9mm for bear defense?

1920SF

Well-known member
Jan 6, 2007
2,705
1
NoVA
6' away; shot placement-7 times. I suppose 9mm is better than no mm, but in that case a little bigger caliber may have been prudent. Though quantity has a quality all to itself.
 

jhmover

Well-known member
Apr 23, 2004
5,571
3
California
I can't imagine an Alaskan fishing guide only having a 9mm in bear country, I'd consider that irresponsible. I bet there was a large caliber backup just-in-case.
 

fishEH

Well-known member
Jan 26, 2009
6,927
201
Lake Villa, IL
I can't imagine an Alaskan fishing guide only having a 9mm in bear country, I'd consider that irresponsible. I bet there was a large caliber backup just-in-case.

Just in case what?? I would think the large bear a body length away would be the just in case occasion.
 

rovercanus

Well-known member
Apr 24, 2004
9,643
244
I love how these reports never tell you the load that was used.
I was curious about bullet type also but come on, what does your average news spouter know about ammunition?
I think the 1st critical shot was the one to the neck, it hurt the bear enough to make it stop charging and very well could have been fatal itself over time.
He was expecting brown bears, not grizzly if that really matters.
I regularly carry a .40 for bears, coyotes and jack booted government thugs when I'm in the woods.
 

stu454

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2004
5,407
61
Atlanta, GA
Walter, that's true. Can you imagine the 6 o'clock hottie reader saying, "The load used was a 147 grain hardcast lead semi-wadcutter rated at 1100 feet per second, or just below plus P pressure levels."
 

AbnMike

Well-known member
Apr 6, 2016
1,218
117
Western Slope, CO
Anyone else catch the story today of the dude in Montana who was mauled twice by a grizzly and lived to tell? He soaked it in bear spray and it had no effect, lost his pistol and it attacked him later on...
 

SGaynor

Well-known member
Dec 6, 2006
7,148
162
52
Bristol, TN
Anyone else catch the story today of the dude in Montana who was mauled twice by a grizzly and lived to tell? He soaked it in bear spray and it had no effect, lost his pistol and it attacked him later on...

Yeah, he is a tough bastard. He was nearly descalped, multiple bites, broken arm, still walked a couple of miles to his truck, stopped to take a pic of himself, then drove to the hospital.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/lo...utive-grizzly-bear-9558279.php#photo-11273765
 

Discojunky

Well-known member
Apr 20, 2004
384
0
62
Greenville SC
People have jumped out of air planes and their parachutes haven't open and they have LIVED too.........lol. You don't want to have to rely on that kind of luck too often...........lol. My grandpa killed 400 pound pigs with a 22 pistol all the time when he butchered them. But that wouldn't be the weapon of choice if one was charging you.