Bears and pistols

[shovelmike]

Thanks for the advice, I am definitely not a firearms and ammo expert. Whatever will take the bear down before it can get me.

 

[oosik]

Bear meat is wild game. It can be good - it can taste terrible( garbage dump bear). It is very coarse and can be tough as shoe leather.

I've smelled bear countless times. It's a real great encouragement to beat on your frying pan - ring your bells - faster & harder. On one occasion - our pack mule, with most ALL our supplies - smelled bear - didn't quit running until it was back at base came - ten miles back down the trail.

Once you have really smelled a bear - you will never mistake that smell again.

 

[k0ua]

Thanks for the advice, I am definitely not a firearms and ammo expert. Whatever will take the bear down before it can get me.

Hollow points are great for thin skinned game like deer. Also great for stopping human threats. But for large and dangerous game like bears some good hardcast lead is a better choice. The hollow points open up pretty fast in Mr. Bear and lack the penetration you need to take out his "boiler room".

 

[Sigarms]

Hollow points are great for thin skinned game like deer. Also great for stopping human threats. But for large and dangerous game like bears some good hardcast lead is a better choice. The hollow points open up pretty fast in Mr. Bear and lack the penetration you need to take out his "boiler room".

That's where I'm kind of an old school Elmer Keith kind of guy, even when it comes to two legged critters.

That said, no matter what caliber in what kind of gun, if you can hit your intended target, no gun will ever help you.

People tend to forget that last sentence when it comes to choosing a gun for it's intended defensive purposes IMO.

With a properly placed shot, a .22LR will work wonders. I'm not good enough in a high stress situation with a .22LR myself.

 

[LouNY]

Me I have no desire to face a bear with a pistol,
I would prefer a 105 recoiless, seeing as how that's not available an 870 with slugs.

 

[Sigarms]

Me I have no desire to face a bear with a pistol,

Me, I have no desire to meet a man who means to do me harm, but they exist, and that's exactly why I carry.

Generally speaking, when it comes to animal life, they'd prefer to meet you as well IMO. That said, sometimes it does happen given the area.

I don't walk around outside with my woods gun around my own home all the time, but living in Alaska or some remote area out west somewhere (east of California LOL) is no different than living in the "hood" IMO, the difference is 4 legged animals don't want to rob you for your money.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

That's where I'm kind of an old school Elmer Keith kind of guy, even when it comes to two legged critters.

That said, no matter what caliber in what kind of gun, if you can hit your intended target, no gun will ever help you.

People tend to forget that last sentence when it comes to choosing a gun for it's intended defensive purposes IMO.

With a properly placed shot, a .22LR will work wonders. I'm not good enough in a high stress situation with a .22LR myself.

What .22 Rifle did Bella Twin use to Kill a World Record Grizzly in 1953?

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Me I have no desire to face a bear with a pistol,
I would prefer a 105 recoiless, seeing as how that's not available an 870 with slugs.

Can you kill a full-grown grizzly bear with a shotgun? - Quora

 

[shooterdon]

If you want to see just how badly you perform under pressure go to a competitive shoot. You will soon appreciate how unprepared you are to face a threat that can kill you when you see how you perform on a stationary target that cannot harm anything more than your ego.

I have been on black bear hunts with every experienced hunters. In almost every case, the bear is treed by dogs and the shot is not difficult. A lesser number are taken on the ground or in a stream with a pack of dogs surrounding the bear...more difficult as shooting a dog is frowned upon.

But a bear on the ground and threatening you is a whole different ball of wax and fortunately also very rare. They want no part of you or your dog and want to get away as quickly as possible It amazing how fast a bear can travel even in thick swamps. If the bear is within ten yards, you will NOT be able to draw your gun and get a shot off. There was drill we did with a fake gun and knife at 7 yards....I will close that 7 yards and stab you before you can draw a gun...hard to believe until you see it demonstrated. I am a lot slower than a bear.

I carry a Glock 22 during the spring when working outdoors in case I get between a sow and her cub(s). Better than nothing, but wish I could have a 12 ga if I ever had to face a pissed off bear. If you see a cub, get the **** out of there in the direction you came from.

BTW our black bears are not huge...most are under 250 pounds. In the last two years, two local guys, who were pulling off dogs and using pistols (.357 in one case), got too close to one: and got ripped up badly enough to go to emergency. One guy nearly lost his manhood. Fortunately for both of them, others were there to intercede.

 

[Sigarms]

If you want to see just how badly you perform under pressure go to a competitive shoot. You will soon appreciate how unprepared you are to face a threat that can kill you when you see how you perform on a stationary target that cannot harm anything more than your ego.

Better yet, if you want to see just how badly you can perform under pressure, have other men shoot at you.

I'm sorry, but as a former hunter myself, treeing a bear with dogs and shooting it is not a hunt, it's a killing letting the dogs do the work for you. No better than baiting IMO.

There is a difference IMO between killing an animal for food for suvival and hunting. Dogs and bait don't qualify as "hunting" IMO, but they do qualify as survial.

Please note, opinions are like buttholes....