Heres a few stories i found with a quick search now my 44 Sp handguns and my 45 schofield with reloads have more power than a 25 acp . anyway plenty of bears have been killed with small caliber handguns.
so its been done plenty of times.
Have had a few face-offs with wildlife over the past 45 years.
Most recently, while canoe camping in central Ont..
Tenting with my sister and grade school aged niece and nephew, I was awakened at pre-dawn gloaming by a Blackie foraging around in camp.
With kids sound asleep, it seemed prudent to drive the bold bruin off, then ski-dadle the youngster’s outta there in the canoes.
To that end, the antique revolver was loaded and the bear confronted at 25 yards or so.
He ignored my demands to vacate, and carried on trying to find his breakfast at the(clean) firepit.
Standoff.
Re-assured by the .45, I advanced a few steps and sternly repeated my commands. Bruin remained totally indifferent.
What to do now?.
Not wanting to awaken the tykes and have them milling about with a bear and a revolver in play … yelling was a no-no, so, I advanced some more and tossed an oak stick at his haunch. That worked. Blackie wandered off with aire’s of indignation, the kids got offshore right quick, while the adults broke camp.
No shots fired. Better believe though, that old antique felt welcome in the hand!.
And that is my point, predators seem to sense a humans resolve. Alpha behaviour has worked for me to diffuse confrontation. A convincing demonstration of alpha requires a gun in hand. They will smell ones fear if you are emptyhanded.