Bear protection handguns?

Wow! That's stud **** right there. Bear spray out and ready and staying calm instead screaming hysterically. Well done lady 👍
I wonder if she opts for a firearm and training going forward…
From the sounds of this statement,
"I know what people say about hiking alone. But personally, I don't know anyone who I trust enough to hike with me." Wylie said.

"I know that I trust myself and my instincts enough to know that I was going to be able to handle whatever came my way," she added. "But I don't know the other hiker's risk assessment abilities."
I think she's just emboldened even more to not need a firearm over this past experience. Which may not turn out well for her if she actually meets a aggressive grizzly. I could be wrong though.
 
Watch the video in the article. 😳



She was also smart enough to get off the trail, seems like a lot of people don't do that. They keep backing up on the trail, thinking then that the bear is pursuing them, when in reality, they're just on the same trail he's walking.

You should sidestep and get off the trail, if he breaks then and comes toward you, time to figure out if you're going to hide the body or report it.

She did very well getting off the trail, very well maintaining composure, had something with which to defend herself, which is better than nothing.


Bear didn't look to be threatening at any time, but a curious bear can kill a person too, great example of a safe encounter with a bear approaching you on the path you're taking.
 
She was also smart enough to get off the trail, seems like a lot of people don't do that. They keep backing up on the trail, thinking then that the bear is pursuing them, when in reality, they're just on the same trail he's walking.

You should sidestep and get off the trail, if he breaks then and comes toward you, time to figure out if you're going to hide the body or report it.

She did very well getting off the trail, very well maintaining composure, had something with which to defend herself, which is better than nothing.


Bear didn't look to be threatening at any time, but a curious bear can kill a person too, great example of a safe encounter with a bear approaching you on the path you're taking.
But, always remember that there may be a food cache off trail: your tresspassing on that will excite a death attack, so look before you leap. Also, walking backwards is a natural reaction, but its the surest way to trip and fall down, which may invite attack.
 
In this report it says 24 shots, and describes a scenario that sounds more like what happens when a determined mature bear is involved.

Holy ****! 😵
I will say my 44 felt fairly puny while I was walking the rivers with those monster browns in Katmai and on the Kenai.

I'd be interested to learn more details on this encounter like shot placement, penetration and ammunition used.
 
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In this report it says 24 shots, and describes a scenario that sounds more like what happens when a determined mature bear is involved.

The determined bears are the killers. Whether predatory, or defensive attack.

A 45ACP? That explains the need for 2 dozen shots...

Friend up here was a police officer, in Alaska. He'd respond to moose vehicle collisions, and have to finish off some of the moose. He said it required multiple shots to kill a moose with their department issued 45ACPs. Bullets commonly failed to penetrate their skull.

His department then switched to 41 Magnum revolvers. One shot to the skull, one dead moose.
 
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The determined bears are the killers. Whether predatory, or defensive attack.

A 45ACP? That explains the need for 2 dozen shots...

Friend up here was a police officer, in Alaska. He'd respond to moose vehicle collisions, and have to finish off some of the moose. He said it required multiple shots to kill a moose with their department issued 45ACPs. Bullets commonly failed to penetrate their skull.

His department then switched to 41 Magnum revolvers. One shot to the skull, one dead moose.
Certain things will trigger a grizzly into berserker mode, in which pain or damage mean nothing, only death will stop him. Not all attacks are berserker, but those that are are extremely dangerous. CNS hits required; even blowing up his heart and lungs leaves that bear with enough available oxygen to fight for up to a minute. Lots of oxygen bound in the blood, and even if teh blood stops flowing, there is lots bound in the muscle itself.
 
The determined bears are the killers. Whether predatory, or defensive attack.

A 45ACP? That explains the need for 2 dozen shots...

Friend up here was a police officer, in Alaska. He'd respond to moose vehicle collisions, and have to finish off some of the moose. He said it required multiple shots to kill a moose with their department issued 45ACPs. Bullets commonly failed to penetrate their skull.

His department then switched to 41 Magnum revolvers. One shot to the skull, one dead moose.

I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiment regarding the 45 ACP.

Unless the hunter/shooter is doing custom loads with a very heavy bullet in the ACP, which is a very difficult proposition, the 45ACP is a very poor choice.

