than a knife any day of the week.
 
I speak to the guy who lives in Siberia and is a guide for the bear hunt... anyway, we found some stats about handguns and bears (FMJ in all cases):

7.62x25 Tokarev (30 well documented cases):

21 case where shooting starded from 2 meters: 14 people killed the bear, no injuries, 4 got some injury, 3 died.

9 cases where people shot within 2 meters: 3 died, 2 injured, 4 killed the bear without injury.

The biggest bear killed with 7.62x25 was over 630 pounds...


7.62 Nagant (revolver) - 38 well documented cases:

30 started shooting from at least 2 meters: 16 killed the bear without injury, 6 got injury, 8 dead.

8 started shooting withing 2 meters: 2 dead, 4 injured, 2 killed the bear without injury.

I should mension that bullet couldn't go through the head and the most effective area was neck and chest. The biggest bear killed was over 480 pounds.


9x18 Makarov (28 well documented cases where 2 cases are from full auto):

2 cases with full auto handgun - no injuries, bear was dead right away.

19 cases from 2 meters: 10 had no injuries, 5 had some injuries, 4 dead.
7 within 2 meters: 3 no injuries, 2 had some injuries, 2 are dead.

Biggest bear = over 3 pounds. 9x18 was more effective than Nagant round, but not as good as Tokarev.


7.65 Browning (17 well documented cases)

11 cases from 2 meters: 4 had no injuries, 3 had injuries, 4 were dead.

6 cases within 2 meters: 2 no injuries, 2 had injuries, 2 were dead.

I should mention that 7.62 has been improved lately (since late 70s), but it sucks in my opinion.

9x19 Luger (17 cases):

10 cases from 2 meters: 7 no injuries, 2 had some injuries, 1 was dead.

7 cases within 2 meters: 3 no injuries, 2 had some injuries, 2 were dead.

9x19 was effective as 7.62 TT, but most ammo is improved today, so it should be more effective.

.25 ACP (12 cases):

8 cases from 2 meters - 3 had no injuries, 1 was injuried, 4 were dead.

4 cases within 2 meters - 1 was injuried, 3 dead.

.25 ACP sucks!


.45 ACP (only 9 cases - lend-lease wasn't so great as textbooks tell you)

7 cases from 2 meters: 6 had no injuries, 1 was injuried, nobody was dead.
2 cases within 2 meters: 1 had no injuries, 1 was injuried.


Those are stats for the last 80 years and since handguns are quite prohibited in Russia and were prohibited in USSR... the ammo is limited, but can give you some idea about it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom