Bear protection handguns?

wilkup said:
Just the plain old, boring, vanilla 338 WM!? 😜
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Dropped that Kodiak with one shot after a half hearted 25 yard sprint upon being hit, a big boy he was. And despite a warning from the guide the shot was taken at 300 yards a hair either way.We stalked that bear for three days, and could never get any closer the weather was horrendous.
 
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Not sure how many of you pistol guys have done any penetration and shooting tests with various pistol cartridges. Brown bears have twice the skull thickness of a black bear. That said, 1.5" vs .75-1.0". This isn't enough of a difference to keep any 10mm hardcast pistol bullet from entering and exiting a skull on one. Polar bears maybe but not brown or grizzly bears this isn't a challenge. Shots fired at a big bear determined to kill a person would need to be placed in the skull IMO to guarantee a shutdown in an attack. No real solid info on the couple dozen shots fired into that smallish(450lb) brown bear. My guess is they were not fatal shots before the attack happened. As much as I have shot the 10mm hardcasts into Bear skulls, Moose skulls and Boar skulls, one thing I've realized is that nobody is under gunned going into a defense scenario with a brown bear IF they are fully capable of making good on target hits from adequate range time behind a 10mm with the ammo used for defense. I would not carry one in places Brown bears live while visiting their homelands if didn't think the weapon would keep me safe in an attack. Full disclosure tho as I always have my slug gun in my pack scabbard on archery hunts while my chest rig has the 10mm in it. I'll always opt for the slug gun over ANY pistol if it's available.
 
VLD Pilot said:
Not sure how many of you pistol guys have done any penetration and shooting tests with various pistol cartridges. Brown bears have twice the skull thickness of a black bear. That said, 1.5" vs .75-1.0". This isn't enough of a difference to keep any 10mm hardcast pistol bullet from entering and exiting a skull on one. Polar bears maybe but not brown or grizzly bears this isn't a challenge. Shots fired at a big bear determined to kill a person would need to be placed in the skull IMO to guarantee a shutdown in an attack. No real solid info on the couple dozen shots fired into that smallish(450lb) brown bear. My guess is they were not fatal shots before the attack happened. As much as I have shot the 10mm hardcasts into Bear skulls, Moose skulls and Boar skulls, one thing I've realized is that nobody is under gunned going into a defense scenario with a brown bear IF they are fully capable of making good on target hits from adequate range time behind a 10mm with the ammo used for defense. I would not carry one in places Brown bears live while visiting their homelands if didn't think the weapon would keep me safe in an attack. Full disclosure tho as I always have my slug gun in my pack scabbard on archery hunts while my chest rig has the 10mm in it. I'll always opt for the slug gun over ANY pistol if it's available.
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Black bears are easily killed, unlike Kodiak and grizzly, this 300lb black was shot with a crossbow by me in PA, last year,he made 50 yards dead as a mackerel, however inmo a broadhead at over 400 fps is as deadly as a 10mm,or 44 magnum.
 

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ohlongarmisle said:
Black bears are easily killed, unlike Kodiak and grizzly, this 300lb black was shot with a crossbow by me in PA, last year,he made 50 yards dead as a mackerel, however inmo a broadhead at over 400 fps is as deadly as a 10mm,or 44 magnum.
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I've killed numerous black bears. They are soft and die fast with well placed shots. Brown bears do also. It's not the hunting of bears that makes them dangerous, it's when your hunting other game or just in the bears living space. Shot placement means everything in defense or harvesting a hunted animal. That's key.
 
HARPERC said:
Time to tip over matters, Killing isn't stopping. What an angry animal can do in a few seconds is impressive.
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And there PROBABLY aren't, more than, THREE Pistolero's, On the Planet, that can Hit,. a Charging Grizzly, In the HEAD with, a Pistol !
But, a Good, 10 MM Glock, IS still, way better than, a Rock or, knife If, your, Bow Hunting, in Griz country !
PS; I stay, WAY the Heck, AWAY from THAT, North / East, "Side" of, Idaho !
As,.. I AIN'T One of, the THREE,. Pistolero's that could Hit, the Mouth / Nose area of, a Bouncing / charging Bear.
The Kill Zone on, a Bears,. Head is,. real,.. SMALL !
 
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Idaho Lefty said:
And there PROBABLY aren't, more than, THREE Pistolero's, On the Planet, that can Hit,. a Charging Grizzly, In the HEAD with, a Pistol !
But, a Good, 10 MM Glock, IS still, way better than, a Rock or, knife If, your, Bow Hunting, in Griz country !
PS; I stay, WAY the Heck, AWAY from THAT, North / East, "Side" of, Idaho !
As,.. I AIN'T One of, the THREE,. Pistolero's that could Hit, the Mouth / Nose area of, a Bouncing / charging Bear.
The Kill Zone on, a Bears,. Head is,. real,.. SMALL !
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I love Jerry Miculek. Wouldn't it be fun to see how he would do on a steep brushy hillside, with full pack, dog tired, marginal light, no start timer.
 

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