A typical 230 grain bullet, for which the ACP was designed to use, has an extremely poor sectional density…….made much worse if it's an expanding bullet.

My opinion, yep I have one, is that in a 45 caliber cartridge…..nothing under 300 grains should be considered when deep penetration is desired!

Using my 460 S&W as an example, I use 300 gr. Cast Bullets @ around 1100 mv for my "plinking" round and use 400 gr. Cast Bullets @ 1500 mv for hunting when deep penetration may be required. memtb
 
Using my 460 S&W as an example, I use 300 gr. Cast Bullets @ around 1100 mv for my "plinking" round and use 400 gr. Cast Bullets @ 1500 mv for hunting when deep penetration may be required. memtb

WOW !
The 400gr @ 1500fps from your S&W 460 would be like a .45-70 , in your hands , without a stock against your shoulder .
Also , not as heavy as a rifle .
 
The determined bears are the killers. Whether predatory, or defensive attack.

A 45ACP? That explains the need for 2 dozen shots...

Friend up here was a police officer, in Alaska. He'd respond to moose vehicle collisions, and have to finish off some of the moose. He said it required multiple shots to kill a moose with their department issued 45ACPs. Bullets commonly failed to penetrate their skull.

His department then switched to 41 Magnum revolvers. One shot to the skull, one dead moose.
The dance started with a 10mm, .45 jammed at 5.

Mostly not critiquing cartridge choice, but illustrating the difference between the type of attack one experiences.

The other piece that stands out is the total chaos involved in such events.

I think anything fired from a handgun (absent CNS destruction) has low probability of causing a mature boar (size) grizzly in kill mode to stop putting tracks on you while it expires.
 
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I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiment regarding the 45 ACP.

Unless the hunter/shooter is doing custom loads with a very heavy bullet in the ACP, which is a very difficult proposition, the 45ACP is a very poor choice.

A typical 230 grain bullet, for which the ACP was designed to use, has an extremely poor sectional density…….made much worse if it's an expanding bullet.

My opinion, yep I have one, is that in a 45 caliber cartridge…..nothing under 300 grains should be considered when deep penetration is desired!

Using my 460 S&W as an example, I use 300 gr. Cast Bullets @ around 1100 mv for my "plinking" round and use 400 gr. Cast Bullets @ 1500 mv for hunting when deep penetration may be required. memtb
Brother, not sure that all that velocity is going to get you that deep penetration you are looking for but will definitely get you a lot more recoil ( and carpel tunnel) . Randy Garrett ( Garrett Ammo) proved a long time ago that most heavy for caliber, hard cast bullets will actually penetrate better at more moderate velocities than they do when pushed to extremes. Read his paper on the Garrett ammo web sight. We actually proved that by shooting a 320 grain hard cast with a large meplat at (real) 10% ballistic gel. That bullet at 990 fps actually out penetrated the same bullet at 1200 fps. Not by a lot but it was consistent. Both were definitely adequate. That 320 grain bullet will shoot completely through any bear alive at 990-1000 fps. The only reason I say anything is that when those velocities go up, the punishment also goes up as does follow up shot recovery time. That load must be brutal.
 
Brother, not sure that all that velocity is going to get you that deep penetration you are looking for but will definitely get you a lot more recoil ( and carpel tunnel) . Randy Garrett ( Garrett Ammo) proved a long time ago that most heavy for caliber, hard cast bullets will actually penetrate better at more moderate velocities than they do when pushed to extremes. Read his paper on the Garrett ammo web sight. We actually proved that by shooting a 320 grain hard cast with a large meplat at (real) 10% ballistic gel. That bullet at 990 fps actually out penetrated the same bullet at 1200 fps. Not by a lot but it was consistent. Both were definitely adequate. That 320 grain bullet will shoot completely through any bear alive at 990-1000 fps. The only reason I say anything is that when those velocities go up, the punishment also goes up as does follow up shot recovery time. That load must be brutal.

The velocity isn't specifically for up close and personal use, it's for flattening the trajectory some for hunting purposes. However, I think in a pinch, it should work pretty well in a defense type scenario.

Recoil isn't too bad, it's very (almost too) heavy. Besides, pain is a constant reminder that you're still alive! 😜 memtb

Sort of "two for one"! 😉 memtb
 

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